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________________ AYARANGA : PADHAMA SUTA-KHANDHA, PADHAMA AJJHAYANA (ACARANGA : PRATHAMA SRUTA-SKANDHA, PRATHAMA ADHYAYANA)* Several works forming part of the Svetambara Jain Agama (Canon) inform us that Mahavira delivered his religious discourses in the Addhamagaha Bhasa (i. e., Ardhamagadhi language). He chose this language for his discourses as it was the spoken language of the people. It was so called, according to one view, because it was current in half of Magadha (modern Bihar) to which region, Mahavira himself belonged. According to another view, the language was so called because it shared some of the features of the dialects that were current in the adjoining regions. In other words, it was not wholly, but only partly Magadhi (ardham magadhyah). But the language of the Svetambara Jain canon which was finally fixed and reduced to writing at the conference of Valabhi under Devarddhi Ganin hardly shows characteristics common to Magadhi. On the contrary it shows surprisingly great affinity with Maharastri. Scholars of linguistics explain the transformation as an inevitable result of the powerful impact of the dominant literary Maharastri. It is a well known fact that from the days of Dandin's Kavyadarsa Maharastri has enjoyed the enviable status of prakrstas prakrtam"--the best among all Prakrit languages. The language of the canon which was undergoing changes slowly and imperceptibly during the very long period of 1000 years from the days of Mahavira, when it came in contact with literary Maharastri, after migration, it was very natural, that it should be highly influenced by the latter (the literary Maharastri) Muni Punyavijayaji has somewhat different explanation. The phonological changes in the readings of the text had not been due to a natural process but these changes in the spelling of the words have been brought about intentionally by the later Acaryas at different times or on account of losing * Ed. K. R. CHANDRA, Prakrit Jaina Vidya Vikasa Pund, Ahmedabad, 1998, pp. 327, Rs. 150.00 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
| SR No. | 001868 |
| Book Title | Studies in Jain Literature |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | V M Kulkarni |
| Publisher | Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre |
| Publication Year | 2001 |
| Total Pages | 114 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Literature, & Story |
| File Size | 14 MB |