Jain Journal 1998 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 49

JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXIII, No. 2 October 1998 Hemacandra's Siddha-hema-sabdānuśāsana in two parts (Vol-I, 1877, Vol-II. 1880) is still a true and best critical edition of Hemacandra's Prakrit grammar. It was subsequently followed by his magnum opus, Grammatik der Prakrit sprachen, Strassburg, 1900. Later on several scholars have published several Prakrit grammars of different authors, such as, the Prakrit grammars of Trivikrama, Lakṣmidhara, Simharaja and so on.
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The field of Prakrit lexicography was also explored in the 19th century. Bühler's edition of Dhanapala's Paialacchīnāmamāla (1879) has filled a vacuum in the Prakrit lexicographical studies. In a similar way Pischel's edition of Hemacandra's Desināmamāla (1880) has really filled a vacuum which can only be explained in eloquent words. This Desināmamāla is a store-house of desi vocables, four thousand, which are not only important for Prakrit studies alone, but also for Indian Philology as a whole. It has recorded words of Indo-Aryan origin side by side with 10th/11th centuries Dravidian vocabularies. Recently a Desi-sabda-kośa (1988) is published by the Jain Vishva Bharati, Ladnun. This is, in a sense, the first of its kind in modern times.
However, for nearly one hundred and fifty years the discoveries of Prakrit have been immense. It covers the Jaina canonical literatures
of both Svetambara and Digambara Jains, the Niryuktis and the Curnis of the canonical texts, the Prakrit Mahākāvyas, lyrics, historical Kavyas, narrative literature (Kathanaka-kävyas), grammar, metres, rhetorical works, and lexicographical treatises, and similar other works of repute. In a sense, a vast amount of Prakrit literature has been discovered throughout the centuries, where scholars, editors and authors have shown their critical acumen and long standing perseverence for unearthing lost and precious works of Prakrit literature. The amount of Prakrit literature discovered so far can go on a par with Sanskrit literature as a whole. It has produced works in all departments of human knowledge. Today Prakrit has reached such a state that it needs revaluation of the studie: done so far.