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THE ANTIQUITY OF THE ARDHAMAGADHT AGAMA TEXTS AND THE PLACE OF THEIR COMPOSITION texts. Sometimes the forms with '-mīna' are consigned to the variants, and the forms with -māna'and -māna'are placed as the accepted reading. According to Pischel (562) this affix is found to a greater extent in the Acārānga only, e.g., ghāyamīna, samanujāņamīna, aņādhāyamīna, āgamamina, abhivāyamīna, apariggahamīņa, amamāyamīna, āsāemina (Ācā. Schübring, p.31,33; (MJV. Sūtra, 192, 199); vikāsamīna (Sū. Kr.); bhisamīna, bhibhisamiņa (Nāyādhammakahāo); numerous such usages are found in the Vyavahārasūtra; and the critical reading of the Ācā. Cūrņi (p.41.7) edited by Punyavijayajī is also like this, viz. , ārambhamīņā viņayaṁ vadamti (Sūtra 62).
Here the question arises : Where did the Participle affix 'mina' come from, and in which period was it prevalent ? We get the answer from the Ashokan inscriptions, as for instance,
sampatipajamīna, vipatipădayamīna- (Separate Dhaulī Inscription);
palakamamina - (Sahasärāma Minor Inscription), pāyamina - (Pillar Inscription)
pakamamīna - (Siddāpura, Rūpanātha, Bairat Minor Inscription, Yerragudi Erragudi Inscription).
pakamamīna - ( Brahmagiri Minor Inscription).
According to Mehendale (562), the affix-mina'is not found after the Ashokan period. This proves that the Ardhamāgadhi texts, having usages with this affix are definitely as ancient as the Ashokan period. (F) The Affix-ttu' (-ittu' of the Absolutive Gerund :
According to W. Geiger the affixes of the Absolutive Gerund that are found, to a greater or lesser extent in Pāli, are as follows, viz.,.-evā', -tvāna', '-cūna', 'cca, ya, -yya', iya', and yāna' (208-214)
All these affixes (except theyya) are found in the Ardhamāgadhī, of course with phonetic modifications; but there occurs one more termination, viz., -ttu'(-ittu'), which is not found in Pāli (Pischel, 577), for instance,
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