This is but a small taste of the economy, intricacy, beauty and intellectual power of the , surely one of the greatest wonders and perhaps the supreme intellectual achievement of the ancient world. It is to the layman a treasure chest whose key is locked deep inside itself. However, the reader does not have to be familiar with this system to enjoy the . By using the references to the “IAST|Aṣṭādhyāyī” given in the table above, the reader may refer to the rules as he reads and become familiar with them in advance of reading each verse. The examples used in “’s Poem” are not included in the actual aphorisms of the “IAST|Aṣṭādhyāyī” themselves but are ones given by later commentators to facilitate discussion. The most widely used traditional examples are included in the two editions of the “IAST|Aṣṭādhyāyī” cited in the bibliography below.Sharma, R. N. 1987–2003. The . 6 vols. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. VASU, S. C. 1891–98. The , edited and translated into English. 2 vols. Allahabad: The Panini Office.
