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भ० महावीर स्मृति-प्रध।
tised language of Vedic Rcligion, Cssayed to propagate bis own Gospel through the medium of the Ardhamāgadhi. The Aupapātskasätra No 56 tells us
Bhagayam Mahāvīrc... Addhamagahác bhāsāc bhāsai, arıhä Dhammam parikahel Tesim savvesim Ariyamanārıyānam ........ Dhammam
äikkhai. That language, the Sätra goes on to say, had the miraculous virtue of being understood by the entire Congregation-Aryan as well as Non-Aryanas though the servon was preached through the individual Mothertongues of the diversified audience :
Sä vı ya nam Addhamāgahā bhāsā tesim savyesim Āriyamanāngānam appano sabhāsãe parināmenam parinama. There could not bere of course be any question of the Canon being actually rendered into the diverse current languages of the day. There is no evidence, not much likelihood of this having ever happened Darring an appeal to miracle, all that this, in soberness, can mean is that the 'subjects' that Lord Mahāvira essayed to discuss in bis sermons ( and a list whereof he immediately gives ) were-as distinguished from the "arid profundities of the Vedic Religion-so simple and of such a direct, appeal that they heat straight into the hearts of all listeners. In a somewhat technical ( or mystic) sepse this can mean that although the 'Vaikhari' and the "Madhyamā forms of the various languages current in the audience differed, theu "Paśyanti" forms agreed, and it was to that common form that the Lord Mahāvira rade his appeal and thereby succeeded in making his teaching fully comprehended by all
Curiously enough the same problem was raised by the Buddhist disciples of Gotama Buddha In the Cullavagga ( V.33 ) we read :
Te bhikkhu Bhagavantam etad avocum; "Etarhi Bhante bhikkhu nānānāmā nānagottā Dānājaccã nânākolā pabbajitä, te sakāya niruttiya Buddhavacanam düsenti, banda mayam Bhante Buddhavacanam Chan
daso äropemā" ti. The diversified Buddhist Congregation, hailing from all ranks and castes, high and low, felt the need of a common medium of communication and instruction, and the bhikkhus wbo, in the present case, were "Brāhmanajātikā Lalyānavācā kalyanavākkaranä'' proposed the rendering of the Canon into Sansknt' so as to prevent the possiblity of its being misunderstood and
1 Buddhaghosa explains': Chandaso áropemā ti., Vedam vya Salbaçabhāsāya vicanāmaggam āropeme ( Sabkata = Sanskrit ]
