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Vyākaraṇamahābhāṣya

The Vyākaraṇamahābhāṣya (a.k.a. Mahābhāṣya, Bhāṣya) consists of Kātyāyāna's vārttikas (short sūtra-like statements commenting on Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī) and Patañjali's commentary on both Kātyāyāna's vārttikas and Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī. The Mahābhāṣya is a foundational text of the Pāṇinian grammatical school and one of the most important texts in the Sanskrit grammatical tradition (vyākaraṇa) as well as Indian literary culture in general.

Alternative Name

Mahābhāṣya, Bhāṣya

Approximate Date of Creation

possibly 250 B.C. (Kātyāyana's vārttikas); 150 B.C. (Patañjali's commentary)

Author

Kātyāyana (vārttikas) and Patañjali

Text Type

References

Kielhorn, F. (ed.) (1962, 1965, 1972), The Vyākaraṇa-Mahābhāṣya of Patañjali. Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.

Kudāla, Śivadatta D. et al. (ed.) (1935, 1937, 1942, 1945), Patañjali’s Vyākaraṇa Mahābhāṣya with Kaiyaṭa’s Pradīpa and Nāgeśa’s Uddyota. Bombay: Nirnaya Sagar Press.

Narasimhacharya, M.S. (ed.) (1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983), Mahābhāṣya pradīpa vyākhyānāni. Pondicherry: Institut Français d’Indologie.

Vedavrata (ed.) (1962, 1963, 1963, 1963, 1962), Vyākaraṇa-mahābhāṣyam. Śrīkaiyyaṭakṛtapradīpena nāgojibhaṭṭakṛtena bhāṣyapradīpoddyotena ca vibhūṣitam. Gurukula Jhajjara (Rohataka): Harayāṇā-sāhitya-saṃsthānam.

Śivadatta and Raghunātha (eds.) (1951), Vyākaraṇamahābhāṣye navāhnikam. Aṣṭādhyāyīprathamādhyāyaprathamapādavyākhyānam. Śrīmadupādhyāyakaiyaṭanirmitapradīpaprakāśitam. Sarvatantrasvatantraśrīmannāgeśabhaṭṭaviracitoddyotodbhāsitam. Bombay: Nirnaya Sagar Press.

Linguistic Notions

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Texts

Aṣṭādhyāyī

The Aṣṭādhyāyī is the foundational sūtra text of the Pāṇinian grammatical school, and also (one of) the most important text in the Sanskrit grammatical tradition (vyākaraṇa) and the Indian literary...

Authors

Kātyāyana is chronologically the second author in the Pāṇinian grammatical school whose work is extant. In the tradition, Kātyāyana is regarded as one of the Pāṇinian sage-triad (munitraya) enjoyin...

Patañjali is chronologically the third author in the Pāṇinian grammatical school whose work is extant. In the tradition, Patañjali is regarded as one of the Pāṇinian sage-triad (munitraya) enjoying...

Pāṇini (also referred to as Dākṣīputra and Śālāturīya), the author of the Aṣṭādhyāyī, was possibly from Gandhāra, which is the north-western area of the Indian subcontinent. In addition, the Pāṇinī...

Linguistic Traditions

Pāṇinīya vyākaraṇa

Pāṇinīya vyākaraṇa (Pāṇinian grammar) refers to the Sanskrit grammatical tradition including and based on Pāṇini's grammar the Aṣṭādhyāyī (c. 400 BC). The Aṣṭādhyāyī...