I Panini's Karaka-theory.
1.0 We may feel inclined to think that words are produced by acts of speech. However, to Panini, they are produced by grammar. Here grammar is not understood as a body of learning resulting from linguistic analysis, but as a device which enables us to derive correct Skt words. The machinery consists of rules and technical elements, its input are word-elements, stems and suffixes, its output are any correct Skt words. Thus the Astadhyayi is a generative device in the literal sense of the word. Since it is also a system of rules which allow us to decide the correctness of the words derived, and, at the same time, provides them with a structural description, the Astadhyayi may be called a generative grammar.
Since Skt is an inflectional language, the word which has been produced is formally equipped for combination with other words in a sentence. It is called samartha. As far as nouns are concerned, the elements responsible for combination are the case endings. They convey particular, non-lexical meanings which serve to connect words, that is, word-meanings, for instance, noun-meanings with verb-meanings, and which, therefore, may be called syntactic meanings. Being given the generative framework of his grammar, Panini's problem was, how to generate form-elements, namely, case endings, in the meanings required. His solution was to define these meanings, and correlate them with case endings with the help of designations. The karaka-section of the Astadhyayi deals with these relational meanings, their names and definitions, as far as noun-verb relations are concerned.
1.1 The term karaka
1.1.0 Panini has not defined this term, which indicates that it must have been fairly wellknown among grammarians in his days. Literally, karaka means that which brings about', 'doer. The term is used to refer to
(a) any type of relational meaning (called apadana, etc.) as further defined in the section P. 1.4 24-55,5
(b) any item (person or thing) participating in an action in the way indicated by the definitions in this section.
By extension the term is used to refer to
(c) a word standing for such an item."
1.1.1 Papini introduces the term karaka in the adhikara-rule P. 1.4.23. Normally, technical terms are introduced in the nominative case, but in P. 1.4.23 the term karaka has been mentioned in the locative. From this it appears that Panini wanted this term to function as a meaning-condition restraining the application of the designations introduced subsequently, that is, up to P. 1.4.55. For instance, P. 1.4.24 read together with P. 1.4.23 tells us that a fixed point in relation to moving away is called apadana, provided that it is karaka, instrumental in bringing about an action. In veksat parnam patati: the leaf falls from the tree', the speaker presents the tree as the fixed point from which the leaf moves away. But in veksasya parnam patati: the leaf of the tree falls the tree is differently presented, namely, as connected with the leaf in a part-whole relationship. Since here the tree is not presented as karaka, that is, playing a part in the action of falling, it cannot be called apadana.
However, although Panini has introduced the term karaka as a meaning condition, it is a samjna: technical term nevertheless. This is clear from the context which deals with samjnas. Moreover, it must be a general designation, because the following designations, apadana, etc., become available, only when a thing concerned is called karaka.
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