A History of Sanskrit Literature c29.s2.4

c29.s2.4

The principle underlying the grammar is the derivation of nouns from verbs, Pāṇini avoiding dealing with the hard cases by alluding to the Uṇādi list existing in his time. All derivation is done by affixes, and, therefore, when the word agrees with the root form of a verb, or one nominal form is the same as that whence it is derived, it is necessary to assume suffixes which are invisible, e.g. *badara*, fruit of the *badara* tree. Phonetics do not receive investigation save incidentally as changes of words occur in processes of derivation. But in this field Pāṇini, or more correctly his predecessors, achieved very remarkable results, as in the postulate of Guṇa and Vṛddhi changes, of forms with long *r̥* vowel, roots in *ai*, *masj* as the original of *majj*, dive, *s* as the ending of inflexions. The analysis of forms is normally carried out with great acumen; it is very rare to find such a phenomenon as the periphrastic future, e.g. *kartāsmi*, treated as a simple verbal form. In comparison with the work of Greek grammarians Pāṇini is on a totally different plane in this regard. The suggestion that he and his predecessors were creating a language, or that the forms which are not recorded in earlier literature are not to be accepted as prima facie valid, is now definitely disposed of.