Sambodhi 1990 Vol 17

Author(s): H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 48

EMENDATIONS ESSENTIAL TO THE VEDIC GRAMMAR
OF BHOJADEVA*
N. M. Kansara
The Vedic Grammar of Bhojadeva, the celebrated Bhoja the Great of Dhārä (11th century A.D.) comprises the Eighth Adhyāya of his magnum opus known as the Sarasvati-kanthābharana (Vyakaraña). It consists of about 822 aphorisms in Sanskrit, distributed into four Padas, each having 174, 155, 261 and 232 sūtras, respectively. It is perhaps the oldest extant, and hence the first attempt at presenting a wellknit compact Vedic Grammar in Sanskrit by bringing the Pāņinian tradition upto date. As is well known, the celebrated Pāṇini interspersed his Vedic sütras into the body of his Laukikasūtras in his Astādhyāyi, topicwise locating them mostly at the end of the respective prakarana, irrespective of its being discussed in different pādas and different adhyāyas. Bhojadeva has tried his best to preserve as much of the original wording of the Pāņinian Sūtras as possible. But when the situation demanded, he has not hesitated to bring the topic upto date by altering the wording, by adding to the original, by splitting into two or more, of the Pāṇinian sutras, in a bid to incorporate the Värttiks of Kātyāyana, discussion in the Mahäbhäşya of Patañjali, as also comments in the Kāśikā of VāmanaJayāditya, over and above the Ganapātha and the Phit-Sätras of śāntanava. The process of modifications in the Pāņinian sūtras pertaining to the Vedic Grammar can thus be fruitfully traced to all these wellknown sources of Bhojadeva's Vcdic Grammar. This exercise, at first attempted by Dr. Chintamani, in tracing the sources of Bhojadeva's Vedic Sätras to their originals in the Pāṇinian tradition, further helps us to get over the limitations of the manuscriptal evidence in arriving at the correct text of Bhojadeva's Vedic Grammar.
The Critical Text of the Sarasvati-kanthabharaṇa-vyākaraṇa of Bhojadeva was published by the University of Madras in 1937. And the text along with the HỊdaya-hāriņi Vyakhyā has been published from time to time, in parts, upto the end of the Sixth Adhyāya only. The Mss. for the portion pertaining to the Seventh Adhyaya is preserved in the Adyar
* Paper submitted to the A. 1. 0. C. 35th Session, Hardwar, 1990