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Grammatical Riddles from Jain works
a-kārādy-anubandhānāṁ dhātūnāṁ nāma kiṁ vada ? (AC 2.61) parasmaipadam. muniḥ parasmai na ślāghate sva-guṇādhikaṁ dharmam na jñāpayati, api tu sva-nindāṁ para-praśaṁsāṁ ca karotīty arthaḥ, śabda-jātiḥ [Ed. śābdījātiḥ].
Who is it that the ascetic does not praise ?-An other person parasmai How is an inflected nominal stem called ?-A word padam Tell, which name is given to the roots having the anubandha a, etc. ?— parasmaipadam
Now, the wording of the first and the third questions and their respective answers are obviously unfitting. The explanation of the first answer given by the author is rather tortuous, unconvincing and contradicts the answer parasmai. Further, parasmaipadam cannot apply to roots possessing the anubandha a, on the contrary, this vowel normally "indicates the placing of the Atmanepada affixes after them, if it be uttered as anudātta and of affixes of both the padas if uttered svarita25."
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Once again, a look at the VMM helps to restore the proper text because it immediately appears that Ajitasena borrowed from it. In all editions and manuscripts we read :
na ślāghate khalaḥ kasmai? sup-tin-antam kim ucyate?
lādeśānāṁ navānāṁ ca tināmṁ kim nāma kathyatām? (VMM 2.61) Who is it that the wicked fellow does not praise ?-An other person parasmai
How is an inflected nominal stem called ?-A word padam
What is the name given to the nine verbal endings having la as their substitute? parasmaipadam
The contents of the first question and its answer are in agreement with common sense of observation, and the answer to the third question is in agreement with grammatical theory: lah parasmaipadam (Pān. 1.4.99)26. Now, on the other hand a part of the manuscript tradition, mirrored in the common Indian editions of the VMM. also adds another stanza 27:
satatam ślāghate kasmai nico ? bhuvi kim uttamam ?
kartary api rucādīnāṁ dhātūnāṁ kiṁ padaṁ bhavet? (VMM 2.62) Who is it that the mean fellow always praise ?-Himself atmane What is the best thing on earth ?-A place padam
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