Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c5.6

c5.6

It will be seen that Varsha was a most ancient author as one who was the teacher of Pāṇini himself (c. 500 B.C. or earlier). Upavarsha was his brother and a commentator of *Mīmāṁsā* and *Vedānta Sūtras*, from whom citations have been made even by the great Śaṅkarāchārya. Piṅgala, according to tradition, was Pāṇini's younger brother, the author of the *Chhanda-Śāstra*. Vyāḍi was the grammarian who came after Pāṇini and wrote on his system. Vararuchi and Patañjali were of course much later authors. It thus appears that Rājaśekhara has mentioned all these men of learning from Varsha to Vararuchi, Piṅgala to Patañjali, in a chronological order. All these hailing from different parts of the country emerged into eminence by taking their examination at Pāṭaliputra.