Rule-Based Sanskrit Parser from Paninis Astadhyayi

We present a rule-based framework for parsing Sanskrit sentences by directly leveraging the grammatical rules codified in Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī. Our approach generates a parser table – a formal grammar or state-machine representation – derived from Pāṇini’s nearly 4,000 succinct rules (sūtras). This table forms the backbone of a Sanskrit parser that handles sandhi (euphonic combination), samāsa (compounding), vibhakti (case and verb inflection), and dhātu (root verb) processing in an integrated manner. We begin by underscoring the importance of Sanskrit parsing and the suitability of Pāṇini’s grammar for a rule-based system. A review of existing tools and approaches (e.g., the Sanskrit Heritage Engine, Vidyut-Prakriyā, and Computational Paninian Grammar frameworks) situates our work in the context of prior scholarship. We then detail our methodology for translating Pāṇini’s sūtras into a parser table, explaining how the parser applies ordered grammatical rules to analyze and segment Sanskrit input. The system’s capabilities are illustrated through examples, including a step-by-step parse of “rāmo’pi gṛham gacchati” (“Rāma also goes home”). In the discussion, we examine the parser’s performance and potential applications – from computational linguistics to digital humanities – and compare its behavior with existing models. We conclude by summarizing the contributions of this approach and outlining future directions, such as addressing ambiguity resolution and extending the framework with statistical methods.