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In Search of the Original Ardhamāgadhi
K.R. Chandra
language of the First Redaction (prathama vācana) of the Jaina Āgamas has suffered Mahrāștriisation; there can be no doubt about this. But, even then one finds archaic readings, old in view of the evolution of the language, and therefore, why should they not be accepted ? Archaic readings are found in the manuscripts of the Āgama texts and the Cūrnis. Hence, for the purpose of preserving the archaic form of the original language, it is but proper to adopt the archaic readings. This is the main purport of the present study.
Foot-Notes 1. Kalpasūtra, Muni Sri Punyavijayajī, Sarabhai Manilal Nawab,
Prastāvanā, pp.3-7 and 14-15 (Original in Gujarati), 1952 A.D. 2. Is it for this reason that any originality of the Ardhamāgadhī
is not been found clearly in the Prakrit Grammar of
Hemacandra ? 3. See 'Restoraion of the Original Language of the Ardhamāgadhi
Texts' by the same author, published by P.J.V.V. Fund, 1994, pp.20-21, and see ‘Kșetrajña sabda ke vividh prākrita rūpom ki kathā aur uskā Ardhāmāgdhi rūpāntara, vide ŚRAMANA, P.V.R. Inst., Vārāṇasī, Oct.-Dec., 1990, Year 41, Anka 10-12, pp. 49-56.
Lüdwig Alsdorf, p.200. 5. This reading is correct as per other evidences. Two case - suf
fixes 'ya' and 'e' are appended in the printed reading 'sahasammuiyãe. See, 'Sahasammuiyae Pătha Par Kucha Carcă
(Hindi), A.I.O.C. Proceedings, Calcutta, 1986. 6. Ācārāņga, Prastāvanā, p.36 (MJV. Edn.). 7. MJV. Edn. 8. Additionally note down that the readings, 'jahā' and 'tahā' have
been adopted in the places of jadhā' and 'tadhā', respectively. See Variants, Sūtra 92, p.27, .fn.7, Ācā. (MJV.), and its Prastāvanā,
p. 44. para 1. 9. Ācārāngasūtra, Erster Śrutaskandha (Leipzig), 1910. 10. Ācārānga (MJV.), 1977. 11. The position of the medial - t- is found preserved to the extent
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