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Introduction
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By using the word ' Desī' in the feminine gender, Hemachandra wishes us to understand it as a part of the language which could not be treated satisfactorily according to the rules of Samskrta and Prākṣta languages which he had formulated in his grammar. Hemachandra, nowhere, suggests that the Desī cannot be derived from the Samskệta. Dr. Bühler indulged in much gratuitous criticism as he did not clearly grasp this conception of the author himself.
Prof. Muralydhar Banerjee in his introduction to the Desīnāmamāla has ably discussed the whole question of Deși and answered the points raised against Hemachandra (Sections I & II ).
As to the illustrative verses, Prof. Pischell remarked “These examples are either void of all sense or of an incredible stupidity ...... It was a most disgusting task to make out the sense of these examples some of which have remained rather obscure to me” (p. 8) Introduction Desināmamāla. B. S. S..).
Prof. Banerjee, however, remarks "If the illustrative gāthās of Hemachandra which have appeared to Pischel as examples of ' extreme absurdity' or nonsense are read correcting the errors made by the copyists in the manner explained above they will yield very good sense. A few examples of such corrected readings are given below to make the point clear” (pp. XLIII to LI ). Afrer discussing this point in detail, Prof. Banerjee comes to the conclusion: “As the găthās when read in this way give a good sense, they can no longer be regarded as examples of 'incredible stupidity.' They will be appreciated, it is hoped, by every lover of poetry as a remarkable feat of
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