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________________ TWO PECULIAR USAGES OF THE PARTICLE kira/kiri IN APABHRAMSA HERMAN TIEKEN* 1. Introduction The Sanskrit particle kila has been studied in considerable detail, first by Emeneau (1969) and Ickler (1976) and after them by van Daalen (1988). Where Emeneau distinguished one function of kila and Ickler two, van Daalen recognized as many as four. Whatever is exactly the case here, in most contexts of kila, if not all of them, we seem to be dealing with a speaker who wants to convey the idea that he is only passing on a message or is affecting to do so. The speaker himself would not have the slightest idea or cannot think of any good reason as to why things are the way he is reporting them to be. The above-mentioned studies of kila were restricted to (Vedic) Sanskrit, the dramatic Prakrits and Pali. Apabhraisa material has not been considered so far. In what follows I would like to present some findings from Apabhramsa. I would like in particular to draw attention to two usages of kira (or kiri) in Apabhramsa, which, though otherwise "regular", seem to be peculiar of that dialect. 2. kira in combination with an interrogative pronoun What immediately strikes the eye are the many instances in Apabhramsa of kira in combination with an interrogative pronoun, in particular so in the Harivamsapurana. In this text this combination accounts for altogether 18 of the 28 instances
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________________ 19 in the passages edited by Alsdorf.' One example is 89.12.9: rappijjai kim kira kaminihim vaisiyamandiracudamanihin, How is it possible to entertain a passion for women, who are the crest-jewels of the brothels ?; or 89.12.12: parigaliyamullasoniyajalena kim kijjai kira soniyalena, What does one expect from a woman's belly, which is leaking biood and urine ? In both instances we are dealing with rhetorical questions. The speakers obviously want to convey the idea that they fail to understand why a man falls in love with a woman. Similarly, the expected answer to the question dhammen vinu kahim kira sukiu kammu (84.1.7) "where does one find a good deed without Dharma?" is nowhere". In 88.4.6: ajja vi kira tuhum kain ciravahi "Why are you still hesitating ?" the speaker wants to express that he does not understand the hesitation, These instances of kira seem to fall within the range of the functions recognized for Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pali. However, what seems to be peculiar of Apabhramsa or at least of the Harivamsapurana, is the frequency of the combination of kira with an interrogative pronoun. Admittedly, Emeneau, Ickler, and van Daalen do not provide information on the frequency of the different types of contexts of the particle. However, going by the cursory treatment accorded by these scholars to kila with an interrogative pronoun one might conclude that in their sources the combination was not very frequent or, 1. kim kira in 83.3.11, 85.8.7, 88.12.6, 89.8.9, 89.12.9, 89.12.12, 89.13, 90.2.7, 92.12.11, 92.13.2, ko kira in 83.8.8, 85.1.11, kira ko in 85.8.6, kira tuhun kain 88.4.6, kira kasu 85.7.8., kahim kira 84.1.7, 89.7.9, kavana kira 87.16.5
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________________ 20 at least, did not strike them as so.2 3. kira in comparisons In the texts published in the anthology Gurjararasavali I have found three instances of kiri in comparisons. The first instance to be discussed is from the Virataparva, lines 337-8: etalai susarma dali dhola vajaim jane asadhu kiri meha gajai In the meantime in Susarma's army the drums were beaten: it sounded like the thundering clouds in the month of Asadha. Here kiri is found side by side with jane "as if, as it were". However in Vidyavilasapavadu, lines 67-70, it is found on its own instead of jane (beside jane, note also jisya and jima): adhara suram ga jisya paravali sarala sukomala baha pina payohara atihim manohara jane amiyapavaha urayugala kiri kadalithambha caranakamala sukumala mayagala jima malhamti calai bolai vayana rasala, Her lips are red (lit. of a good colour) like (jisya) coral, her arms straight and tender, her thick round breasts lovely like (jane) a stream of nectar, her pair of thighs [like] (kiri) the 2. Emeneau (1969: 251) refers to Chandogya Upanis ad 4.14.2: kim nu somya kila te 'vocann iti. This passage turns up again with Ickler (1976: 86), who queries the possibility of a substitution of original khalu by kila. Van Daalen (1988: 125-6 and 136, note 66) refers besides to katham adyapi viprakrstatamah kila prabodhakalah in Bhavabhuti's Mahavircarita (6,7+) and an instance of kim nama kir 'tam from Jataka 2.63.21. Other instances of kira in combination with an interrogative are found in, for instance, Sattasai 773 (kamalayarana unho hemamto sialo janavayassal ko kira bhinnasahavam janai paramatthayam loe), Setubandha 3,56 (samuhamiliekkamekke ko ira asannasamsaammi sahao ...), 4,62 (kaha ira sakajjakusala...), and Samdesarasaka 154 (hiyau na kina kiri phuttau nam vajjihi ghadiu).
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________________ stems of the plantain plant, her lotus-feet tender, she swings her hips like (jima) an elephant, she spcaks words full of love. The other instance is found again in the Virasaparva (line 420): disai nahir bhuim kiri niri budi, The earth has disappeared as if it has been submerged in the water. Again, the function of kiri in these instances agrees with the ones established for Sanskrit. With kiri the poet (or the speaker) seems to emphasize that he is merely repeating common poetic images or descriptions. What is exceptional, however, is the use in the latter two instances of kiri as a veritable particle of comparison. This function becomes especially clear from the instance from the Vidyavilasapavadau, in which kiri is found side by side with jisya, jane and jima. While the aim of the poet in this stanza clearly was to show his skill in varying the possible particles of comparison, his use of kiri on its own as such is peculiar. The same applies to its use in Virataparva 420. The question arises if we are not dealing with a meaning "invented" on the basis of the occurrences in kira/kiri in "messages". As such, these instances of kiri as a particle of comparison would testify to the artificial nature of Apabhramsa, which would be a learned language just like Sanskrit. References van Daalen, L.A. 1988. "The Particle kila/kira in Sanskrit, Prakrit and the Pali Jatakas." Indo-Iranian Journal XXXI (1988), 111-137. Emeneau, M.B. 1969. "Sanskrit Syntactic Particles, kila, Khalu, nunam. "Indo-Iranian Journal XI (1968-1969), 241-268. Gurjararasavali, B.K. Thakore, M.D. Desai and M.C. Modi, Gurjararasavali. Gaekwad's Oriental Series CXVIII. Baroda 1956.
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________________ Harivansapurana. L. Alsdorf, Harivansapurana. Ein Abschnitt aus der Apabhramsa-Welthistorie. "Mahapurana Tisatthimahapurisa-gunalamkara" von Puspadanta, Alt- und NeuIndische Studien 5. Hamburg 1936, Ickler, I. 1976. "Die vedische Partikel kila". Zeitschrift fur vergleichende Sprachforschung 90 (1976), 50-86. Samdesarasaka. Sri Jina Vijay Muni and Harivallabh Bhayani, The Samdesa Rasaka of Abdul Rahaman (A unique work of a muslim poet in Apabhramsa Language). Singhi Jain Series. Bombay 1945. Saltasai. A. Weber, Ueber das Saptacarakam des Hala. Abhandlungen fur die Kunde des Morgenlandes VII. 4. Leipzig 1881. Setubandha. S. Goldschmidt, Ravanavaha oder Setubandha. Strassburg 1880. AS HERMAN TIEKEN UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN FACULTEIT DER LETTEREN POSTBUS 9515 2300 RA LEIDEN THE NEITHERLANDS