Pujyapad Devnandi Ka Sanskrut Vyakaran Ko Yogadan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Pujyapad Devnandi ka Sanskrut Vyakaran ko Yogadan" by Dr. Prabha Kumari:

This academic work explores the significant contributions of the Jain scholar Pujyapad Devnandi to Sanskrit grammar, particularly through his seminal work, the Jainendra Vyakarana.

Key Points:

• Prominence of Jain Grammarians: The text highlights the significant presence of Jain scholars among the grammarians following Panini. It identifies four prominent Jain grammar texts: Jainendra Vyakarana, Shakatayana Vyakarana, Siddha Hema-Shabdānushasana, and Mallagirisha-Shabdānushasana.
• Jainendra Vyakarana as the Earliest: Among the available Jain grammatical works, the Jainendra Vyakarana is considered the oldest chronologically.
• Pujyapad Devnandi: The Author and His Era: The author of Jainendra Vyakarana is Pujyapad Devnandi, a resident of Karnataka, who lived in the 5th century CE. His work was highly respected not only within the Jain community but also by scholars of other faiths. The text quotes the 13th-century scholar Bopadeva, who placed Devnandi in the esteemed company of great grammarians like Panini.
• Devnandi's Grammatical Works: Beyond the Jainendra Vyakarana, Devnandi also wrote a Jainendra Nyasa (commentary), which is currently unavailable. The text lists other grammatical treatises attributed to him, including Dhatupatha Mula, Dhatuparayan, Ganapath, Unadi Sutra, Lingānushasana, and its commentary, Vartika Path, Paribhasha Path, and Shiksha Sutra.
• Structure and Editions of Jainendra Vyakarana: The Jainendra Vyakarana exists in two versions: the Laghu Path (Audichya recension) and the Brihat Path (Dakshinathya recension). The Laghu Path, attributed to Pujyapad Devnandi, is the original sutra text, containing 5 chapters, each with 4 pādas, totaling 3063 sutras. This version was commented upon by Abhaynandi (Mahavritti) and Shruthkirti (Panchavastu). The Brihat Path, revised and expanded by Gunanandi about 500 years later, has 3700 sutras and was commented upon by Somadeva Muni (Shabdārnava Chandrika) and an anonymous author (Shabdārnava Prakriya).
• Devnandi's Objectives and Approach: Devnandi's primary aim was to teach Sanskrit usage to followers of Jainism through his grammar. He did not consider Vedic language and accentuation rules essential for his audience, hence their absence in his work. He treated Chhandasa (Vedic) usages as Laukika (secular) within the context of Krit suffixes.
• Relationship with Panini's Ashtadhyayi: The Jainendra Vyakarana is based on the Ashtadhyayi. Devnandi attempted to maintain the structure and many sutras of the Ashtadhyayi, while striving for greater brevity, simplicity, and originality. The text notes Devnandi's practice of dividing some of Panini's sutras into two, combining two sutras into one, and occasionally converting Katyayana's vartikas into sutras. He also simplified certain grammatical rules by using nipatana (unexplained formations) for words where Panini provided detailed rules.
• Unique Features: The Jainendra Vyakarana employs "Bijakshari" (seed-letter) or symbolic technical terms, which are crucial for understanding its sutras, much like understanding Panini's Maheshvara Sutras. Devnandi also introduced new technical terms and simplified existing ones, and notably, he omitted the pat and karmapravachaniya terms, deeming them unnecessary.
• Commentaries on Jainendra Vyakarana: The text details numerous commentaries (tikas) on the Jainendra Vyakarana, both available and unavailable. Notable available commentaries include Jainendra-Mahavritti by Abhaynandi (considered the oldest), Shabdāmbhoj Bhaskar Nyas by Prabhavachandra, Panchavastu Prakriya by Shruthkirti, Anitkarika Vachuri by Muni Vijay Vimal, Jainendra Vyakarana-Vritti by Meghavijaya, Laghu Jainendra by Pt. Mahachandra, Jainendra Prakriya by Pt. Vanshidhar, and Prakriyavatara by Nemicandra.
• Dhatupatha and Ganapatha: The Dhatupatha (list of roots) in Jainendra Vyakarana is attributed to Gunanandi, a refiner of Devnandi's original work. The Ganapatha (list of word-classes) by Devnandi is found within Abhaynandi's Mahavritti.
• Originality and Contributions: The text highlights Devnandi's original contributions, such as the unique nomenclature for case endings derived from the word 'vibhaktī', the use of simplified technical terms, and the introduction of original sutras like "Na bādhya āsam" and "Sūtre'smin suvirdhi'rishṭaḥ". His handling of various grammatical processes like sandhi, samasa, and taddhita suffixes often shows an effort towards brevity and simplification, sometimes differing from Panini and Candragomi.
• Influence and Decline: The Jainendra Vyakarana was influential until the 13th century CE, as evidenced by commentaries and references from scholars like Bopadeva. However, its popularity declined due to several factors:
  • Focus on Laukika Sanskrit: Its exclusion of Vedic and accentuation rules limited its scope compared to the comprehensive Ashtadhyayi.
  • Complexity of Technical Terms: The use of "Bijakshari" or symbolic terms made it appear more complex than Ashtadhyayi to ordinary students.
  • Rise of Shakatayana Vyakarana: The advent of Shakatayana's grammar, particularly favored by the Shvetambara tradition, overshadowed Jainendra Vyakarana.
  • Shift to Prakriya-based Learning: The emergence of Prakriya texts by scholars like Bhattoji Dikshit shifted pedagogical focus away from older grammars like Jainendra.
  • Regional Limitation: In modern times, its study is largely confined to the Digambara Jain community in South India.

In conclusion, the study underscores Pujyapad Devnandi's significant role in the history of Sanskrit grammar, demonstrating his mastery of Paninian grammar and his efforts to create a grammar that was both concise and relevant to the needs of his community, despite its eventual decline in widespread usage.