Pāṇini’s grammar is the oldest surviving grammar of Sanskrit, dating back to the fifth century BCE. In its completeness of coverage of linguistic elements and its theoretical and analytical sophistication, Pāṇini’s grammar is surprisingly modern. It has long provided inspiration for many ideas in modern linguistics, and continues to attract scholars’ attention in the fields of Sanskrit and linguistics.

Pāṇinian Studies collects seventeen essays on Pāṇinian linguistics in a single volume dedicated to Professor S. D. Joshi, a stalwart scholar of Pāṇinian grammar. The contributors, all scholors of international acclaim and students and friends of Professor Joshi, include Ashok Aklujkar, Pandit V. B. Bhagwat, Saroja Bhate, Gopikamohan Bhattacharya, Johannes Bronkhorst, George Cardona, Achyutananda Dash, Madhav M. Deshpande, Peter Edwin Hook, Daniel H. H. Ingalls, V. N. Jha, Dinabandhu Kar, Paul Kiparsky, Bimal Krishna Matilal, G. B. Palsule, K. Kunjunni Raja, and J. A. F. Roodbergen. Taken together, their contributions encompass the wide range of interests and specializations within the field of Pāṇinian studies.

Madhav Deshpande is Professor of Sanskrit and Hindu Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan.

Saroja Bhate is the former Head of the Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages at the University of Pune.