Jain Journal 1968 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 57

APRIL, 1968
201
but comprehensive. It appears that Hemacandra was already engaged in writing a manual of Sanskrit grammar. He took up the challenge and basing his work on Palyakurti's Sākatāyana-vyakarana and bus gloss the Amoghaveth (9th century) on it and consulting Kalapa and other grammars brought from Kasmira by one Utsaha specially for this purpose, he completed the Siddha-Hema-sabdanutasana in course of one year. The tradition' 18 that in course of one year he wrote also the Vittis and Nyasa but the Nyasa alone is so voluminous that this tradition need not be taken at its face value even if it is presumed that scores of scholars wrote at the dictation of the master Possibly his commentaries were finished by 1143-44 A D3
Hemacandra's grammar was the best among many such works written in the medieval age This is the view of Dr Kielhorn who himself was an authority on Sanskrit grammar This encomium is richly deserved As a matter of fact it will not be far from truth to say that all subsequent works on Sanskrit grammar, including Bhattaji Diksit's Siddhanta-kaumudi more or less follow the arrangement initiated by Hemacandra
Hemacandra's grammar is not an original composition in any way. But who after Panını can be original in this field except in arrangement of the sūtras and in making them simpler and more easily intelligible ? Hemacandra's arrangement is practical and his sütras are simple and easily understandable While he is to a great extent indebted to Palyakıtı, and has taken over many of his sūtras bodily, a comparison will convince any one that Hemacandra's sūtras are a great improvement on Palyakıtı's Hemacandra was a skilful compiler He has not only incorporated whatever there was new in Palyakırtı's grammar but also added new matters from Bhoja's Sarasvati-kanthabharana and other sources which cannot now be traced His Laghuvitt is meant for the beginner but his Brhadvętti is a veritable mine of grammatical lore He has referred in this commentary to the views of many grammarians but unfortunately not having named them, it is impossible now to trace these views to their sources Byhadvrtti is meant for advanced students the treatment of the problems raised is masterly brief and to the point
1 Merutunga's Prabandha-cintamani and Prabhacandra and Pradyumna Suri's Prabhavak acarita See also Buchler, The life of Hemacandracarya
By tradition its volume was equivalent of 80000 anustubha couplets, approxtmately 2000 printed pages
Buchler, The Life of Hemacandracarya.