The Mahabhashya is a running commentary on Panini*s .aphorisms and deals with 1713 of them. It is probable that Panini's work was from the beginning accompanied by a -definite interpretation, whether oral or written/and that a - considerable portion of the examples in the Bhashya must have come from this source. The work is in the form of lectures and the prose stands to-day as the chastest standard in all Sanskrit literature.
The later grammatical literature is based mainly on these •three works which form the fountain-heads of a vast mass of -composition. Mostly the later works are either compendia or
commentaries. No new matter is added. The method and .arrangement is changed to suit an easy understanding. Some
of the important are named below:—
(i) The Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari is in the form of Karikas and is based on Patanjali (about 650 A. D.)» (ii) The Kasika of the joint authorship of Vamana and Jayaditya is a commentary on Patanjali and according toI-Tsing was written between 630-650 A.D. (iii) The Kavirahasya of Halayudha is a treatise on verbs
and rhymes written in the loth century. . (iv) The Ganaratna-Mahodadhi of Vardhamana was composed about 1140 A. D.
v(v) The HaimM-vyakarana and the Sabdanusasana of Hemachandra were composed about the middle of the 12th century. *(vi) The Dhatuvritti) a gloss on the Dhatupatha, was the
work of Madhava of the I4th century. n(vii) The Prakriya-Raumudi arranges Panini's grammar more systematically and was ^compiled by Raima* chandra in the i Sth century.en. For this state of things a space of nearly ten centuries is not inconsistent witlv the reverent manner in,which he speaks of Patanjali's work.