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

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THE ANTIQUITY OF THE ARDHAMĀGADHI AGAMA TEXTS AND THE PLACE OF THEIR COMPOSITION language of the Eastern India, and this is an irrevocable proof of the origion of the Ardhamāgadhi canonical works in the Eastern India. (L) The Use of the Word 'akasmāt'in the Ardhamāgadhi:
It is an important point to be noted that the use of the word akasmāt in its original form has been preserved in the senior Ardhamāgadhi Agama work, fettha hi jānaha akasmāt' (Ācā.,1.8.1.200, Schübring, p.33.14); akasmăd damdavattie tti (Sū.Kr., 2.2.698, three times).
Here, śīlānkācārya, the commentator of the Ācārānga remarks : akasmád iti magadhadese ägopalanganādina saṁskrtasyaivoccāranād ihāpi tathaivoccarita iti (Ācā., MJV, p.70, f.n. 17; also see, Sū.Kr., p. 157, f.n. 23), i.e. this is the peculiarity of the Magadha country.
The preservation of the final '-t'of a word, e.g. dhit, is also found in the Isibhāsiyāim, (22.8).
The final '-át 'is found in the Māgadhi portion of the Sanskrit play the Mrcchakatikam, as in, dūlāt padittho si (Act II, preceding the verse No. 1).
Pischel (314) considers the usage 'akasmā' in the Ardhamăgadhi to be incorrect, e.g. akasmäddamda (Sūyagadamga, Thāņamga) and akasmākań (Sūyagadamga). He suggests the usage of akamhā as proper in their place, since akasmā is purely a Māgadhi usage.
But, when the akasmā (Dhauli Separate, 1.20,21 and Jaugada Separate, 1.4.) is found in the Ashokan inscriptions of the Eastern region, its usage in the Ardhamāgadhi cannot be taken as incorrect. Instead, this usage should be regarded as strong evidence for determining the antiquity and the place of the origin of the Ardhamāgadhi. Hence, the suggestion of Pischel to adopt the word akamhā in the place of akasmā does not seem to be proper. (M) The Absolutive Gerund ‘kattu’of the Root 'kr':
The affix of the absolutive Gerund -ttu'has been discussed above. Here, some other facts are presented with reierence to the usage ‘kattu' derived from the root kr.
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