18-18.] The most ancient Grammar of the Vedas. 7 



3. In the Bodleian Library at Oxford there are two manuscripts of 

 a third work of this title. The first (17 double pages ex codd. 

 Wilson) contains merely the text ; fol. 1 — 5 are wanting. The second (94 

 double pages, of which pages 1 — 22 are wanting ; also from Wilson's 

 collection) gives both text and commentary, which last however does 

 not appear to me to have been written by Uvata. It bears the title : 

 ** iti-tri-bhashya-ratne praticakhya-vivarane," &c. Judging from this 

 title it might be a compilation from three more ancient comments.* 



Why the common title of these works can not be the original 

 one, I have already mentioned above. But in the later Indian 

 literature, it has been adopted, and in Madhusudana Sarasvati's 

 Prasthanabheda, an Encyclopedia of Indian Literature, it is men- 

 tioned in the following manner : tatra sarvavecla-sadharani ciksha 

 atliaciksha pravakshyamity adi panchakhandatrnika Paninina praka- 

 cita; Praticakha cha bhinnar-upa, praticakhya sagnita anyair eva 

 munibhi : pradarcita (No. 2098, E. Ind. H. fol. 5, b). To this be- 

 longs Panini's work, under the title of ciksha, which refers to the whole 

 Veda. It has five divisions, each beginning with the words " atha 

 ciksham," &c. which divide itincakha, and bearing the name of Pratica- 

 khya, has been also treated on by other holy teacher. The author of 

 the Prasthanabheda here considers the word cakha to mean a division of 

 the Veda. The book called ciksha in a more strict sense (grammatical 

 doctrine) is said to point to all the writings of the Vedas. This little 

 work, which consists of but sixty verses, and which is usually counted 

 as one of the Vedangas, certainly treats merely of the most general 

 rules of the parts of Grammar, which are also spoken of in the 

 Praticakhyas, and is without doubt, but a compilation from the latter 

 and new composition. Colebrooke has marked this book as such 

 in the manuscriptural notes of his copy.f Another book of the same 



* I will mark these books according- to the order in which I introduced them, as first, 

 second and third Praticakhya, for shortness sake. In the first I can quote the para- 

 graphs, as they are given in the MS. of the text in every single Patala, containing always 

 rom three to five verses, and also as they are marked in the commentaries. I quote the 

 third also in the same manner. And since a revising subdivision is wanting in the second, 

 we can consequently name only the principal sections, and we must add to this the 

 number of pages in the MSS. 



t No. 1378, £. I. H. if I do not mistake the number. Other MSS. of the ciksha 

 may be found in the same place, Nos. 1981 and 1743. 



