संस्कृते विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

Chapter Six

In this concluding chapter, I will discuss the thought process that might have led Pāṇini to construct his algorithm for dealing with Same Step Rule Interaction (henceforth SSRI), how this algorithm was interpreted by traditional and modern scholars, and finally how we can use the knowledge of the correct meaning of 1.4.2 to conduct further research in Pāṇinian studies and allied disciplines. In essence, I will examine the past, present and future of Pāṇinian studies, with a special focus on the role played by SSRI in the functioning of the Pāṇinian machine. Since the goal of this chapter is merely to summarize the timeline of Pāṇinian thought, I will keep my arguments brief and will focus on the bigger picture, delving only into those details that are of immediate relevance.