The Sanskrit, when it was a living language, was evolving and changing from period to period. Atha api idam antareṇa mantreṣv artha pratyayona vidyate / Nir.1.15 / However, understanding certain obscure terms of Vedic Mantras had become rather difficult. In fact, Yaska, in his Nirukta ( 1.1 1.15 ), remarks: the Vedic stanzas are still meaningful because, their words are almost close to the currently spoken Sanskrit. It appears during the time of Yaska, the then contemporary Sanskrit, though not the same, was yet somewhat near to the Sanskrit of the ancient Vedas ( Chhandas). And often, salutations are submitted to Yaska with the mantra: Namo Paraskaraya, Namo Yaskaya.

Further, Patanjali, the author of Mahabhashya on Panini’s Astadhyayi, suggests that Yaska hailed from the Paraskara Country – ( pāraskara ḥ deśa ḥ – P_6, 1.157 ) – (?*), on the basis of Panini’s Sutra – Pāraskara-prabh ṛ tīni ca sa ṃ jñāyām (PS. This is based, rather tentatively, upon the Sutra: Yaska-adibhyo gotre ( PS_2.4.63) in Panini’s Astadhyayi. It is said Yaska preceded Panini (Ca.5 th century B C E) by about a century or, perhaps, more. There is often a tendency to compare the approach and the methods adopted by the two Greats to their respective fields of study. And, his Grammar A ṣṭ ādhyāyī ( Pā ṇ inīk ṛ ta – Sūtrapā ṭ ham ), the most distinguished treatise that set the linguistic standards for Classical Sanskrit, is referred to as Paniniyam Maha-shastram. And, Panini, the Grammarian par excellence ( Maha-Vaiyakaranah), is reverently addressed as Bhagavata ḥ Pā ṇ ine ḥ Acārya. Yaskacharya is renowned as a Great Etymologist ( Niruktakara), whose work, the Nirukta, is looked upon as the oldest available authoritative treatise concerning derivation of certain selected Vedic words. Yaska and Panini are two of the most celebrated scholars of the Sanskrit linguistic sciences.

Gosha shanti lyrics