• Kaccāyana-vyākarana

A treatise on Pāli grammar by Kaccāyana. The treatise is in eight divisions, each division comprising suttas or rules, expressed with great brevity; vutti or supplements, to render the suttas intelligible; payoga or grammatical analyses, with examples, and nyāsa or scholia, explanatory notes of the principal grammatical forms in the shape of questions and answers. The nyāsa often exists as a separate book, called the Mukhamattadīpanī. Orthodox tradition ascribes the whole work to Mahā Kaccāna, but another tradition, recorded in the Kaccāyanabheda, states that the aphorisms are by Kaccāyana, the vutti by Sanghānandī, the illustrations by Brahmadatta and the nyāsa by Vimalabuddhi - all perhaps belonging to the same school of Avanti (see above, Kaccāna).

Kaccāyana's work shows clearly the influence of Sanskrit grammar, chiefly the Kātantra. Many later works were written about the Kaccāyana (as it is called) or were based on it, the chief among them being the Rūpasiddhi, the Kaccāyanabheda, the Kaccāyanasāra and the Kaccāyanavannanā (q.v.). For details see P.L.C.179ff; Bode, 21.