Panini, regarded as the first great grammarian of the Sanskrit language in India, is believed to have lived during which historical period?

Introduction / Context:
Panini is celebrated as one of the greatest grammarians in the history of the world and is especially important in the study of ancient India. His work on Sanskrit grammar, particularly the text known as the Ashtadhyayi, laid the foundation for systematic linguistic analysis. Many competitive exams test whether students know the approximate historical period in which Panini lived, because it helps anchor the development of Sanskrit literature and Vedic culture in time.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Panini is described as the first great grammarian of the Sanskrit language.
• The question asks about the broad historical period in which he lived.
• The options cover time ranges from before the Common Era (BC) to after (AD).
• We rely on generally accepted academic estimates, not on an exact birth year.

Concept / Approach:
There is no absolutely fixed date for Panini, but most historians and Indologists place him in the period roughly between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. This dating is based on linguistic evidence, cross references to historical events, and comparison with other ancient Indian texts. Earlier dates like the 2nd century BC are too late to match the linguistic stage of Sanskrit that Panini describes. Dates in the Common Era, such as the 2nd century AD or 5th–6th century AD, are even less plausible and conflict with the chronology of later Sanskrit literature and Buddhist and Jain texts that assume Panini's grammatical framework.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Panini's Ashtadhyayi is associated with late Vedic or early classical Sanskrit. Step 2: Note that scholars commonly place Panini before the rise of major Mauryan political power in the 3rd century BC. Step 3: Understand that a 2nd century BC date would be too close to the Mauryan and post Mauryan period, whereas Panini's work appears linguistically earlier. Step 4: Recognise that 2nd century AD and 5th–6th century AD are far too late, since by then classical Sanskrit and many later grammatical commentaries were already in circulation. Step 5: Therefore, the historically most accepted window is the 6th–5th century BC.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard history of India textbooks and Sanskrit literature surveys routinely state that Panini probably lived around the 6th–5th centuries BC. They place him after the early Vedic age but before the fully developed classical era. This timeline fits well with the linguistic features he records and with the later tradition of commentators like Patanjali, who lived centuries after Panini and referred to his grammar as already authoritative.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 2nd century BC: Too late in relation to the linguistic and cultural stage of Sanskrit described by Panini and generally considered post Mauryan.
• 2nd century AD: This falls in the early centuries of the Common Era, when many later Sanskrit works already assumed Panini's system.
• 5th–6th century AD: This is even later, in a period dominated by classical Sanskrit literature and elaborate grammatical commentaries, not by the foundational grammarian himself.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse Panini with later commentators or to assume that because Sanskrit literature flourished for many centuries, Panini must belong to a relatively late period. Another error is not distinguishing between approximate scholarly consensus and mythical dates. For exam purposes, it is best to remember the simple association: Panini, the great Sanskrit grammarian, around the 6th–5th century BC.

Final Answer:
Panini, the first great grammarian of Sanskrit, is generally believed to have lived during the 6th–5th century BC.