Dr. Sarangi's studies that follow, most of which were published in research journals from India and abroad are mainly in the areas of Sanskrit Grammar, Linguistic History and Linguistic Philosophy. Conspicuous among all its aspects, systematic presentation and methodical bibliograpical references. It is hoped that the present collection of Prof. Sarangis studies will be met with the great reception that it deserves and at the same time will inspire the younger generation into a career of similar dedication.
Dr. A.C. Sarangi (b. 26th March 1949) is a specialist in Sanskrit Grammar. He has contributed many research papers in his field of study which are published in various journals in India and abroad. His significant work, Development of Sanskrit from Panini to Pawn-jail is published from Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan, Delhi, in 1985. His other important work, Verbal Cognition : A Neo-Grammatical Approach is published from Udayana University, Bali (Indonesia) where he was a Visiting Professor in 1990-91.
Professor Sarangi passed M. A. in Sanskrit in 1972 from Utkal University with first Class and immediately joined Poona University as a Researdh Fellow. He was awarded Ph.D. as well as Certificate in French and Diploma in German from that University. Later he served the same University as Research Associate (1984) and Visiting Associate (1993-95). During 1984-85 Prof. Sarangi went to Nagoya University, Japan as a Mombusho Fellow and besides his successful teaching and research activities there he was awarded a Certificate in Japanese. Dr. Sarangi is also traditionally trained scholar, being awarded Vyakaraodcarya from Rastriya Sanskrit Sanstban, New Delhi. He joined the P. G. Department of Sanskrit of Utkal University in Bhubaneswar (Orissa) as a Lecturer in 1977 and became a Reader in 1990. At present he is working as the Head of the Department.
Highly exciting indeed are the endeavours in Indological researches wherein the truth eludes us owing to a number of inherent limitations from which they suffer. Especially so is the experience of researches in Sanskrit Grammar. For one, the records of the ancient Sanskrit grammarians represent only a frac-tion of the vast language employed by the speech-community. Further, not all of these are found attested in literature. Thirdly, we are denied a study of the valuable spoken usage as it is mostly unrecorded (attention to which was brought to our notice prominently by Dr. Sukumar Seni). Fourthly, we are not sure of the exact phonological peculiarities behind the written symbols that were devised. Not to peak of the exact chronologies of the texts or of their total loss due to various natural and/or political developments. And finally, as Prof Gonda pointed out, the working of the element of chance acts as a serious source of errors. 2 And yet, a modern student can proceed on the task, provided he possesses sufficient confidence in his tools and in his methods (governed primarily by objective reasoning and a historical and comparative perspective). In our Quest of Truth3, unfortunately the world around us in this Kali Era is apt to take away our peace of mind. But a true scholar faces this best with inner strength,4 selfless work, love5 and receptivity to ideas from every corner.
Dr Sarangi's studies that follow, most of which were published in research journals from India and abroad (Japan, Indonesia), are mainly in the areas of Sanskrit Grammar, Linguistic History, Linguistic Philosophy and Literary Criticism. Conspicuous among all these are his thoroughness of enquiry in all its aspects (cf. his essay on the Tacchilika Suffixes or on the Ancient Grammarians and their Interpretations), systematic presentation (cf. Tables or Summaries at the end of his essays on the Tacchilika Suffixes, a Vedic Observation from Katyayana and Patafijali, a study of some Constructions of the Munitraya, the Adhikara Device, and the Pratibha theory of Language), and methodical bibliographical references (cf. on a Vedic Observation and on Panini and his Living Speech). To me, very valuable among these studies appear to be those relating to the Constructions, to Panini as a Stylistician, and to the Verbal Cognition.
Many years back, in my "Bhumika" to Dr. Sarangi's important work on the Development of Sanskrit from Panini to Patanjali, I had remarked that much could be expected in future from this young scholar and had expressed the hope that he would "succeed in creating interest in the linguistic and cultural aspects of the society and region of his activity". With an uncommon sacrifice of the teaching positions and lucrative jobs on conclusion of his post-graduate career, and with quiet and long devotion to the Muse of Learning, Prof. Sarangi widened the horizons of his knowledge, assimilated the methods of critical lines of study, secured the research degree, freely and profusely pursued his subsequent studies within India and abroad, and has thereby fully satisfied the high trust reposed in him-And, what is beig presented now from Prof. Sarangi is a bunch of some of writings till today.
I have every confidence that the present collection of Prof. Sarangi's studies will be met with the great reception that it deserves and at the same time will inspire the younger generation onto a career of similar dedication.
Language analysis has occupied the Indian mind since the `Vedic age. Modern linguists are simply wonder-struck when they -chance upon similar contributions from our ancient linguist-philosophers. Although both the old and the new schools of Sanskrit Grammar have contributed immensely to the field of linguistics, it is Papini who in his A,stc7dhydyi, first set a linguistic model for description of language in 5th century B.C. A critical study of Pdnini along with the Varttikas of Katyayana (Circa 3rd century B.C.) and the Mahabhavya of Patafijali (2nd century B.C.) is sure to provide us with the needed impetus to investigate universals wich are comparable with those arrived at by modern linguists.
Although interest in language has been existing in man since time immemorial, problems concerning meaning have been engaging the linguists and philosophers alike since the Vedic period. The scholiasts of different schools of language-studies viz., Vyakarana, Nydya and IvIimarhsd have explained various aspects of language-behavior. It is specially in the Neo-school of Grammar that grammarians have contributed immensely to the theory of gabdabodha i.e., verbal congnition which pertains to what the listener understands from the utterance. The sentence as a unit of expression has been the subject of analysis in this branch of linguistic study. The Neo-Grammarians after Bhartrhari, like Kaundabhtta and Ndgea have given greater emphasis to the manner in which this verbal understanding takes place. Being influenced by the logicians, Kaunclabhatta, in a logical manner, has established the grammarians' position which Nagesa has strengthened later.
Here is a collection of eighteen research articles, seventeen of which are based on major contributions of both old and new schools of Sanskrit Grammar. The first article is given here by way of indicating some recent trends in oriental research. Most of these articles where read and discussed in All India Seminars and Conferences and later these were published in research journals from India and abroad. I owe a debt of gratitude to the editors of those journals. During my stay in Indonesia as a Visiting Professor (1990-91), Mr. I Nyoman Ananda, a student of English Department of Udayana University in Denpasar, Bali arranged these articles in a book-form and encouraged me for publishing these. I thank him heartily for this. I am extremely grateful to Prof. Dr. S. D. Laddu (of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona) who in spite of his busy schedule of studies, could find time to write such inspiring Foreword for this work. In fact, if anything here is found with good reasoning and accuracy, that is wholly due to him who as my Research Guide has gone through many of these articles in their initial stage. Now as a token of my gratitude, I dedicate this work on his lotus feet. Lastly my heartfelt thanks are for Mr. Shyam Malhotra and his staff of Eastern Book Linkers, Delhi, who have exerted their best to see that the publication is done with elegance and efficiency.
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