Wilson Philological Lectures on Sanskrit and the Derived Languages c6.46.3

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.