Remarks on Negation through the Ages or How Should We Look at Sanskrit Grammatical Tradition?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/CIS.28.2026.01.04Keywords:
negation, negative compounds, Sanskrit grammar, vyākaraṇa, Navya-Vyākaraṇa, PāṇiniAbstract
The tradition of Sanskrit grammatical school is viewed as having three founding fathers: Pāṇini, Kātyāyana and Patañjali, the latter of whom was given the position of the highest authority. Patañjali’s interpretation of Pāṇini’s grammar was supposed to be final, infallible and became a go-to in the following centuries. There are numerous instances, however, where Patañjali’s interpretation of Pāṇini’s rules is far from perfect and complicates, rather than simplifying, described procedures. These interpretations are further modified as the school of Vyākaraṇa develops under the influence of other philosophical trends. This article discusses selected examples of the phenomenon of negation to demonstrate the evolution in their explications over the centuries in the school of Vyākaraṇa. It attempts to answer the question whether we should, and can, look at Pāṇinian tradition as a whole; whether these different interpretations should be viewed as mistakes or innovations and a sign of independent thinking.
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