Sambodhi 1977 Vol 06

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 73

Prākrit studies
67
in the subject and there is much scope too for investigation. Only the sincere scholars devoted to task, can achieve some success in the task. We may take here for discussion one or two problems as specimens.
There is much doubt regarding the character and application of the Prākrit dialects and one can hardly get a precise picture of the latter from a study of their account as laid down in the dramaturgical texts and Prākrit grammars. The Nātyaśāstra of Bharata suggests that in a Sanskrit Drama there may occur Prakrit dialects like Māgadhi, Avantijā, Pracya, Sauraseni, Ardha-māgadhi, Bāhlika and Dākşinātya, which the text designates as Bhāsās. Besides these there may occur also the less familiar specches, like Śäkäri, Abhiri, Cündāli, Sabari, Dramili and Andhrajā ctc, which are recognised as Vibhāṣās. There is a detailed statement about the persons, who should speak such speeches and here the speakers of one speech are surely different from those of another. In the Sāhitya-darpaņa also a similar statement occurs, which mentions the Prākrit speeches like Sauraseni, Māhārāştri, Māgadhi, Ardha-māgadhi, Prācyā, Avantijā, Dākşinātyā, śābari (or Sākāri), Bahlikā, Drāvidi, Abhiri, Candāli and Paiçacı.
Now one should note here that there is certainly disagreement between the statements, that we obtain from two different sources (i.e, from Bharata and Visvanātha). Secondly in the Prākrit grammars, which are considered early and have got some authenticity many of these dialects are ignored. In the Prākrta-prakasa of Vararuci we find only four dialects--namely Prakrit (i.e. Mahārāstri), Saurasasení, Māgadhi and Paisāci. Hemacandra adds to these Ārsa (i.e. Ardha-magadhi), Cūlikāpa isācikā and Apabhramsa. Hemacandra is followed in this matter by Trivikrama, Sirnharāja, Narasiṁha and Lakşmidhara, but with one distinction that while Trivikrama excludes Arsa from the account, the others i.e. Simharāja, Narasimha and Laksmidhara do not mention the speech at all. It becomes evident then that many of the Prākrit dialects mentioned both by Bharata and Visvanātha have remained beyond the knowledge of the grammarians of Prākrit or the latter purposely avoided such speeches.
There is another fact also. Barring the Mịccha katika most of the Sanskrit dramas have used a very restricted number of Prākrits, namely Mahārāşırı, Sauraseni and Māgadhi. Sauraseni is used as the principal Prakrit speech, to be utilised by those noble characters both male and female, who are debarred from speaking Sanskrit. Māhāraştri appears as the speech of songs of the speakers of Sauraseni and Māgadhi is set in the mouths of those, who are inferior in rank and are mostly outcastes. So the actual conditions of the Prakrits, as used in the Sanskrit dramas, do not agree with the statements either of the Natyaśāstra or of the Sahityadarpana,
We have stated before that in the Mrcchakati ka there is a number of Prakrit dialects, which are conspicuously absent in other Sanskrit dramas.