Studies in Desya Prakrit

Author(s): H C Bhayani
Publisher: Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Hemchandracharya Navam Janmashatabdi Smruti Sanskar Shikshannidhi Ahmedabad

Page 44

2. FORMAL VARIATION IN THE DES'YA ITEMS OF THE DN.
The formal variation among the items in the DN. falls under two distinct categories: variations of purely graphic origin and variations of phonological origin. A. Graphic Variation
In the case of variations of graphic or scribal origin, out of the two (or more) variant forms (whether specified in the DN. as alternates or not so specified, whether all of them noted by Hemacandra or only one noted), one only is genuine, the other being really a wrong reading resulting from carelessly or ignorantly confusing some two written characters in the manuscript. These scribal errors have no basis in phonology, and if and when fully confirmed, such items can be rejected as 'ghost' words.
Prakrit MSS. frequently confound (1) and a (or a), 2) and 4, (3), 8, 3 and E, (4) and a, (5) and 3, (6)
and я, 7) and . At times (8)
t
and, or (9) and a are misread for one another. Several itmes of the DN. seem to have derived from such confusions.
1.
1. च् / व् (or च् / व् ) Variation
Initial and non-initial
चालवासो ( 3, 8) ' sort of head ornament' (शिरोभूषणभेदः) बालवासो (7, 59 ) ' a head ornament' ( शिरआभरणम् ). cf. Sk. वालपाशः ' hair-band (of precious metal )'; lex. a string of pearls or other ornament for the hair'. So may have a scribal origin.
2. faefat (3, 13) destroyed' (fanifa: ).
cf. विद्दाविय ( from विद्दात् 'to destroy ' etc., Sk. वि +