Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c6.46

Language: English

c6.46.1

The next stage of Sanskrit is presented to us by the work of Yâska, whose language appears to be more ancient than that of the rest of the non-Vedic literature. We find a good many archaic words and expressions in the Nirukta, such as उपजन ‘proximity,’ उपेक्षितव्य in the sense of ‘finding’ or ‘observing’, कर्मन् ‘signification,’ यथो in the sense of ‘as to’, बिल्म ‘variety,’ उपदेशाय ग्लायन्तः ‘unable to teach’, शिशिक्ष राज्येन ‘invested with sovereignty’, नैवण्ठुक ‘subordinate’, अनिर्वाह ‘celibacy’, &c. There are also some technical terms which we do not meet with in later works, such as निवृत्तिस्थान ‘weak terminations’, उपजन or उपबन्ध ‘augment’, नामकरण ‘a nominal termination’, &c. After the time of Yâska, Sanskrit underwent a peculiar change, for the proper understanding of which it is necessary for a time to consider the styles in which a man may speak or write. There is what may be considered as the fluent or flowing style of speech, in which the speaker looks at the actions of men in progress, actions in the course of being done or suffered. A man speaking or writing in this style will use a verb on every occasion. But a verb may always be analysed into an attribute of the subject and the connecting link or copula. When one’s attention is directed more to the attribute than to the progress or course of an action, he will use verbal nouns or adjectives.

c6.46.2

Thus instead of अश्वमारुक्षत् a man may say अश्वमारूढः, of सोऽवोचत्, उक्तं तेन, of अयं मांसं भक्षयति, मांसभक्षकोयम्, of मालामग्रथ्नात्, मालां ग्रथितवान् &c. In the same way a verb may be divided into a noun or adjective denoting the special action it involves, and a verb signifying action generally, as पचति, may be analysed into पाकं करोति or पक्कं करोति and पच्यते into पक्को भवति. The later Sanskrit and the modern Vernaculars are full of such formations. The case forms may also be similarly analysed into attributive expressions; as राज्ञः पुरुषः into राजसम्बन्धी पुरुषः or रामेण कृतः कटः into रामकर्तृकः कटः. The mode of thought which gives birth to such forms of expression leads also to a freer use of compound nouns by means of which a whole sentence may be compressed into a small attribute. In argumentation the ablative of an abstract noun saves a long periphrasis. This may be considered a petrified form of speech, and as distinguished from the verbal style it may be called the nominal style. In the earliest literature of Sanskrit the fluent or verbal style prevailed. Since this rarely admits of attributive or nominal expressions, the sentences are short, and the construction easy. Thus, in such books as the Aitareya and Śatapatha Brâhmaṇas, we find short sentences, and abundance of verbal forms.

c6.46.3

Even in the time of Yâska this style prevailed to a large extent, and notwithstanding that his book is on a scientific subject, his language often reminds one of that of the earlier works, though he must have written several centuries afterwards. In the time of Pâṇini also verbal forms were in general use, as I shall presently attempt to show. Some time after, however, the petrified or nominal style began to supplant the other. Somehow it commended itself to the genius of the Indian Aryas of the times, and the very richness and flexibility of Sanskrit which allows of a root or noun being twisted in a variety of ways to suit any sort of construction greatly facilitated the change. The Itihâsas, the Purâṇas, and the metrical Smṛitis are written in this style. But here it is not carried to such an extravagant extent as is done in later writings, in some of which verbal forms are rare and in others long and bewildering compounds are frequently met with, and the construction is complicated and involved. This is the general character of the Sanskrit in which the subsequent poetic and dramatic literature is written; and if the language of a certain author is graceful and easy, and not dull and involved, if he does not use long compounds, and writes in a more natural style, it is either because his taste is superior to that of his contemporaries, or because he belongs to an earlier period.