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118
H.C. Bhayani
The above-given brief and rather unsystematic account of the peculiarities of the Prakrit of STv, suggests several important conclusions: (1) It confirms our view that STv. mostly reproduces the original verses of the Taramgavai. (2) It provides internal evidence in support of the Jain tradition that assigned Padalipta's Taramgavai to the period of the Sātavāhanas of Pratișthāna (i.e. to the beginning centuries of the Christian era). (3) It indirectly confirms the early date for Vh. suggested by Alsdorf. (4) It shows early Jaina-Māhārāștrī as a literary dialect full of vigour and vividness.
It will not be out of place to reproduce here Alsdorf's concluding remarks about the language of Vh. They are equally pertinent to the language of Taramgavai :
Vh. has presented us a picture of JM (i.e. Jaina-Māhārāștri) materially different from that which is familiar to us from P(i.e. Pischel's Prakrit grammar) and JErz. (i.e. Jacobi's Ausgewahlte Erzalungen in Mahārāştri). Its main features are : first an even much closer affinity to AMg (i. e. Ardhamāgadbī) than that prevailing between ordinary JM and AMg (cf. P $ 20). We are markedly nearer the time when JM came first into being as an individual dialect, distinct from AMg. Secondly a great number of archaisms and other interesting peculiarities which not only in themselves are valuable additions to our knowledge, but also help to elucidate many a dark point of Pkt. (i.e. Prakrit) grammar and linguistic history. Ultimately the great problems of the origin and true character of AMg and JM, of their development and their relations to each other as well as to the other Pkt dialects, the Pali etc. are raised anew and demand new answers.?
Notes
1. 'The Vasudevahindi, a specimen of Archaic Jaina-Mahārāștri', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 8, 2-3, 319-333.
I offer the present paper as an humble tribute to Late Dr. Alsdorf who made so many valuable contributions to the field of Prakrit and other Indological studies. The present paper is in a way a continuation of my earlier paper 'Some Prakrit Verses of Padalipta and the Authenticity of the Taramgalolā,' Vishva Bandhu Commemoration Volume (= Vishveshvaranand Indological Journal, 12, 1-2) 1974,
26-32. 2. Edited by Kasturvijay-gaņi, 1944. Due to defective Mss and other reasons the
edition gives a text full of errors. A partially emended and restored text of STv. with Gujarati translation is being serially published in Sambodhi, 4,2, July 1975 and the following issues. E. Lewmann had published his German translation of this work in 1921 under the title 'Die Nonne'.
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