Thread by @pvaal2

Early Evidence for भारतीय writing

[QT to avoid clutter]

While Yaskacharya’s Nirukta is likely earlier, the act of “writing” seems very well attested in Ashtadhyayi

Multiple dhatus / sutras exist that point to this reality

Writing was obviously well developed by this time

धातुः लिख्

The औपदेशिक form is ‘लिखँ अक्षरविन्यासे’

अक्षरविन्यास - inscribing letters

Even though लिख also has the sense of ‘scratch’ it seems obvious that writing is involved due to अक्षरविन्यासे।

Paniniya Shiksha ३२ says the 6 varieties of अधमपाठकाः include लिखितपाठकः - those who read from texts/written matter instead of from memory

Why लिखितपाठकः if written texts are NOT available?

Also शिरः कम्पी - those who read while shaking/ rocking their head !😀

There are multiple Sutras that highlight elements of ‘writing’ via

लिख्

६।३।५० हृदयस्य हृल्लेखयदण्लासेषु

हृल्लेखः हृदयं लिखतीति अण्।

MW also states ‘furrows in the heart’- but a sense of ‘writing’ can also be easily evident since ‘scratching/marking’ is the means of writing

The ग्रन्थ् धातुः - Book

The औपदेशिक form is

ग्रन्थँ बन्धने - which means to TIE

There are other possible meanings incl. ‘verse in अनुष्टुप् form’ etc - but the ‘tie’ element clearly reflects a physical ‘book’

Various sutras refer to ग्रन्थ

४।३।८७ अधिकृत्य कृते ग्रन्थे

सौभद्रः - a book relating to Subhadra is called Saubhadra

Clearly unless you have written matter that needs to be tied together, there can be no book!

६।३।७९ १०१० ग्रन्थान्ताधिके च

In the case of a book (literary work) स substitutes for सः for a sense or ‘upto the end’ [of the book]

१।३।७५ समुदाङ्भ्यो यमोऽग्रन्थे

Here refers to the verb ‘yam’ when it does NOT refer to a book takes the Atmanepadi form

४।३।११६ कृते ग्रन्थे

When something is made that is a book, then an affix comes after the word

वाररुचाः

Mahabharata (written prior to Maharshi Panini) gives clear references to writing & keeping written accounts

E.g: लेखकः -> scribe. Possible only if writing is present

The 3 reference lines - BORI Critical edition