Kumārila’s Engagements with the Pāṇiniyas—Towards any Future Study of Vyākaraṇa’s Presence in Bhāṭṭa Mīmāṃsā
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/CIS.28.2026.01.10Keywords:
Kumārila, Mīmāṃsā, Pāṇini, VyākaraṇaAbstract
Kumārila-bhaṭṭa might be treated as an exemplary student of the paradigmatic Brahmanical śāstras. He represented Mīmāṃsā tradition of Vedic ritual exegesis, and for doctrinal reasons heavily relied on its two main fellow branches of knowledge: Vyākaraṇa and Dharmaśāstra. In both the fields he proved to be an important commentator, but it is the former which really informed much of his oeuvre. In the article I trace the main directions of Kumārila’s references to the grammatical tradition and its personal authorities, with particular interest to those preceding Patañjali’s Mahābhāṣya which on the other hand seems to be one of the most influential inspirations for Kumārila’s discussions.
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