I n t ro du c t i o n t o t he N i r u kt a . a n d t h e L i te r at u r e re l at e d t o i t WTH TR T S E I A E A I O N The : E lement s o f the I ndi an A ccent RUDOLP H ROTH n Tr a s a t ed b the Rev CKI n . D . M A CHA N l y , D . D . , L L D P r i n ci a Wi s n Co e e o a B b s o me p l, l o ll g , m y, ' ‘ t i me Vi ce- Cha n cello r of the Umvemi i y of Pub l i s he d b y the Un i v ers ity o f Bo mb ay I 9 1 9 PRE FATORY N OTE . ’ FO R m any ye ars Yas k a s Nirukta has been regul arly prescribed by the University o f Bomb ay as a text fo a a a f r o . book r its ex min tion in S nskrit the degree of M A . ’ I n order t o render Roth s v alua ble Introduction to this w ork accessible to advanced students of S anskrit in Wil son College I prep ared long ago a transl ation of th is Intro duction which in m anuscript form did service to a succession O f College students some o f whom h ave since become w ell known a s S anskrit scholars . In the hope th at it may benefit a wider circle this m anuscript tra nslation has after c areful revision been h anded f r to the University o public ation . I t ake this Opportunity to a cknowledge the valu able assistance rendered by Professor M a ckenzie o f Wilson College who c arried o u t the greater p art o f the proof a reading during my absence from Bomb y . D M C I H . A A K C N. ' L HWA R M AHA BA E S , 1 1 2 nd f i l m? 9 9 . INTR ODUCTI ON To T HE NIR UK’ I‘ A Le arned tradition in India ascribes: the2tw o " treatises * united in this public ation to as high a pl a ce in the history o f the interpretation of the s acred ’ writings of the H indus a s Panini s does in the history o f f r as a re a a . S O a Gr mm r the sources known to me , this a a i s a far a tr dition c nnot , it true, be tr ced very b ck , but in o f a a as view the un nimity of the testimonies , we h ve little t o a a as a ground c ll this t r dition in question , th t concerning e a a a a a the author o f the cel br ted gr m m tic l phorisms . Both a a a an d a a a o n a a a te chers , Y sk P nini , ppe r the st ge sep r ted by so great an interval from the strictly learned period o f a a t he and I ndi n liter ture , which begins with decline expulsion a are a of Buddhism , th t they recognized uncondition lly by these later arrangers an d compilers o f the lea rning o f a o a e as a a . byg ne g , uthorit tive a a are a With reg rd to P nini , we not entirely without inform tion even the fa ble - m a king of the r eth century remem bers him b ut in the c a se of Yaska we are limited al most to hi s ’ In Kan d n k ra a T i t r a bare name . the a u m to the a t i i y S a rn hita is ai i . P n . 6 a a (v . 3 E Ind H . 9 5 ) he c lled g , descend nt of a and a a Ping , occupies pl ce in the line of those to whom the b a ndi ng down a nd the editing o f th at Vedic collection ar V i am a an a a a e tra ced . a S p y is s id to h ve delivered it to a a an d Titti ri a is a Tittiri Y sk he to , fter whom it n med , to At i s a and a re a . a a Ukh , Ukh to y Now Ping mentioned in the gene alogical ta ble at the close o f the Srau ta S utra s o f a n XII 1 2 n t a f ASvalay a ( . ) in co nection wi h the f mily o An irasas to a a a a s g , which ccordingly Y sk would belong a a o f Ka a a a D a a P nini to the f mily sy p through his ncestor ev l . a a a a . a On the other h nd , in the s me p ss ge (c there st nds Bhr u a a a a s a o f in the g f mily , Y sk , the descend nt whom a s a Yask w a design ated by this n me . Nothing more c an be gathered from the occurrence o f the name in the unintelligible a Brhad a a a 6 6 gene logies of the Ar ny k I I , , IV , . If we adhere to the view th at Yask a w as a descend a nt o f ’ a a a ha s a a Ping , he is thus connected with f m ily which pl ce a mongst the le arned Bra hm anical lines . One from a mongst a M adhuk a a the members of this f mily , by n me , is mentioned Er h a 8 a a o f a in the . Ar ny . , VI , 3 , , 9 mongst the te chers * a Nai hant uk an dam an d Dai vatakandam This refers to the two tre tises , g , to an . which this is introduction Tr . — R sac I 2 n Pain a and M ah a ain y. The gy p gya Z a r Li t ter a l a r a nd Gesclz i c/z i e 4 cf . ’ ’ a es Vea a . are a , p writings which undoubtedly t ught a s ma a a Vedic liturgy , y be inferred from rem rk of the o 0 W: an a a n a 1 3 d Comment tors P nini , IV , 3, 5 , 33 refer Pain a t h e Aitare a a a a I I ence to the gy in y Br hm n (V I I , ) , a c c ording to which a definite fast w as prescribed by the Pai n a da and gy for the y before the full moon , by the a f r d a a Kaus i tak o the ay Of the full moon itself . The p ss ge Aitare a a a a a a a in the y Br hm n is , it is true , l ter interpol tion ’ S a ana s a a t a - y Comment ry p sses over h t entire sub section , a nd it is not the pra ctice of the Brahm ana to refer to other — no t u s m a writings still , this should prevent fro holding th t a n o da such work existed . This will doubt one y be brought to light with m any other works o f the s ame clas s when M S S a are a a in Indi system tic lly collected , no longer o f a a exclusively in the region the G n ges , but throughout a a a a a a a . wider re , especi lly mongst the M r th s The book w as a s a as a 00 Of era as a well known l te the ye r 7 our , is cle r ’ from a quotation in S ankara s commentary on the Sari raka S u a 2 2 0 o f d o f tr s I I I , 3, 4, (p . 9 the e ition ‘ Lallulalaé arma Ka area mfiw tr at a WWW vi , e h t . w a , etc ) The authorship o f no other works beyond the Naighantuka a nd Niru kta has a a been ttributed to Yask . Colebrooke M i a E s sa s h s . 6 as a ( , y , I I , p 4) , it is true , found reference to ’ Pi n ala s S u a o n and o ne him in g tr s Metre , might infer , seeing th at no rem arks occur in the N irukta on the subject as a o Of metre , if we do not reckon such the deriv tions f the a o f a a a ha n mes the metre s in the seventh book , th t Y sk d a has composed work on Prosody which been lost to us .