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Vol. XXV, 2002
SARASVATIKANTHABHARAN...
It is true that roots amd suffixes were not entirely new concepts to Europe, but it remains doubtful whether the method would have been applied with such thoroughness if it had not been for Panini's example. It is customary to add at this point the deprecatory remark that Panini was, of course, aided in his analysis by the extraordinary clarity of structure of the Sanskrit language; but we are apt to overlook the possibility that this structure might not have seemed so clear and obvious to us if Panini had not analysed it for us.... we in the West have acknowledged a debt to Panini in the matter of formal analysis"., Theories of General Linguistics in the Sanskrit Grammarians, Transactions of the (American) Philological Society, 1951, p. 27.
*(i) Father Heinrich Roth (1620-1668) was the first European to write a grammar of the Sanskrit language in 17th century itself. He was a Jesuit missionary to the Moghul court in Agra. In Agra, Roth learnt Sanskrit and was able to discuss with Brahmins in the language. He realised the importance of Sanskrit and wrote a grammar between 1660-1662. The grammar is descriptive and shows great pedagogical skill-the explanations are given in Latin. The grammar is based on Panini. The grammar was later highly appreciated by Max Mueller. The manuscript was taken to Roma, but never printed, although several scholars and even the Austrian Emperor wanted to have it published.... Roth not only studied Sansktrit but was also well-versed in Sanskrit literature and Indian philosophy The grammar and manuscripts of Father H. Roth were published in a facsimile edition in Leiden, 1988.", Valentina Stache-Rosen, German Indologists, 2nd revised edition, Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, 1990, pp. 1-2. (ii) The other early European scholars to write Sanskrit Grammar are Johann Ernest Hanxleden (1681-1732) and Jean-Francois Pons (16881752 ?). See Filliozat (Ref. under footnote 29), Introduction, p. 41, para 2. For details see J. C. Muller, "Recherches sur les premières grammaires manuscrites du sanskrit", Bulletin d'études indiennes, N° 3, Paris, 1985, pp. 125-144.
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(iii) Theodore Benfey (1809-1881) in his 'Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft und orientalischen Philologie in Deutschland' (History of Linguistics and Oriental Philology in Germany), 1869, p. 222 tells about the Italian scholar Filippo Sassetti (c. 1585) "Schon im 16. Jahrhundert schrieb
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