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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In Search of the Original Ardhamāgadhi
K.R. Chandra dialectically represents the West, North-West, and
South (according to the Ashokan inscriptions). (2) khettanna - Characteristic of the Eastern region
(as per the Ashokan inscriptions). It is an important point that the First Redaction of the Jaina Anga
Agamas was done in the Eastern India at Pataliputra. (3) khetanna - The original word 'khettanna' changed
to 'khetanna', because the optional elision of one of the consonants occurring in a conjunct one is
recognised in the Prakrit language. (4) khedanna - When the centre of religious preach
ing (i.e. Jainism) shifted from Magadha (East) to the North-West (to Mathurā, i.e., the Śūrasena region), the medial 't' changed to 'd', thus transforming the word 'khetanna' to 'khedanna'. This change of 't'to‘d’occurs in the region of Mathurā, where the Second redaction of the Jaina Āgamas was fixed up; this change of l' to 'd' is the main
feature of the Saurasenī. (5) kheyanna - Again, when the centre of (i.e. Jainism)
religious propagation shifted further to the Western region (of Gujarat and Saurashtra), the word ‘khedanna'was transformed into kheyanna' (due to elision of the medial unvoiced consonant and introduction of 'y' as well as the change of the dental nasal to the cerebral one. Note that the place of the fixing up of the Third Redaction of the Jaina
Agamas was Valabhi (in Gujarat).
Thus, the elision of the medial consonant (as also y-śruti) and the change of n'to n'are accepted as the lingustic processes of a later period, particularly of this very (Western) region; it is quite proper both from the chronological as well as the regional points of view (based on the evidence of inscriptions).
In this manner although the archaic Prakrit form Khettanna'(the ancient form prevalent in the Eastern India, i.e., the Magadha country) changed to ‘kheyanna' in the later
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