Exploring the Computational Framework of Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī: Its Relevance to Modern Linguistics and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

This paper investigates the computational structure of Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī, a seminal work in Sanskrit grammar, and assesses its significance for contemporary linguistics and artificial intelligence (AI). Pāṇini’s methodology, which systematically categorizes linguistic rules within a structured and rule-based framework, offers a distinctive perspective on language processing. The Aṣṭādhyāyī provides a definitive framework for the creation and examination of linguistic structures, rendering it an invaluable model for computational linguistics. This paper examines the applicability of Pāṇini’s stringent syntax and morphological principles to modern Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems, emphasizing rule-based artificial intelligence and symbolic computational frameworks. The research examines the difficulties of modifying Pāṇini’s architecture for contemporary, data-driven AI systems that predominantly utilize probabilistic methods. Furthermore, it examines the constraints of extending the Aṣṭādhyāyī to languages beyond Sanskrit, emphasizing both the possibilities and limitations of utilizing a formal linguistic framework in artificial intelligence. This study seeks to connect ancient linguistic theory with contemporary computational techniques, enhancing the efficacy and accuracy of AI-driven language models.