Panini and the Rkpratisakhya

The article examines the relationship between the grammatical work of Panini and the Vedic text known as the Rkpratisakhya. The author begins by noting that most scholars have assumed Panini preceded the Pratisakhya, but evidence suggests the reverse. Max Müller and Hannes Sköld argued that certain rules in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi presuppose the phonetic prescriptions of the Rkpratisakhya, and this article seeks to reinforce that view. It analyses specific sutras; for example, Panini’s rule 1.1.16 lists the phoneme ‘ḍ’ with the rhetorical particle ‘gha’. This enumeration is difficult to explain unless Panini was influenced by the Rkpratisakhya, which groups these sounds together. The author cross-examines other cases where Panini’s rules reflect the order or terminology of the Rkpratisakhya, suggesting that he borrowed from Vedic phonetics. The article also addresses objections that the Pratisakhya might have drawn from Panini; it counters this by showing that the technical vocabulary of the Rkpratisakhya is older and closer to Vedic usage. The study further surveys later grammarians who attempted to reconcile Panini and the Pratisakhya by postulating that Panini wrote different works for classical and Vedic language, an approach the article finds unnecessary. Overall, the article concludes that Panini’s grammar presupposes a well-established Vedic phonetic tradition represented by the Rkpratisakhya. Recognising this dependency helps clarify obscure sutras and places Panini’s work within the broader evolution of Indian linguistics.

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