History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c39.s3.12

v1.c39.s3.12

Pāṇini (middle of the 5th century B.C.) not only elevated his work of grammar to the level of a science of languages but also deliberated on several scientific terms. *Padārtha* (Aṣṭādhyāyī 1.4.96) came to mean a well-defined material, and *sattva* meant the metallic essence (1.4.57). *Pramāṇa* indicated measuring standard, then authority and lastly scientific or logical proof (3.4.51). Pāṇini honoured the tradition of searching for truth by explaining that *upajñā* meant discovery of a new knowledge, not handed down by tradition. This new knowledge was supposed to give rise to a new enterprise or application, that is *upakrama* (2.4.21; 4.3.115 and 6.2.14). Thus, Panini laid the philosophical foundation of science and technology.