Paniniyavyakaranodaharanakosah La grammaire panineenne par ses exemples; Paninian Grammar through Its Examples.

Scharf, Peter M.

Paniniyavyakaranodaharanakosah; La grammaire panineenne par ses exemples; Paninian Grammar through Its Examples. Vol. I: Udaharanasamaharah; Le livre des exemples: 40 000 entrees pour un texte; The Book of Examples: 40,000 Entries for a Text. By F. GRIMAL, V. VENKATARAJA SARMA, V. SRIVATSANKACHARYA, and S. LAKSHMINARASIMHAM. Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Series, no. 121; Collection indologie, vol. 93.1. Tirupati: RASHTRIYA SANSKRIT VIDYAPEETHA; Pondicherry: ECOLE FRANCAISE D'EXTREME-ORIENT; INSTITUTE FRANCAISE DE PONDICHERY, 2006. Pp. xi + 1022. Vol. II: Samasaprakaranam; Le livre des mots composes: The Book of Compound Words. By E GRIMAL, V. VENKATARAJA SARMA, and S. LAKSHMINARASIMHAM. Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Series, no. 150; Collection indologie, vol. 93.2. Tirupati: RASHTRIYA SANSKRIT VIDYAPEETHA; Pondicherry: ECOLE FRANCAISF. D'EXTREME-ORIENT; INSTITUTE FRANCAISE DE PONDICHERY, 2007. Pp. xviii + 834. Rs. 600.

Sanskrit is the primary culture-bearing language of India, with a continuous production of literature in all fields of human endeavor over the course of four millennia. Extant works in Sanskrit constitute the largest cultural heritage that any civilization has produced prior to the invention of the printing press. While the Sanskrit language is of preeminent importance to the intellectual and cultural heritage of India, the importance of the intellectual and cultural heritage of India to the rest of the world during the past few millennia and in the present era can hardly be overestimated. It has been a major factor in the development of the world's religions, languages, literature, arts, sciences, and history. The Sanskrit language itself and its highly developed linguistic traditions have played an important role at every stage of the development of modern linguistics, and the indigenous Indian linguistic traditions contain richness of thought yet to be fully appreciated.

Despite the importance of Sanskrit as one of the world's richest knowledge-bearing and culture-bearing languages and as a linguistic object, lexical reference works for Sanskrit lag far behind those available for other major languages; and despite the richness of the Indian linguistic traditions, resources that facilitate access to the intricacies of ancient Indian linguistic analysis remain few. Paninian Grammar through Its Examples provides a very rich contribution to the lexical sources that grant access to the sophisticated linguistic analysis undertaken by the Indian grammatical tradition. It complements works that treat the comprehensive organization of Panini's system, such as Cardona's (1988) Panini: His Work and Its Traditions, vol. 1: Background and Introduction; R. N. Sharma's (1987) The Astadhyayi of Panini, vol. 1: Introduction to the Astadhyayi as a Grammatical Device; and P. Filliozat's (1988) Grammaire sanscrite panineene; and works that provide a translation of, and commentary on, Paninian texts, such as the works of Joshi and Roodbergen, and the subsequent volumes of Sharma's (1990-2001) The Astadhyayi of Panini. The second volume of the work under review, The Book of Compound Words, complements treatments of Panini's composition rules, such as (to mention just a few devoted solely to the topic) K. M. Tiwari's (1984) Panini's Description of Nominal Compounds, Narayana Murti's (1973) Sanskrit Compounds: A Philosophical Study, and Staal's (1966) "Room at the Top in Sanskrit: Ancient and Modern Descriptions of Nominal Composition" (Indo-Iranian Journal 9: 165-98).

As noted above, the lexical resources for Sanskrit are relatively few and are also, for the most part, outdated. In contrast to the periodic revision of the major Greek lexicon, Bohtlingk and Roth's (1855-75) great seven-volume Sanskrit-Worterbuch, the most thorough Sanskrit lexicon ever completed, was updated over a hundred years ago by Bohtlingk in his (1879-89) Sansktit-Worterbuch in kurzerer Fassung and was last provided with supplements by Richard Schmidt in his Nachirdge zum Sanskrit-Worterbuch in kurzerer Fassung von Otto Bohtlingk in 1928. Monier-Williams' (1872) A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, the most complete English-language dictionary of Sanskrit, which is based upon Bohtlingk and Roth's work, was last revised by the author with the assistance of Cappeller and Leumann in 1899. These dictionaries do not take into account the specialized lexical work undertaken in the twentieth century. The Deccan College Dictionary Project, launched in 1948, promised to produce the greatest Sanskrit lexical work ever. Yet the project has witnessed long delays and reductions in scale. In the years 1976-2003, the project published six volumes of An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Sanskrit on Historical Principles, amounting to 3,368 of the projected 20,000 pages. Yet 85% of the knowledge accumulated for the Project remains inaccessible.

Numerous underutilized monolingual and specialized dictionaries provide valuable knowledge not available in the outdated and incomplete bilingual comprehensive lexical sources just mentioned. The great monolingual dictionaries compiled by learned traditional Indian scholars at the end of the nineteenth century, Bhattacarya's (v. 1812-1885) Vacaspatyam and Radhakantadeva, Vasu, and Vasu's (1886) Sabdakalpadruma, often capture technical distinctions in conventional terms and supply valuable citations not included even in Bohtlingk and Roth's Sanskrit-Worterbuch. Specialized bilingual dictionaries and appendices to scholarly works published during the last century provide valuable information in fields from architecture (Acharya's Encyclopedia of Hindu Architecture [1946]) to botany (Cowen's Flowering Trees and Shrubs in India [1950]).

Several grammatical and linguistic publications have appeared that contribute significant work in Indo-European linguistics, in the grammar and syntax of particular periods, dialects, genres, and styles. These works provide significant lexicographic information. The two most important publications that synthesize work in Indo-European relevant to Sanskrit are Pokorny's (1948-69) Indogermanisches etymologisches Worterbuch and Mayrhofer's (1998) Etymologisches Worterbuch des Altindoarischen, the latter of which builds on his (1956-76) Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Worterbuch des Altindischen. The material on verbal formations was updated by Rix and Kummel's (2001) LIV, Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben: die Wurzeln und ihre Primarstammbildungen. Three publications that make important contributions to modernizing William Dwight Whitney's (1885) The Roots, Verb-Forms, and Primary Derivatives of the Sanskrit Language are Chlodwig Werba's Verba Indoarica: Die primaren und sekundaren Wurzeln der Sanskrit-Sprache, Part I, Radices Primariae (1997), Thomas Oberlies' A Grammar of Epic Sanskrit (2003), and Goto's (1990-1997), "Materialien zu einer Liste altindischer Verbalformen." Indispensable to research in indigenous Indian linguistics are Renou's (1942) Terminologie grammaticale du Sanskrit, and Katre's {1968-69) Paninian studies II-IV: Dictionary of Panini. Ramasubba Sastri, Srivatsankaracharya, and Pranatartiharan's (1965-71) Krdantarupamala: A Concordance of Verbal Derivatives provides the derivational history of primary nominal derivatives. This derivation encompasses valuable semantic content captured by the grammarian Panini that is frequently unaccounted for in modern dictionaries.

The work under review, Paninian Grammar through Its Examples, like the work of Ramasubba Sastri et al., serves as a lexical resource providing valuable semantic information couched in the derivation of words in the Paninian grammatical system, and, like Mayrhofer's work, provides a valuable etymological dictionary, though it does so strictly based upon a synchronic Paninian analysis, rather than upon a diachronic and comparative analysis. In addition, it serves as an educational resource that provides abundant examples of how the Paninian derivational system works. A collaboration between two French Institutes (Ecole francaise d'extreme-orient and Institute francaise de Pondichery) and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha in Tirupati, the work aims to preserve traditional learning while transmitting it in an accessible form.

The work is planned in nine volumes, the first consisting of a comprehensive index of examples in four major commentaries on Panini's Astadhyayi (c. fourth century B.C.E.), and eight volumes corresponding to the eight chapters (prakarana) of Bhattojidiksita's Siddhantukaumudi (sixteenth century C.E.), the commentary most frequently utilized by scholars traditionally learned in Paninian grammar throughout India. The other three commentaries that serve as sources of examples are Patanjali's Mahabhasya (c. 150 B.C.E.), Jayaditya and Vamana's Kasikavrtti (seventh century C.E.), and Purusottamadeva's Bhasavrtti (twelfth century C.E.).

Paninian Grammar through Its Examples lists the examples as headwords in Sanskrit alphabetical order. Each entry shows the derivation of the example step by step. Each step of the derivation cites the Paninian rule that provides for the step, with the number of the rule in the Astadhyayi and Siddhan-takaumudi, and a brief explanation of the step in Sanskrit. If the rule is given in a vartika, citation is made by the serial number of the vartika in Kasinathasarman's edition of the Siddhantakaumudi; these serial numbers are adopted in the edition of Giridharasarman used for the current work. The derivation is preceded by references to the commentaries where the example is found, an indication of whether it is an example, counter-example, or incidental example, the contextual phrase in which the example is cited in the grammatical commentary, if there is one, and an explanatory paraphrase in Sanskrit with translations in French and English. The derivation is followed by explanatory notes in Sanskrit. A sutra index lists under each sutra the examples in whose derivation the rule provides a step. An alphabetical index of technical terms refers under each entry to the sutras that deal with that term.

The first volume contains a two-page foreword in Sanskrit by K. I. Govindan, the then vice-chancellor of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Tirupati, and an introduction paralleled in three languages: Sanskrit (pp. i-iv), French (pp. v-vii), and English (pp. ix-xi). Nearly forty thousand example entries in Sanskrit alphabetical order occupy the first of two parts of the volume (pp. 1-573). Each entry gives the number of the sutra in the Astadhyayi and Siddhantakaumudi, and volume and page references in the editions used. The second part of the volume (pp. 575-1022) lists sutras as headwords in Astadhyayi order. The entry under each sutra cites the examples to which the sutra applies as given in the Mahabhasya, Kasikdvrtti, Bhasavrtti, and Siddhantakaumudi and cites the volume and page number on which it occurs in the editions used. Examples given in the Paspasahnika of the Mahabhasya occupy the last two pages (pp. 1021-22). Part II provides seventy-seven thousand citations to the nearly forty thousand examples in part I.

By itself, volume I of the dictionary of examples is sufficient to lead a scholar to passages that mention the examples in the four major Paninian grammatical commentaries. This serves as a useful index; it is the subsequent volumes, however, that provide the significant substance of the work. The first of those subsequent volumes deals with compounds.

The second volume contains a two-page foreword in English by Professor Harekrishna Satapathy, the current vice-chancellor of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Tirupati, and, like Volume I, an introduction paralleled in three languages: Sanskrit (pp. i-vi), French (pp. vii-xii), and English (pp. xiii-xviii).

The second volume analyzes a selection of examples of compounds listed in volume I. Volume II includes all the examples of compounds cited in Bhattojidiksita's commentary on the 425 sutras of the Samasaprakarana of the Siddhantakaumudi. Some 383 other examples that appear in the other three grammatical texts covered in Volume I are included where examples or counterexamples of a rule are lacking in the Siddhantakaumudi, where the additional examples in the other texts show a difference in formation or meaning not exhibited by the examples in the Siddhantakaumudi, or where the Mahabhasya contains an interesting discussion.

As in volume I, examples are listed as headwords in alphabetical order (pp. 1-779) and referenced by indices (pp. 781-834). Volume II includes four indices, two besides the expected alphabetical index and index of technical terms. The alphabetical index of 425 sutras of the Samasaprakarana of the Siddhantakaumudi (pp. 783-96) lists all the examples given in the texts covered that are derived in accordance with the sutra, even if the examples are not given under that particular sutra. Exceptionally, seven sutras of general scope provide only the examples mentioned under those sutras, as do classificatory rules (samjna), headings (adhikara), and metarules (paribhasa) listed separately at the end of the appendix. An index of vartikas (pp. 797-810) in serial number order cites the Astadhyayi sutra number of the sutra under which the vartika occurs in Patanjali's Mahabhasya. The alphabetical index of technical terms (pp. 811-20) shows the hierarchical relationship between technical terms by indicating after the headword more general terms in parenthesis and more specific terms after a pointing hand. Specific terms cite the sutras that introduce or utilize the term. Fourthly and lastly (pp. 821-34), there is an alphabetical index of compound examples included in Volume I but not included in Volume II that have a related example in Volume II. Each entry points to the related example that is analyzed in Volume II.

The Book of Compound Words will certainly provide valuable specific information regarding the significance of compounds. For instance, one may discover (p. 254) the distinction between kimsakhah and kimsakha. The former, meaning 'whose friend', is a sasthitatpurusa compound formed in accordance with A. 2.2.8 sasthi; the latter; meaning 'unworthy friend', is a karmadharaya compound formed in accordance with A. 2.1.64 kim ksepe. One may discover (p. 533) that pranasah 'having a prominent nose' is a bahuvrihi compound formed in accordance with the varttika prapurvasya dhatujasya ... (under A. 2.2.24 anekam. anyapadarthe) and that pro serves as a qualifier (visesana) of nas 'nose' in it. One may discern (p. 536) differences of opinion concerning the derivation of important philosophical terms such as pratyaksam glossed 'in front of the eyes'. The entry derives the term as an avyayibhava compound meaning 'towards the eyes', formed from prati 'before, against' + aksi 'eye' in accordance with A. 2.1.14 laksanenabhiprati abhimukhye. The compound-final affix tac occurs in accordance with A. 5.4.107 avyayibhave saratprabhrtibhyah. Glossing the compound aksi aksi prati, the notes point out that the compound may be formed by A. 2.1.6 avyayam vibhakti ... in the sense of pervasion (vipsa), one of the meanings of yatha. The word would then mean 'before all eyes, openly, or obviously'. Further the notes mention that as an avyayibhava it has neither sense according to the author of the Bhasavrtti. He cites the compound as an example of A. 2.1.17 tisthadguprabhrtini ca, where pratyaksam is included in the list of exceptional cases beginning with tisthadgu. None of these alternatives mentioned, however, provides the derivation of the term as a technical term in philosophy for the mode of knowledge direct perception. The technical term must be accounted for by A. 2.1.21 anyapadarthe ca samjnayam.

There is no doubt that Paninian Grammar through Its Examples will also provide invaluable assistance to scholars reading grammatical commentaries. For instance, the entry for the example kumbhakarah, which Jayaditya cites in the Kasika under A. 2.2.19 upapadam atin (nityam 17), explains why the derivate is an upapada-tatpurusa compound rather than a sasthi-tatpurusa. The entry under kumbhakara in The Book of Compound Words (p. 266) clearly lays out steps of the derivation and explains why the compound is equivalent to the analytic phrase (vigraha vakya) kumbham karoti 'who makes pots, potter'. The compound is not to be understood as equivalent to the vigraha vakya *kumbhasya karah and is not formed from the genitive of kumbha with the nominative of ketra, as provided for by A. 2.1.8 sasthi. Despite the practical utility of the kumbhakara entry and the penetrating analysis of subtle issues by the authors in the notes, one does wish that the authors had included the early steps of derivation that demonstrate Panini's account of semantics and had incorporated some of the line points of understanding conveyed in the notes into the beginning steps they did provide in the derivation. (I plan a detailed discussion of this elsewhere.)

A few other shortcomings detract from the monumental work. One curiously notices, for instance, that the list of citations of the examples at the head of the entry for kumbha-karah in Volume II constitutes a partial listing. It neglects to include 3.2.1, the single most prominent place of its citation (see Kielhorn's edition of the Mahabhasya, vol. 2, p. 94, 1. 18, and the Kasika), even though the first step of derivation explicitly mentions the rule, the notes paraphrase it, and Volume I includes it in a longer list of citations that includes several other citations missing from the Volume II list. The introduction to Volume II provides no principle for the difference in content of the citation lists in Volume I and Volume II; on the contrary it states (p. xv), "The whole of this first part is reproduced from the first volume." Readers, be forewarned to check volume I for complete citations.

The introduction suggests that someone reading one of the four grammatical commentaries who wants to understand the significance of the example "may refer to the examples either directly or through the fourth index." Unfortunately, the fourth index does not include all the compound examples in Volume I that are not analyzed in Volume II. For example, adhika-saslika I vol. I, p. 24) 'over sixty', which does not appear analyzed in Volume II, is not provided with a mapping to a similar example in the fourth index. Yet adhika-catvarimsah (vol. I, p. 24; vol. II, p. 37) is analyzed in Volume II and the plurals without the compound final suffix ka in Volume I (adhika-dasah and adhika-trimsah, p. 24 are referred to it. A good proportion of the compounds in Volume I lack such a mapping. While one certainly understands that constrictions of space limited the examples derived in Volume II, one does see multiple similar examples that could have been handled by a mapping to allow space for more unusual examples; for instance kimgavah 'whose ox' (p. 251) versus kimgauh 'unworthy ox' (p. 252) and kimrajah 'whose king' (p. 252) versus kimraja 'bad king' (p. 253) duplicate the distinction between kimsakhah 'whose friend' and kimsakha 'unworthy friend' (pp. 254-55) discussed earlier in this review. One wishes that the authors had exercised greater care in the selection of examples and in the mapping in Appendix 4 to allow full coverage of the examples of compounds included in volume I.

A complaint about the editions used, or, rather, editions not used, must be registered. Reference to the sutra is sufficiently precise to allow one to locate the example in most of the commentaries easily, even if one does not have the editions used. Locating examples in Patanjali's Mahabhasya may be challenging, however, since Patanjali's commentary on some rules is very extensive. Neither the reviewer nor his university library has the edition of Patanjali's Mahabhasya that was used. It would have been desirable had the author provided citation to Kielhorn's edition, which has long been the standard edition of the Mahabhasya.

Finally, the publication must be lauded for publishing the index on CD ROM. The CD of volume I was first published in 2005 and that of volume II in 2008. Unfortunately these are available only in PC format, excluding Macintosh users, who are still fairly populous in the Western hemisphere. Perhaps the authors will consider distributing various formats of the digital versions via the web.

While the reviewer has closed his review by mentioning some shortcomings in the publications, these are principally complaints about omission and do not diminish the tremendous value of the enormous range, detailed work, and penetrating insight included in these two massive volumes. The authors deserve every encouragement to continue with the monumental plan, along with some urging to take some additional care to address the concerns mentioned so that we are not deprived of the greatest coverage of their extremely valuable work.

PETER M. SCHARF

BROWN UNIVERSITY