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७८ : श्रमण / जनवरी-मार्च १९९७
सर्वकर्मविमोक्षलक्षणमोक्षपरत्वात् परमार्थामिधायित्वं प्रतीतमेव शेषाणां तु पारम्पर्येण । - विवेक टीका ।
Hemacandra wants to say that the Ardhamāgadhī is the oldest language. This stand of Hema might be right from the view point of deep faith in Jaina religion but philologically it is unsound. No amount of arguments can ever convince the student of linguistic history that Ardhamāgadhi was even earlier than the vedic language. The Kāvyānuśāsana might be the work of his (Hema) old age. He being a Jaina monk had naturally developed a deep love. ardour, passionate feeling and emotional attachment for the Ardhamägadhi, the language of the Lord Mahavira's sacred teachings. While commenting on his words "सर्वभाषापरिणताम् अर्धमागधीम्" R.L. Parikh says-1
"It will be seen that this statement of Hema is philologically quite unsound. It merely speaks of the highest estimation in which the author held the Ardhamāgadhi which according to him has miraculous powers."
Buddhists also feel passionately about the Magadhi i.e. the Pali language and say that Magadhi is the oldest language.
सा मागधी मूलभासा नरा याय आदिकप्पिका । ब्रह्माणो च अस्सुतालापा संबुद्धा चापि भासरे ।।
Magadhi is the original language in which men of the ages belonging to the beginning of creation and the angels of Brahma and those who never heard any speech and above all the Buddhas speak. Buddhaghosh goes a step further in his love for Magadhi, when he says that a child brought up without hearing the human voice would instinctively speak Magadhi.
A language is what its literature makes it. Originally a mere dialect the Ardhamāgadhi was raised to the status of a language by
1. Preface to the Kāvyānuśāsana.
2.
Preface to the Childer's Pali Dictionary.
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