About the Book
The Book
The Geographical Account of India in the Kasikavrtti.
Economic Life.
Political System.
Academic life of the Indian people.
Food and Drinks, Dresses, Ornaments, Garlands, Hair dressing, Cosmetics, Painting of teeth and nails Prasadhakas Arts Architecture.
Some Common articles of domestic use Fuel used in the age of the Kasika- Communication and transport-Games and hobby.
The castes and their duties.
Religious Life.
Women in the Age of the Kasika.
Virtues and Vices.
Animal Life-Wild Animals-Domestic Animals-Trees and Plants, Bibliography, Index.
About the Author
Dr. Apurba Chandra Barthakuria, .M.A., Ph.D. (Calcutta) is a Professor in Sanskrit of Gauhati University. He is the author of four other books viz. A Critical Study of the Lokayata Philosophy prested by the author of the Prabodho-candrodaya (1976), the Kapalihas (1984), India ·in the Age of the Pancatantra (1992), and “The Philosophy of Sanskrit Grammar” (1997).
Preface
The Kasikavrtti or the Kasika written by Jayaditya and Vamana in the Seventh Century A.D. is the fourth great grammar after the Astadhyayi of Panini the Mahabhasya of Patanjali and the Vakyapadiya of Bhartrhari. The Kasika is formally known as a commentary on the Astadhyayi of Panini. But like the Mahabhasya, it is also a very important source book for the study of the multi-coloured socio-cultural life of the people of India of the age of -Jayaditya and Vamana. The Kasika presents a clear picuture of the life, thoughts and actions of the Indian people. We gather from this grammatical work a vast idea of the mode of living of the people, their economy, political life, foods, drinks, dresses, arts and architecture, academic life and the religious beliefs and practices. There are many special and specific features of the Indian society of the age of the Kastka: The society as described by patanjali had changed a great deal during the intervel of nine hundred years. There was a gradual but constant expansion of the society in all respects. Now cities and trade centres supported by well-built long distant roads grew up in the country. There was similar expansion in religious, spiritual and academic life. Many Brahmana ladies rose to the exalted position of 'gramani in the age of the Kasika. The modes of earning livelihood had expanded a great deal compared to that of the age of Patanjali. A striking feature which' we notice in the days of the Kasika is that the Brahmanical class played an active part in ruling and defending the country.
A cursory glance of the social system of the' days of the Kasika had inspired this author to write out a critical work on the subject which has been only briefly and casually discussed by the scholars like Dr. Prabhudayal Agnihotri. The author urgently felt the need of writing such a work in the interest of the academic circle in general. We believe that the present study will adequately help the researchers on ancient India in particular. We shall present our fundings before the readers in different chapters of our book very clearly after properly examining all the materials available to us. Our method will be critical comparative and analytical.
The author is grateful to his colleagues of the Sanskrit Department of Gauhati University. and particularly to Dr. Ashok Kumar Goswami, Dr. Rajendra Nath Sarma and Dr. Nalini Devi Misra three eminent Sanskrit Scholars for their constant inspiration for publishing this book. The author expresses his deep gratitude to Sri P.K. Bhattacharya of Punthi-Pustak for his kind consent to publish this' book from his farm.
Introduction
The Kesikavrtt of Jayaditya and Varnana is a short commentary written on the Astadhyayi of Panini which is found very useful for the students of Sanskrit grammar and particularly of the Sutra text of Panini. It explains in a comparatively brief but systematic and comprehensive manner the Sutras of Pa n int. The Kasikavrtti is undoubtedly the second great commentary after Patanjali's Mahabhasya. While illustrating the Paninian rules, the authors of the Kasikavrtti incidentally present many important data regarding the contemporary Indian Society, like the Mahabhasya of Patanjali. These data of great socio-cultural significance can be immensely useful for the readers in general and the students of cultural history in particular. We shall discuss in our present study all the different aspects of the social life of India of the age of the Kasikavrtti or the Kasika together with an extensive discussion on the geography of ancient India found in this book. We shall try to present our views in a critical and explicit manner as far as practicable.
The title of the Kesikavrtti or the Kesika :
The word Kesika is a significant one, Haradatta, the author of the Padamanjari, which is a sub- commentary on the Kasika describes it as a grammatical work written in Kasi or Varanasa for which this grammatical work assumes this title. Haradatta substantiates his view by quoting the Paninian rule 4.2.116 which gives the derivation of the word.
Ujjaladatta, Srstidhara and Yudhisthir Mimamsak appear to corroborate the view of Haradatta. But the Kasika as known to Panini was by all means an ancient work on grammar or some other subject. The present work was written in the seventh century A.D. The authors of the work were Kashimirians.” It is most unlikely that the two grammarians wrote their commentaries on Panini's Astaadhyayi in the city of Kasi (Varanasi) .
The authorship of the Kasika:
According to the established tradition. the Kasika was written by two author viz. .Jayaditya and Vamana Jayaditya is said to be the author of the commentary written on the first five chapters of the Astadhyayi, while Vamana is described as the author of the remaining portion of the Kasika.
However the subcommentators Jinendrabuddhi and Haradatta have shown with the help of adequate illustrations that Jayaditya wrote his commentary at least upto the sixth chapter of the Astadhyayi, while Vamana wrote the commentary on the fourth chapter also of this great grammar.
The two commentaries at one time were amalgamated by some unknown author. The amalgam was available to Jinendrabuddhi.
Contents
vii ix
Abbreviations
1-9
11-100
Chapter One
101-133
Chapter Two
Economic Life
135-152
Chapter Three
Political System
153-174
Chapter Four
175-195
Chapter Five
Food and Drinks, Dresses, Ornaments, Garlands, Hair dressing, Cosmetics, Painting of teeth and nails Prasadhakas Arts Architecture
197-209
Chapter Six
211-229
Chapter Seven
The castes and their duties
231-260
Chapter Eight
Religious Life
261-271
Chapter Nine
Women in the Age of the Kasika
273-291
Chapter Ten
Virtues and Vices
293-311
Chapter Eleven
Animal Life-Wild Animals-Domestic Animals-Trees and Plants Bibliography
313-319
Index
321-331
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