The Linguistic Speculations of the Hindus (An Old and Rare Book)

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Preface The Department of Special Assistance (DSA), Sanskrit, Jadavpur University is extremely happy to announce that The Linguistic Speculations of the Hindus, written by the Late Professor P.C. Chakravarti, has been published as reprint-edition after a long gap of about half a century. This highly meritorious book and Professor Chakravarti's other work Philosophy of Sanskrit Grammar are the two outstanding creations in the field of Philosophy of Languages which is one of the thrust areas specified by the UGC for our DSA (Sanskrit) programmes. In thirteen Chapters of the present work Prof. Chakravarti has discussed almost all the philosophical aspects of Sanskrit grammar and each chapter is concerned with philosophical enquiry and psychological treatment of Sanskrit Grammar. From the present treatise we are enlightened on the fact as to how some of the modern conceptions remain in germinal forms in the ancient grammatical texts. The subject-matter of both the works of Prof. Chakravarti is complicated and difficult to grasp by ordinary scholars, but the well-reputed Professor has presented the theme in such a smooth way that it creates enough interest in the minds of scholars studying the linguistic history of the Sanskrit language. We are grateful to Professor S.R. Banerjee, a gifted scholar of the Sanskrit Grammar and Linguistics, for writing a valuable 'Foreword' for this reprint edition, and by doing this he, on behalf of all the members of the DSA (Sanskrit), has paid befitting tribute to the late talented Professor Chakravarti. Thanks are due to Sri Debasish Bhattacharya of Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar for bringing out this reprint-edition of the book for the DSA (Sanskrit). Hope Prof. Chakravarti's illustrious piece of refined intellect will create enormous interest in the scholarly world.

Foreword

I am very much gratified and derive immense pleasure in complying with the request of the Co-ordinator of DSA, of the Department of Sanskrit, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, for requesting me to write a Foreword to a book, The Linguistic Speculations of the Hindus by Prabhat Chandra Chakravarti. It goes without saying that I am not competent enough to write a Foreword to a book like the present one. Professor Chakravarti was a well-reputed scholar on Sanskrit grammar and his two books The Philosophy of Sanskrit - Grammar and The Linguistic Speculations of the Hindus - are by far the best contributions to the subject. We are grateful to Professor Chakravarti for writing such difficult books where most of the scholars have not yet penetrated. The main purpose of reprinting this book is to emulate interest in studying the linguistic history of the Sanskrit language as embalmed and treasured up in the treatises of Sanskrit literature. The book deals with the philosophical or psychological treatment of Sanskrit grammar.

Linguistic or grammatical studies in India and in Europe have been very much fascinating from time immemorial. In India, apart from Panini (400 B.C.), there were innumerable grammarians whose works are lost, except their names and views recorded by later Sanskrit grammarians. Before Panini, we have hosts of Sanskrit grammarians. Sanskrit grammar started with the Mahesa Vyakarana in the hoary antiquity. After that we have Aindra Vyakarana written by Indra, a mythological personage.