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*DHATUPĀRĀYANAM-A REVIEW NOTE
J. M. Shukla
Ancient works on instruction1 on Sanskrit Grammar were divided under two heads, viz. Sutrapatha and Khilapātha. The latter included Dhātupātha. Ganapatha, Unādipātha and Lingānusāsana.
The earliest Dhätupatha available to us in a complete form is that of Panini, Before Panini scholarly discussion regarding enumeration and mea. ning of roots was already well-developed. Yaska's division of parts of speech into) nana, akhyāta, upasarga and nipäta and the discussion regarding all nouns being root-based testify to a detailed study of roots. Small manuals and lists of nouns and verbs were prepared for purposes of study. They were named books of enumeration (Pārāyaṇa). Booklets on nouns were called Nāma pārayana and those on roots were called Dhatupā. rāyana, It is likely that grammarians like Bhaguri, Kasakstsna, Apisali and Sakatāyana had prepared such manuals. These have not come down to us, but grammatical tradition has preserved some references from them, A number of references to the root-lists of grammars earlier than that of Panini are found in Kşirasvāmiś Kşiratarangini (1050 A. D. circa), Maitreyarakṣita's Dhätupradipa and other works, Pāṇini probably accepte considerable help from these earlier lists i, e. Dhatupārāyaņas.
Panini's Dhātupātha which can be understood as Dhatusutrapatha constitutes Dhätupātha i, e, a list of roots and Dhātvartbapātha, a list of meanings. Both these are combined into one. From cross-references between the sutras of Pāņini and the sutras of Dhatupātba, we understand that
* Dhātupārāyaṇam, Kalikälasarvajña śri Hemacandrasūriviracitam, prathamo bhāgaḥ
edited by Muni Yakovijaya and Muni municandravijayaji, Ahmedabad; price Rs.
15-00; 1973. 1. Uapdeśa and Sastravákya are the two words used for grammatical instruction;
cf. Vămana-Jayāditya "Upadiśyatenenetyupadeśaḥ Šāstravākyäni sütrapāthah Khila.
päthasca. Kāśikā on P, Sa. 'Upadesejanunāsika it", 1-3-2, 2. (a) Jinendrabuddhi understands khilpātha as Dhātupātha and accepts the suggestion
that 'ca' of Khilpāthaśca of Kašikā suggests prātipadikapätha or Ganapāțha. (b) Haradatia, however, understands Dhātupāțha, Ganapātha and Vārtikapātha by
the term khilapātha; cf. Padmanjari on Ksik on Pä. Sū. 1.3.2. 3. The word seems to have had a fairly old currency (a) Patanjali uses the word
Sabdapārāyana in Sabdapārayanam provāca nāntam jagăma, Mahābhāşya (Keilhor p.5; (b) Rudhisabdoyam kasyacid granthasya vācakali-Mahābhāşya Dipikā, p. 17, 1.1; (c) Vāmaga-Jayāditya refer to works like Dhātupārgyana and NāmapărayānaKalika; intro, verse no. 1 a.
