Re: Who was Kaccáyana, or, who wrote the Vyákarana?

Dear Eisel,

Thank-you for posting the excerpt from your introduction to Kaccaayana's
grammar. Could you clarify what the Sutta-Niddesa refers to in the
following:

> between such perceived simplicity and the timeline of the religion.  After
> all, the Sutta-Niddesa is a commentary on a poem, i.e., neither a work on
> grammar, nor pedagogy --it is not clear as to why it should offer anything
> more than "crude" grammatical notes in passing, if it serves the author's
> purpose is discussing the poem.  What is more absurd is the notion that

It sounds like E.J. Thomas is referring to the canonical Niddesa (two
volumes) included in the Khuddakanikaaya. This is an old commentary on
portions of the Suttanipaata but I have never heard it called the
Sutta-Niddesa before. Now there is a grammatical text called the
Suttaniddesa by Chapa.ta which is a medieval exposition on the grammatical
suttas of Kaccaayana. From what I've seen of my Thai copy of this text, it
resembles a simplified version of the Nyaasa (Mmd)--definitely not a
commentary on a poem.

During my stay in Toronto this past week, I examined the following two Pali
grammatical texts in the Devanagari script at the Robarts library,
University of Toronto:

1) Kaccaayana-nyaaso, Vol. I (on the Sandhikappo), ed. Bhikshu Satyapala,
1991
2) Kaccaayana-va.n.nanaa, Vol I (on the Sandhikappo & Naamakappo), ed. L.
Tivari, 1992

Only 1000 copies each in the first printing. I've got the addresses of where
I can get copies if any are still left. I was able to photocopy a portion of
each volume for our study in this group. Satyapala includes a detailed
introduction in English of 89 pages in length. I only had enough time to
skim through it and did not photocopy any of it. Pages 1-69 deal mostly
with Kaccaayana and his grammar while from page 69 on he introduces the
Nyaasa. I caught a glimpse that the Pali language is basically the language
of the Buddhas and the arahants.

Best wishes,
Jim

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