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18
DESYA WORDS FROM THE MAHĀPURĀŅA
sakarabhira-canḍala-sabara-dramilandhrajāḥ | hīnā vanecarāṇāṁ ca vibhāṣā nāṭake smṛtā || 17.50 ||
'In the dramatic composition there are, besides many less important dialects, such as the speeches of the Sakaras, Abhiras, Candālas, Śabaras, Odras and the lowly speech of the foresters'.
In Stanzas 54 to 58 dialects of various types are described. 'Sakari should be assigned to the Śakāra and Śakas and other groups of the same nature, and Caṇḍal to the Pulkasas and the like. To char-coal makers, hunters and those who earn their livelihood by collecting wood and leaves should be assigned Sabari as well as the speech of forestdwellers. Abhiri or Sabari has been prescribed for those who live in places where animals like elephants, horses etc. are kept, and Draviḍi for forest-dwellers and the like. Oḍrī is to be assigned to diggers of subterranean passages, prison-warders, grooms for horses and Heroes and others like them while in difficulty are also to use Magadhi for self-protection'.
Stanzas 59 to 63 describe the distinguishing features of various local dialects.
"The regions that lie between the Ganges and the sea, abound in people speaking a language rich in -e-, the people residing in the regions that lie between the Vindhyas and the sea speak a language rich in -na-. People of Surastra and Avanti speak a language abounding in -ca-, people living in the Himalayas, Sindu and Sauvira speak a language abounding inu and the people who live on the bank of the Carmanvati river around the Arvuda mountain speak a language abounding in -o-,1
(ii) From Kavyadarśa of Dandin (600-680 A. D.)
tadetad vanmayam bhūyaḥ samskṛtain prākṛtam yatha | apabhramsas ca misram cety ahur aryaś caturvidham || 1.32 ||
'All this literature, from another point of view, the authorities declare as being four-fold: Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramśa and Mixed'. samskṛtam nāma daivi vāg anvākhyātā mahaṛṣibhiḥ |
tadbhavas tatsamo desity anekaḥ prakṛtakramaḥ || 1.33 ||
'Great sages have defined Sanskrit as divine speech. There are many varieties in Prakrit such as 'derived from it (Sanskrit)', 'similar to it' and Dest (a type of Prakrit peculiar to the region)'.
(ii) From Lilaval of Kouhala (800 A. D.)
emeya muddha-juyat-manohara pāyayae bhasae | paviraladesisulakkham kahasu kaham divva-māṇusiyam || 41 ||
1. See Natyaśästra ascribed to Bharata, English translation, Ghosh, M., Calcutta, 1950, pp. 323-334,
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