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A Brief Survey of Phonetics and Grammar as found in the Bhagavati Sūtra
J. C. SIKDAR
Phonetics :
Here an attempt will be made to give a short structure of phonetics with their various changes as found in the language of the Bhagavati-Sūtra by furnishing examples in brief.
Sonants :
(1) An initial p changes into a, i, u, e.g., accha (11-11-428)= șkşa, iddhi (3-1-137) = șddhi, isi (9-33-382) = sși, uu (9-33-383) = stu, usaha (9-33-380) = rşabha. (2) Optionally the initial ș becomes ri, e.g. risaha (1-1-7) = rşabha, rāyarisi (11-9-417) = rājarşi. (3) a develops for ļ, e.g., ghaya (11-9-407) = ghệta, tana (15-1-551) = trna. (4) i represents r, e.g., kivana (1-9-77) = krpaņa, giddha (2-1-91) = grddha. (5) u stands for r in the case of some syllables, e.g., pudhavi (2-3-98) = prthivi, muimga (9-33-383) = mrdanga. (6) The vowel changes in the same word, e.g., miu (1-6-53) = mặdu, kinha (15-1-557) = kṛṣṇa. (7) The r is changed into u and also in the case of a noun, being the first member of a compound, e.g., māu-oya (1-7-1) = mātroja, piu-sukka (1-7-61) = pitřśukra.
Vowels :
The Dipthongs ai and au.
(1) e represents ai, e.g., mehuna
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(2-5-105) = maithuna, ceiya (9-33-383) = caitya, vejja (16-3-572) = vaidya. (2) au changes into o, e.g., osaha (2-5-107) = auşadha, kosambi (12-2-441) = kauśămbi. Lengthening and shortening of vowels :
There are found the occasional lengthening and shortening of vowels. (1) A short vowel for ra + consonant is lengthened as compensation, when a conjunct consonant occurs immediately after it and one of the members is dropped and the remaining member is not doubled, e.g., kāum (2-1-92) = kartum, phāsa (1-1-15) = sparsa, vāsa (15-1-541) = varşa, vāgala (11-9-417) = valkala.
(a) Sibilant + ya - pāsai (3-1-134) = paśyati. (b) sibilant + ravisasā (8-1-309) = visrasā. (c) sibilant + va - āsa (9-33-385) = aśva. (d) In place of am before eva there becomes the lengthening of a, e.g., evämeva (2-1-91), khippāmeva (9-33-385), jāmeva (9-33-385), tāmeva (9-33-385). Besides these, there are found many cases of the lengthening of short vowels, e.g., in the case of the final vowel of the prefixes, especially of pra, pāvayana (9-33-384) - pravacana and in that of the final vowel used in the vocative singular, e.g., Anandā (15-1-547), Goyama (1-1-8). Elevation of vowels :
There is found the elevation of vowels in some cases, such as, the first vowel of a prefix, e.g., pāļiekka (15-1-540) = pratyeka, the final vowel of a prefix, e.g., āhevacca (18-10-647) = ādhipatya, and in other cases, e.g., căuramta (1-1-5) = caturanta, căugghamța (9-33-383) = caturghanța. Shortening of vowels :
Long vowels are frequently shortened in many words. (1) A vowel is shortened (a) in the case of the accent falling on the following syllables : āyariya (15-1-547) = ācārya, pajjava (8-2-323) = paryāya, (b) in that of the stress accent, e.g., suhuma (6-3-337) = sūksma, (c) in a case when it comes before a conjunct consonant, e.g., puvva (15-1-539) = pūrva, gimha (9-33-383) = grīşma, majjāra (15-1-557) = marjāra, kattha (2-1-92) = kāştha. (d) in that of all syllables accompanied by a nasal vowel or anusvāra, e.g., mamsa (15-1-557) = māṁsa. Dropping of initial vowels :
There are found several cases of the dropping of vowels in the language of the Bhagavati Sūtra, e.g., vähanão (2-1-90) = upānaha, lāuya (1-1-19) = alāvuka, etc.
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PHONETICS & GRAMMAR AS FOUND IN THE BHAGAVATI SŪTRA: 235
Assimilation of vowels:
There takes place sometimes the assimilation of the vowels of the neighbouring syllables to one another in certain cases, e. g., usu (7-9-303) isu, puhutta (1-2-20) = pṛthaktva, etc.
Anuspara:
Anusvāra is of common use in the language of the Bhagavati Sútra. Anusvāra is frequently added to the adverb after the final vowels, e. g., uppim (1-6-54), uvarillam (1-6-54) and it is also added to the final a in the case of instrumental singular of the masculine and neuter a stems, e. g., tenam, kaleņam (1-6-53), etc., and in that of the nominative and accusative plural of the neuter, & in the genitive plural of all stems of masculine and neuter gender and in other cases, e. g., neraiyaṇam (1-1-10)= nairatikāṇāṁ.
Consonants:
(1) Vocalization of sounds: There takes place the vocalization of intervocal consonants. Intervocal consonant ka becomes vocalized and forms ga, e.g., asogavana (1-1-19) aśokavana, āgāsa (2-10-118) = ākāśa.
(2) Dropping of intervocal consonants: In many cases there is found the tendency of dropping the intervocal weak consonants, e.g., nayare (1-1-4)= nagaram, loe (1-6-53) lokaḥ, äure (25-7-801) = aturaḥ. (3) But the intervocal ga often remains, e.g., āgāra (15-1-541), aṇagāra (15-1-541).
(4) Intervocal ca and ja are dropped and ya is added as ya śruti in order to make the pronunciation easy, e.g. påvayapa (9-33-384) = pravacana, ayariya (15-1-547) äcârya, attaya (9-33-381) atmaja, (5) ta between two vowels remain, e. g., bhavati (14-6-520), viharati (15-1-540), namamsati (15-1-544). (6) Intervocal da' remains in most cases, e. g., padesa (2-10-119) pradeśa, vadamānassa (7-2-271). (7) In place of intervocal pa it is dropped and va is added to the udvṛtta vowel in place of pa, e. g., pāva (1-4-40) păpa, uvaniya (11-11-430) upanīta, ähevacca (18-10-647) adhipatya. (8) Intervocal ya remains often, e. g., piya (9-33-383) = priya, sāmāyiya (2-1-93)= sāmāyika.
Change of initial consonant:
(1) In the initial syllable the consonant 'ka' especially becomes kha in the word 'khujjahim' (9-33-380) for Skt. kubjaiḥ'. (2) The
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initial 'pa' appears as pha, while the medial in some cases becomes bha or va through pha, e.g., phanasa (22-3-692) = panasa, kacchabha
(7-6-288) = kacchapa, thūva (9-33-383) = stūpa. (3) For the medial ga there occurs gha in rare cases of aspiration, e.g., simghādaga (9–33-383)= śringāțaka. (4) There takes place the aspiration of nasals and semivowels, e.g., nhāviyão (11-11-430) = snäpika. (5) Aspiration also appears in other cases in a syllable of the word, e.g., dhūyā (12-2-441) = duhitā. (6) Sometimes there is found the loss of aspiration, e.g., khambha (11-11-429) = stambha. (7) In a number of cases the palatals occur in place of dentals, e.g., ciţthai (2-1-93) = tişthati. (8) There is found the transition from ta to da, e. g., padāgā (9-33-385) = patākā. (9) Cerebralization is found in many cases, e.g., samvuda (1-1-18) = saṁvrta, kada (1-3-27) = kệta.
Assimilation of conjunct consonants :
Assimilation takes place as a result of dropping of one of the members of a conjunct consonant and doubling of the remaining consonant, e.g., cakkavațţi (1-1-5) = cakravartin, sappa (15-1-547) = sarpa, appa (1-2-21) = alpa, etc. In the case of any consonant of the ta class standing in conjunction with ya there becomes the substitution of the corresponding number of the ca class, e.g., saccam (1-3-30) = satyam, micchā (15-1-544) = mithyā, vejja (10-3-30) = vaidya, etc., uvajjhāya (9-33-389) = upādhyāya.
Besides these, there are found many instances of doubling of conjunct consonants, e.g., pajjava (8-7-323) = paryāya, pāyacchitta (25--7-801) = prayaścitta, rukkha (8-3-324) = vşkşa.
Svarabhakti (anaptyxis):
Conjunct consonants are simplified by dividing the two members by a partition-vowel, e. g., arihamta (1-1-1) = arhanta, bhaviya (18-9-643) = bhavya, pauma (11-5-7) = padma,,chaumattha (15-1-553) = chadmastha, etc.
A tendency is found in the language of the Bhagavati Sūtra to introduce a conjunct consonant in place of the original unconjunct consonant, e.g., ekka (1-1-11) = eka, tella (10-6-580) = taila, ujju (8-2-322) (25-3-730) = șju. There occurs also a tendency of dropping the initial syllable of a word (syncope), e.g., ti (15-1-544) = iti, tti. (18-10-647), i (1-3-35), etc. The interchange of syllables in the body of the word (the phenomenon of metathesis) is found in some words, e.g., Vāņārasi (15-1-550) = Vārāṇasī.
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There occurs the phenomenon of Samprasarana, i.e., 'ya' and 'va' become 'i' and 'u' respectively in the language of this work, e.g., ābbhimtara (11-11-428) = abhyantara, pașiniya (9-33-389) = pratyanika, turiyam (15-1-557) = tvaritam, suvina (11-11-428) = svapna.
In some places the Varṇāgama, particularly of ma is found at the beginning of the uttaraśabda (last word), e.g., sāmãiyamaiyaim (9-33-382) = Sāmāiyikādi.
Grammar :
Some ideas of the grammatical structure of the language used in the Bhagavati Sūtra are given below :-Sandhi : (1) It is found in the canonical work that the single member (i.e. word) in compounds generally remains like the other member in its pure thematic form without sandhi, e.g., Ovāsa-vāya-ghana-udahi (1-9-73). Here the vowels a and u stand uncontracted, but similar vowels coming together in compounds form Sandhi, e.g., Jiväjiva (2-5-107). (2) In the case of the second member of a compound having i and followed by a double consonant, the final vowel of the first member is generally dropped, e.g., egimdiya (2-1-85) = ekendriya. (3) The vowels i & u of a member in compounds do not form sandhi with dissimilar vowels of the other member, e. g., pagai-uvasaṁta (1-6-52) = prakrtyupaśānta. (4) a+u form sandhi, e.g., Samanovāsagā (2-5-107) = śramaṇopāsakas. (5) a or ä followed by a long vowel i or ū is dropped, e.g., rāisara (9-33-385). (6) Sometimes a or a becomes contracted with udvștta vowel i, i oru, ū, e.g., ké i (16-4-573), therä (2-5-108). (7) In some cases a standing at the end of the first member of a compound is omitted before a dissimilar udvịtta vowel, i.e., at the beginning of the second member, e.g., devaulam (5-7-219), devāuyam (1-8-64). (8) na (not) sometimes forms sandhi with the initial vowel of a verb, e.g., natthi (1-3-32), naţthesi (15-1-551), nāhi (15-1-552).
Gender and Number :
The gender and number of words which are correlated vary in many cases in their use in this canonical work.
(1) The general practice is found to insert an inorganic in the middle of a compound at the end of a word, i.e., an oscillation is partly produced by the rule of the last syllable. Thus the neuter-nouns are used as masculine and they form the nominative singular in e, e.g., udagarayane (15-1-547), utthāne, kamme, bale, virie (1-3-34), duvihe
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uvaoge paņņatte (16-7-583), etc. (2) The neuter an becomes masculine in a, e.g., kamme (1-3-34) = karman; it becomes the neuter of a stem, e.g., addhā (11-11-424) = adhvā which is derived from the stem adhvan. (3) The neutral forms by the similarity of the termination a are made dialectically in the nominative and accusative plurals from the masculine in a, e.g., pasināim (2-1-90), (4) Neutral plural forms of the masculine are also used in the case of u stem, e.g., heuim (2-1-90). (5) Neutral forms from the feminine are used, e.g., tayāpāņae (15-1-553), valiyão (8-5-325). (6) The dual number is not used except in the case of the numeral, e.g., duve kavoyasarīrā (15-1-557).
Other grammatical features :
(1) A general practice is found in the use of the particle 'o' or 'to' derived from 'ato' as mere expletive, e.g., davvao (1-1-15). (2) The so-called ya śruti used for the division of words and the dropping of ta in the case of the often occurring forms of the third person, singular number and present tense and the past perfect passive show two tendencies of the grammatical rules of the early and later Middle-Indo-Aryan stages of language.
Declension:
(1) In the third person, singular number nominative akārānta word (i. e. stem in a) terminates in ê, e.g., Samane, Mahāvīre, aigare
(1-1-5), and the plural in ā or äo, e.g., damdagā (1-2-20), tasä (2-1-9). samjayā (1-2-21), äillāo (1-2-21). (2) In the accusative singular it ends in aṁ or iṁ or um, e.g., egaṁ maham nāvam (1-6-55), Jamalim (9-33-385), usuń (1-8-67), and in the plural in z or ā or o, e.g.. ammāpiyaro (9-33-384), te samanovāsae (2-5-110), vāhanão (2-1--90) (3) In the singular number of the instrumental case it terminates in eņa or enam, e.g., paridahenam (1-1-19) and in the plural in hi or him, e.g., nānamtarehim (1-3-37), āsavadārehim (1-6-55). (4) In the dative singular number it ends in ae or atte, e.g., vahāe (1-8-68), dukkhattāe (1-1-15). (5) In the singular number of the ablative case it terminates in ko, e.g., Rāyagihão (2-1-90) and in the plural in himto, e.g., ehimto, (1-7-58), gehehimto (2-5-109). (6) In the singular number of the genitive it ends in ssa and in the plural in āņa or ņam, e.g., vigayapakkhassa (1-1-8), neraiyānam (1-1-10). (7) In the locative singular it terminates in e or msi or mmi and in the plural in esu or sum, e.g. Kālamāse (1-1-19), harade (1-6-55), udagaṁsi (1-6-54), ekkekkaṁmi (1-1-11), padammi (1-1-11), (plu.) sannivesesu (1-1-10). (8) In the
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vocative singular it is a or ā or o and in the plural ā, etc., e.g., Goyamā (1-1-9), Anandā (15-1-547).
Feminine forms in à stem :
(1) In the third person singular, nominative case, it ends in a e.g., Cellanā (1-1-4), Devānandā (9–33-380), and in the plural in ão, e.g., lessão (1-2-22). (2) In the accusative singular termination is am, e.g., Devānamdam (māhanim) (9-33-382), and in the plural it is ão, e. g., egamegão bhajjão (11-11-530). (3) In the instrumental singular it ends in ãe, e.g., Ajjā,Camdaņāe (9–33-382), and in the plural in āhi or him, e.g., Cilāiyāhim (9-33-380). (4) In the dative singular it is āe, e.g., Ajjā-Camdanāe ajjāe (9-33-382). (5) In the ablative singular it terminates in ãe and in the plural in āhimto. (6) In the genitive singular it is āe and in the plural it is āņam, e.g. (sing.) Devāņamdae (9-33-381), (plural) asgapadiyāriyānaṁ (11-11-428) (7) In the locative singular it terminates in ãe, e. g., Isiparisae (9-33-381) and in the plural āsu. (8) The vocative form is ā, e.g., Devānamdā (9-33-380).
The declension of the feminine forms in i or u are almost identical with that of the feminine ä with some exception in isolated cases, e.g., Kukkuļi (1-6-53) (nom.), Pabhāvatie Devie (instrumental) (11-11-428), miyavittie (dative) (1-8-65).
As regards pronouns it is not possible to present their complete forms out of the stray references to them in the Bhagavati Sūtra. But it is found that in their declension the same general rules of the nouns, masculine, neuter and feminine genders are followed in accordance with their respective genders and numbers in almost all case-endings with some exception, e.g., third person. Se (nom. sing.), te (nom. plu.), tam (accusative sing.), tenaṁ (instrumental sing.), tão (ablative sing.), tassa (genitive sing.), tesim (plu. gen.), tamsi or tammi (locative sing.), tesu (plu.), Fem. Sá (nom. sing.), tão (plu.), etc. First personaham (nom. sing.), amhe (nom. plu.), etc. Second person--tumam (nom. sing.), tujjhe (nom. plu.), or tumhe, etc.
Verbs :
In the Bhagavati Sūtra two classes of verbs have been used : (1) those which end in a, (2) those which end in e. Besides these there are some verbs which terminate in other vowels like thā, nī, etc. Some examples of conjugation are given below:
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Present Indicative First Class (i. e. Verbs terminating in a) Singular
Plural First Person : Vocchāmi (1-2-25) Jāņāmo (2-1-84) Third Person : Calati (3-3-153)
Parivasamti (3-2-142) Bhavati (14-6-520) Bhavamti (16-4-573) Pāsai (3-1-134)
Nimdamti (3-1-136) Second Class (i. e. Verbs terminating in e) Singular
Plural First Person: Roemi (2–1-92)
Vedeṁti (7-3-279) Vedemi (1-2-20)
Karemti (1-1-9) Edei (1-2-20)
Uvvattemti (1-1-12) Thāvei (9-33-385)
Imperative
Singular Second Person: Vadaha (2-1-92).
Pālayāhi (11-9–417) Third Person: Pāsatu (3-2-149)
Plural Sannāveha (7-9-300)
Perfect Tense Singular
Plural Third Person : Karetthā
Karimsu (1-3-28) Hotthā (2–5–107)
Ahamsu (1-9-75)
Future Tense The future tense is formed in two ways by adding ssati and hiti to the root respectively.
First Future Form Singular
Plural First Person: Abhiginhissāmi
Viharissămo (12-1-438)
(3-1-134) Third Person : Vedissai (1-4-40)
Pabhäsissamti (9-7-363)
Second Future Form Singular
Plural Third Person : Gacchihiti (12-1-96) Abhisimcemhimti (15-1-559)
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________________ PHONETICS & GRAMMAR AS FOUND IN THE BHAGAVATI SUTRA : 241 Optative : Hojja (1-5-44), avakkamejja, etc. Causative : Causative is formed by adding suffix ave to the root of the verb. e. g., aghavei (8-3-22) (indicative); parivaveha (8-7-337), karaveha (11-1--428) (imperative). Some roots change their final vowels to e and lengthen their initial a, e.g., padeti (16-5-572). Passive voice : It is formed by adding ijje to the root of the verb, e.g., avacijjai (1-10-80). Besides, there are some other forms, e.g., disai (9-33-396), muccai (9-33-386), cijjahti (1-1-12), chijjahti (6-3-233). Participles : Two kinds of participles are used, viz., present and past, the first is formed by adding mane or anta to the root and the second by adding the suffix iya, e.g., (I) dharemane (1-3-28), vemane (1-4-39), jalamta (11-9-417); (II) mae (1-4-40), jae (12-7-457), kade (1-3-27). There are also potential participles formed by adding yavva or iyavva, e.g., neyavvam (1-10-81), vattavvaya (14-8-530), etc. Gerunds or absolutes : They are used in different forms by adding itta or ittanam to the root and by adding tiu to it and also iya or aya is found to form them, e.g., vamdeitta (1-1-19), pasittanam (11-11-428), kattu (2-1-92), nisamma (3-1-134), gahaya (15-1-547). Besides these, there occur some irregular absolutes, being imported from Sanskrit by phonetic changes, e.g., kicca (1-1-19), socca (3-1-134), ahacca (6-10-257), paducca (1-1-4). Infinitives : They are formed by adding the suffix um and ittae, e.g., kaui (2-1-92), citthittae (5-4-199), uvadamsittae (6-10-255). Abstract nouns : They are formed by adding the suffix tta, e.g., devattae. Comparative degree : It is constructed by adding tara, e.g., appatarae (1-2--21). In the superlative there is found 'seyam' (3-1-134). YO 3803 G.J.V. 16