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INTRODUCTION
same time anterior to Vr, we cannot say that the latter was ignorant of the former's work. Similarly we cannot also say that the dialects mentioned in NŚ but not recognised by Vr. did not exist before or at the time of Vr. Thus it cannot be said that M did not exist before simply because its mention is not found as late as 600 A. D. (if taken for granted Dr. GHOSH's contention). The characteristic features of both M and Ś when compared would rather reveal that the former points to a greater antiquity than the latter in so far as M retains most of the Vedic forms whereas the other those of classical Skt.41
42
The elision of intervocalic stops which is characteristic of M is even allowed by Bh. under the head of Pkt. This phenomenon alone goes back to the ancient scriptures of the Jainas, giving rise to Jaina M. As MEHENDALE rightly observes, the loss of intervocalic consonants is first met with in the Western inscriptions almost in all cases. This tendency occurs in the NorthWest almost in all cases from the first century A. D.a This not only shows the antiquity of M as a dialect but also its being the regional dialect of Mahārāṣṭra once upon a time. M was, however, most advantageous no doubt, for the sake of music and was long cultivated mostly in Mahārāṣṭra in which great poems were written. PISCHEL rightly thinks that the application of M in lyrics destined for musical purposes is undoubtedly the oldest (Grammatik, 12) and therefore to consider M as the first and foremost Pkt on the part of Mk is not
erroneous.
41. See WOOLNER's remarks, Intro. to Pkt, p. 28. 42. Historical Grammar of Inscriptional. Pkts DALE, p. XXIII.
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