________________
132
the vocabulary of numerous passages of the Srigáramañjari.
The Srngaramarjari has numerous passages of personal and of natural description (desriptions of seasons, evening, night, moon-rise ctc.) in highly ornate style, customarily found in the Gadya Kavyas and Campūs. The languages of these passages in the Gaudi Riti i.e. in highly ornate style is characteristically Standard Sanskrit. On the other hand the narrative passages are mostly in a simpler style and their Sanskrit has an admixture of words and expressions which derive from MIA. (i. e. Prakrit and colloquial usages). They appear either in the original form, or Sanskritzed, partly or fully.
The wider implications of the words and expressions noted here from the Srngāramanjari-kathā are quite significant for the history of Sanskrit as a literary medium. Here we have a Sanskrit kathā in prose in highly omate classical style written by a non-jain polymath of Sanskrit learning, in which words of Prakrit or obscure origin are used without literary inhibitions. The type of Sanskrit used in the Sriigārmanjari is representatve of a continuous trend in later literary Sanskrit.
Notes 1. This usage is frequently found in the 'Desya' Sanskrit of later Jaina Prahandhas. Note for example the following instances from Merutunga's Prabandhacintamani :
facit
cafe p. 117, 1. 29. UC1229sf p. 7, 1. 5. FTTETTHET p. 117, 1.11 F918747116T p. 33, 1, 24 GT HRT p. 50, 1. 13 Some others have been noted in GAV. p. 361-362
2. For early proper names and their discussion see MKG, Jain-pustaka-prasasti-sangraha by Muni Jimavijay; Jain-Dhātupratimälekha samgraha by Lakshmanbhai Bhojak (to be shortly published by B. L. Institute of Indology, Delhi); BV, pp 80-88.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
