The major works of Pali grammar are the Kaccāyana Vyākaraṇa (6th/7th c. CE), the Moggallāna Vyākaraṇa (1165 CE), and Aggavaṁsa’s Saddanīti (later 12th c. CE?). These works, and the rich exegetical tradition that formed around them, drew upon different traditions of grammatical analysis in Sanskrit, specifically those of Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī (6th/5th c. BCE), Śarvavarman’s Kātantra (before 4th c. CE) and Candragomin’s Śabdalakṣaṇa (later 5th c. CE).

In this lecture, Mahesh A. Deokar will examine the relationships between Pali grammatical works and their Sanskrit sources, and how they cast light onto the overall intellectual scene in South India, Sri Lanka, and Burma at the time when these works were composed. He will also discuss how Pali grammarians worked, and what techniques they used while adopting and adapting Sanskrit works to suit their purposes.

This event is sponsored by the Śāstram project at the Neubauer Collegium.