Thanks a lot Prof.Dr.HN.Bhat ji..
It is said that one who does not confer the Vidya to other becomes a brahma rAkshasa.
A student of Patanjali became a brahma rAkshasa. To come out of this curse, he has to transfer the vidya, the mahA bhAshyam learnt from his Guru Patanjali to some good pupil.
He chose a strategic location the central part of india ie., between 5 gauda desa & 5 dravida desa so that probability of getting the person is very good.
The brahmarakshasa sat on a peepal tree on the banks of river narmada and will ask the following questions to the passers by:
What is the nishthA pratyaya of सिच् ? Answer सिक्तम्
What is the nishthA pratyaya of रच् ? Answer रक्तम्
What is the nishthA pratyaya of भुज् ? Answer भुक्तम्
What is the nishthA pratyaya of पच् ? Everybody will answer पक्तम्
Then he will catch that brahmana- you are a good food for me today & eat him.
Once a brahmin named Chandra Sharma came that way. Brahma rAkshas asked the questions, he told the answer as पक्वम् .
BrahmarAkshas became happy and transferred the mahabhashyam with lot of strict conditions to him and became relieved of the sin.
It is said that unable to digest the pitiable state of his pupil, Patanjali himself came as Chandra Sharma.
He took notes from his guru Braham rakshas plucking the leaves of the peepal tree,using his blood as the ink. Some how some of the leaves were eaten away by a goat. This portion is often referred as अज भक्षित भाग of mahAbhashyam.
This chandra sharma was from Gauda desa ( Present day bengal/Bihar) and later became the famous Gauda pAda the guru of Govinda bhagavat pada whose pupil was Adishankara bhagavat pada.
The story was told by HH.Chandrasekhara saraswati - mahaperiyavaa of Kanci mutt in one of his upanyasams.
My question is " Is the अज भक्षित भाग still relevant? "
In other words is it true that some portions of MahAbhAshyam are missing today....???
Namaskarams