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Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c8.s3.t5: Panini

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c8.s3.t5

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English

Panini

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Panini was an ancient Indian grammarian and his Chinese name was ‘Bo Nini (波你尼)’ or Bo Nini (波膩尼). He was born in about 4^th century BCE and wrote *Panini-sutra* which turned out to be a famous grammar book in Sanskrit. The legend of Panini was recorded in Chinese literature including the *Travelling Notes of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty*, and knowledge of Sanskrit grammar spread in ancient China based on the information contained in *Panini-sutra*.

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The earliest record of legend of Panini was in volume two of Xuanzang's *Travelling Notes of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty*. He was born in Salatura, Gandhara (Lahor/Lavor near Ohind, Pakistan). He followed the classical traditions of the Sanskrit grammar established by Brahma and Sakra (Indra) and learned grammatical knowledge from Shiva. He then wrote his famed grammar book, *Panini-sutra*. This book was based on his profound understanding of the relevant literature of the ancient time which made him a world-famous grammarian. Volume three of *A Biography of the Tripitaka Master of the Great Ci en Monastery of the Great Tang* recorded that Sanskrit grammar books expounded by Brahma had over 1,000,000 *slokas*. Sakra simplified the size into 100,000 *slokas*, Fairy Gunabhadra further reduced it into 12,000 *slokas*, and Panini simplified it into 8,000 *slokas*. In Indian tradition, Panini was also called Salaturiya. His alternative name was Daksiputra which may hint that his mother was Daksi. According to the information contained in the opening chapter of Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara, Panini was enlightened by Shiva, created a new grammar book and beat the grammar system of the Indra school.

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The fourth volume of Yi Jing's *An Account of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Sea* titled *Learning Dharma in the West* says that *Panini-sutra* was the fundamental classic of all sounds (linguistics), i.e., 'it was the fundamental sutras of all sounds'. The book containing about 1,000 slokas, explains the essential meanings of many words and expressions. *Panini-sutra* was also named *Astadhyayi* in about 4,000 sentences in all while adopting the form of *sutra*. Each sentence explained a rule so that a theory and grammar system could be built based on the texts. The book explained the complex grammatical system of the Sanskrit language, and was regarded as the oldest work dealing with the grammatical structure of Sanskrit texts. Furthermore, it had three appendices such as the Dhatupatha, Ganapatha and Unadi. Moreover, the later generations edited three kinds of appendices including Paniniya-siksa, Paribhasapatha and Linganusasana. *Panini-sutra* was the most authoritative classical Sanskrit book and was held as a classic by later Sanskrit writers. It is also regarded as the oldest intact grammar book in the world and was also claimed as 'one of the greatest milestones of human wisdom'.

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‘*Elementary Panini's Grammar (Bo Nini yufa rumen)*’, *Duan Qing; (front cover)*

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Some ancient Chinese literature retained part of the original analysis of the Sanskrit grammar as found in *Panini-sutra* but there was no specific edition of translation of Sanskrit grammar book. The paper of Jin Kemu named *Panini Sutra: An Overall Survey of Sanskrit Grammar* was the first paper of Chinese scholar studying *Panini-sutra* which systematically explained the characteristics of the system of *Panini-sutra*, and its important significance in linguistic philosophy and history of cultural thought. In 1996, Ji Xianlin, et. al., translated the book, *An Introduction to the Sanskrit Language*, written by German scholar Adolf Fridrich Stenzler. In 2001, Duan Qing published a book *Introduction to Panini Grammar: Explanations of Sarasiddhantakaumudi* which used the Sanskrit grammar series of Panini with the Sanskrit text of *Sarasiddhantakaumudi* as the basis of explanations. It offered an overall introduction to the grammar system of Panini and has been rated as the first contemporary book devoted to the study of Sanskrit grammar in China.

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(*Chen Ming*)

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