Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

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

Page 17

Faculteit Der
Letteren En Wijsbegeerte
(viii)
Dear Colleague Professor Chandra.
......I am delighted to hear that your country is keeping up the sound tradition of Its Seminars on Prakrit Studies.
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT, Gent, Blandijnberg, 2 12-3-1973.
......One regrets to ascertain that not all the centres of Indological studies have fully realized this fact that the truly scientific study of Modern Indian languages - and even that of Sanskrit, I daresay,-is altogether unthinkable without a proper knowledge of the Prakrits. I would like to add a word on the main desiderata of our discipline, Ernest BENDER (in: Current Trends in Linguistics, 5 (1969), p. 48) enumerated a few of them: comprehensive Prakrit and Apabhramsa dictionaries and grammars, a 'study in depth' of Jain Sanskrit, Periodical records listing the names (I would add: addresses) of scholars working in the MIA domain and giving information on their work. ......I cannot well see, even in the next decades, the creation of (quoting the said author's words) 'an extensive, fully documented Prakrit dictionary' (a kind of Super-Paia-Sadda-Mahaṇṇavo). But perhaps, in a not too remote future, the critical study of the Svetambara Canon will be brought to a degree of completion, a uniform critical edition of the Agama and of both a comprehensive Ardhamagadhi grammar and a critical Ardhamagadhi dictionary.
......Many a useful work is conceivable also in the overall field of MIA linguistics: MIA syntax, for one thing, in my opinion, badly needs more advanced investigation.
Suniti Kumar Chatterji National Professor India in Humanities
of
...... May I enclose my salute and best wishes to you and all the members of the Seminar which I hope will be a grand success!
Sincerely Yours,
Prof. Dr. Jozef Deleu Department of Indology University of Ghent, Belgium,
Dear Dr. Chandra,
......I am sure the Seminar you are going to hold will be very useful. Could you not broach the question of having a Prakrit and Apabhramsa
'Sudharma
16, Hindusthan Park, Calcutta-29. 12-3-73