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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
82
VII, Language and Style The literary medium cultivated by the mediaeval Jaina writers of Western India is a type of mixed Sanskrit which is significantly styled as 'Vernacular Sanskrit' by Dr. Hertel and as 'Jaina Sanskrit' by scholars like Prof. Bloomfield, Dr. A. N. U pádbye and $11 M. D. Desāi, probably on the analogy of Gatha-Sanskrit of the Buddhist texts termed by Dr. Edgerton as Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit'. There is, however, a very important difference between the two viz. that the so-called . Taina Sanskritis fundamentally based on the grammatical and other traditions of Classical Sans. krit, while the Gatha-Sanskot' is mostly Sanskritized Páli. The salient features of Jaina Sanskrit' are back-formations, byper-Sanskritisms and Prakritic and dialectical or regional influence on the syntax giving rise to solecisms arising from ungrammatical Sanskrit and Prakritism, ignoring of delicate gram alical distinctions and tendency towards simplification on the language". In short, it can be described as simple, popular, colloquial, regional Sanskrit as contrasted to the highly clevatel Classical Sanskrit, and, as such, it reminds us of the language and style of the great Epics and the Pu anas.
The Laghu-nrubandhu-saugraha, being a Pruvardha-work of the thirteenth century as it is, shares evidently these linguistic features. Though the wiiole work is written in Sanskrit, at places Prākrit aud Old Gujarati words, expressions, phrases, clauses and even sentences are introduced. Occasionally even noir Sanskrit paragraphs and verses are met with. This evidently gives a powerlul colloquial toucls, which fact, however, makes the language difficult, if not impossible, to understand for those who have no knowledge of the Präkiits or the regional language.
As lo orthographical peculiarity, two glaring instances will suffice for our purpose. Jayasimha at times becomes Jayasinghu 18.2) since the latter is the colloquial form of the name. Likewise the name of the king Paramare ddin is spelt here as Paruntid: (1.9; 25.14 ) as well as Parimadi 1 25.13) and never as Paramarddir. There are copious instancus of abnormal Sanchi, Sandhi is observed very loosely. It is observed at one place and not observed at another in the same sentence. Instances of double Sunuhi are also met with; e.g. tasyah ayre is rendered as fasya'gre (12.8 ) the intermediate stage whereof will naturally be tusy agre. Instances of definitely wrong Sindhi are
* Even non-Jaina texts of the mediaeval age clisplay this feature, to cite but one instance, vids Kobyarka-mühitinya, VII. 34:
"gati Mr W olf que 79: 1 Q . A age I
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