वैयाकरणकौतुकम्
निधानं सर्वधर्माणां विधानं सर्वकर्मणाम्।
प्रधानं सर्वभाषाणां संस्कृतं तन्नमाम्यहम्॥१
I bow to the Sanskrit language, which is the abode of all Dharmas, the ordainer of all actions, and the foremost among all languages.
अपौरुषेयवेदानां मुखं व्याकरणं स्मृतम्।
शिष्टभाषा प्रमाणं मे साधवो वेदमूर्तयः॥२
Grammar is called the mouth of the impersonal (apauruṣeya) Vedas. However, since the virtuous are manifestations of the Vedas, the speech of the learned is my source of knowledge (pramāṇa).
हरौ सुप्ते महासिन्धौ ध्यानलीने पितामहे।
समाधिस्थे शिवे शैले सूत्रकारो गतिर्मम॥३
When Vishnu is asleep in the great ocean, Brahma is engrossed in meditation, and Shiva is in Samadhi on Kailasa, the grammarian Panini, the creator of Sutras, is my only refuge.
सूत्रसन्धानधीरास्ते शब्दशास्त्रधनुर्धराः।
वाग्बाणेन हि विध्यन्ति भौतिकेन शरेण न॥४
Wielding the bow of grammar, the grammarians, who are experts at shooting sutras, pierce us by their arrow-like words, rather than physical arrows.
अतिसन्धिर्न कर्तव्यो भाषणे जीवने तथा।
प्रथमाद्बोधने क्लेशो द्वितीयात्कोरणाभयम्॥५
There should not be excessive Sandhi (proximity among objects) in speech or life. The former leads to difficulty in comprehension and the latter causes fear of Corona.
कोरोणाक्रान्तशब्देषु संहिता न भविष्यति।
इति शोचन्ति शब्दज्ञाः संहिताभ्यासनिर्वृताः॥६
“There can be no Saṃhitā (joining) among words that are under Corona’s attack,” griveing thus the grammarians were relieved of Saṃhitā exercises.
सिंहस्य प्राकृतां वाणीं संस्कर्तुं किल पाणिनिः।
प्राविशद् वदने तस्य तत्रैव रमतेऽधुना॥७
To refine the Prakrita (natural) tongue of the lion, the grammarian Panini entered its mouth. Today, Panini continues to reside there.
आकर्ण्य गर्जितं घोरं सिंहस्य हतपाणिनेः।
प्रत्यक्षान्वेषणायैव वनं नैयायिको गतः॥८
Hearing the fierce roar of the lion that killed Panini and to investigate through direct perception (pratyakṣa), the logician (naiyāyika) ventured into the forest.
हरिस्थः पाणिनिर् नित्यं पाणिनिस्थो न वा हरिः।
तर्कयन् द्वैतवेदान्ती द्रुतं सिंहमुखं ययौ॥९
“Panini always resides in Hari (lion), and not vice versa,” arguing thus, the Dvaita Vedāntī summarily entered the lion’s mouth.
हरिश्शेते वने घोरे हरिश्शेते महार्णवे।
हरिश्शेते तरौ चैव हरयः क्व न शेरताम्॥१०
Hari (lion) sleeps in dense forests. Hari (Vishnu) sleeps in the great ocean. Hari (monkey) sleeps on trees. Is there any place where Hari-s do not sleep?
हा हत्येति समाकर्ण्य द्रवीभूतस्तु शाब्दिकः।
असाधु! हननं भूयाद् इत्युक्त्वा विकलोऽभवत्॥११
Hearing the word “hatyā” (murder), the grammarian became tearful. “Not proper! May it be hanana (murder)!” he sighed in grief.
भट्टोजिदीक्षितं दृष्ट्वा कालेन कवलीकृतम्।
ईमोजिदीक्षिता जाता देववाणीधुरन्धराः॥१२
Seeing that Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita was not spared by time, the experts of Sanskrit have now become Emoji-Dīkṣita (schooled in the art of emojis)!