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xxix
According to the tradition again Gautama Buddha. taught in Māgadhi; the Buddhist canon however is in Pali. The scriptural tradition of Jainas says that Mahavira taught in Ardhamàgadhi. But however it must be noted that the tradition can be said only to date the fifth century A. C. and not before. It is however certain they flourished almost contemporaneously and preached in the same part of the country. And there is all the presumption that they preached in the same dialect of the country Moreover looking to the Eastern As'okan Inscriptions, there is found the definite leaning to the change of I to a e. g. Toetasvet, TFT-OFT and nom. Sing form 5.'to '30 tendency is not at all promiscuous in our Ardhamāgadhl. Thus in the country of Mahavira there is thus the evidence that Ardhamagadhi as we have in the Scriptures was not used. In the southern As'okan Inscriptions, we find and I together with Magadhan g. 31 Thus it becomes certain that Ardhamagadhi is a dialect of mixed influen
30–31. See the opinion of Pischel quoted in the introduction P. vi-vii by A. C. Woolner in the Ardha-Magadhi Dictionary of Ratnachandraji Vol. I.
