Comprehensive Critical Dictionary of Prakrit Languages Volum 01

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

Page 21

loss of the final consonant 7 in the original Skt. form. Bharata's statement in V. 13 TETOR 2017: would suggest But both the endings and with a voiced dental, that the sound occurring in the Miru Prakrit was which though regular in Sauraseni, are unusual in a slightly different sound than the same phoneme in Maharastri. Bhagaba's examples are , ai Siura eni and Sari, Phonetically is my be slightly but no such forms are re orded in this Prakrit. No fricativised and thus would approaci a sound like a other grem nurian mention them. Nor can we regard a stage wh ch immediately preceded its complete loss. then as archaisns. It appears that thes) forms are due
In this context it is n esiry to refer to the to some misunderstanding of the wording of this Sutra,
traditional allotment of th: various Prakrit dialects and either on the part of the earliest editor Cowell cr
sub-dialects to the ditlerent dramatic characters. Bharata possibly on the part of Bhämaha hin:elf. Though
g ves a detailed siten at but it in his chapter 17, Vararuci does not specifically meation the mechanism
stanzas 32-40, and the Dasarupt and the Naty durpana of stating gramatical rules, he generally follows the
merely summarise them, as de at: 0 Visvanha in his method followed by the Sanskrit grammar an3 which was
Sibity darpana. Ha, however, makes a slight addition accepted as a regular technique of the screace of grammar.
to it with the word. 347 721 F iat (sic.) Whenever a single vowel is to be stated ai is added to
ar to which nothing correspond in the other works. it, to fix its quantity and to make the use of its cases
Both t'ischel and Konow have g ven m e importance to easy. Thus : stands for the gen. sg. of which is equal
this statement by taking the word gathäsu in a wider to its explanatioa ter. In a series of terminations which
Sense 30 19 to inciu le all kinds of stinzi in Prakrit begin with vowels this become essecuial in the above
and making a sharp division between the prose in Sütra the suffixes enumerated are . sit, 3 and and
Saurseni and verses in Mabar. stri. In case of all other to combine them, a I is added to the first two to give
dalect: like Mag.dhi, Sakti, Chindiui etc. no such 8717, 7 and following the usual Sandbi rules, the
distinction is found, and the language remains the same reads z a: in the plural. Falling in understand
whether iu prose or verse. 1.c oldest commentary on this, some one wrongly analysed it into
and
the Sahityadarpana written by S , the son of to justify it gave the examples in conformity with it as
Visvanatha, explos irry here to mean ifag which GEBI, EE. This can hardly be the mistake of the
meaning the word Guth bas in the early literature. commentator, when we find that 5. 22 and many
It is caly later that Gathe comes to mean a specific others are correctly analysed by bim Oace Cowell Prakrit mutre. We can thea understand Visvavatha to included this in hy edition, most of the later scholars mean
mean hat only the sougs, which occur in the speech of have continued to repeat it to the present day. Let me
the lasties who speak Stursedi, should be composed in add here that this problem is simplified for the sake of
Mahaastri. The practice of early Sanskrit dramas clarity.
shows that a song to be sung by a female character The idea but all the stanzas spoken by those charac
was iseil nt the appropriate occasion and Mābärästri
was the most suitable Prakrit for it, because skrit drama who use Sauraseni in their ters in the
it was
used for tha purpose and ones its extreme attenuation speech, are to be taken its composed in Maharastri, is
to it. another case of misunderstanding Bharat's statement that seven dialects were used in the dramas and in The subordaste role which Maharastri plays in addition Stven more sub-dialects were also used is subs- Sanskrit drama cu a so by seeu by ascertaining the tancial y correct. This list does not includa Mahārāstii, amount of Prakrit staazas in them. A quick check but his treatment of Prakrit ia general is nothing but a reveals that the number of stanzas in Prakrit in the brief sumary of what the laser grammarians give. The early dumas WAS Sarl. The three danas of Bbasa 17th chapter of the Natyaśāstra is repeatedly edited by gas 70, 71 and Nicara show a total of scholars like Dr. Ghosh aud Dr. Vaidya. lo this sketch 12 Prekrit stanzas and pot a single one out of them there is nothing wbich is new and all that is found in it is is put in the mouth of woma. In the dramas of also included in the first 9 chapters of Vararuci, and the Kaid sa, * has tunzas out of which 7 are first 3 Padas cf Hemasandra, and therefore they oaturally spokea by women but only one of them, put in the de: with the same language Whether it should be mouth of the in the prologue, can be called a sita. called by the generic term Prakrit or by the specific desig- In Hiob falas there is a single stanza uttered by nation Mabistri is really of no inportanco, and in the boroine herself und in tracity, out of a total of the editions of the Prakrtaprakasa, with the comentaries 31, on y 3 are put in the mouth of the ladies. Of the In South India, this situation persists. More particularly three dramns of Harsa, 7 has 8 out of which 4 are