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CHAPTER XI
LITERARY EVALUATION
SECTION 1. LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR
The Paumacariyaṁ attracts our attention not only as the first Jaina Rama epic but also as an important work composed in the Middle-Indo-Aryan Language. Study of its language is important for the students of Prakrit languages for it claims to be a composition of the first century A. D. (118.103). The authenticity of its date is doubted by various scholars, therefore, let us see as to what stage it represents in the evolution of the Middle-Indo-Aryan dialects.
Phonology*
The alphabets are represented as follows :ऋ - श्र तण (तृण ३१।५३)
भिच्च ( भृत्य ५३।१८ ) ( ऋषभ २८ ।४७ ) ए गेह (गृह ३५ | १७ ) - रि सरिस ऐ - ए एरावण (ऐरावत ७१ । ३ ) - श्रइ दइव ( देव २८|६० )
इ
- उ उसभ
( सदृश १ | २४ ) [ -इ विहव
( वैभव १।४३ ) ]
श्री - श्री लोइय ( लौकिक ५८।६ ) [ उ ढुक्किउ ढोकितुं २८ । १०५ ) -
- गारव
( गौरव |६६ ) ]
श, ष स विरणास ( विनाश १।२), उसह ( ऋषभ १1१ ) .
Sometimes the sibilants are changed as follows :
दहरह ( दशरथ २३ । १०), घरणुह (धनुष १८/८६), छट्ठोववास (षष्ठोपवास ५।५९ ) . The Visarga is always dropped.
Vowel-Changes
The long vowel before a conjunct is shortened :श्राश्र उवज्झाय ( उपाध्याय १०२ । १४ )
ऊ - उ मुक्ख ( मूर्ख २१।३७ ).
The short vowel is lengthened before a simplified conjuct :श्रश्रा कायव्वं ( कर्त्तव्यं १|१८ ) इ-ई सीह ( सिंह ३३।६) उ—– ऊ ऊसव
( उत्सव २६ ) .
ई - इ कित्ति (कीर्ति २८ । १४१ )
* Readers are further referred to Variant Readings and Orthographic Scribal Tendencies of the PC., Revised edition of Paumacariyam, Pt., II (P. T. S. 1969).
