Mahapurana of Puspdanta

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

Page 38

NATURE OF DESYA ELEMENT
unfolding others' faults! It suffices to say that this is said in order to remove any possible misunderstanding'.
If we analyse these verses with a view to see what according to Hemacandra was the subject matter and the scope of his work we find that:
(1) Firstly he intends to include those words which are not hitherto explained in his grammar, Siddhahema. This means, words which are not derivable from Sanskrit by application of rules of his grammar, i. e., those which are not derivable by compounding Prakṛti and Pratyaya (root and suffix). This does not mean that he has exhaustively included all such words in the Deśināmamālā. There is an apparent exception relating to some Desi verbal bases, as noted by Hemacandra himself in the Dešināmamālā.1. He has also excluded from this Desi compilation Dhatvādeśas or verbal substitutes and their derivatives. The reason is not that they are not Desis, but because according to his plan of arrangements their proper place is in Prakrit grammar. As he says, and rightly so, this serves the purpose of economy."
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(2) Secondly, he includes words which are not known in Sanskrit lexicons. That is, words which are not current in Sanskrit dictionaries known to him, in the same form or sense. These are the words, which eventhough they may be derivable from Sanskrit and explained by separation into root and suffix, are recorded here as Desis because they have changed their original sense. In other words, they were not found in Sanskrit lexicons in the sense which they acquired in Prakrit.
(3) One may contend that when a particular word is used not in the primary sense, but in the secondary sense such usage can be looked upon as involving a change of sense. In that case all Sanskrit words, whenever they are used in a secondary sense would become eligible to be called Desis. Hence Hemacandra specifically states that the changed meaning that entitled a Sanskritic word to be classed as Desi should not be such as can be easily explained through Gaunilakṣaṇā or usual metaphorical mode of expression. When any such usual secondary extension of meaning fails to account for the change, the word is taken to be a Dest.
(4) Fourthly, Hemacandra excludes those words which were currently used in provincial or regional dialects. His concept of Desi is not totally identical with regional dialects, that is, words current in spoken dialects of the Desas like Mahārāṣṭra, Vidarbha, Abhira and others.3 The reason for excluding these provincial expressions of day-to-day speech is that they are innumerable. If he includes these, the number of Desi words will be 1. Desināmamälä, I, 37 Commentary. 2. Deśīnāmamālā, I, 3 Commentary. 3. Deśināmamälä, I, 57 Commentary,