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$1401/37827-5FA1388€
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8819
Book : Restoration of the Original Language of Ardha māgadhi Texts, Author : K. R. Chandra ( Formerly H. 0. D. of Prakrit and Pali School of Language, Gujrat University, Ahmedabad ), Publisher : Prakrit Jaina Vidya Vikas Fund, Ahmedabad, Year of Publication : 1994, 375, Saraswati Nagar, Azad Society Ahmedabad - 380 015, No. of pages : 104, Price : Rs. 80.00.
Dr. K. R. Chandra is a renowned scholar and a true researcher in the field of Texual Criticism of Prakrit language. I had the privilege of writing a review on his earlier book entitled ‘परम्पराTa sret 2017 ob 2 Bit 378fArtei' which has been published in last issue of Sramaņa.
Dr. Chandra's erudiction and critical insight make him a keen observer of the linguistic peculiarities of Jaina canons. His main effort in this book is to find out and ascertain the original form of the Ardhamāgadhi, the language of the sacred Jaina canons, as there are are many variants found in diffrent editions, recensions and manuscripts.
At the outset it appears to me a futile exercise on the part of the author so far as the sanctity of Jaina cannons is concered because unlike Vedic texts the Jaina canons do not attach much importance to the word. They are only concerned with the true meaning as is often said.
अत्थं भासइ अरहा सुत्तं गंथंति गणहरा निउणं।
How does it matter whether it is अत्ता or अप्पा or आया or आता for आत्मा . What matters is that the reader should know the sense of 37/HT. The variants do not change the meaning and consequently the sanctity of the sacred text remains as it is whereas in the field of Vedas the word has the supreme role to play, because the Veda is word dominated ( Pro J17 ) sacred text. Not only the word even the accent is equally important. Even the slight shifting of the acccent inadvertently will change the meaning of the word. This is the reason that even today the Vedic text is found intact even after a long long period of five thousand years.
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