India can rightly boast of an age old tradition of studies in human speech in different perspectives. It is no wonder that of the six ancillary sastras of exergetic studies in the Vedic lore, four ones viz, Siksa(Phonetics & Phonology), Nirukta (Etymology)Chandas (Metrics ) and Vyakarana (Grammar)address themselves to linguistic analysis of the textual language of the Vedas. While each of them has developed in phases codified in different texts, Vyakarana has got the unique position of a chequred history of evolution through a considerable number of schools, pre-Paninian, Paninian and post-Paninian, each having a vast literature comprising sutra text, commenlaries and sub-commentaries, scholia, appendix and the like panini’s school itself extends over two millennia and its developed in different sub-schools to cater to the needs of the days. Buddhist grammarians of Bengal, for instance, came forward and helped in ushering in an era of Paninian studies through writings by Maitreya Raksita, Purusottamadeva, Siradeva saranadeva tec. During the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries after Chirst. A plethora of post-Paninian schools also came up under various circumstances, vied with each other and still derived benefit from the neighbouring schools to complete the circle of individual systems with an eye to the new linguistic data gathered from a living human tongue. The Katantra school sprang in the South and expanded its horizon at two other extreme parts of the Indian sub-continent viz. Bengal and Kashmir. Even the Bengal school had at least two sub-schools headed by Panji and Parisista. Jain grammarians of the Western part of India flourished under three heads viz. Haima, Sakatayana and Jainendra. The Jaumara school has its root at the Saiva sect of the Madhyadesa, through it flourished thereafter on the soil of Bengal and Orissa. Bopadeva’s Mugdhabodha too experienced a long journey from the land of its origin viz. Magdhabodha to reach Bengal where several commentaries were authored for completing the system. Eastern India, in fact, was the breeding ground of some other schools of Sanskrit grammar viz. Supadma, H arinamamrta, Sarasvata, Prayogaratnamala and the like. While many of the works belonging to these schools have been edited and studied, many more are still lying in manuscript form to see the light of the day. With on-going researches in these areas, the horizon of Sanskrit grammars is vastly expanding day by day.

Many decades back, Sri S.K. Belvalkar prepared a short compendium of this literature under the caption viz. Systems of Sanskrit Grammar to make us aware of this treasure. Studies have been advancing since then and of the later contributions to this arena, Sabdasastrer Itihas in Bengali by Kalijivana Devasarman (1995) is singularly commendable. Belvalkar’s work, however, has not lost its relevance till now. Every scholar of Sanskrit grammar is sure to benefit from this pioneering work. Unfortunately it has been out of print for some years. It is heartening to note that publisher has now come forward for a reprint of the book. I welcome this venture and wish it all success.