Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

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

Page 145

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Drāvidi for South Indian tribal people, south of Vindya mountain..
Audri : Tribes of Orissa, working for mud-houses. Māgadhi, (different from the Māg. bhāsa) ; for pit-diggers, mine-workers, Raksasas and camel tamers,
Sakāri : a special sub-dialect of Eastern Māgadhi. At another place some special classes of men are mentioned. They are called linga-sthas, i.e. wearing specific uniforms, etc. They are Sadhus, Sanyāsys, sramanakas, Buddhistic bhikkhus and Bbikkhuņis. Their speech is governed by other rules presently to be mentioned. Under this class come also Kāpalikas, harlots, tapasvins, Apsarasas, N. S. mentions Bala-bhāşā for childrens but gives no further details.
Rules for use of dialects ; () Certain characters speak the higher dialects and never condescend
to speak the lower one : Kings, Ministers, Pari vrājakas speak Skt. (ii) Certain low-type characters speak their own dialects and never shift to
a higher one; as Candalas, Sābaras, Audras. (iii) Certain cbaracters generally speak a higher dialect, occasionally turn
to the lower one due to circumstances; Crowned Queens, Harlots, etc. They ordinarily speak Saur, but under the influence of drink, intoxication, turn to a lower Pkt. Apsarasas speak Skt. in heaven, but on
earth they speak saur. (iv) Certain characters speaking a lower dialect ordinarily, speak the higher
dialect like Sanskrit or Sauraseni, in order to impress the other and to show their proficiency. Dancing girls, spies and detectives, wearing different dresses and wandering in different localities speak different
languages to suit their purpose. (v) The Vidusaka always speaks Āvanti or Präcyā no matter from what
ever part of India he comes. (vi) The questions of sex, prestige, learning and social status are involved
while distributing the dialects for the stage. Thus the considerations for chosing a dialect for a character are different from those that we fiad in actual daily life, though they are more or less based on the natural
distribution of dialects. i III Writers of Dramas : Let us now see how play-writers have in their actual practice placed different dialects in the mouths of different types of people. For this purpose we have selected about a dozen representative dramas covering the whole period of about 1500 years of the life and activity of Sanskrit plays. They are (arranged chronologically) as follows: Bhāsa : Sw: Kālidāsa: Māl, Vik, śāk, Ŝudraka's Ms; Višākbadatta's Mudrā; Bhavabhuti : Malats-Mā., Bhata Nārā : Venisam, Harsa: Ratnā., Murāri's Anargh; Jaydeva's Prasanna; and Rajas. Karpūra-mañjarı.