Page:Systems-of-Sanskrit-Grammar-SK Belvalkar.pdf/102

 94 Systems of Sanskrit Grammar § 74 -] it was certainly an achievement for the Sarasvata gram- ar to compass the whole subject in 700 aphorisms only. More important than brevity is simplicity; and in this respect also the Sarasvata compares favourably with its predecessors. The Sarasvata uses pratyähäras but dispenses with the puzzling its so that in its terminology the letters.e. a.. , for instance, are indicated by the formula. This method has the advantage of pointing out at a glance the letters included in the application of a rule, which Panini's fails to do, except to the initiate. The other technicalities adopted by the Särasvata are of the simplest kind and are such that the meaning is evi- dent from the word itself (f, etc.), or is estab- lished by the concensus of grammarians (aa, entegra, DIABITI, FC, A, etc.). Accordingly, the Sarasvata very rarely goes out of its way to explain its Sanjñās and thus, without sacrificing simplicity, gains enormously in economy. The order followed is, of course, the natural or the topical one. The language of the sūtras is easy, and in their interpretation we have not to follow the guidance of any paribhhashas. No book on paribhashas has come down to us in connection with this school. This has been made possible, of course, by a studied avoidance of all difficult and out-of-the-way forms, the object being to learn grammar not for its own sake but as a medium for the study of literature. The Vedic irre- gularities and accents are left out, as also any detailed consideration of the Unãdis. Sometimes this process was carried too far and then later it was found necessary to insert värtikas such as Tor Terimärserret nr: or against - Ther:, where it was discovered that even some of the commoner forms of words remained annoticed.