Vasudevavijaya of Vasudeva (Study)

by Sajitha. A | 2018 | 50,171 words

This page relates ‘Unadi-sutras (Grammar rules)’ of the study on the Vasudevavijaya of Vasudeva from the 11th century A.D. The Vasudevavijayam is an educational poem belonging to the Shastra-Kavya category of technical Sanskrit literature. The Vasudevavijayam depicts in 657 verses the story of Lord Krishna while also elucidates the grammatical rules of the Ashtadhyayi of Panini (teaching the science of grammar). The subject-content of the poem was taken from the tenth Skandha of the Bhagavatapurana.

Uṇādi-sūtras (Grammar rules)

The Uṇādisūtras are the rules to introduce certain affixes after verb roots to derive nominal bases. These rules have this name as the first rule[1] provides for affixing uṇ to a series of roots. The Uṇādisūtras are contained in two versions, one divided into five sections viz. Pañcapādī and the other divided into ten called Daśapādī. The Pañcapādī version is usually commented on by Paninians and umpteen editions are extend for this version. The Daśapādī version has been edited with a commentary by Yudhishtira Mimamsaka.

The authorship and date of the Uṇādi-sūtras are subject to controversy even today. Commentators do not themselves agree regarding the authorship of these rules. Some scholars attribute them to Śākaṭāyana and some others to Kātyāyana and still others to Pāṇini and some merely refer to them as the work of another school. Pāṇini himself uses the term Uṇādi in two rules[2]. There are several affixes in the Paninian school which are not described in the Aṣṭādhyāyī proper. But which are introduced by Uṇādisūtras. From this it can be assumed that Pāṇini has the knowledge of the Uṇādi affixes and that he accepted some of the derivations involving them. Hence according to Aufrecht, it is obvious that the Uṇādi affixes possess Pre-Paninian origin. Scholars hold different opinions about the origin of Uṇādisūtras. The centre of point of controversy lies on the fact whether they are Pre-Paninian, Paninian or Post paninian.

However, most of the Sanskrit poets like Kālidāsa, Bhaṭṭi etc. had make use of the words which are derived by adding Uṇādi affixes. Not only the classical poets but evenVedas, Epics, Purāṇas, Smṛti literature etc. even employ many words which asks for Uṇādi derivation. For instance, the words like vāyuḥ, tīrtham, induḥ, sindhuḥ etc. whch are inevitable parts of our common dialect, are derived with Uṇādisūtras.

In the case of Uṇādis, Vasudeva illustrates about twelve rules in his work. It can be found that the author has no direct intension to illustrate the Uṇādipāṭha as he did not follow any definite order in the treatment of these rules. Besides, he did not make use of these rules completely.

The Auṇādika words used by the author are scattered here and there. In the verse,

svānyāhata straiṇamurāṃsi yaddviṣāṃ nityaṃ na codāyata yatparo janaḥ |
soṣupyamāṇaṃ sa tamekajāgṛviṃ vāvaśyamāno jagatāṃ śamastavīt ||
[3]

The author use the word jāgṛviṃ which can be derived by the application of the uṇādi rule jṝśṝstṝjāgṛbhyaḥ kvin (Uṇādi. 4.55). In the formation of this word, the root jāgṛ nidrākṣaye is affixed with the Auṇādika kvin by the above mentioned rule. In Pāṇinīya, there is no provision to introduce vi after the root jāgṛ | The derivation of the word is possible only by the Uṇādi rule. The word implies a vigilant or wakeful one.

This word has been employed often in early Sanskrit works. In Ṛgveda, it can be seen referred twice as,

vibhīdako jāgṛvirmahyamacchān |[4]

janasya gopā ajaniṣṭa jāgṛviragniḥ |[5]

Another word Vāsudeva used in the text is harṣulam which appears the verse,

gargeṇa niṅryūḍhavivāhasaṃskṛtī tau cakravākāviva vatsalau mithaḥ |
vātsyādi gārgyāviva dampatī gatau vāḍavyamāślikṣadudaśru harṣulam ||
[6]

The word is formed from the root hṛṣa tuṣṭau and an auṇādika uḷacis added to it by the rule hṛṣerulac (Uṇādi. 1.96). Then as per the rule pugantalaghūpadhasya ca (7.3.86) is substituted by guṇa which is always followed by a r as per the rule uraṇ raparaḥ (1.1.51). Thus the nominal base will be harṣula. The author uses this word in the sense jovial and he commented on it as harṣulaṃ harṣayuktam.

The word can be seen in Kathāsaritsāgara as—prābhṛtaṃ pratyutedṛṅme siddhamadyeti harṣulaḥ[7] |

śreyastarābhirguṇamaṇḍalābhiryā rohiṇīti stritarā vitepe |
śaurervadhūḥ sā nijabhartṛbandhornandasya tāvad vrajamanvavātsīt ||
[8]

Here in the verse, the word stritarā is used. In this word a tarap is affixed along with the word strī by the rule dvivacanavibhajyopapade tarabīyasunau (5.3.57). However, the word strī can only be derived by adding an Uṇādi affix. To the root styai (styai ṣṭyai śabdasaṃghātayoḥ) an affix ḍraṭ is added by the rule styāyaterḍraṭ (Uṇādi. 4.167) to form the word strī. The first and last syllables of the affix ḍraṭ will be elided. Thus in this affix the letter r will remain. The letters ai and y will also be elided by the rules ṭeḥ (6.4.143) and lopo vyorvali (6.1.66) respectively. Then a feminine affix ṅīp is added to this base by the rule ṭiḍḍhāṇañdvayasajdadhnajmātractayapṭhakṭhañkañkvarapaḥ (4.1.15). Thus we get the form strī. Styāyate'syāṃ garbha is the expansion given to this word. Pāṇini himself uses this word several times in his Aṣṭādhyāyī. For example, striyām (4.1.3) is an Adhikārasūtra given in the work. Besides, we have a number of references in Aṣṭādhyāyī such as strībhyo ḍhak (4.1.130), yū stryākhyau nadī (1.4.3) and so on.

The literary world of Sanskrit is abundant with beautiful depictions using this word.

Hence it is essential to quote the great poet Kālidāsa who has made the usages like,

strīṇāmaśikṣitapaṭutvamamānuṣīṣu[9],

strīṇāmādyaṃ praṇayavacanaṃ vibhramo hi priyeṣu[10] etc.

In the verse,

grāmeyakairnāgarakaiśca lokairnirīkṣyamāṇā saha rājakīyaiḥ |
karmandivandyā prakathayya saivaṃ tirodadhe'nu stanayitnupadyām ||
[11]

Stanayitnu is an Auṇādika word used by the author. It is derived from the root stana gadī devaśabde which is included in the set of Curādis. So ṇic is affixed to the root by the rule satyapapāśarūpavāṇātūlaśloka-senālomatvacavarmavarṇacūrṇacurādibhyo ṇic (3.1.25). After this an Uṇādi suffix itnuc is affixed to the root by the rule stanihṛṣipuṣigadimadibhyo ṇeritnuc (Uṇādi.3.29). stana-i(ṇic)-itnuc | In this state, the ṇic will substituted by ay as per the rule ayāmantālvāyyetnviṣṇuṣu (6.4.55) and will get the form stanayitnu. The word means cloud. Bhavabhūti in his

Uttararāmacarita uses this word in the verse,

aparisphuṭanisvāne kutastye'pi tvamīdṛśī |
stanayitnormayūrīva cakitotkaṇṭhitaṃ sthitā ||
[12]

Another example for Uṇādi given in Vāsudevavijaya is tīrtham which is usually used in the literature as well as in our common dialect.

The word is referred to in the verse,

gopeṣu jātvadhipatirgaṇakaikatīrthamaiṇeyacarmarucirapravaraṃ vipaścit |
prāptālayaṃ yadukulīnaguruṃ sa gargaṃ yājyapriyaṃ sadakṛtānatapūrvakāyaḥ ||
[13]

The word has several meanings as instructed in Medinī and other Kośas. In Vāsudevavijaya it is used in the sense of teacher. taratyanena iti tīrtham | The root tṝ plavanataraṇayoḥ and an Uṇādi affix thak by the rule pātṝtudivaciricisicibhyasthak (Uṇādi. 2.7) are combined to form the base tīrtha. tṝ thak | Now, the letter A will get replaced by i as per the rule ṝta iddhātoḥ (7.1.100) and it is followed by r as per the rule uraṇ raparaḥ (1.1.51)

Then i in the tir will lengthened by the rule hali ca (8.2.77) and so the nominal base will be tīrtha. In Vaiyākaraṇa siddhāntakaumudī, the word tīrtha can be seen mentioned in the description of the Vārtika atyantāpahnave liḍvaktavyaḥ and which runs as—

aṅgavaṅgakaliṅgeṣu saurāṣṭramagadheṣu ca |
tīrthayātrāṃ vinā yātaḥ punaḥ saṃskāramarhati ||
[14]

Kālidāsa refers the word in Kumārasambhava i.e.yadadhyāsitamarhadbhistaddhi tīrthaṃ pracakṣate ||[15]

Another example for the usage of this word can be seen in Uttararāmacarita as tīrthodakaṃ ca vahniśca nānyataḥ śuddhimarhataḥ |[16]

ardhākṣilakṣyavapuṣaṃ puruṣaṃ mayā san drāg rauhiṇeyamapi kṛṣṇabalāgrimābhiḥ |
bibhyatkuvartmapathikān munirākṣikāttau paryaṣkṛtānurahasaṃ nṛpato'bhidhābhiḥ ||
[17]

In this verse the word vartmā is Auṇādika and it is formed from the root vṛtū vartane | Now, manin is affixed to the root by the Uṇādi rule anyebhyo'pi dṛśyante (Uṇādi. 4.106). So vṛt manin | At present, as per the rule pugantalaghūpadhasya ca (7.3.86) is replaced by a Guṇa which followed a r by the rule uraṇ raparaḥ (1.1.51). Now we will get the base vartman. The word means the Path; vṛttantaditi vartma |

This is also familiar to us since it is referred to in various compositions in Sanskrit. A famous line of the verse using this word from Kāidāsa’s Raghuvaṃśa is ānākarathavartmanām. |[18]

Gamī is another instance referred in Vāsudevavijaya and it is employed in the verse,

jñāniprakāṇḍamuṭajaṅgamigomināthamāṣāḍhavat praṇijagāda mudā namantam |
vandārudarśamupayanti dayāṃ mahānto hyācakṣate ca hitamādadhati priyaṃ ca ||
[19]

The word means gamiṣyatīti gamī, one who goes. Here the verbal root is gamlṛ gatau and the uṇādi affix is ini and the blending of these is possible by the uṇādi rule gameriniḥ (Uṇādi. 4.6). Now, the nominal base will be gam-ini= gamin |

Next, the word kuṭha is exemplified in the verse,

vāgvistaraiḥ prathamaśābdikavaktrajanyairarthāpitaḥ parivṛḍho jagatāṃ trayāṇām |
śrutyanulomikasaddvijapāligītasaṃstāvamāpa śanakaiḥ kuṭhayoryugaṃ tat ||
[20]

The word kuṭha has its origin from the root ku śabde and an Uṇādi affix ṭha is added to it as per the rule anyebhyo'pi dṛśyante (Uṇādi. 4.103).Thus we will get the base kuṭha which has the meaning tree.

Kāṣṭha is another example seen in the poem and the author uses the word in the verse,

krīḍāyaugikatālādisatkāṣṭhamayakārmmukaiḥ |
svairvane vedagamyo'bhād daṃṣṭridaṃṣṭrākhanākṣate ||
[21]

In the derivation of this word an Uṇādi affix kthan is affixed to the root kāśṛ dīptau and the Uṇādi rule hanikuṣinīrāmikāśibhyaḥ kthan (Uṇādi. 2.2) is applied here. Then kāś-kthan= kāś-tha | Then as per the rule vraścabhrasjasṛjamṛjayajarājabhrājacchasāṃ ṣaḥ (8.2.36), ṣa is substituted for śa. Besides, tha will be changed as ṭha by the rule ṣṭunā ṣṭuḥ (8.4.41) and thus we have the form kāṣṭha. kāśatyanena iti kāṣṭhaḥ |

There are many more references to this word in Āraṇyakas, Brāhmaṇas, literary works etc.

sa kārubhiḥ śvāgaṇikairvātāyūn dakṣiṇermaṇaḥ |
dṛṣṭo vaivadhikaiścaiṣāṃ momuṣīti sma śemuṣīm ||
[22]

In the verse, the word kāru is auṇādika and it is derived from the root ḍukṛñ karaṇe | The word means an artisan; karotīti kāruḥ | To the root kṛ an auṇādika uṇ is affixed by the rule kṛvāpājimisvadisādhyaśūbhyaḥ uṇ (Uṇādi. 1.1). kṛ-uṇ | Then by the rule aco ñṇiti (7.2.115), vṛddhi is substituted for the vowel and it is followed by the letter r as per the rule uraṇ raparaḥ (1.1.51). Sriharsha in his Naiṣadhīyacarita used the same as, iti sma sā kārutareṇa lekhitaṃ nalasya ca svasya ca sakhyamīkṣate |[23] Reference for this word in Ṛgveda is upastutiṃ bharamāṇasya kāroḥ |[24] Besides, there have many references in Smṛtis, Purāṇas and the like.

Then in the verse,

akaniṣṭhatṛṇāsvādasthaviṣṭhanyaṅkvabhād vanam |
aghātakamṛgaṃ vṛkṣaiḥ srajiṣṭhairiva śāradaiḥ ||
[25]

Vāsudeva employs the word nyaṅku which is derived from the root añcu gatau | The word means a black buck.

Amarakośa gives the synonyms to this as,

kṛṣṇasārarurunyaṅkuraṅkuśabararauhiṣāḥ |
gokarṇapṛṣataiṇarśyarohetāścāmaro mṛgāḥ ||
[26]

To the root añcu gatau which is prefixed by ni an affix u will be added by the rule nāvañceḥ (Uṇādi.1.17).Then as per the rule nyaṅkvādīnāñca (7.3.53) the syllable k is replaced by the letter c. Thus by the indication of ka, ña will substituted by ṅa which results the form nyaṅku.

Finally, in the verse,

tāḥ smāha so'ntikagatā ka ivāgraho vo bhīme vane kimiha bho iti tābhirūce |
asmābhirīśa sakalaṃ hi kṛtaṃ bhavatrā vetthocyate kimidamātmani kiṃ viśeṣe ||
[27]

The word bhīma which means fearsome is used. bibhetyasmāditi bhīmaḥ | In the formation of this word, an affix mak is added to the root ñibhī bhaye by the rule bhīmādayo'pādāne (3.4.74) which is followed by the Uṇādi rule bhiyaḥ ṣugvā(Uṇādi. 1.148). Medinīkośa gives various meanings for the word as bhīmo'mlavetase ghore śambhau madhyamapāṇḍave |[28]

Therefore, in Vāsudevavijaya about twelve auṇādika words are given. Even though this poem undergoes the category of Śāstrakāvya, the author has never primly intended to elucidate Uṇādi rules. Probably he has employed a few examples to give a general idea of the uṇādi rules. However, the author has not followed any definite order and has employed random examples to illustrate Uṇādis. From the derivation of these words given in Vāsudevavijaya the students of Sanskrit grammar can easily understand how to form the Avyutpanna prātipadikas. Numerous words of today are formed by adding Uṇādi affixes. Thus this text is of great help as a model in the formation of the words like these.

Through the above discussed sections and illustrations it can be found that the author’s prime intension is to explain only the Paninian rules. The Vārtikas, Uṇādis and the rest are not comprehensively included in the poem. In the section Strīpratyaya most of the Vārtikas are explained, but in other sections a few of them are included. Simultaneously in the case of Uṇādis only a few are given but they did not have a definite order and comprehensiveness. It is notable that the rules regarding the Vedic language are also excluded. It is difficult to incorporate the Vedic usage in a poem. In the section of Taddhita also some rules are avoided. This may be also because of the difficulty to incorporate them in a poem. In total, it can be said that the poem holds a comprehensiveness and brevity in incorporating the rules in most of the sections.

Thus it can be concluded that Vāsudevavijaya is a poem with an intension to make a practise in the application level of the Paninian rules. As a Śāstrakāya it is befitted to the students of grammar to get an acquainting with different examples of the grammatical rules. The Padacandrikā commentary also shed much light on the derivation of the words that illustrated for the rules. It gives a comprehensive idea on the examples, the rules applied in them etc.

Thus the poem and its auto commentary form an important contribution to Śāstrakāvya tradition and also to the world of Sanskrit grammar.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

kṛvāpājimisvadisādhyaśūbhyaḥ uṇ | (Uṇādi, 1.1)

[2]:

uṇādayo bahulam (3.3.1), tābhyāmanyatroṇādayaḥ (3.4.75)

[3]:

Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v. 1.11

[4]:

Ṛgveda, 10/34/1, p.864

[5]:

Ibid, 5/11/1, p.12

[6]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit, p.12, v.1.31

[8]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit,v. 2.51

[11]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit,v.3.55

[12]:

Uttararāmacarita, 3.7

[13]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit,v.5.2

[14]:

Vaiyyākaraṇa siddhāntakaumudī, P.363

[15]:

Kumārasambhava, 6.56

[16]:

Uttararāmacarita, 1.13

[17]:

Vijayapala Sastri, Op.cit, p.95, v.5.3

[18]:

Raghuvaṃśa, 1.4

[19]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit,v.5.4

[20]:

Ibid, 5.27

[21]:

ibid, 6.7

[22]:

ibid.v.6.11

[23]:

Naiṣadhīyacarita, 1.38

[24]:

Ṛgveda, 1/148/2 p.282

[25]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit,v. 6.135

[26]:

Amarakośa, II.6.11

[27]:

Prof.Vijayapala Sastri.op.cit. p.187, v.7.39

[28]:

The verse is quoted in Tattvabodhinī commentary of Vaiyyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī, when describes the rule bhiyaḥ ṣugavā (Uṇādi. 1.148) p.478

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