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A MANUAL OF
Of these Prakrits the Ardhamāgadhi dialect has a special place in their history. As a dialect Ardhamāgadhi is pre-eminently ATERIET, sharing only a few characteristics with heraft; at any rate grammarians have treated it so. SATTE is the language of the Sacred Canon of Svetāmbara Jains, Lord Mahāvira is said to have delivered all his discourses in that language. Gods and great teachers, according to Jain belief, use this language. (Cf. भगवं च णं अद्धमागहाए भासाए धम्ममाइक्खइ-समवायाङ्ग; तए णं समणे भगवं महावीरे......कृणियस्स रको अद्धमागहाए भासाए भासह
औपपातिक; देवा णं अद्धमागहाए भासाए भासन्ति-भगवतीसूत्र ; से कित भासारिया ? भासारिया जे णं अद्धमागहाए भासाए भासन्ति-प्रज्ञापनासूत्र);
Hemacandra designates अर्धमागधी as आर्ष, i.e., the language of the seers or sages, and quotes a passage, WTTTACHME
rata u Hagga, 'Old works are assuredly in the state Arrat language. Hargovind Das Sheth believes that अर्धमागधी is older than माहाराष्ट्री. Where exactly this language was spoken is not yet decided with certainty ; but it is probable that it must have been the language of a part of the Magad ha country as a passage from the Farruft suggests ( Alat THTATRAS GAUTE, Ogre Perorafatasi at WEAPTÉ ).
2. The chief characteristics which should enable a student to distinguish STTATTET from other Prakrit dialects are :
(1) The medial single , instead of being dropped as in other Prakrit dialects, has a tendency to be changed to ग. In माहाराष्ट्री, क is dropped.
(2) The medial single is often retained. In माहाराष्ट्री it is dropped.
(3) The medial single is at times retained. (4) The medial single qis changed to a. (5) The medial single T is retained. (6) The medial is at times retained. •
