Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

SR No.: 011077
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company
Publication Year: 1947
Total Pages: 429
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
hiyā, (9) Bhogavayatā, (10) Venatiyā, (11) Niñhaiyā, (12) Anka live, (13) Gania livi, (14) Gandhavva liuk--Bhūya livi, (15) Adamsa livi, (16) Mahesarī livi, (17) Dāmili liv and (18) Polindī livr. 14
BRĪHMI AND KHAROSTRI SCRIPTS
Brāhmi and Kharos trī are the two most important scripts mentioned in the Tain and Buddhist texts. The former was written from left to right and the latter from right to left. The Kharoştri alphabet was introduced overland into the extreme north west of India about 500 B.C. and was used locally in Gandhāra. Later on, gradually Kharoştrī disappeared from India and was replaced by Brahmi from which all other alphabets used in India have evolved. Buhler has adopted the designation Brahmi for the characters in which the majority of the Asoka edicts are written According to him, the Brahmi alphabet has been formed by phonologist or grammarians for scientific use.18
In Jain texts Bambhī occupies the first and fundamental place in the enumeration of the eighteen livs to which homage is paid in the beginning of the Bhavagati."7 According to the Samarāyānga, Bambliż livi comprises forty six mātyakkharas (mätrkāksaras) or the original letters cxcluding four liquid vowels, vrz. § (5), Ã (PE), (a), L (C), and L ().18
It is stated that Bambhi was not only a specific name of a script but a generic name which stood for the eighteen scripts mentioned above 19
The rest of the livis seem to have disappeared and no trace of these has been found so far.
LANGUAGE
As we have seen among various classes of Aryans, Bhasar yas or the Aryans by language are mentioned. It is said that they spoke Ardhamāgadhi and knew the Brāhmi script 20
14 The Viser Ti (V 464) mentions the following eighteen livts (1) Hamsa lui, (2) Anha
livi, (3) Jakkhi, (4) Rakkhasi, (5) Uddi, (6) Javani, (7) Tuukkı, (8) Kiri, (9) Dandi, (10) Sindhaviya, (11) Mālavini, 12) Nadi, (13) Nāgari, (14) Läda liri, (15) Pārasi, (16) Animatz, (17) Canakki and (18) Müladevi. For some of these licis such as Anha hiz, Nāgari, Canakki and Müladevi see Punyavijaya, op cit, pof note lhe othei lists of the lizis are given by Lāvanyasamayagani in his Vimalaprabandha (p 123) and Luksmivallabha Upadhyaya in his commentary on the Kalpasūtra, (H R Kapadia, op til,
p. 04). 15 The Lalılarslara (p 125f) mentions sixty four lizis, the first two being Brālmi and Kharosi 18 Ojha, op at pp. 17-36, 1, 4, Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, P 124. 11 According to Muni Punyavijayajı, it commemorates the fact that the Jain Agamas were
first written in the Brāhmi script, op cit, p.5 18 Dr Gaurishankar Ojha admits Kșa as an alternative for L (a), op. cit., p. 46 JA According to Muni Punyavijayajı, however, all the eighteen lips are not necessarily the varieties of Bambhi (ibid. p. 5). 20 Panna. 1. 37.