Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

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

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times have conceded to the popular languages the right to be the sole vehicle of cultured communication: that is why in Europe Latin and in our country Sanskrit eventually came to be replaced by the national language of our times. Thus it is that a modern student of the lingulstic scene should find it instructive to learn how the near-popular Prakrit Languages sought to perform in olden times in India functions which the popular languages are seeking to perform to-day throughout the world.
(II) In relation to the modern languages of India (belonging to the Aryan group) the Prakrits act not only as an example of how to compete with high-flown language like Sanskrit but also as a relatively close ancestor. In view of what has already been said that should be only natural, For the modern languages of India are respective daughters of the popular languages of olden times, and if the Prakrit languages stood closer to the contemporary popular languagues than did Sanskrit then the corollary ought to be that the Prakrit Languages are a closer kin to the modern languages of India than is Sanskrit, Thus it is that a modern student of Indian linguistic scene should find it instructive to learn how the Prakrit languages exhibited tendencies that gradually got crystallized in this way or that in this modern Indian language or that.
rich
(III) For students of Jainism the Jaina Prakrit Literature is a source of certain highly unique material. Thus
are
(1) a good number of really old poetic pieces and pieces of speculation found preserved in the Ardhamagadhi Canon of the Svetämbara Jainas (occasionally subjected to commentation in Prakrit).
(2) The Digambara text Satkhaṇḍagama stands at the head of a vast Karma-literature composed in Prakrit by the Digambaras as well as Śvetambaras.
(3) A large number of more or less works have been composed in Prakrit Śvetambaras as well as Digbmbaras.
highly successful light-literary (including Apabhramśa) by the
all serious
In view of the fact that the Jaina Prakrit literature is the most stupendous and most solidly built part of the Prakrit literature a general acquaintance with the Jaina Prakrit literature is a must for students of Prakrit just as a general acquaintance with Prakrit is a must for all serious students of a modern Indian language. This necessitates the consideration of a point of cardinal importance and that as follows.
are
The Brahmanical and the Jaina are our two exclusive sources for procuring Prakrit texts but the Brahmanical such sources inadequate in the extreme. For one thing, the Brahmanical authors never developed the tradition of undertaking theoretical discussions in Prakrit; and as for the