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108
प्राकृतसर्वस्वम् ।
Out of the three varieties of principal Apabhramsa Mk like Rt locates Vrācada in Sindhu region. Pu and KI are silent about it. None of these authors locates the other two varieties of Ap. Attempt has scarcely been made in this line to know the location of these two types. Nor the exact meaning of Nāgara and Upanāgara has been ascertained. GRIEKSON has tried to know the significance as well as the localities of these two Aps. He tries to find out à relationship among the Nāgara Ap, the Nāgara Brāhmaṇas and the Nāgari script. He lays down two possibilities of the meaning of the word Nāgara ; either it may mean cultivated' or the Ap spoken in the Nāgara country which he says, may refer to Gujarat. As for Upapāgara he assumes the locality near ( upa) Gujarat, i.e. in eastern Rajputana and the southern Punjab.100 Now let us see if we can throw some further light on the matter.
Though the word Apabbrņśa in the sense of dialect came late ( as late as 600 A. D.), its traits in Pkt go back to much earlier date.101 We have seen how Bh. recognises the use of peculiarities akin to Ap in the language in certain parts of India, and he actually cites some passages exactly resembling Ap in NS. Kālidāsa's use of Ap in his Vikramorvasiyam is well known.101 Thus the origin of Apmay go back to a period as early as the time of Kālidāsa, if not earlier.
VIII The Nāgara Apabhramsa 49. We have historical evidence to show that India was ruled by a powerful dynasty called Nāga dynasty during the period from the second century to
100. See Ap acc. to Mk and Dhakki Pkt, op, cit. 101. See HGA, pp. 1-20.
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