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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
357
that he has included in the work all the words generally used by the Prakrit poets in their compositions. Buhler, therefore, rather lightly remarks' that the Desi words “are all or nearly all derived from Sanskrit”. Pandit Bechardas Doshi observes that it is not improbable that Dhanapala has used the word Desi to suggest that the Prakrit language is the language of the countryside-language of the common people'. Besides, unlike Hemacandra's DNM, Dhanapala's PLM is merely a dictionary of synonyms. Yet, it has its own importance for the reasons that it is the oldest available Desi lcxicon, it is acknowledged by Hemachandra as onc of his sources of information, and it gives a few words which are not given by Hemacandra or a few forms of words which were particular to its age.
Hemacandra (1088-1172 A.D.), the greatest of the Prakrit grammarians, also gives us a Desī lexicon, viz., DNM, which unquestionably stands foreniost in all respects. He lays down, in the work, a new definition of the Desi word, collects a vast number of such words, adds to it his won commentary, which helps us to know the right meaning of several rare words, and quotes and acquaints us with many of his predecessors. The many-sided importance of this work as well as its superiority over others of its kind has been shown by distinguished Prakrițists in various contexts. Pischel observes”, “As far as I can see, the Desi constitutes an `authority of the first rank' that shows to us that there still remains much to be known about the valuable contributions made in Indian languages and that we still do not know much about the rich literature that exists in Prakrit”. Winternitz remarks," “Of inestimable value is his Prakrit lexicon Desinamamala”. It i “so very valuable because Hemacandra was able to use sources which are lost to us, as also on account of its practical arrangement and the clear explanations”. IT
Trivikrama (the latter half of the 13the century)", instead of writing an exclusive lexicon like Hemacandra gives an exhaustive list of Desh words in his grammar PSM with a view to “bringing all the Desī words into the sold of grammar”13. Of course,
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