Scientific Contents in Prakrta Canons

SR No.: 001670
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 608
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Science, & Religion
File Size: 9 MB

Page 37

Prāksta Bhāṣā : 15
more nativity than the first one. It is from this third Veda that the literary Prākrta has derived many of its characteristics and constituents. The literary Prākıta has many specialities. It has words of three types - (i) native, (ii) similar to, (iii) derived from Samskrta. It has cerebral sounds. It has more simplicity than Chandas and later Samskrta in terms of (1) absence of consonants in the end, (ii) vowel sound insertions, (iii) use of long vowels in place of junctioned letters, (iv) contraction of bigger words by elimination of intermediate letters and many others.
The literary form of Prākrta is the second stage of its development. This form is most important for the studies of Prākrta. The native spoken language takes the shape of written form in this stage. Lord Mahāvira and Buddha encouraged this language by adopting it as the medium of their sermons with the majority benefit approach and Samskrta parallelism. They gave Prākṣta a forceful popularisation capacity.
The period of this type of Prākrta is designated as middle Indo-Aryan period ranging from 600 B. C. to 1000 A. D. This language has developed despite grammatisation and/or systematisation of Chāndas language during this period. It has incorporated many words from Chāndas, absorbed innumerable words from native languages from north, central and eastern country. In fact, naturalism and non-systematisation led to its literary growth for the next 1600 years during which it became even the royal language for centuries ( i.e., in Asoka and Khārawela period). It represented the native culture and history of the period. This has also helped development of polished Samsksta through incorporation of native words and popular subjects in it. Moreover, it became the progeny of Apabhramsa and many modern Indian languages in due course of time.
This Prākrta developed in the central part of India extending from Sūrasena to Košala and Magadha though the last countury 17 has been said to be non-Aryan in early days of Yāska and Satapatha. This could be due to non-impact or least