Laghusiddhntakaumud

Introduction and

Saj Prakaraa

(Text, Translation, and Notes)

By

Narsing Rao (narsingrao@outlook.com)

2014

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1

Invocation and Mhevara Stras ...................................................................................... 3

Samj Prakaraa............................................................................................................ 5

1. () ....................................................................................................... 5 2. ()............................................................................................... 6 3. () ..................................................................................................... 6 4. ()........................................................................................ 7 5. () ............................................................................... 7 6. () ................................................................................................... 8 7. () ................................................................................................ 8 8. () .......................................................................................... 9 9. () .......................................................................... 9 10. () ................................................................................ 10 11. () ...................................................................... 15 12. () ............................................................................... 17 13. () ................................................................................ 17 14. () ...................................................................................... 18

Introduction

The Laghusiddhntakaumud is an abbreviation of the Siddhntakaumud of Bhaoji

Dkita by Varadarja. It consists of a selection of 1272 stras the study of which will

give one a good grasp of Sanskrit grammar.

The Siddhntakaumud was composed by Bhaoji Dkita around the beginning of the 17

th Century CE. It was a revolutionary work in that it revived serious pursuits of the

study of Sanskrit grammar after a long gap of several centuries. It also inspired the production of several grammatical works of high caliber.

The Siddhntakaumud provides a comprehensive view of Sanskrit grammar using the following approach:

The stras in the Siddhntakaumud are arranged according to various topics.

All the stras from the Adhyy are included, except in a different order

The stras are introduced according to the prakriy method, which can be considered to be a method of teaching by example. A particular example (i.e. derivation of a word) is taken up and all the required to derive the word in the

example are introduced in the appropriate order

The Siddhntakaumud is organized into several logical divisions (called prakaraas). It

also contains several topics not covered by the stras of the Adhyy. The divisions

that pertain to stras of the Adhyy are shown in the table below:

Division Number of

Prakaraas Number

of stras Topics covered

Samj 1 33 Definition of technical terms

Paribh 1 13 Metarules

Sandhi 4 131 Rules of sandhi

Subanta 6 269 Declensions of substantives

Avyaya 1 6 Indeclinables

Strpratyaya 1 79 Affixes to indicate the feminine gender

Kraka 1 115 Functions in the accomplishment of an action

Samsa 9 425 Compound substantives

Taddhita 18 1079 Affixes for substantives

Tianta 22 678 Conjugation of verbs

Kdanta 3 558 Affixes for verbs

Vaidik Prakriy 8 263 Rules specific to Vedic forms

Svara Prakriy 6 329 Rules specific to svara Total 81 3978

The Laghusiddhntakaumud contains the following divisions:

Prakaraa Number of subdivisions

Number

of stras Topics covered

Samj 1 14 Definition of technical terms

Sandhi 3 101 Rules of sandhi

Subanta 7 257 Declensions of substantives

Tianta 22 393 Conjugation of verbs

Kdanta 4 122 Affixes for verbs

Vibhaktyartha 1 16 Meanings of case endings

Samsa 6 90 Compound substantives

Taddhita 17 279 Affixes for substantives

Total 81 1272

Invocation and Mhevara Stras

It is customary to start a work with an auspicious invocation which often includes the

purpose of the composition.

Having bowed to () to goddess Sarasvat ( ) [the goddess of speech] who is pure () and equipped with good qualities (), I compose () the Laghusiddhntakaumud () for the purpose of introducing the grammar of Panini ().

( - ) These () are the Mhevara stras ( ), the purpose of which is to define terms such as a and others (-).

( ) Among these groups (), the last symbols () are elided () [i.e. should be interpreted as tags].

Notes

Pini makes extensive use of tags in his grammar. These tags, which are attached to lexical terms, serve various purposes. Therefore, he developed a set of rules that enables

one to identify these tags.

The Sanskrit language makes use of a set of well defined sounds (or phonemes) that are the basis of the language. This set is divided into fourteen groups as defined by the

Mhevara stras. Each group ends with a tag, the purpose of which is to define various subsets (as will be seen later).

( - - )

The sound a () which is present in all the sounds ha onwards () is only to facilitate pronunciation () [because it is not possible to pronounce a consonant without a vowel]. However the sound a which is part of la [ = + + ] should be considered to be a tag (-).

Notes

The first four Mhevara stras define the vowel sounds and the remaining ten (staring

from ) define the consonant sounds. The first consonant is .

Notice also that the consonant appears twice this was done so as to facilitate the creation of the required sets of consonants.

The stra style of composition is used in practically all the stras. This style represents

the essential concepts of the stra and also makes the stra relatively easy to memorize.

In the Adhyy, for the sake of brevity, there is extensive use of a feature by which the

complete understanding of a stra requires using terms that appear in previous stras.

This feature is referred to as anuvtti ().

While explaining each stra, if it requires terms taken from other stras, the required anuvtti will also be given. The anuvtti consists of terms taken from other stras along with the applicable stra number.

Samj Prakaraa

1. ()

Padaccheda Anuvtti (), () ( )

In the traditional instruction () the last consonant ( ) should be elided ( ) [i.e. should be treated as a tag]. The instuction () is that which has been handed down since ancient times by tradition (). A term () that is not seen in a particular stra ( ) must be obtained by anuvtti () from other stras () in all cases ().

Notes

The following loka gives a traditional definition of upadea:

According to this definition, the following constitute the upadea:

, , , , (= ) , , , , and . This loka should be interpreted to indicate that the above works contain or define technical terms (used during the instruction) which have tags. These technical terms are

symbols used to define a grammar, but are not used in the language itself. For examples,

terms such as and are used to indicate the set of vowels and consonants respectively.

2. ()

Padaccheda ( )

The disappearance () of a symbol that has been realized () is referred to as lopa ( ).

Notes

Here, lopa means that a symbol that is part of the upadea is not visible (or heard). In other words , it serves as a tag and is not part of the term itself.

This stra simply defines the meaning of the term lopa. It therefore implies that whatever is designated as lopa should be understood to be a tag.

This and the previous stra are examples of saj stras, the purpose of which is to define technical terms.

3. ()

Padaccheda

( ) There is a disappearance ( ) of whatever is designated as it ( ). and others () are for the purpose of defining terms such as ().

Notes

and others refer to the tags that come at the end of each of the fourteen Mhevara stras, namely , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . This is a vidhi stra which requires an action to be performed (in this case elision).

4. ()

Padaccheda Anuvtti (), ()

( : : --- )

The initial term (:), when joined with a tag that is at the end of another term ( :), defines a set ( ) containing itself () as well as all the intervening terms ( ). Just as () a ( ) defines the set a, i, and u ( ). In the same manner (), ac, hal, al and others are defined (---).

Notes

This is a saj stra that defines how to form compact representation of sets. Using this notation, we have, for example:

= { } = { } = { } = { , , , , }

5. ()

Padaccheda --

(: : -- )

The term represents these three sounds: , , and . The duration of pronunciation ( ) of any vowel () that corresponds to these durations ( ) is respectively () referred to as short (), long (), and prolated ().

Notes

The term means that which is pronounced with durations corresponding to the pronunciations of , , and respectively. ( )

6. ()

Padaccheda Anuvtti ()

Siddhnta Kaumud

( )

The vowel () which is pronounced from the upper regions ( ) of the palate etc. ( ) is called udtta ( ).

Notes

This and the following two stras are not commented on in the

LaghusiddhntaKaumud. The commentary is given from the Siddhnta Kaumud

Here, udtta does not refer to the pitch of the sound but to the regions (of the vocal tract) of pronunciation.

7. ()

Padaccheda Anuvtti ()

The vowel which is pronounced from the lower regions ( ) of the palate etc. is called anudtta ().

8. ()

Padaccheda Anuvtti ()

Siddhnta Kaumud

( - )

That vowel ( ) in which () the characteristics () of both udtta and anudtta (-) are combined (), is designated as svarita (). Notes The characteristic of the svarita is that it is a tone characterized by an increase in pitch. (: - ) That sound (:) though being of nine categories ( ) [i.e. combinations of the three durations and the three tones], has each one of them () divided into two types (), namely nasal and not-nasal (-).

9. ()

Padaccheda ( ) The vara () which is pronounced () using the mouth as well as the nose () is called anunsika ( ). That () is elaborated in this manner ():

There are eighteen () variations () of each of () the varas a i and u ( ). There are twelve () variations of () because is has no long version ( ). There are twelve () variations even for ec (e o ai au) () because they have no short version ( ).

10. ()

Padaccheda -- ( ) The vara for whom () these two characteristics ( ), namely, place of pronuncation () and () internal effort () is similar to that of another vara ( ) that () and the other one are savara ( ) with respect to for each other (). Notes The term is explained thus: , () This is a Vrttika authored by Ktyyana which states that and should be considered to be savara. The following statements specify the places of pronunciation of the various varas. The following abbreviations are used: { } { } { } { } { }

(gutturals) The throat () is the place of pronunciation for , , and (palatals) The palate () is the place of pronunciation for , , and (cerebrals) The roof of the mouth () is the place of pronunciation for , , and (dentals) The teeth () are the place of pronunciation for , , and (labials) The lips () are the place of pronunciation for , , and (nasals) The nose is an additional place of pronunciation of ( ). For example, for it will be and The throat () and the palate() are the places of pronunciationfor and (Note: and are indicated by and , here used to indicate unambiguity and also to include the pluta forms). The throat () and the lips () are the places of pronunciationfor and The teeth () and the lips () are the places of pronunciationfor and The root of the tongue () is the place of pronunciation of

The nose () is the place of pronunciation of (i.e. it is a pure nasal sound) Effort () is of two types () internal ( ) and () external () The first () [i.e. ] is of five types () with contact (), with slight contact (), open (), slightly open (), and constricted () . The effort required for the spara varas is spa (contact). The effort requied for the antastha varas (i.e. y r l v) is atspa (slight contact). The effort required for the man varas (i.e. s h) is iadvivta (slightly open). The effort required for the vowels is vivta (open). ( ) The effort required to pronounce the short ( ) is savta in usage; however () for the purpose of grammar () it should be considered to be vivta. Careful observation will reveal that when is pronounced, the opening of the mouth is constricted (savta) whereas when is pronounced then it is open (vivta). This means that, strictly speaking the rule () cannot be applied to make + = because and cannot be considered to be savara . That is

why Pini requires that for the purpose of the grammatical instruction, should be considered to be vivta. This is indicated by the very last stras of the Adhyy (), the meaning of which is that the which was considered to be vivta for the purpose of the Adhyy is now made savta in usage. External effort ( ) is of eleven kinds ( ) with open mouth (), with constricted mouth (), breathed (), sounded (), deep (), shallow (), with less breath(), with heavy breath (), medium pitch (), low pitch (), and high pitched () respectively.

{ } { }

{ } : : is indicated by a sign like a half visarga () before k and kh ( ). : : is indicated by a sign like a half visarga () before k and kh ( ). ( - ). The symbols following the vowels ( ) in and are respectively referred to as anusvra () and visarga ().

11. ()

Padaccheda Anuvtti (), () The term pratyaya () means that which is ordained [by a rule] ( ). That which is not ordained () and those terms that udit ( ) should by considered to indicate not only themselves ( ) but those that are savara ( ). Only in this place ( ) should a () be constructed using the second ( ). In the pratyhra stras the tag is used in two places. Which should be used in which circumstance is summarized in the following loka:

The pratyhra always uses the latter whereas the pratyhra always uses the former . The only exception is in the stra where uses the latter . Therefore in this stra { } These are the sets referred to by the term ( ) Therefore (), stands for eighteen varieties ( ) [3 durations X 3 pitches X 2 (nasal or not nasal)] Similarly, and ( -) stands for 30 varieties and so does ( ) [Because has 18 varities and has twelve, and they are savara]. Each of [ ] stands for twelve varieties ( ) [no form]. The use of this is in stras such as , according to which when is followed by another , both are replaced by . However, each of the s refer to all forms of (for all practical purposes, and ). However, in a stra such as (- ), where the last vara of certain words such as is replaced by , this stands for iteself and not for savara forms. and have two varieties nasalized and un-nasalized (- ). [They are ]. Therefore () each of them () in the un-

nasalized form () stand for two varieties each ( ). [In other words, { } and so on]. Note Many of the stras cannot be understood without the help of authoritative commentaries and the tradition (and indeed, this is true of any stra). That is why Patajali in his Mahbhya says: ( ) Correct understanding () is obtained only through an authoritative commentary (), a stra does not become inapplicable ( ) just because of ones doubt (). In other word, one cannot resolve ones doubt by making any arbitrary assumption.

12. ()

Padaccheda The term samhit ( ) refers to the utmost closeness ( ) of varas () [when they are uttered]. [That is samhit stands for an uninterrupted stream of varas].

13. ()

Padaccheda

The term sayoga ( ) refers to consonants () with no intervening vowels ( ).

14. ()

Padaccheda -

The term pada ( ) refers to any term that ends with sup () or ti (). Note Pini uses the technical term pada to denote certain lexical units. The scope of lexical units defined by the term pada is well beyond the concept of the term word. The term pada refers to lexical units defined by stras (1.4.14) through (1.4.17).