Sūtra NexusAncient rules. Living systems.

Aṣṭādhyāyī structure

Eight chapters, the type letters in the file, and a lazy line search.

Learn it in 5 minutes

The file holds 3,983 rows. English Wikipedia's Aṣṭādhyāyī page, checked 2026-10-16, also says 3,983 sūtras in eight chapters, each subdivided into four pādas.

Chapter counts in this file are 351, 268, 631, 635, 555, 736, 438, 369. They sum to 3,983.

The file's type letters are AD 64, AT 67, P 23, S 200, V 3629. The file meta glosses S as saṃjñā, P as paribhāṣā, and V as vidhi. It does not gloss AT or AD. This app does not expand those two letters. Confirm before relying.

Wikipedia's list of ancillary types, on the page checked the same day, names paribhāṣā as metarules, adhikāra as headings, atideśa as extension rules, niyama as restrictive rules, and pratiṣedha and niṣedha as negation rules, beside vidhi as the operational rules. This app does not assert that the file's AT or AD letters are those words.

Every row's meaning is not yet sourced from an open text.

Foundations, dependencies, history, roadmap

Dependencies. The start page, and anuvṛtti if you want to read a carried word.

History. See the history page for the dating dispute.

Roadmap. Meanings only after an open text is checked into licences.json as confirmed.

Where the idea shows up. Computational linguistics papers discuss this rule list. This app does not summarize a paper it has not opened. Confirm before relying.

A visual

Read a sūtra number Read a sūtra number AdhyāyaPādaSūtraExample 1.1.1A moving dot shows the reading order. Reduced motion hides it. DisclaimerSūtra Nexus is an independent, free, learning-only student project. It respects everytradition, scholar, publisher, company and vendor. Trademarks, texts and sources belong totheir owners, and nothing here is affiliated with or endorsed by them. If something shouldbe removed or corrected, it will be handled promptly through the contact form. Nothing hereis sold. I am happy to volunteer for any organization.Learner path drawn for this app. Counts and file notes are from the data. Confirm before relying on any wider claim.
Read a sūtra number. Learner path drawn for this app. Counts and file notes are from the data. Confirm before relying on any wider claim.

SVG · PNG · Standalone HTML

Worked example

Look up 1.1.1 without translating it

  1. Type 1.1.1 in the browser below. The index loads when you type.
  2. You should see the Devanāgarī वृद्धिरादैच् and the IAST vṛddhirādaic.
  3. Read the label under it: the meaning is not sourced, and the IAST is not human-checked.
  4. The type letter on that row in the file is S. The file meta calls S saṃjñā.

Look up a line

The index loads after you type, so the first paint stays light.

Quiz

How many chapters does the Wikipedia page name?

What does the file meta call type letter V?

Does this app equate AT with atideśa?

How many rows have type V?

What appears under a looked-up line?

Ecosystem

Glossary

  • adhyāya — A chapter. The file numbers them 1 through 8.
  • pāda — A section of a chapter. Wikipedia's page says four per chapter.
  • saṃjñā — The file meta's gloss for type letter S. Not a translation of a sūtra.
  • vidhi — The file meta's gloss for type letter V, and Wikipedia's name for an operational rule.

Sister topics

Anuvṛtti, dhātu, charts.

Bridges

Learner's note (not a translation): a type letter is metadata about a row, similar to a tag on a record. The tags here are the file's letters.

Later hooks

A per-chapter browser that still lazy-loads.

Sources and go deeper

  • ashtadhyayi-com/data README. The raw README says you are free to use the data in your own projects if you give appropriate credit. No SPDX identifier is stated. last checked 2026-10. Licence: credit required, no formal SPDX, confirmed from the raw README.
  • English Wikipedia, Aṣṭādhyāyī. The page says the work has 3,983 sūtras in eight chapters, each subdivided into four pādas, and lists vidhi, paribhāṣā, adhikāra, atideśa, niyama, and negation rules. CC BY-SA. last checked 2026-10. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.