Prakritsarvaswam

SR No.: 001369
Original Sutra Author: Markandey
Author: Krushnachandra Acharya
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 424
Language: Prakrit, Sanskrut, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Grammar
File Size: 20 MB

Page 118

INTRODUCTION
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a. e., circa 300-400 A, D. The term Upanāgara most probably applies to that type of Ap which was a sort of subdialect to the standard Nāgara,105 or it might mean the dialect which was spoken in the area near (-upa ) that area round which Nāgara Ap was spoken.
50. Lastly, this may be mentioned that though Ap was viewed as a language of inferior quality, it received great recognition in later times, so much so that it spread almost in all parts of India including North and South, East and West and even beyond these, i. e., Cylon's and enormous literature was writen in this dialect which is very well preserved. This is not the case with other Prākrits. The Jainas were great lover of Ap. The fact that Vr does not recognise this dialect is perhaps due to the inferior status of Ap in his time when, in all probability, it was not given a literary status. Vi was concerned with the literary speech and so he was content to exclude Ap from his grammar, Quite different was the condition of Ap in later times while it was viewed as the language of the learned and fit to be used in great Kāvyas. This is proved not only from the statements of rhetoricians but also from those of grammarians including Pu, Mk and Rt.107 More works in Ap, however, still
105. Cf. similar expression, viz., upabhāşa by the side of bhāsā, upagraha by the side of graha, upapurāņa by the side of purāņa, upanga by the side of anga and so on.
106 The list of twentyseven Ap. varieties as given by Mk covers almost all parts of India. G. V. TAGARE classifies Ap in three major beads, i. e, Southern Ap, Western Ap. & Eastern Ap. See HGa., p. 15 107. i) To TETTITIT Pa XVII. 90.
ii) no PETITIA: 1 Mk XV11. 78. iii) ETETUI ETTà: og alerge:1 Bt. III. 1.31.