Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1872

c8.1872

5) The birth of Pāṇinīya. When Pāṇini was doing penance to propitiate Śiva the latter appeared before him and started dancing. He sounded his musical instrument ḍhakkā (a large double drum) fourteen times. Each of it produced a different sound as follows (1) Aiun (2) Ṛlk (3) Eoṅ (4) Aiauc (5) Hayavaraṭ (6) laṇ (7) ṅamaṅaṇanam (8) Jhabhañ (9) Ghaḍhadhaṣ (10) Jabagaḍadaś (11) Khaphachaṭhathacaṭatav (12) Kapay (13) Śaṣasar (14) Hal. Pāṇini accepted these fourteen sounds as fourteen sūtras (aphorisms). They are called Pratyāhārasūtras. (The comprehension of several letters or affixes into one syllable effected by combining the first letter of a Sūtra with its final indicatory letter.) These Sūtras are now known as Māheśvarasūtras.