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In Search of the Original Ardhamāgadhi
K.R. Chandra
The sentence, if the letters are arranged as follows, makes a logically good sense :
Sutaṁ me ausaṁte naṁ Bhagavatā evamakkhātaṁ (सुतं मे आउसंते णं भगवता एवमक्खातं )
"Oh Ayuṣman (Jambu)! I have heard etc."
The forms ause, bhamte are common in other old AMg. texts and the Curnis (For details vide: Chandra on "AUSAMTEṆAM" (3зài) in ŚRAMAŅA, July-Sept. 1995).
Dr. Chandra has provided us with the text of the first chapter of the frist part of Acārānga published by Prof. H. Jacobi, 1882. Jacobi was lucky in securing perhaps the oldest Ms. (of 1292 A.D.). It is noteworthy that the old German Scholar more than a century ago, with scant MSS. material, could sense the old AMg. forms. In a way it supports the restored text (by Dr. Chandra), though he was not then aware of it. Prof. Dr. K. R. Chandra, a devout Jain scholar, has been "haunted" with the cause of restoring the Jina Vacana to its pristine purity. He culled 75000 forms (cards) from old AMg. texts, pored over practically every letter of the standard editions of the Acaranga, studied text-critical problems of such Agamic works and presented a model edition of the Ist Adhyayana of the Ācārānga which even Sudharman will appreciate from High Heavens.
It is certainly creditable that Dr. Chandra has singlehandedly prepared this excellent edition- a beacon for generations to come. But such epoch-making projects should be undertaken by some research institute founded for this specific purpose. Fortunately, Gujarat and Rajasthan have a number of good old Bhaṇḍāras. There are eminent scholars who can competently undertake such work. And the liberal munificence of the Svetambara Jain community will certainly finance such a project.
Sangli, 4-7-98
Jain Education International
G. V. Tagare
'श्रमण', वाराणसी, जनवरी- जून, २०००
115
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