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VERSIONS OF ASOKA'S MINOR ROCK EDICT
85
in d, j, G. Among the versions of the minor rock edict, ru gives the base eti- twice, cf. etină (instr.) and etiya (dat.). Similarly though idam gives forms with the normal base ima-, it also shows non-eastern imi-16 in imisa S and imină G. With this we may compare iminā in br, sd, and yr among MRE.
The change a >i is also noticed in the non-eastern versions of MRE in the future ending -siti which varies with the eastern ending -sati (-syati). This change may be explained as palatalisation of the vowel.? Thus we have vadhisiti ru, mk, kpb, yr, br, sd, but vadhisati s, b. Now in S we have the future ending -śati in forms like vadhisati etc. where the vowel a is preserved due to eastern influence, but the palatalisation is even then seen in the sibilant , > s. The vocalic change a >i in the future ending may thus be regarded as a north-western characteristic.19
(4) The vowel 2 : In yr we get the non-eastern form garu (guru). with the vowel a (which was also found in the Mysore versions). cf.
10.
Pal:
17.
Pali has iminā (and amină) in mas. and imissã and imissam in fem., GEIGER $108. JM, S, and Mg. have imină. PISCHEL § 430. BLOCH, op. cit. p. 69 ob serves."Ces formes à i intérieur (i.e. forms imissu, imissä and imină), auxquelles il faut joindre dans l'autre démonstratif gén. sg. Sh. M. K, etissa et Rup. instr. etină (mais dans Rup. etiyn atthaya datif, le premier mot doit être une graphie ou une lecture fautive pour etāya) reposent sans doute sur l'interrogatif, où le thème lci- du neutre s'est étendu au delà de son domaine primitif." This is, however, unlikely, for the variation a : i shows geographical distinction and should be related to the north-western tendency to change a to i as shown above. For a similar change of a i in the presence of y, cf. muli 'price', esvari 'ownership’ and arogi 'health in the Niya Prakrit, of. BURROW 89. For future, BURROW $ 99 gives both the endings -isyati and wisati. Pāli has sometimes i for a in the future ending when h appears for & in the Gāthā dialect, cf. karihiti for karissati etc. GEIGER $ 150, § 151, § 153. Among later Prakrits, Māh., JM and Amg. have similar endings with i vowel, besides the usual endings with the a vowel: -ihisi and -ihiż or -ihi. Hemacandra (4.275) gives -insidi for Saurasen! as well. According to the same grammarian (4.302) the same ending seems to have extended even to Măgadhi in bhavissidi (PISCHEL & 520). In ru once we have vadhisata which is to be read as vadhisiti, HULTZSCH, D. 167, f.n. 8. The form vadhisiti is regarded as eastern by TURNER, BSOS 6.532 (1931). This does not seem to be justified in the first instance because the tendency to change a to į is found in the north-west, and secondly because among the versions of the minor rock edict, the one at s (and b) which can be regarded as eastern gives vadhisati and not siti. The form likhiyisāmi occurring in D XIV 2 does not show the change ayi iyi as TURNER (op. cit., p. 532, and also HULTZSCH, p. xcix) would take it to be, but it is obviously influenced by likhite which immediately precedes it, cf. bahuke ca lilchite likhiyis[ami]. Similarly vadhiyisati of K (IV. 11) is either influenced by vadhite which precedes it, or like vadhiyati, which also occurs in K, it may be due to confusion with the future base vadhiin vadhisati.
18.
19.
Madhu Vidya/270
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