Prolegomena to Prakritica et Jainica

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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CLASSIFICATION OF PRAKRIT
SUMITRA MANGESH KATRE
It follows from our wide generalisation regarding the term Prakrit that we have to consider a number of languages and dialects which the earlier grammarians did not include within their scope, in order to make our study of MIA as comprehensive as possible. We can, therefore, divide the whole of the MIA linguistic material into several categories—not necessarily into temporal categories such as Old, Middle and Late Prakritaccording to the type of literature where these dialects are attested. In this manner we have the following scheme: (1) Religious Prakrits : Pāli, the language of the
southern Buddhist Canon and post-canonical works; Ardhamāgadhi the language of the oldest Jaina Sūtras, also described as Ārşa; the Jaina varieties of Māhārāştri and Saurasenī, and Apabhraíśa attested in the narrative literature forming an extensive branch of Jaina literature. Literary : Māhārāştri, Sauraseni, Māgadhi; Paiśāci and Apabhramsa with their sub-varieties. Dramatic : Māhārāştri, Sauraseni, Māgadhi and their varieties; Old Ardhamāgadhi attested in the plays of Ašvaghoşa; minor dialects such as Dhakki
or sākki. (4) The Prakrits described by the Grammarians :
these include five or six dialects attested in Sanskrit plays and in MIA narrative literature such as Māhārāştri, Sauraseni, Magadhi, Paisāci, Culikā Paisāci and Apabhramsa, with several dialects. In this category we should include the description of Prakrits given in rhetorical or