1859.] On the Introduction of Writing into India. 153 



used of Semitic nations. There is nothing to prove that Panini 

 was later than Alexander, or that he was acquainted with Greek 

 literature. In the Lalita-vistara, where all possible alphabets are 

 mentioned, nothing is said of a Yavauani or a Greek alphabet. 

 The Sanskrit alphabet, though it has always been suspected to be 

 derived from a Semitic source, has not certainly been traced back 

 to a Greek source. It shows more similarity with the Aramaean 

 than with any other variety of the Phoenician alphabet.* Yavauani 

 lipi might mean that variety of the Semitic alphabet which, pre- 

 vious to Alexander, and previous to Panini, became the type of the 

 Indian alphabet. But all this is merely conjectural. It is impossible 

 to arrive at any certain interpretation of Yavauani, as used by 

 Panini; and it is much better to confess this, than to force the word 

 into an argument for any preconceived notions as to the origin of the 

 Indian alphabet. 



There is another word in Panini which might seem to prove that 

 not only the art of writing, but written books were known at his 

 time. This is grantha. Grantha occurs four times in our texts of 

 Panini. f In I. 3, 75, it is so used as to apply to the Yeda. In 

 IV. 3, 87. it may refer to any work. In IY. 3, 116, it is applied to 

 the work of any individual author. In YI. 3, 79. it maj refer to any 

 work that is studied. I do not attribute much importance to the 

 fact that I. 3. 75. and IY. 3* 116. are marked as not explained in 

 the Commentaries ; for I confess that iu none of these four pas- 

 sages can I discover anything to prove that grantha must mean a 

 written or a bound book. Grantha is derived from a root grath t 

 which means nectere, serere. Grantha, therefore, like the later 

 sandarbha, would simply mean a composition. J It corresponds 



* Lepsius, Zwei sprachvergleichende Abhandlungen, p. 78., Schulze's conjec- 

 ture about Mesniid. Weber, Indische Skizzen. 

 f 1. 3. 73—77 na; vy. : 



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X Thus the Commentator to Rig- veda, 1, 67, 4, explains chritanti by agnim 

 uddia'ya stutir grathnanti, kurvantityarthah. 



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