________________
In Search of the Original Ardhamā gadhi
K.R. Chandra
Dhammapada and the Ācārānga, since Buddha and Mahāvīra were contemporaries; this should be born in mind. The change that occurred in the case of this word can be clearly seen in the edition of the latter work by Prof. Walther Schübring. The reading in his edition is as follows :
(c) 'savvesim jīviyam piyam - Ācā. p.8, 1.25. Here, . the influence of the Prakrit Grammarians' rule pertaining to phonetic change can be clearly seen in the case of the reading * jīviyam.
(2) The word 'KŞETRAJNA'
Various variants of the word, 'kşetrajña' are found in the Ācā., Sū.Kr. (MJV.) as preserved in the manuscripts of these works, such as, khettanna, khetanna, khedanna, kheyanna, kheanna, khettaņņa, khetaņņa, khedaņņa, kheyanna, kheanna.'
The question here arises is : Were all these different forms of this word prevalent in usage contemporaneously, i.e., at the same period of time and in the same region ? It is quite clear that the above list of the variant forms contains the usages of the Māgadhi Prakrit (eastern region), the Saurasenī Prakrit (northern region) and the Mahārāstrī Prakrit (western region) of India. The last five forms are clearly due to the influence of Prakrit grammarians, and they have been introduced in the later period.
(3) The word 'ĀTMAN
In the Ācā. all the three forms of this word, viz., attā, ātā and āyā are used. Here the usage ·āyā is clearly a later usage; is it not? The form has been derived by the elision of the medial 't' and the influence of the Prakrit grammarians is obvious therein.
In the Itthiparinnā (Sū. Kr. 1.4.2.22) Alsdorft has adopted the usage 'ajjhatta for the word 'adhyātma', as in 'ajjhatta visuddhe', while in other editions of the work the form is ‘ajjhattha', as found in ‘ajjhattha visuddhe'; it is ob
3
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
