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THE TEXUAL READING OF THE OPENING SENTENCE: THE UPODGHATA OF THE ĀCĀRĀNGA
dia, as is evident from the Ashokan inscriptions and those of the subsequent period.*
According to the additional material found after the publication of its original Hindi edition 1991-92, the reading 'āusamte nam' seems to be the proper one in the place of the 'ausamteṇam', 'nam' as an indeclinable and 'ausamte" as the Māgadhi form (of ayuṣmat) in the Vocative Singular.
: Foot-notes:
I am thankful to Professor M.A. Dhaky of Varanasi, for assessing the reading from this point of view.
Three types of forms are found for the Vocative, viz., ausam, auso and āusamto. Of these, the form 'auso is Singular, and the 'ausamto' is Plural of Honorific Singular. It should be noted that whereever the usage 'ausam' occurs, it is preceded by the word 'tena' or the 'teņam. Hence, it seems it was from the original word 'ausamtenam' that the element 'teṇam' or 'teņa' got şeparated in the course of the later period. In this connection it seems now, in the light of fresh researches, that the original reading must have been 'ausamte nam', in accordance with the usage in the Magadhi language. Cf. Acārānga, Prathama Śrutaskandha, prathama Adhyayana, edited by K.R. Chandra, Prākṛta Jaina Vidya Vikāsa Fund, Ahmedabad, 1997, p. 76.
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Cf. Pāli Tripitaka Concordance, p.345; the reading in the Vijayodayātīkā of the Mulārādhanā is thus - sudaṁ me äussanto bhagavadā evam akkhādaṁ (Ācā., Introduction, p. 36, MJV. Edn., 1977). This sentence is in 'Śauraseni Prākṛta in which the form is 'äussanto' then why not 'ausaṁte' form in the Amg. Präkṛta with the Nominative and Vocative Singular suffix - e. of the -a ending Masculine Noun in Māgadhi.
Cf. Paramparāgata Prākṛta Vyākaraṇa Kī Samīkṣā aura Ardhamāgadhi, edited by K. R. Chandra, Prā. Jain Vidya Vikāsa Fund, Ahmedabad, 1995, Adhyāya No. 7 and 8.
Cf. Ardhamāgadhī Bhāṣā mem Sambodhan Kā Eka Vismṛta Prayoga 'Ausante', Śramaņa, July-December, 1995, Pärśvanātha Vidyapitha, Varanasi.
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