Shabhamanidarpana , also spelled
Śabdamaṇidarpaṇa, is a comprehensive and authoritative work on
Kannada grammarThe Kannada grammar is primarily based on Keshiraja's Shabdamanidarpana which provides the fullest systematic exposition of Kannada language...
authored by
KesirajaKēśirāja, also spelled Keshiraja, was a 13th century Kannada grammarian and a poet. He is particularly known for authoring Shabdamanidarpana, an authoritative work on Kannada grammar. Because of this work, he is considered to be the "greatest theorist of Kannada grammar"...
in 1260 CE. This work, which literally means "Jewel-mirror of Grammar", remains till now as the comprehensive and early authoritative work on Kannada grammar. The rules here are set forth in
kanda metre and followed by a prose commentary in
vrutti (illustrative commentary by the author himself) and is considered a writing of high value.
Shabhamanidarpana , also spelled
Śabdamaṇidarpaṇa, is a comprehensive and authoritative work on
Kannada grammarThe Kannada grammar is primarily based on Keshiraja's Shabdamanidarpana which provides the fullest systematic exposition of Kannada language...
authored by
KesirajaKēśirāja, also spelled Keshiraja, was a 13th century Kannada grammarian and a poet. He is particularly known for authoring Shabdamanidarpana, an authoritative work on Kannada grammar. Because of this work, he is considered to be the "greatest theorist of Kannada grammar"...
in 1260 CE. This work, which literally means "Jewel-mirror of Grammar", remains till now as the comprehensive and early authoritative work on Kannada grammar. The rules here are set forth in
kanda metre and followed by a prose commentary in
vrutti (illustrative commentary by the author himself) and is considered a writing of high value. Though Kesiraja followed the model of Sanskrit grammar of the Katantra school and that of earlier writings on Kannada grammar, his work has an originality of its own.
Shabdamanidarpana is the earliest extant work of its kind, and narrates scientifically the principles of old Kannada language and is a work of unique significance.
Mention of early poets
The text of
Sabdamanidarpana starts with an invocation of the great poets of earlier generations who are to be authorities of Kesiraja as cited by him.
Significance of grammar
In the very beginning of the
Shabdamanidarpana, in Preface section, Kesiraja explains the significance of Grammar in the context of a language and its learning.
Adjectives
In one of the aphorisms (sūtra) of
Shabdamanidarpana, Kesiraja has given a list of forms ending in /-tu/ and /-du/ labelling them as
guNavaachi (ಗುಣವಾಚಿ), the
adjectiveIn grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a noun or pronoun, giving more information about the noun or pronoun's referent...
s.
Lexicography
Shabdamanidarpana is important from the view of
lexicographyLexicography is divided into two related disciplines:*Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries....
. An attempt at lexicon-making is provided in several parts of the work. The work has the list of verbal roots and words containing ḷ and ḹ sounds. There is also a chapter called 'prayŌgasāra' where Kesiraja has quoted a number of rare words along with their meanings.
Sound forms
Articulate sounds
Inarticulate sounds