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 76

4. THE ARDHAMĀGADHI LANGUAGE OF THE
PRAKRIT GRAMMAR OF HEMACANDRA'
In view of the preceding chapters and after critically studying whatever a few characteristics of the Ardhamāgadhi language that have been mentioned by Hemacandra in his Prakrit Grammar, i.e., the eighth adhyāya of his Siddhhahaima- Sabdanuśāsanam, can we not formulate an independent, and more comprehensive grammar of the Ardhamāgadhī, by adding some more points ?
Ācārya Hemacandra begins his Grammar of the Prakrit Languages with the sūtra 'Atha prakstam '(Si.H. Sab, 8.1.1). In order to show the applicability (pravstti), inapplicability (apraitti), option (vibhāṣā), and variant usages (anyat), etc., and with reference to the rules given by him, he has formulated the next sūtra, viz., 'Bahulam' (Si.H.Śab., 8.1.2). Then, the sütra "Ārsam’(Si.H.Sab., 8.1.3) is given to indicate the language of the seers.
In this connection, he has quoted an example' (from the Avaśyakasūtra) in his vịtti, i.e. the Auto-commentary, on the sūtra 8.4.287, viz., 'porānam addhamāgaha-bhāsaniyayaṁ havai suttam, i.e., the ancient aphorism is fixed in the Ardhamāgadhī language. While explaining this, the terms farsa'and 'ardhamāgadhi' are shown to indicate the same language : iryādinārşasyārdhamāgadha-bhāşā-nityatvam (vrtti on 8.4.287).
It is surprising that Hemacandra has not given separately any rules for this Ārşa or the Ardhamāgadhī language in his grammar. No independent literature of the Māgadhi langauge' is available, but Hemacandra has composed 16 sūtras (8.4.287-302) for this ianguage. For the Paiśācī ianguage, 22 sūtras ( 8.4.303-324) are there. No literature of the Cūlikā Paiśācī is extant, even then 4 sūtras ( 8.4.325-328 ) are there for it. The Sauraseni literature has survived to a great extent in the Digambara tradition; even then, he has framed 27
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