In Search of the Original Ardhamagadhi English Translation

Author(s): K R Chandra, N M Kansara, Nagin J Shah, Ramniklal M Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 41

THE STATE OF ARDHAMĀGADHI IN VARIOUS EDITIONS OF THE JAINA CANONICAL (ĀGAMIC) TEXTS
(i) kappai na kappai (Sūtra 27), sampayasti
(Sūtra 37), etthovarae (Sūtra 40); (Elision
of -t-). (ii) pavayamānā (Sūtra 12,13), hiyayamabbhe
(Sūtra 15); (Elision of -d-).
(2) Isibhāsiyāim :
(a) Compiler's language arahatā isiņā buitaṁ (Every chapter begins with this reading; the - t- has been preserved here.) (b) The original language of the discourse samāhie (samāhitah), lubbhai(lubhyate), jāgarao (jāgstaḥ) - (Adhyāya - 38) bhāvao, kammao, ajjhavasayao (there is -o for -to, Adhyāya - 39) Similar instances of the elision or retention of medial - t- from each chapter can be quoted
profusely. CONCLUSION
It is clear from this sort of linguistic analysis that in the task of editing of the Ardhamāgadhi Agama texts, the method adopted by the editors has not remained consistently uniform; the medial consonants are sometimes retained, and sometimes changed into voiced and mostly elided (with changing the aspirates to h). The terminations of cases and tenses are sometimes archaic and sometimes younger, i.e. of the later period. The problem is thiş : Ardhamāgadhi is an archaic language which is very old as compared to the Mahārāştrī Prakrit. The Ardhamāgadhi Agama literature originated in the Eastern region of India, and the period of the First Redaction of the ancient Agamas (i.e. the Ganipitaka of the Twelve Asgas (i.e. duvālasamga-ganipidaga) is anterior to that of the Ashokan Edicts. In view of these points, one has to accept that the Original Ardhamāgadhi
- 24 For Private & Personal Use Only