कातन्त्र-व्याकरणम् KATANTRA-VYAKARANAM
|| ॐ श्री ऋषभदेवाय नमः ||
|| Auṃ Śrī Ṛṣabhadevāya Namaḥ ||
Jay Jinendra
कातन्त्र-व्याकरणम्
KATANTRA-VYAKARANAM
By Sarvavarma
Edited and translated into Hindi by Dr RS Saini
1987 22 x 14 cm 286 pages
Hardcover Rs. 150
Composed by Sarvavarma in the second CE of the Common Era, the Kātantra Vyākaraṇa was a game changer as far Sanskrit grammars were concerned. Also known as the Kalāpa or the Kaumāra Vyākaraṇa, legend says that it was created in response to a very unique demand by a King.
There is a fascinating story behind the writing of this great Sanskrit grammar...
Some 2200 years ago, the great King Sātavāhana ruled the Andhra Pradesh.
*modakaṃ dehī deva = mā udakaṃ dehī deva
(Lord, please do not splash me with water)
Once, while he was relaxing in his water pond with his many queens; one of them, tiring of this sport, asked him in Sanskrit to stop splashing her with water by saying, "modakaṃ dehī deva". The brave King, unfamiliar with Sanskrit sandhis, incorrectly assumed that she wanted "modakas", a special kind of sweet, and asked his servants to fetch the vaunted sweet. The queen laughed at him and playfully rebuked him for his lack of proficiency at Sanskrit.
A suitably chastised King asked two of his learned courtiers to instruct him in the intricacies of Sanskrit asap. He asked them how much time it would take to master Sanskrit. The first scholar, Guṇāḍhya, explained that it normally took about 12 years to gain mastery of Sanskrit grammar, but boasted that he would teach the King in only 6 years. The second scholar, Sarvavarma, claimed that Sanskrit grammar could be taught in 6 months.
In the ensuing unscholarly debate between the two masters, Guṇāḍhya claimed that if Sarvavarma could make the King an expert in Sanskrit in 6 months flat, he would never, ever write a book in Sanskrit or Prakrit! To do one better, Sarvavarma proclaimed that if he could not make the King an expert in Sanskrit in 6 months, he would carry Guṇāḍhya's footwear on his head for the next 12 years!
After the tall claim, Sarvavarma found it difficult to match it in deed, and hence sought the blessings, help and guidance of Svāmī Kārtikeya, the Jain monk. Under his tutelage, Sarvavarma learned and composed the Kātantra Vyākaraṇa in a very short period of time.
Presumably, King Sātavāhana was blessed with peaceful neighbours and peace-loving countrymen, for within the stipulated time frame of 6 months, he devoted himself to studying and mastering Sanskrit grammar following the Kātantra Vyākaraṇa method.
Salient Features of Kātantra Vyākaraṇa
1. It is also known as Kātantra; Kalāpa; Kalāpaka; Kaumāra; Sarvavarmika; Daurgasiṃha, Durgasiṃhīya
2. Created to teach Sanskrit to King Sātavāhana in a very short period of time.
3. Kātantra uses the traditional sequence of words in a sentence placing subject in the first case object in the second case and instrumental cause in the seventh case.
4. Uses a simpler scheme of suffixes than Pāṇinian grammar.
5. Uses 14 svaras to Pāṇini's 9.
6. Recognises 52 varṇas to Pāṇini's 42.
7. Kātantra samanvaya follows loka vyavahāra, as opposed to Pāṇini samanvaya, which does not follow loka vyavahāra but is designed to facilitate the pratyāhāras. Hence Kātantra
more practical as it covers classical as well as laukika (general) usage.
8. Since Kātantra does not use pratyāhāras, the brevity of sūtras is sometimes compromised. But the student is saved from the pains of mastering the pratyāhāra system!
9. Kātantra renders a very practical and realistic grammar and states that wherever there is no sutra in his vyākaraṇa, the user must follow the general spoken convention.
lokopacārād grahaṇasiddhiḥ'
Kātantra Vyākaraṇa 1.1.23
10. Brevity can be attained in two ways:
śabdakṛta lāghava : Using the barest minimum of words
Plus point - very few words required, makes for elegant writing
Minus point - cryptic style; the meaning is not always quickly grasped
arthakṛta lāghava : Explaining the concept in a clear and lucid style.
Plus point - is obvious
Minus point - more words are required, to illustrate the meaning clearly and to facilitate immediate comprehension.
Kātantra uses arthakṛta lāghava, while Pāṇini uses śabdakṛta lāghava. Hence Kātantra is more user-friendly!
11. Kātantra Vyākaraṇa was used widely in India from Bengal to Kashmir, and from Andhra to Orissa and Central India. It was also used in neighbouring Tibet, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
12. As proofs of Kātantra's enduring and widespread popularity, many grammatical works were written on the Kātantra system, in different scripts such as Śāradā, Vaṅga, Utkala, Grantha and Devanāgarī. There are more than 40 separate works on the Kātantra Rūpamālā. There exist more than 23 ṭīkās in Tibetan on the Kātantra Vyākaraṇa.
13. Both Jains and Buddhists claim authorship of Kātantra Vyākaraṇa - strong evidence of of its excellence, practicality and the fascination it commands.
Summary
This is a good introductory work on Kātantra Vyākaraṇa. It is a must-buy for students and scholars of Sanskrit and Indologists. It is compulsory reading for the Jain and Buddhist scholar.
PS Sorry, this reviewer believes in arthakṛta lāghava not śabdakṛta lāghava! Hence the long review.
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