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About The Volume This volume aims at contributing to a much better understanding and fuller appreciation and enjoyment of Prakrit poetry. It chiefly consists of four parts: Introduction, Translation, Glossary and Notes. (a) The Introduction shows for the first time how Prakrit verses have greatly influenced Sanskrit alaskārikas in the formulation, exposition and elucidation of their theories of Sanskrit poetry. It provides the reader sufficient information in one place, about the Prakrit poetic works from which the alaskārikas have drawn their illustrative verses. It brings out the importance of the Prakrit poetry that was a gold-mine to these writers. It attempts to disabuse the minds of scholars who talk lightly, even contemptuously about Prakrit language and literature. It meets the charge of obscenity against Prakrit poetry which is highly erotic but surely not obscene. (b) The Translation, which is neither free nor literal, aims at accuracy, lucidity and readability. A very large number of illustrative verses — mainly gathās and skandhakas not found in the extant Prakrit works are translated into readable English for the first time. (c) The Glossary, explains mostly the unfamiliar or unusual words with their corresponding Sanskrit terms and English equivalents. (d) The Notes, lay emphasis on the literary beauty of the Prakrit verses and try to explain everything concerning them without which the full import of the verses would not be clear.
