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55
More important still are two other passages, which refer to the same fourfold division, but with respect to the countries in which a particular language is preferably the vehicle of literature.
"Particular languages appear to be resorted to in particular countries. Thus it is said:-The Gauḍas and others take their stand on Sanskrit; the liking for Prakrit of those (poets) of the Lata-country is well-known; all the Maruregion, the Takkas, and the Bhādānakas employ Apabhramśa; the poets of Avanti and the Pāriyātras, to-gether with those of Daśapura, have recourse to Bhûtabhāśā; and a poet who lives in the heart of Madhyadeśa is well-versed in all (these) languages."
Thus, then, in Rajasekhara's day's Sanskrit literature was much cultivated in Gauda (modern Bihar); Prakrit literature in Lața (Gujarat without Kathiawad); Apabhramśa literature in the whole of Maru (modern Marwar); Takka (part of eastern Punjab), and Bhādānake (?); Paiśācī literature in Avanti (central Malwā), Pariyātrā (western Vindhya regions), and Daśapura (upper Malwā). It must be emphasised that Rajaśkhara does not say whether these were spoken languages in these regions; what he says is only that literary men in these parts conveyed their thoughts preferably in these several languages. The second passage of importance of Apabhramsa reads thus10:
The Suraṣṭras, Travanas and others can with grace express the Sanskrit idiom, but always with an admixture of Apabhramśa.'
To the Maru, Takka and Bhādānak literary men, therefore, we have to add the Saurāṣṭras (Kathiawad) and the Travanas (?) who, together, cultivated Apabhramśa literature. The presnt state of our know-ledge of the Prakrits and the literature in them that is being brought to light every day, apparently endorse Rajasekhara's view, so far at least as Prakrit (Māhārāṣṭri and Jaina Māhārāṣṭri) and Apabhramsa are concerned. It is Gujarat that has discovered and is still destined to discover a vast Prakrit literature11; and if the Jains appear to appropriate to themselves the credit of the larger lsiai: ásatyn: qfèfangay: mgà zizizar: सापभ्रंशप्रयोगाः सकलमरुभुवष्टकभादानकाश्च । enazzar: qftaar: agcagcâĤamai 40-à
Ibid p. 51.
यो मध्ये मध्ये मध्यदेशं निवसति सकविः सर्वभाषानिषण्णः ॥
8
9 By Prakrit, Rajasekhara appears to mean the Prakrit par excellence of Dandiy,
i. e. Maharastri, although he has no where indicated this expressly.
10 Ibid p. 34, सुराष्ट्त्रवणाद्या ये पठन्त्यर्पितसौष्ठवम् ।
अपभ्रंशावदंशानि ते संस्कृतवचस्यपि ॥
II Kadalkar's Account of Mss. at the Patana Bhandars read of the First Oriental Conference, Poona; and Dala's Essay read at the 5th Gujarat Sahitya Parigad.
