Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 11

JANUARY, 1930)
DR. KEITH ON APABHRAŃŠA
In the following quotations there is an express mention of the fact that Apebbramsa was a vernacular: देशेषु देशेषु पृयग विमिन्नं न शक्यते लक्षणतस्तुवकुम | लोकेषु यस्स्यादपवारसंझं ज्ञेयं हि तदेवाविदोषविरम् ॥
(Vinnudharmottara, Book 3, ch. 7) पप्रभ्रष्टं तृतीय व तदनन्तं नराधिप । देशाषा विशेषेण तस्यान्तो मैव विद्यते ॥
(Ibid. B. 3, ch. 3) पपभ्रंस्तु यच्छुळं तत्तदृशेषु भाषितम् ।
(Vágbhaja's Kdvydlankára, 2-3.) S ant Feart: देशस्य बुरुमगधादेरुदेशः प्रकृतस्वं तस्मिन् सति स्वस्वदेशसंबन्धिनी भाषा निबन्धनीया- इति । इयं दशगाव प्रायोऽपभ्रंशे faraatia
(Ramacandra's Natyadarpana, with his own commentary. MS. in Baroda, leaf 124, being edited for G. O. Series.)
HTT: DEBTPT:' भाध्यन्ते भाषाः संस्कृत प्राकृत मागधी शौरसनी पैशाच्यपभ्रंशलक्षणाः
(Hemacandra's Abhidhana-chintamani, with his own commentary, 2, 100.) [Quite contrary to this, Keith says that "Hemacandra also does not identify Apabhramsa with the vernaculars."]
Besides & Prakrit work named Kuvalayamála, written in 778 A.D. by a DAksinya Cinhodyotânâchârya, has recorded many informing and interesting topics concerning the vernaculars of the time. It gives a very lively and vivid description of Apabbramsa, which displays the vivacity and power of absorption of a living and current language :X X X X
X X X 4-414-324FRUCTE vatro 979918 सजलय ग्वाहपुरपन्वालियागरिणइसारसं समक्सिम पणयकृषियपियपणइणीसमखाव सरिसमणोहरं ।
(Jaisalmer Bhandar, Palm leaves 57 and 58). i.s., Apabhramsa is now gentle, now rough and turbulent like the mountain rivulet swollen by the rains of the fresh monsoon clouds, is graceful equally with corrupt and uncorrupt words belonging both to Prakfit and Sanskrit like the playful ripples, is fascinating like the amorous babbling of a lady piqued in a love quarrel.
The above work also contains some lively conversations in the living language of the time, which are very important from the Apabhramsa point of view and leave no room for any objection whatever to the acceptance of Apabhrarosa as a vernacular.
In order to differentiate Apabhramba from vernacular, Keith has resorted to the Kámasútra, which, as he thinks, "in enumerating their (s.e., of heta irai) sixty-four accomplishments, includes knowledge of vernaculars as well as of literary speeches (kdvyakriyd).” "Moreover it (Kamasutra) preserves the interesting notice that a man of taste would mingle his vernacular with Sanskrit, as is the way with modern vernaculars, not with Apabhrança."
Unfortunately both the arguments based on the Kamasutra are wrong. In the first Dr. Keith has taken the textual term as to mean literary speeches, but it never conveys that sense. It always means the composition of poems' only,--and can never, therefore, be contrasted with what is meant by 'vernaoular. As regards the second argument, the plausible inference of Keith that Apabhramsa never drew upon Sanskrit, as modern vernaculars do, is nuliified by the above quotation from the Kuvalayamala and by Rajasekhara, who expressly says in his Kavyamimånad that
"E u tenter da'
(Kavyamimansd ch. 7, p. 33.) (Apabhramsa should never he recited but by making it more graceful by the intermingling of Sanskrit with it.)
N.B.- I am indebted to the writer of the introduction to the Apabhramba Kdvyatray for 'utilizing his valuable quotations extracted from M88.