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प्राकृतसर्वस्वम् ।
29. Most of the characteristic features of Avanti found in PS tally with those given in PK and PA. The rules of Mk bear closer resemblance with Rt's than with Pu's rules. The main features of Avanti which are common to Mk and Rt are:- sadrkṣa sariccha; ktvā tuna; bhavati = hoi; and darsayati darisedi.
The characteristic terminations of the future base are -jja and -jja and these may also come between the root and regular termination.
76
None of the grammarians except Mk illustrates Avanti and Bahliki. Mk quotes a line illustrating Avanti: : एस किरादो मअमणुसरंतो वेदसलआगहणं पइट्ठो - This hunter chasing the deer entered into the cane-forest. In it kirado and vedaso are two Ś words whereas the rest are in M. As for Bahliki he similarly quotes a line from .some unknown source : सलसिलुहसोलब्भणिब्भलो मालुदो वहइ - The wind bearing the fragrance of lotus is blowing. Here it will be seen how has replaced r. Rt's definition regarding Avanti or Bähliki as the mixture of Ś and Pracya is not substantiated by facts either by the author himself or by literature. Again this kind of definition is somewhat confusing, for Pracya borrows mostly from Ś itself. Thus Mk of all would appear most reasonable in rejecting Bāhliki and taking Avanti as a separate bhāṣā.
1
There is every reason to suppose that in ancient times there was large-scale business transaction between the people of two countries, Avanti (Central India) and Bahlika (the modern Balkh) which was the cause of so striking resemblance between the languages of these two countris. Both Bh. and Viśva
35. See Mk's localisation of Avnati.
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