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INTRODUCTION
103
Vrācada resembles Māgadhi dialect in many respects. It can better be called as a form of Māgadhi Ap.
44. As for Upanāgara, Mk as well as Pu call it the result of the admixture of Nägara and Vrācada. While Rt's definition regarding Nāgara is in agreement with that of Mk, his definition of Upanāgara is somewhat different. He seems to derivs Upanāgara. solely from Skt and says that there is said to be very close affinity between the two languages.84
In respect of Nāgara Ap., Mk draws most of his examples from Prākrtapingala and a few more from unknown sources. His citation with regard to Upanāgara Ap., even of unknown source, is very interesting. According to my reconstuction the said citation runs thus :
वरिशइ मेह छन्न करिअ दूरशद्दावट्ट ।
दूरे शामी अमिअगुण एरिशमीश पअ ॥ “ The cloud covering ( the sky ) and rumbling afar repeatedly is raining. (My) husband (endowed ) with virtues beyond measure is far away : such indeed is the will of God.”
The retention of palatal s in the above passage may be attributed to the peculiarities of Vrācada, while the elision of inflectional endings in words like meha, channa, avatta, guna, paatta and the loc. e in dūre may be attributed to those of Nāgara Ap. Thus Mk's definition about Upanāgara is justified. Moreover, if the interpretation of the passage be correct the samdhi between erisano and isa is here significant and the lang
94. 399MTAT FESTICHTIGTarat
, PK. III. 2. 5.
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