Sustainable traditions: A reappraisal of the Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī’s utility in vyākaraṇa pedagogy using the foundations of the tiṅanta prakriyā

This thesis considers a reorientation in the perspective of the Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī of Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita as a pedagogical text which teaches prakriyā and instead proposes the use of an approach based on the Aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇini for a more holistic understanding of the fundamentals of vyākaraṇaśāstra. For this, it offers a comparative analysis of the two texts using the rules concerning the parasmaipada prakriyā of the bhvādi gaṇa within the tiṅanta section of the Vaiyākaraṇasiddhāntakaumudī and centred around an understanding of the factors of anuvṛtti, adhikāra, and aṅga as reflected by the vṛtti of the SK and comparative to their original statement by Pāṇini within the structure of the Aṣṭādhyāyī. This study further aims to present the mechanism of grammar inherent within the Aṣṭādhyāyī in juxtaposition with the one which is promoted by the SK and the effect that it has on an understanding of the foundations of Pāṇinian grammar within the context of the modern Indian university. Alternative Aṣṭādhyāyī-based pedagogies further set the foundation for a more comprehensive and creative study of vyākaraṇaśāstra for the modern education system. In doing so, it finds additional relevance in analysing the impact of traditional education as it has been modified to a university curriculum within the departments of traditional Sanskrit studies while also setting the foundation for further studies on the development of Sanskrit traditions in modern Indian society.