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G. H. Schokker
NŠ XVII, 47 magadhy avantija pracya sauraseny ardhamugadh bahlika dakşınatya ca sapta bhzşah prakīrtitah "Magad br, Avants, Pracya, Sauraseni, Ardbamagadbi, Babjika and
Dækşinatya are known as the seven major vernaculars" But among them Bharata seems to assign the first place to Sauraseat for he discusses it separately in a passage preceding the one quoted above. This also appears from the way in which Bharata in this passage deals with Saurason. After discussing the age of Sanskrit, and Prakrit in gene. ral in the drama, 12 Bhacata goes on88 to stato ;
NB. XVII, 45-46 sarvasu eva hi suddhusu jatisu doljasattamah
Saurasenim samasritya bhaşan karyeşu yojayet *athava chandatah karya desabhuşa prayoktybhile nanadeśasamuttham h kavyarks bhavati nafake “For among all the pare commodities there are the Brahmins, in tho poemg one should assiga a language based on Saurasons to them (1. e. the pure communities)" "Or, according to thelr wish, the actors may use a local language,
because in the drama poetry springs from various countries" According to Bharata, the characters who belong to the pure communlties (suddhajatt) but - a8 18 implied by the context - do not speak Sanskrit may use either a language based on Sauraseny (saurasenith samuftitya bhaşa) or, if they wish, & local language (debabhasa). L. Nitti-Dolol Interestingly points out that, by contrasting Sa drason with the local lan. guages, Bharata seems to underline the universal nature of Saurasons."
In Bharata's view, indeed, Sauraseni 19 not so much as a local language. It only serves to substitute Sanskrit in the case of those charac ters who, though belonging to the pure communities, are not ontitled to speak the sacred language: When he deals with the use of the seven major yernaculars (bhaşa) in the drama, Bharata 10 particular montiong the characters who speak Sauraseni, Thoy are fomale characters of high class liko the heroine (naylka) and her friends (sakhi).
Nś. XXII, 50 b nayikanan sakhinam ca faraseny avirodhınt
"Sauraseny 18 saited to the heroines and her friends'' Thus Sauragcor represents the conversational language of the high class female characters who are not entitled to speak Sanskrit, vize, the
