A treatise on Pāḷi grammar by Kaccāyana. The treatise is in eight divisions, each division comprising rules (sutta), expressed with great brevity; supplements (vutti), to render the rules intelligible; grammatical analyses (payoga), with examples, and scholia (nyāsa), explanatory notes of the principal grammatical forms in the shape of questions and answers. The scholia often exists as a separate book, called the Mukhamattadīpanī. Orthodox tradition ascribes the whole work to Mahā-Kaccāna, but another tradition, recorded in the Kaccāyanabheda, states that the aphorisms are by Kaccāyana, the vutti by Saṅghānandī, the illustrations by Brahmadatta and the nyāsa by Vimalabuddhi — all perhaps belonging to the same school of Avanti (see Kaccāna).

Kaccāyana’s work shows clearly the influence of Sanskrit grammar, chiefly the Kātantra. Many later works were written about the Kaccāyana (as it is called) or were based on it, the chief among them being the Rūpasiddhi, the Kaccāyanabheda, the Kaccāyanasāra and the Kaccāyana-vaṇṇanā (q.v.) For details see P.L.C.179 ff; Bode, 21.