Mahapurana of Puspdanta

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

Page 34

NATURE OF DEŚYA ELEMENT
28 According to Somadeva three languages are Sanskrit, Prakrit and Deśabhāṣā. 1
(iii) From Vāgbhațălarkāra of Vagbhața (1123-1156 A, D,) . Apabhramsas tu yacchuddhaṁ tattaddeśeşu bħāșitam // 2.3. //
'Apabhramśis that which is purely (i, e. not mixed with any other language) spoken in the individual lands, Commentary of Simhadevagani on Vāgbhatālankāra 2.3a)
yatt eșu teşu karnātapañcaladişu śuddham a parabhāṣābhir amisritam
bhasitam so'a pabhrañso bhavatity arthah /
That which is spoken in countries like Karnāta, Pāñcāla etc. purely, unmixed by other languages is Apabhramsa'.
From these passages it is clear that the term 'Deś?', 'Desya' etc. had partly different connotation. Hence all occurrences and usages of Deśya cannot be taken to have one unique meaning. The connotation of the terms 'Desi etc. as a particular type of Prakrit, later on, when the deśī glossaries and lexicons started, acquired a specialised connotation, namely, a collection of words, elements of literary vocabulary, which was not easily and obviously derivable from standard Sanskrit usage as understood at that time. Peculiar regional words which penetrated Prakrit and Apabhramsa literature were particularised traditionally and they acquired a literary convention.
The interpretations of the terms deśī etc. according to modern scholars are as follows:
(1) MW.-Desi (Bhaşa) = 'the vulgar dialect of a country (opposed
to Sk.), provincialism' (MBH.)
Deśaja' country born '. (2) Apte-Dest='the dialect of a country, one of the varieties of Pk.
dialects.' Vācaspatya-Deśıbhāṣā=deśa-pracalita bhașa. (4) PSM.-Deśī = "bhaşāvišeșa, atyantaprāc in prākrit bhāṣā ka ek bhed." (5) Jaināgamasabdasangraha Ratarcandraji-Desibhāṣā="atyanta prācina prākrt
bhaşā kā ek bhed." (6) Kittel-Desī=' the language or dialect of a country.'
Desy=desiyaa' local, provincial, native.' Destya-pada- a word belonging to a native dialect or
language.' desīya 'a provincial or dialectal term" 1. See Jacobi, Introduction to Bh., J, O. I., vol. V, no. 1, p. 33; Jain, H., Ap. Bhāşā
aur Sahitya, Nāgari Pracãini Patrikā, year 50, vol. 3-4, p. 105.