MIT IIKS

Indic Thought Model-2

Duration of Program

60 Hours

Credits: 4

L-T-P Ratio: 3-0-1

Hours: 60

Course designer: Prof. Nagaraj Paturi

OBJECTIVES

  • To introduce learners to the ontology, metaphysics, epistemology and semiotics in the Vyakarana Indic thought system

OUTCOME

  • Pursuit of linguistics as a discipline can be a personal introspective endeavour to experience the relation between the self and the world
  • Understanding of reality / universe as a language (shabda-brahman)
  • Understanding of all knowledge as linguistic
  • Universal applicability of language analysis in Vakyapadiiyam
  • Vaakyapadiiyam as the book providing the linguistic theory behind ashtadhyayi
  • Contemporary applications of ideas such as sphota, pratibhaa, sadhana/karaka from vaakyapadiiyam

PANINIAN (VYAAKARANA) SYSTEM

A . Background to the study of vAkyapaDiyam as a book of Paninian (VyaakaraNa) system of thought:

I. ashTAdhyAyI , cause of its fame as ‘an intellectual monument’:

1. Pre-modern fame; modern fame after the advent of linguistics:

Use of concepts of  s’ikshaa, ashTAdhyAyI, etc. in linguistics for a universalist study of ‘language’ as a phenomenon, in studying general features of language; Application of Sandhi, etc. to different languages beyond Samskrit

2. As a marvel of grammaticography (grammar writing methodology):

Techne Grammatike to linguistics brings the west towards vyaakaraNa

Noam Chomsky, TG Grammar: Rule order, Generative and Transformational rules and Lexicon; Comparison with Panini’s rules, rule application order for siddhi (generation?); dhaatupaaTha, gaNapaaTha, their comparison with Lexicon

Fillmore’s Case Grammar; Panini’s kAraka system; Kripasky and Staal: Comparison with Panini’s system of sthaani-vibhakti-kAraka-kArakArtha

Formal systems, context-sensitive grammars, etc; new understanding about ashTAdhyAyI; computational lingistics and newer understanding of ashTAdhyAyI

IIFame of Bhartrihari and his Vakyapadiyam, independent of ashTAdhyAyI’s fame:

  1. Ferdenand De Sassaure, influence of Panini and Bhartrihari on him
  2. Sphota and its fame in modern world as Bhartrihari’s own theory
  3. Recognition of the influence of Bhartrihari on Dhvani of Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta’s thought in all the areas of his versatility (including Tantra)

III. Connections between Vakyapadiyam and Ashtadhyayi:

  1. Division of Paniniyan tradition into prakriyA (derivational) and aarthika (semantic) books: mahAbhAshya as the combination of the two; separation of the two into grammar and philosophy (spirituality / metaphysics / Vedanta of the grammarians)
  2. Bhartrihari’s own assertion of the inseparability, missing the attention of scholars in both traditional and modern studies; Bhartrihari’s own narration of the lineage of his book from sangraha; mahAbhAshya as the sutra by sutra application of the ‘philosophy’ (discipline – specific logical paths) his book as extraction, ’preservation’ and exposition of the ‘philosophy’ (discipline – specific logical paths) breaking the sutra-wise expression of the same in mahAbhAshya
  3. (Nagaraj Paturi’s) proofs for the inseparability: samarthah padavidhih; explanation for nirdhAraNa as apAdAna, etc.
  4. Search for ‘theoretical foundations’ of ashTAdhyAyI; grammar of a specific language or application of universally applicable theory of language? Kripasky and Staal: claims indicating an underlying theory – Cardona’s contradiction; (Nagaraj Paturi’s) ‘discovery’ of the ‘theoretical foundations’ of ashTAdhyAyI in vAkyapadIyam or (Nagaraj Paturi’s) rediscovery of vAkyapadIyam as the book of ‘theoretical foundations’ of ashTAdhyAyI
  5. (Nagaraj Paturi’s) Chomskian explanation for the relation between of ashTAdhyAyI in vAkyapadIyam as continuation of previously identified parallels between AA and Chomsky;

Chomskian adequacies: vAkyapaDiyam as the explanatory theory behind the observational and descriptive work of ashTAdhyAyI

Rationalist / naturalist epistemology and LAD in vAkyapadIyam; pratibhA (innate ‘creativity’) of VP and Chomsky’s ideas; pratibhA-bhAvanA-Agama relation in vAkyapadIyam; itikartavyatA of mImAmsakas, Hari’s rationalist twist (2-146 to 2-152)

B. Paniniyan (Vyakarana) system of thought as in vAkyapadIyam:

I. Introduction to vAkyapadIyam, its structure and organization:

The three kAnDas and their interconnection: Later kAnDas as detailing of the earlier ones

II. vyAkaraNa (VP) thought model-1:

Positions of vAkyapadIyam vis-à-vis nyAya – mImAmsA on the one hand and Vedanta on the other

  1. s’abda – artha relation: Various positions
  2. abhihitAnvaya – anvitAbhidhAna of mImAmsA: Position of VP
  3. nityatva and anityatva of s’abda
  4. vis-à-vis Vedanta: Asannam brahmaNas tatra

III. vyAkaraNa (VP) thought model -2

vAkyapadIyam on its own:

  1. vAkyArtha as the ultimate reality: pada-varNa, etc. as the concepts for convenience of understanding; prakriti-pratyaya division as the concepts for analytical (grammarian’s ) vyAkraNa (vivichyapradars’ana) convenience, vyavahArah padAs’rayah, that’s why AA generates padas
  2. Various understandings of ‘sentence – meaning’ (2-116 to 2-145)
  3. sampratyayArtha/bauddhaartha (concept / cognitive meaning) and bAhyArtha (entity) division of bAhyArtha (entity) into sadartha (actual / real) and asadartha (imagined / imaginary) 2-441
  4. Cognitive processes of conceiving reality as (a) whole (s) and parts, cognitive process of division of (external) ‘reality’ into entities and superimposition of concepts onto entities
  5. Theories of iconicity (form-meaning inseparability) ‘abhijalpam’  (2-127) and the arbitrary relationship between form and meaning (2-428 -436 etc.)
  6. ApoddhAra (splitting at various levels), anvayavyatireka analysis technique of words
  7. Tools of comprehension: 24 nyAyas (2-77 -83): prasanga etc. More nyAyas (2-84-87): prasajyapratishEdha, paryudAsa, gauNa, vyApti, guru-laghu, angAngi, bahudhAvikalpa, niyama, yogyatA, bheda, padArthavibhAga
  8. Divisions of the signified: avaAntara vAkya (2-76), dhAtvartha vyApAra-phala, etc
  9. PadakANDa: jAti, dravya, etc. contrast with nyAya-vais’Eshika
  10. SAdhana: kAraka
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