Patna: Indian philosophy cannot be fully understood without studying Panini’s grammar, Prof Lars Gohler of the University of Cologne, Germany, said while delivering a special lecture on “PerspectivesofIndianandWesternPhilosophy” at the postgraduate department of Sanskrit, Patna University, on Monday.Gohler said Panini’s influence extended across major Indian philosophical schools, including Nyaya, Sankhya and Mimamsa, whereas Western philosophy had no comparable dependence on grammar. “Panini is everywhere in Indian philosophy,” he observed, highlighting the deep interrelationship between language, grammar and philosophy in the Indian tradition.Referring to Panini, Patanjali and Bhartrihari, he said Indian philosophical thought placed greater emphasis on spirituality, while Western philosophy was more strongly rooted in rationality. However, he stressed that Indian philosophy also possessed a rich and sophisticated logical tradition.Gohler said Western scholars still have much to learn from Indian philosophy and stressed the need for its wider study. He said the Indian idea of moksha (liberation) has no direct equivalent in Western philosophy, though small achievements and everyday happiness can be seen as forms of “mini moksha”.
