India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c6.82

c6.82

The significance of the *Gaṇa-pāṭha* is that it introduces a comprehensive principle of classification by which similar grammatical formations may be grouped together and brought under the operation of a common grammatical rule. By this original device a large mass of linguistic data is reduced to order, system and simplicity so as to make for their easy understanding. By this method Pāṇini was also able to take note of comprehensive geographical, social, political and cultural details, names of towns, regions (*janapadas*), rivers, families (*gotras*), schools (*charaṇas*), republics (*saṅghas*), as examples of single short rules. Thus Pāṇini's genius was able to utilise what was primarily designed as a grammatical technique, to throw light upon the life of the people and serve as a source of sociological and historical studies. By its flexibility the way was left open for the incorporation into the *Gaṇa-pāṭha* of new material as it cropped up in course of time so as to render the system always up to date.