Jaina Commentaries on Sanskrit Grammar

Summary

This chapter explores the critical contributions of Jain scholars to the development of Sanskrit grammar from pre-Pāṇinian times to the post-Pāṇinian era. It begins by establishing that Jainācāryas have engaged with various Indian languages to express scholarly thought, enriching Indian philosophy and grammar. Key Highlights: 1) Pre-Pāṇinian Tradition: i) Jain scriptures like the Drastivāda (comprising 24 Pūrvas) contained early grammatical insights, including discussions on phonetics (Sthāna, Prayatna). ii) Aindra Vyākaraṇa, possibly attributed to Indra at the time of Mahāvīra, represents early Jain grammatical traditions. 2) Post-Pāṇinian Contributions: Jains wrote commentaries on major grammatical schools: Pāṇiniya, Kātantra, Sārasvata, Siddhāntakaumudī, and others. 3) Notable grammarians: Pujyapāda Devanandi (author of Nyāsa), Jinadevasūri, Viśvaśvarasūri, Hemacandra, and others. i) Devanandi's Jainendra Vyākaraṇa (5 chapters, 3067 sūtras) presented an alternative grammatical system with numerous innovations: ii) More concise than Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī, Adjusted technical terms and structure, Omitted Vedic references, Included Jain terms and names 4) Commentarial Traditions: i) Several layered commentaries were written, such as: ii) Mahāvṛtti by Abhayanandi (9th century), Śabdāmbhojabhāskara by Prabhācandra, Pañcavastu by Śrutakīrti, Laghujainendra by Mahācandra iii) These offered rich linguistic, religious, and historical insights, including Jain religious figures and contemporary events. 5) Sakaṭāyana Grammar: i) A Jain-influenced grammar popularized by Amoghavarṣa I’s patronage. Known for innovations, including division into four chapters and omission of Vedic accents. 6) Kātantra Grammar: Widely adopted by Jain monks for its simplicity and suitability for beginners. Jain scholars like Bhavasena, Trilocanadāsa, and others wrote notable commentaries like Kalāpadīpikā, Kātantrarūpamālā, and Kātantravṛttipañjikā.