Comprehensive Critical Dictionary of Prakrit Languages Volum 01

Author(s): A M Ghatage
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Page 19

(12)
phases can be found at any given stage of the language.available. There is, however, good in:ernal evidence to That inter vocalic stops in Latin are either completely show that this chapter forms an integral part of the lost or voiced or kept in tact in the different Romance original work. There is no doubt that the first 9 languages does not give us any right to say that one chapters deal with some Prakrit, which is not pamod at is older and the other is younger in their written form the beginning. In fact the very first Sutra rung as and the same is true in case of the Prakrit languages. 1.TE: which means of the vowel which is initial' and Luders himself has argued that the original language of constitutes an artikar for the following Sutras. This is the Pâli canon voiced the inter vocalic stops, where the followed by the next Sutra T a ifa wh.ch shows later Pali uses the unvoiced consonants. This has an that the initial vowel of words like age and others is important bearing on the nature of the language of the changed to a giving rise to the forma grafe in this canon of the Sve:āmbara community, usually called language. But then what is the name of this language ? Ardba-Māgadhi but the older name of which was The author says noch ng. It may look reasonable Addbamāgaha Bhasa. The MS, material of the canonical to think that it was called Prakrit' because the work works, both older and younger, is such as to allow side bears the name Prakr aprakasa. But then all the by side the use of the intervocalic stops and their loss other languages dealt with in chapters 10, 11, and 12 even in the same sentence or verse. This has led to a are also included in the scope of the title. We may regular duplication of all words containing such sounds further ask, does the author use the word Prakrit in two which cannot be true of any language whatscever. For senses, Prakrit as a cover term for all the dilects dealt example the 3rd person singular active form of a verb, wiib und Prakrit as it specific dialect treated in the first which is very frequent cannot be having both i and - 9 chapters? In this first alternative, what is given then as its end ng throughout the language in all its occu- in these chapters is not the description of any one dialect, rrences. And to make the matter worse, textual evidence, but a common core of all the dialects taken together. But whether the MS. is on paper or palm leaves, whether then, following the trual practice orly the deviations old or young, is equally uncertain. There appears to from his common core should have been given for the be a feeling among the editors of the Againic texts other dialects which follow. But this is not the case. that giving preference to the practice of retaining the There are two Sutras each, at the beginning of the last consonants would make the language look older and three chapter, the first giving the name of the lauguage Dearer l'ali which is cons dered as an older speech and he second its basis. The Sutr is run as follows This does not look natural and hence cannot be accepied. , 9xft: 17111, #2, Bra at, at To ascertain the relative ages of closely related languages, a 24. This means the procedure followed in the only valid criteria are of a grammatical nature. The describing these languages is first to describe Sauraseni synchronic nature of the Azokan inscriptions and the and then mark the deviations from it case of Paisaci phonological d fferences found in them are responsible and agadhi. But the description is hardly sufficient for for extending their use to the literary languages as well. this purpose unless we include all te matter of the Besides morphological criteria one can also think of a first tine chapters in it. Tous the full description of semantic criterion as well for this purpose. For example, Sauraseni would consist of two con ponents, one, the the meaning of the verb atipat- (causal) and the noun special rules laid down in the 12th chapter and the atipāta shows the meaning to injure, to kill' only in other, all the rules of Prakrit as found in chapters 1-9. Pali and Avg. A reference to the article alipat- in the This art of its grammar is indicated by the last rule second volume of the Sanskrit Dictionary of the Deccan of the 12th chapter which raus i Haga. This College will show that it is rarely used there in this sense meas that the Prakrit language described in the first and the only examples for it are from the works of 9 chapters under the general name Prakrit is here Ayurveda, Susruta and Caraka, the language of which specified as having the name of Maharāstri. Has not shows a close affinity with Buddhist usage.
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fare:? Thus the traditional explanation that the name Returning to the dramatic Prakrits, we should note of the languge described in the first 9 chapters is Mahathat a number of misinterpretations and conclusions rastri is correct. drawn from insuflicient evidence have led to the present position, which, to say the least, is confusing. For The 3rd Sutrd of the 12th chapter lays down the example it is often stated that the 12th chapter of rule that non-initial, inter vocalic tu and the are changed Vararuci's Prakrtaprakasz is an interpolation on the iato di and dha. Here the basic sounds are to be taken ground that there is no comnientary of Bhämaha now from Sanskrit and not from Prakrit hecause they do not