Mahapurana of Puspdanta

Author(s): Ratna N Shriyan
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 24

NATURE OF DESYA ELEMENT
'Song is of two types, Sanskrit and Prakrit The third type is Apabhrasta which oh king, has endless varieties in accordance with the Lumberless particular regional dialects.'
samskṛtaiḥ prakṛtair vakyair yaḥ sisyam anurupataḥ | desabhaṣadyupayais ca bodhayet sa guruḥ smrtaḥ //1
'He is known as a preceptor, who would teach his students with the help of appropriate sentences in Sanskrit, Prakrit and local spoken dialects.'
(xii) From Banabhaṭṭa (647 A. D.)
(a) sikṣitāśeşadeśabhāṣena sarvalipijnena /2
[Kadambari ]
'By one who was taught all the regional dialects and who knew all the scripts.'
(b)
1.
Harṣacarita
In a list of his companions, Bāņa mentions his dear friend Iśāna,3 a Bhāṣākavi, that is, a poet composing in the bhasa, as distinguished from the Prakrit poet named Vayuvikara. Bhāṣā perhaps refers to the popular local dialect distinct from literary Prakrit. Perhaps this Iśāna is the same as mentioned by Puspadanta in his Mahāpurāṇa
ṇāloiu kai īsāņu bāņu 1, 9, 5.
'I have not seen (the works) of poets like Isana, Bana (and others).' (xiii) From Kuvalayamala Katha (779 A. D.)
tattha ya pavisamänena diṭṭhe aneya-desabhāsālakkhie desavanie / tam jahā
'On entering there were seen merchants distinguished by various local dialects. Thus
In the following verses the characteristics of different local dialects are described.
13
'Gollakas were seen there, speaking with expressions like 'are re'; the Madhyadeśyas were seen speaking with expressions like 'tere mere ão'; the Magadhas were seen talking with words 'ege le'; Antarvedyas were speaking 'kitto kimmo jia', Kiras were found talking 'sari va ri'; Takkas were uttering 'aham teham'; Saindhavas were heard speaking 'cauda ya me'; Maravas were speaking 'appa, tuppa'; Gaurjaras were saying 'nau re bhallau'; Latiyas were uttering 'amhamha käim tumha mittu'; Malaviyas were seen speaking
As quoted by Gandhi, L. B., in Apabhramsa-kavyatrayi, p. 95.
As quoted by Gandhi, L. B., in Apabhraṁśa-kavyatrayī, 95.
2.
3.
See Harṣacarita of Baṇabhaṭṭa, Lcchväsa I.
4. As quoted by Gandhi, L. B., in Apabhrama-kavya-trayi. p. 91.