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Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c8.s3.t6: Patanjali

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c8.s3.t6

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English

Patanjali

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Patanjali was an ancient Indian grammarian and philosopher. He was born in the 2ⁿᵈ century BCE. Not much is known about him. His main grammar book was *Mahabhasya* and its full name was *Vyakaranamahabhasya*. This book in its textual form adopted the pattern of 'one question and one answer'. It revised and supplemented the earlier grammar book *Pāôini-Sâtra* and retained parts of another grammar book after *Pāôini-Sâtra*, for example, segments of Katyayana's *Varttika*. 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* recorded explanations of *Varttika-sutra*, which was named "Curni" which had been authored by the scholar Pantanjali. Patan-jali was his transliteration, who was also claimed as Curnikrtor Curnikara, the author of "Curni", while Curni meant 'Mahabhasya', which provides new annotations to *Pāôini-Sâtra* and *Varttika*. Only those scholars with profound academic background can master Mahabhasya after having studied the same for three years. The book, *An Account of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Sea* also mentioned that the important annotation of the book of *Mahabhasya* was *Bhartrhari-tika*, which was compiled by the great scholar Bhartrhari during the 6ᵗʰ and 7ᵗʰ centuries. This book had 25,000 slokas and is regarded as one of the important grammar books.

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It is generally believed that another important book of Patanjali was *Yoga-sutra*. Some scholars thought that the author of *Yoga-sutra* was different from *Mahabhasya*. *Yoga-sutra* was the earliest book of the Yoga school which was one of the six schools of ancient Indian philosophy and this continued to exert profound influences on the later thought system of India. It had been translated into Arabic by Islamic scientist Al-Biruni in the 11ᵗʰ century because of its deep and inherent cultural content.

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(*Chen Ming*)

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