Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 143

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chief representative. This is the earliest Geographical lay-out, after that obtained from Asokan Edicts, we have about Pkt. Later, langnages were added, their areas were more specifically ear-marked, and so on. From 4, their number grew to 6 in Hemachandra's time, and in Märkandeya we find innumrable dialects and subdialects with various peculiarities of their own.
Although from literary point of view Mabārāṣṭri (or the Prakrit) is held to be the standard form, and other forms like Saur. Mag., Pais. are derived from it, the historical development tells a different tale. Historically, Pais., is the oldest form; Šaur. and Mag. come next to it as twin sisters of East and West; while Mahārāṣṭri developed last. This is very easy to prove by linguistic arguments: (1) The intervocalic single unaspirated stops remained in fact in Pais. but were either softened or elided in Mag. and Saur. while they were completely lost in Mabaraṣṭri E.g. the OI mātā 'mother', remained 'mata' in Paiś, but became 'mada' or (pida etc.) in Sauraseni & Mag., while in Maha. we find māā, pia, etc. This happened to -k-,-g-,-c-,-j-, -t-, -d-, -p-,-y-,-v-. (2) The intervocalic aspirated stops voiced and unvoiced have been retained in Pai.; while the unvoiced aspirates have been softened, i.e.-kh-> -gh-,-th-> -db-, th->-dh-etc. E.g. Pais. katbā; Śaur. kadhā, Māg. kadhā but in Mah. their stop element is totally lost and only the aspiration remains as Skt-katha >Mab. kahā; Skt. sakba Mah.-sāhā; Skt. Magha>Mah.-Maha etc.
Similarly intervocalic -t--tb- -ḍ- remain intact in Pais, but are softened to -d-,-db- and 1.(4) The original dentals are mostly preserved in Pais., but are cerebralised in Saur., Mag, and Mah. (5) Original N remans in Paiś. but becomes -- in the other dialects. (6) The original p, ph and b do not change in Paiś. but are changed to v, h and v respectively in Mag, Saur., and Mah. (6) The original r of the Vedic dialects remains r in Pais, while it becomes 1 in Mag. (7) The three Skt. sibilants are changed to s in Pals., and Saur. and Mah. follow it, while Mag. changes it to $. (8) Morplologically, the suffixes-aniya- remains intact in Pais, while other Pkts. have-anijja-, similarly -tıya> -tijja, etc.
This shows that Pais. stands on the same land as Pāli so far as the change of intervocalic stops is concerned. The treatment of conjuct stops in Pals, is almost the same as that in Pali. The other Pkt. dialects have foll. owed the suit. Thus, historically considered, Pais. represents an earlier stage, the Magadhi and Saur. show next later and the Mahārāṣṭri shows the last stage in the dialectical development. I have not touched Chulikā Pais. as it is insignificant and apparent development of Pais, and is not used at all in Sanskrit dramas. The net result of the study of Pkts, in Gram, is that we have obtained a reliable information about the lay-out of Prakrits,