Question

Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, book on grammar in eight chapters is the final culmination of this excellent art of writing in sutra (percepts)in which every chapter is precisely interwoven.
II. The Brahmanas elaborate the Vedic caste system of society.
Code:
A. Only I
B. Only II
C. Both I and II
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Panini was an ancient grammarian, considered the father of linguistics. He worked on the grammar of Sanskrit in around the 4th BCE. He was the writer of the Ashtadhyayi which is the text on Sanskrit grammar, known as ‘Vyakaran’. The caste system, which included four castes and the varnas under it was a creation of the Vedic society.

Complete answer: Panini is one of the first and the most revered scholars in the field of grammar and a philologist. He was the one who coded the Ashtadhyayi which is a text on Sanskrit grammar and gave the language a sophisticated form. The text is bound in eight chapters. This marked the starting of Classical Sanskrit.

He was a leading scholar of the Vedic society in ancient India and any literary works of his have been considered as the source of historical approximation. The Vedic society that existed back then was divided into Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The Brahmanas were considered the uppermost caste and they took charge of all the ritualistic duties.

Looking at the given points;
I- The Ashtadhyayi fluently written in the manner of sutras with more than 3000 verses in it, coding different rules of Sanskrit and continues to define the structure of modern linguistics. Thus, this statement is correct.

II- The existence of Varna System can be found in the Vedic society of which Brahmanas themselves were a part of. They did not codify it but were placed at the top of this classification. The caste system emerged later. They did not elaborate on the Vedic caste system of the society but were dominant in enforcing it. Thus, it is more accurate to say that the Brahmanas elaborated the Vedic ritual system of society. Thus, the given statement is incorrect. 

Thus, the correct answer is option (A) as only the statement I is correct.

Note: Panini’s work stood at the foundation of the brilliance of the modern linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. This scholar was himself a Sanskrit teacher and is known as the father of modern linguistics.