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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
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ON THE EIGHTEEN DESĪ LANGUAGES
The Nayadhammakahāo, the sixth Anga of the Ardhamagadhi Canon, refers to the Eighteen Desī Languages more than once :
(1) Tae nam se Mehe Kumāre atthārasavihappagaradesībhāsavisārae. . . . . . . hotthā. Prince Megha was well versed in the Eighteen kinds of Desi Languages. (2) Tattha nam Campāe nayarīe Devadattā nāma ganiya parivasai addhā. ..... atthārasadesībhāsāvisārayā.” In the city of Campā there lived a harlot named Devadattā who was rich. . . . . . (and) well versed in the Eighteen Desī Languages. Similarly we find references to the Eighteen Desī Languages in Vivāgasutta, Ovavaiyasutta and Rāyapaseniya : Tattha nam Vāniyagāme Kāmajjhayā ņāmam ganiya hotthā. . . . . althārasadesibhāsavisaraya.? In Vaniyagama there was a harlot named Kāmajjhayā who was skilled in the Eighteen Desi Languages. Tae nam Dadhapainno dārae atļhārasadesībhāsavisārac.* The boy Dadhapainna was well versed in Eightcen Desī Languages. Tae ņam Dadhapainne dārac atthārasavihadesīpagārabhāsavisārae. The boy Dadhapainna was well versed in the Eighteen kinds of Desi Languages.
Then Jinadāsagani in his Nisítha Cūrni (7th Century A.D),
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