Indus to Sanskrit : Part I

PART -I

Sanskrit is genealogically related to the Indus language

The description of the Sanskrit language by the grammarian Panini reflects in the language of the Indus inscriptions at several places, the following being notable:

1. Panini (1,2,64) supposes that to become plural a word has to be repeated so may times, of which only the last is retained : devAs = deva-deva-devAs. This reflects in pl. formation in the language of the Indus inscriptions (Mahedevan,The Indus script,p. 17).

2. Panini had a root-list before him in which the verbs began with the cerebral S and N. Instead of updating the root-list, he prescribed (6,1,64-65) that they should be replaced by the dental s and n. Though the language of the Indus inscriprions represent the isolating stage, at least the root S-Tha (sign 15) is traceable here. As a rule, however, Sa and Na outnumber many individual phonemes, which shows that they were in large number in Indus.

3. Panini prescribes many secondary suffixes for Sanskrit which were verbal forms of the agglutinative Indus; e.g. cara (5,3,53) was a pluperfect form ca-ra (had been, had taken place),-maha (4,2,36) was a perfect form ma-ha (has grown old). They are not found in the inscriptions, which was one station farther back at the isolating stage.

4. Panini refers to a suffix which is prefixed to a word (5,3,68). His description of Sanskrit, using preposition to show cases (2,1.6 : adhi-hari = harau) reflects in the earlier stage of Sanskrit, the agglutinative Indus.

Conclusion: Sanskrit is the last stage of the language which began with the language of the Indus inscriptions having monosyllabic words and no grammar. The grammar began to appear at the agglutinative stage which is only at the initial stage in the inscriptions.

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BOOKS ON DECIPHERMENT

REVIEW OF OTHER ATTEMPTS OF DECIPHERMENT

THE SOCIETY REFLECTING IN THE INDUS SCRIPTS

THE CONCEPT OF SARASVATI

THE BASIS OF THE VEDIC MYTHOLOGY

A HISTORY REWRITTEN