Sarasvat Vyakaranam - Book Summary

This summary is based on the provided text, which appears to be the "Sarasvat Vyākaraṇam" by Vasudev Sharma, published by Pandurang Javaji. The text is in Sanskrit with some Marathi annotations. The catalog link provided (https://jainqq.org/explore/023379/1) points to a digital copy of the book.

The book "Sarasvat Vyākaraṇam" is a grammar treatise that follows the tradition of Panini's Ashtadhyayi but presents a simpler and more accessible approach, particularly for beginners. The text itself is described as being based on the "Anubhūtisvarūpācārya Praṇītaṁ Sārasvata Vyākaraṇam" and has been edited and published by Vasudev Sharma. The preface highlights the author's intention to make the grammar accessible to children and those with limited intellect, aiming for clarity and conciseness. It also includes a legend about the origin of the Sarasvat Grammar, attributing its creation to Anubhūtisvarūpācārya who received divine inspiration from Goddess Sarasvati to resolve a grammatical dispute.

The publication details indicate this is the fourth edition, printed in 1922.

The book is structured into nine main sections or "Vṛttis" (styles of explanation or parts), which are further divided into chapters and sub-chapters covering various aspects of Sanskrit grammar. Based on the table of contents ("Viṣayānukramaṇikā"), the structure includes:

I. Prathamā Vṛttiḥ (First Part/Explanation): This section covers the foundational elements of grammar, including:

Prakriyānāma (Name of the Process): Introduction and naming conventions.
Saṅjñā Prakaraṇam (Chapter on Technical Terms): Defines essential grammatical terms like vowels (svarāḥ), consonants (vyañjanāni), प्रत्याहार (pratyāhāra - phonetic groupings), इत्संज्ञा (it-saṁjñā - elision), लोप (lopa - disappearance), आगम (āgama - insertion), आदेश (ādeśa - substitution), संयोग (saṁyoga - consonant clusters), गुण (guṇa), वृद्धि (vṛddhi), उपधा (upadhā - penultimate sound), लघु (laghu - short syllable), गुरु (guru - long syllable), अनुनासिक (anunāsika - nasalized sound), and their respective places of articulation (sthāna) and efforts (prayatna). This section lays out the fundamental phonetic and morphological principles.
Svara Sandhiḥ (Vowel Combination): Rules for combining vowels.
Prakṛtibhāva Sandhiḥ (Natural State Combination): Rules for when sandhi does not occur.
Vyañjana Sandhiḥ (Consonant Combination): Rules for combining consonants.
Visarga Sandhiḥ (Visarga Combination): Rules for visarga sandhi.
Vowel Endings (Svarāntaḥ):
- Masculine (Puṁliṅgāḥ)
- Feminine (Strīliṅgāḥ)
- Neuter (Napuṁsakaliṅgāḥ)
Consonant Endings (Hasanthaḥ):
- Masculine (Puṁliṅgāḥ)
- Feminine (Strīliṅgāḥ)
- Neuter (Napuṁsakaliṅgāḥ)
Process of "Yushmad" and "Asmad" (Pronouns): Covers the forms and special changes related to the first and second person pronouns.
Feminine Suffixes (Strīpratyaya Prakaraṇam): Rules for forming feminine nouns.
Case Relations (Kāraka Prakaraṇam): Explains the grammatical cases and their relationships to the verb.
Compounds (Samāsa Prakaraṇam): Rules for forming compound words.
Taddhita Suffixes (Taddhita Prakaraṇam): Rules for applying suffixes that derive nouns or adjectives from other nouns or verbs.

II. Dvitīyā Vṛttiḥ (Second Part/Explanation): This section focuses on verbs and their conjugations:

Prakriyānāma (Name of the Process): Introduction.
Verb Roots (Gaṇa): This extensive section details the various classes (gaṇa) of Sanskrit verb roots, categorized by their behavior with perasmaipada (acting on another), ātmanepada (acting on oneself), or ubhayapadī (both). The text systematically lists the roots and their conjugational characteristics within each class (e.g., Bvādi, Adādi, Juhoatyādi, Divādi, Svādi, Rudhādi, Tanādi, Tudādi, Kṣyādi, Curādi).
Process of "Cha" (76), "Bha" (8), "Jaba" (9), "Ya" (10), "Ka" (11), "Sha" (12), "A" (1), "I" (2), "U" (3), "Ri" (4), "L" (5), "E" (9), "O" (10), "Ai" (12), "Au" (14), "A" (15), "I" (16), "U" (17), "Ri" (18), "L" (19), "E" (20), "O" (21), "Ai" (22), "Au" (23): This likely refers to specific conjugational endings or modifications associated with these vowels and consonants.
Process of "Cha" (27), "Bha" (28), "Ja" (29), "Bha" (30): More conjugational rules.
Process of "Ya" (31), "Ya Luk" (30), "Nāmadhātu Prakriyā" (31): Possibly relating to derived verb roots or specific verb formations.
Ātmanepada Arrangement (Ātmanepada Vyavasthā) (32): Rules governing the use of Ātmanepada verbs.
Process of Bhāva and Karma (Bhāvkarma Prakriyā) (33): Explains the formation of passive and impersonal verb forms.
Process of Lakāra (Lakāra Artha Prakriyā) (34): Covers the various tense and mood forms (like laṭ, liṭ, luṭ, liṭ, etc.) and their meanings.

III. Tṛtīyā Vṛttiḥ (Third Part/Explanation): This section appears to cover other derived forms and rules:

Prakriyānāma (Name of the Process): Introduction.
Kṛtya Prakriyā (Chapter on Kṛt Suffixes): Discusses the formation of nominals from verb roots using suffixes like तव्य (tavya), अनीयर (anīyar), क्यप् (kyap), etc., often indicating obligation or potential.
Niṣṭhādhikāra Prakriyā (Chapter on Niṣṭhā Suffixes): Focuses on the past participle suffixes क्त (kta) and क्तवतु (ktavatu).
Kaśādi Prakriyā (Chapter on Kaśādi Suffixes): Covers suffixes starting with क (ka) and related ones.
Śīlārtha Prakriyā (Chapter on Suffixes Indicating Habitual Action): Explains suffixes like इष्णु (iṣṇu), स्नु (snu), नु (nu), etc., used to denote habitual or characteristic actions.
Bhāvadhikāra Prakriyā (Chapter on Suffixes Indicating State or Quality): Discusses suffixes that denote abstract qualities or states.
Kṛtya Prakriyā (Chapter on Kṛt Suffixes): (Possibly a repetition or further elaboration of the earlier Kṛtya Prakriyā).
Tya-adhikāra Prakriyā (Chapter on Tya Suffixes): Covers suffixes like त्य (tya).
Ktvā Prakriyā (Chapter on Ktvā Suffixes): Explains the ktvā suffix, often used to indicate a prior action.

The initial pages contain standard Sanskrit script greetings ("Shriḥ") and the title of the book. The publisher and printer details are also present. The preface ("Vigyāpanam") details the rationale behind the grammar's creation, emphasizing its simplicity and usefulness for students. It includes the author's resolve to make the grammar "simple and not too extensive" for the growth of young minds. The story of Anubhūtisvarūpācārya and Goddess Sarasvati is recounted, explaining the divine origin of the grammar.

The detailed table of contents provided in pages 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 reveals a systematic progression through phonetics, sandhi, nominal declension (noun-forms based on gender and case endings), verb conjugation (across different tenses, moods, and persons), and the formation of derived words using taddhita and kṛt suffixes. The text also delves into specific verb roots and their peculiar transformations.

In essence, "Sarasvat Vyākaraṇam" is a comprehensive yet simplified Sanskrit grammar that aims to provide a structured and understandable path to mastering the language. It covers all major areas of grammar, from basic sounds to complex verb conjugations and word formation.