A History of Sanskrit Literature c29.s3: 3. The Later Schools

A History of Sanskrit Literature c29.s3

Language: English

3. The Later Schools

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The later schools present no features of essential interest and may be reviewed briefly. The oldest was probably the *Kātantra*,² ‘little treatise,’ called also *Kaumāra* or *Kālāpa*, the latter names indicating acceptance of the legend that its author Çarvavarman wrote under Çiva’s special favour. The legend which brings him into contact with Sātavāhana has been noted and its worth questioned.³ What is certain is that in Kashmir and Bengal the work had much influence, and that it affected deeply the Pāli grammar of Kaccāyana and the Dravidian grammarians. Originally of four books, it appears with supplements both in the Tibetan translation and in Durgasiṅha’s commentary; fragments have been found in Central Asia,⁴ and the *Dhātupāṭha* is extant only in the Tibetan version. In addition to Durgasiṅha’s *Vṛtti* on which he himself wrote a *Ṭīkā*, a sort of commentary is provided in Ugrabhūti’s *Çiṣyahitānyāsa* (1000).⁵ Tibetan tradition ascribes to Çarvavarman the use of the grammar of Indragomin, and this work seems to have been popular among the Buddhists of Nepal, but it is lost, though the reality of its author’s existence is certain.

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² Ed., with Durgasiṅha’s comm., J. Eggeling, BI. 1874–8. See B. Liebich, *Einführung in die ind. einheim. Sprachwissenschaft* (Heidelberg, 1919), who dismisses the work of Indragomin, now lost; cf. Kielhorn, IA. xv. 181 f.

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³ Winternitz (GIL. iii. 379) suggests the third century A. D.

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⁴ Cf. L. Finot, *Muséon*, 1911, p. 192.

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⁵ Sachau, *Alberuni*, i. 135; *Bodleian Catal.* ii. 129.

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Use is made in the *Kāçikā Vṛtti*, without acknowledgement, of the *Cāndra Vyākaraṇa*,⁶ the grammar of Candra, which was popular in the Buddhist countries, Kashmir, Tibet, and Nepal, and which reached Ceylon. The date is uncertain, for Bhartṛhari and Kalhaṇa ascribe to Candra study of the *Mahābhāṣya*, while south Indian tradition connects him with Vararuci and makes him condemn the *Mahābhāṣya* as much talk with few ideas. He alludes in his grammar to a victory of a Jarta over the Hūṇas, which points to A. D. 470 as an earliest date, and A. D. 600 seems at least as likely if we may trust Chinese sources. He wrote a comment on his own grammar, and has a distinct terminology from that of Pāṇini, though he is essentially dependent on him. A *Dhātupāṭha*, *Gaṇapāṭha*, *Uṇādisūtra*, and *Paribhāṣāsūtra* belong to the text, and *c.* 1200 the monk Kāçyapa wrote a *Bālāvabodhana* which became popular in Ceylon.

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⁶ Ed. B. Liebich, Leipzig, 1902; comm., 1918.

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The Jains, in their turn, had grammars of their own. The *Jainendra Vyākaraṇa*,¹ ascribed to the Jinendra, really written by Pūjyapāda Devanandin, perhaps was composed *c.* 678. The *Çākaṭāyana Vyākaraṇa*² belongs to the reign of Amoghavarṣa (814–77), when Çākaṭāyana compiled it, using the terminology of Pāṇini, of Candra, and also of the *Jainendra*. The grammar has besides a full commentary, abridged by Yakṣavarman in his *Cintāmaṇi*, works on *Dhātu*, *Gaṇa*, *Uṇādi*, *Paribhāṣā*, and a *Liṅgānuçāsana*. Based on it is the *Siddhahemacandra* or *Haima Vyākaraṇa*,³ written for Jayasiṁha Siddharāja who had eight older works brought from Kashmir for his use; the work is practical in arrangement and terminology, which is mainly that of the *Kātantra*, and omits, of course, Vedic grammar and accent. Hemacandra wrote two commentaries, an *Uṇādigaṇasūtra* and a *Dhātupāṭha*.⁴

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¹ Ed. *Pandit*, N.S. xxxi–xxxiv.

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² Ed. London, 1913. Cf. Pathak, ABI. i. 7 ff.

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³ Kielhorn, *WZKM.* ii. 18 ff.

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⁴ Ed. J. Kirste, Vienna, 1895–9.

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Other grammars won local acceptance, most at a late date. The *Saṁkṣiptasāra*⁵ of Kramadīçvara, its commentary revised by Jūmaranandin, deals in seven chapters with Sanskrit, in an eighth with Prākrit grammar; its popularity was in western Bengal, and it was written after 1150. Vopadeva's *Mugdhabodha*⁶ and *Kavikalpadruma*, on roots, won greatest popularity in Bengal and were written after 1250 under Mahādeva of Devagiri. Eastern Bengal favoured Padmanābhadatta's *Supadmavyākaraṇa* (1375), Bihar and Benares the *Sārasvatī Prakriyā* with commentary by Anubhūtisvarūpa.

Linked texts (10)

Aṣṭādhyāyī — Pāṇini, Sanskrit
Gaṇapāṭha — Pāṇini, Sanskrit
Dhātupāṭha — Pāṇini, Sanskrit
Kātantra — Śarvavarman, Sanskrit
Cāndravyākaraṇa — Candragomin, Sanskrit
Chintāmaṇi
Jainendravyākaraṇa — Devanandin Pūjyapāda, Sanskrit
Kavikalpadruma — Harṣakula, Sanskrit
Mugdhabodha — Vopadeva, Sanskrit
Liṅgānuśāsana (Hemacandra) — Hemacandra, Sanskrit