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Problems in Learning Prakrit Language*
Dinanath Sharma
India, in a sense, is a linguistic area, having the largest number of languages of different groups spoken, viz. Indo Aryan, Indo Dravidian, etc. Chronologically Indo Aryan languages are divided into three groups, e.g. (i) Old Indo Aryans, which contain Vedic Chăndasa and classical Sanskrit (ii) Middle Indo Aryans containing Pali, Prakrit and Apabhramba. In a loose sense all middle Indo Aryans are called Prakrits, (iii) New Indo Aryans consisting of old Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, etc.
For the study of 0.1.A.'s Vedas and classical Sanskrit, we have got Vedāngas and different types of commentaries, of which Sanskrit grammar of Pānini and Nirukta of Yāksa are the best instrument. Sanskrit (classical) does not show any development after Pānini. Ever since the inception of Indian literature, Sanskrit was the language of scholars for their creative writings and that of the courts.
As regards the M.I.A. languages, no literature in Prakrit has been found before Lord Mahāvīra and Lord Buddha. It is only because Prakrits, though having existence, was not adopted by scholars for their creative writings. When Lord Mahävira and Lord Buddha having got enlightenment, preferred to preach in the language spoken among common people, Prakrits came into light. Thenceforth, we get Prakrits developed with many names, since it was current among common people across the country. Consequently different Prakrits came into being with different names, viz. - Māgadhi, Ardhamāgadhī, Paiśācī, Cülikā Paiśācī, Pāli, Saurasenī, Mahārāstri and Apabhramsa.
As regards the learning of these languages, it is practically obvious to face problems due to their multifarious nature. The problems, it seems, must have prevailed long before and therefore efforts have been made to eradicate them. Consequently, we have got a good number of grammars for these languages as we have for Sanskrit. But difference between Sanskrit and Prakrits is that the
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