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प्राकृतसर्वस्वम् । view wbile dealing with such important divisions of dialects.
If we assume the identity of this sākalya with the author of the Vedic Pada Text, then he would be much older than Bharata, Vararuci or any other authority in the realm of Prākrit. In fact, there is sufficient reason to have such assumption from the way Mk refers to him in his introduction. He places Sakālya first in the list of his predecessors, all of whom would stand in a chronological order if the assumption of Sākalya's antiquity holds good. Sākalya, the author of the Pada Text, as we know, is held in high esteem as an ancient grammarian both by Yāska and Pāṇini. We further know that Pāṇini is also credited with the authorship of a Prākrit grammar though it has not yet come to light. Similarly Vālmīki is credited with the authorship of Vālmīki Sūtras as propounded by Trivikrama. Thus the composition of Prākrit grammar traditionally goes back to hoary antiquity. In the same way it is just possible that Sākalya, the author of the Pada Text, composed a Prākrit grammar which the later grammarians of Mk's group have referred to.
2. The Fourfold Division of Prākrit 72. The fourfold division of Prākrit, i. e., Bhāṣā, Vibhāṣā, Apabhramsa and Paišācī in respect of which the three Eastern grammarians almost agree, is definitely a later theory and as such Sākalya must be much earlier. It is also not impossible, for Mk places him first in the list of his authorities. We do not know who the original inventor of the theory of the fourfold
1. See PISCHEL, 1.
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