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138
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JULY, 1922
abhidudráva"), (B) or as 'grief rushed on him' ("sucd vd abhi-dudruve "), (y) or again, as 'he in his grief rushed to one Raikva' ("ouca vd Railuam abhidudräva"), he was called Sadra. The derivation given by the author of the Uñadi Sútras (V duc or buk tra, "tucer dasca," II. 19) throws a little better light as regards the last part or the suffix of the word; but on the whole it is not satisfactory and is as fanciful and far-fetched as the former ones.
It seems to me that the word is not a pure Sanskrit one, and is derived from Skt. ksudra. As in comparison with the other three higher classes of people (viz. the Brahmanas, the Ksatri. yas, and the Vaiấyas) the Sadras were inferior in their work and quality they were called Sadras, i.e.. "the inferior ones.' The following few lines quoted from the Ageafina Sruttanta. 25 (Digha nikdya, XXVII. 25, = PTS., Vol. III, p. 95), will support this view very clearly -
“Tesam Beva kho Vásettha sattanam ye te satta avases& te luddåcårå (Skt. rudrdcdrah) ahesum. Luddâcâra khuddåcårå (Skt. ksudracara”) ti' kho Vasettha suddå sudd& tveva akkharam upanibbattam."
Among those people the remaining ones, O Vasettha, were of dreadful conduct, of mean conduct, so they are called Suddas, and thus the word Sudda has come into existence.'
Again, in giving the names of the different classes of mankind the author of the Mahdvyutpatti (ASB., Part 1. p. 35) mentions the Sadras as follows "Sadra or Knidra." It appears from this that according to him these two words are in reality one and tho same, though they differ in forms.
Furthermore, in the vocabulary of the Tirhai dialect in the province of Niganhar (JASB, 1838, p. 783) the word for 'little' is sudd which is undoubtedly derived from Skt. kpudra. It is to be noted here that the Tirhai dialect contains a very large number of words of Sanskritio origin.
Now, it remains to prove philologically how the word Sadra may come from kpudra. And in doing so let me say at the very outset that Prakritism has played not an insignificant part in the formation of words, even in the language of the Rgveda. It is a fact so well-known to scholars that it is not necessary to dilate upon it here. A few examples may, however, be given for the sake of illustration.
Take the word vikaga (RV. X. 166. 1.). It is derived through Prakritism from vikrla (RV. I. 164. 15. II. 38. 6). And similarly, hithira (RV. VI. 68.2, etc.) is from sthira from Virath. to become loose or black.'
Now instances of the change of k into a sibilant (viz. 6,,, and s) abound in Indo-Iranian languages. The river called Siprd in Ujjayin is a famous one in Sanskrit works. Even Kalidasa refers to it in his Meghaduta, I. 31 (“Siprdodtah priyatama iva"). There is not the least doubt that this sprd is derived from ksiprd' & speedy one. A large number of MSS. of the Brahatsamhita (Bibliotheca Indica, XVI. 9; Various Readings, p. 14) read here kaiprd instead of siprd. It is to be noted that the sibilant of the word is palatal in some works while in others it is dental. As regards this point I shall speak later on.
Let me cite here a few more examples. Skt. iko 'sugar cane,' Marathi to or ws®; Skt. aksi or akşa 'eye,' Simhali qs (pronounce e as a in 'cat'); Skt. ykya'a bear,' Mar. Her or noe; Skt. makul 'a fly,' Mar. mabi; Skt. kpetra 's field,' Mar. bel® ; Skt. kuna 'feeble,' Mar. am:
1 BitMila is its later form.
• It is to be observed here that with reference to the Marathi language becomes i only when it is followed by a simple or diphthong palatal vowel, 1.6, 16 and al.
