Dictionary of Prakrit for Jain Literature Vol 01 Fasc 01

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

Page 11

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grammatical rules which have given rise to the hope of The device used to arrange the words is equally finding old grammars of Prakrit written in Prakrit simple which explains the limitations placed on the itself, as is the case with the Pali language. But choice of words. Synonyms which number many but in both cases the expectation is not justified. In the not exceeding a gātnā are given first, then those which earliest exegetical works in AMg. and Pro-cancpical can be accomodated in one line, or one carana or the works in JS. and more particularly in the so-called fourth part of a gātnā, two lines of which are divided into Nijjuttis and Bbāsas, where such bits of statements occur. two parts each of unequal length. The list is concluded those are due to the tradition of these works to explain with words with their meanings in a single word. the texts in a peculiar manner. Of the various devices It can be easily imagined that such a plan would give used to elucidate the meanings of the sacred texts, there very little scope both for the number of words to be is one called egaphas i. e. giving words ail of which included and the explanations to be given for them have the same meaning. As the idea is to classify Hence its use for a Prakrit lexicographer is very little. the concept which underlies a word more than its oxact sense, these bits of egatthas are built on a
On the other hand the Desībāmamälā of Hemavory loose idea of synonyms and a collection of
candra is of capital importance for Prakrit lexicography. words is put together to include as many aspects of
While the tat-8ıma and at bhava words of Prakrit are the concept as possible, which can hardly be called a
easily identified with their Sanskrit counterparts and Kosa as usually understood in Ancient Indian literature. offer no difficulty of explanation, the socalled Deli A fairly evolved example of this can be seen at the words, which occur throughout the Prakrit literature, beginning of cach chapter of the late canonical book are enigmatic as regards their source, and often their Panhāvāgaranās. In the very first chapter we come meaning cannot be decided, wben not extensively used. across the word pānivaha and its 30 dames like Hemacandra has devoted one Kosa of his to collect and pānivaham, ummuland sarirão, avisambho. hımsavhi explain this stock of words in his work originally called mad, akiccam, ghayana, māraiņā, vahanā, uddhavana, Rayanävali but renamed by its first editor R. Pischel tivāvanā, ārumblus-ramarambho etc. called gonnāni As Desināmamälä as being more expressive of its nature. nāmāni. Tbo Nijjutti on the Suyagadu gives purely It consists of eight chapters called virgas based on the phonetic variants of its name as: toss yn imānu nāmānt division of the alphabet into groups according to a nonsuttagadam, sultakadam, suyagadain cere gouvai 2. grammatical astrological tradition of India A K The later work called Angavujjä abounds in such collec- 72509fa f u fa stie Achattar p. 272. This tions of synonyms and a modern work called Ekārtha.
to work called Elar ha. divides the alphabet into vowels from 37 to , ka-varga, kusu puts them together. In spite of the usefulness of ca varga, ţa-wirya, ta-vargé pa-varya, and ya varga. such passages, they can hardly be called Kolas or excerpts Hemacandra has split the last one into two, the first trom Kosas in the usual sense of the term as seen in a containing W. , and u, the second 8, 8. and h. very large number of works in Sanskrit beginning with Naturally the Dest words do not show the sounds the work of Amara. Real Kosas in this sense are only visirga, nasals n, ñ and y initially and hence they are two, Dhanapala's Pāialucchināmamālā and Rutnávali not necessary for arranging the words on the basis of (later known by the name Desināmamala) of Hema- their initial sounds. He remarks 2735171227 Atafaa candra. The first is a small work of 279 gathās and gafar af faar: p. 203; HITEL THAswang at 1 7 : deals with nearly a thousand words in Prakrit containing seara p. 236; aghaifi Tata **a gft anza: mostly cursa mas apd tadbhavas along with a few Desigrąua p 313. Besides arranging the words in the alpbawords. The author tells us at the end of the work that betical order of the first syllable he turther arranges them he composed it in VS. 1329 and mentions a famous according to the number of syllables they contain, i.e. incident which occurred in that year, viz. the town of as having two, three, four or five syllables in each Manyakbeta was attacked and looted by the king of group and this is again repeated twice on the consiMälavā. The author himselt lived in Dhärā and wrote deration, whether they are having a single meaning his Kośa for his sister Sundari He also indirectly gives or many (ekartha, anekartha) The ekārtha group his name in a line by the simple device of listing words, naturally includes words having the same meaning, the opd-syllables of which make up his name Dhanavāla. a synonymous kosa, while the other is a polysemous The choice of the words is made on the basis of Kosa. This brings his classification in conformity with their usefulness for writing poetry. It is obvious that the basic division of the Sanskrit Kośa works. Hema. he wants his work to be considered as an aid 10 poets, candra has put together as many as 6000 words of this which thus belongs to the genre called Kavisksā.
pature in 783 stanzas.