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110
result that its original etymology was forgotten. The word also equally applies to Nāgara style, Nāgara Brāhmaṇas and above all the Nāgara script.103
The term Nāgara primarily relating to Nāga kings might have received a permanent and wide use afterwards on account of the latter's great popularity as patrons of the Hindu nation. Thus Nāgara came to be applied to the standard A pabhramsa speech that was imported to a large portion of India from the North West which in all probability was its original home. The Nāga kings had their origin in North West India, so too the standard Apabhramśa, i.e., Nāgara had its origin in the North West.
The information of Bh. regarding the use of the dialect akin to AP, points to the North Western region. So also Rājasekhara in two of his verses locates the use of Ap. in North Western part of India.104 The unmistakable points of contact between Gujarati and the Standard Apabhramśa lead to the same conclusion. Mk also informs us that both Takka and Gaurjarī Apa. bhraņías were full of Sanskritised vocabulary-a fact which is borne out by the familiarity of Ap speakers with the Sauraseni dialect consequent upon the spread of Nāga. empire over the Mathurā, i.e., Súrasena region.
Thus the standard Ap might have been designated as Nāgara during or just after the domination of Nāgas,
103. For similar use of Karkoța Nāgara, vesara, gatthara etc. all having -ra as their affix. see op. cit, p. 56. 104. ATTITETITI: HEHET HEEFT T 1 ibid, p. 51.
UTTEHTATET 479Tangar1 VII. aying at the raaiffo II KVM p. 33.
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