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Vol. XVI, No. 1
TO
Eastern School
Books & Mg. chapters
Western School
Boots & Mg.
chapters. some sūtras (?)
Vālmīki (?)
B.C. Sākalya, or Mändavya, A.D. Kohala, Kapila 3rd. Bharata A.D. Sth Vararuci A.D. 10-11 Kramadīśvara A.D. 11-12 A.D.
Natya-śāstra (ch. XVII) Präkfta-Prakāśa XI ch. (Cowell's edn.) Prākrtādhāya Vth ch. (S.R. Banerjee's edition).
Siddha Hema Hemacandra Sabdānusasuna
IV eh. (P.L.Vaidya's eda.)
12-14 Puruşottama
(D.C. Sircar's edition.)
Trivikrama
14th A.D.
Prāksta Sabdinhsāsana III ch. (P.L Vaidya's edn
16th Rāmaśarman AD. (Tarkavāgisa) 17th Mārkandeya
Prāksta Kalpataru II ch. (M.M. Ghosb's, ada.) Pcāksta Sarvasva XII ch. (S.P.V. Bhattasvami's edition.
EARLIEST REFERENCES TO MĀGADHI AND ITS
SPEAKERS Though historically Māgadhi is very old, but its references to literature are not really very old. Sanskrit rhetoricians and dramaturgists, while distributing or mentioning the prakrit dialects in connection with the speakers of those dialects, they have mentioned some names of prakrit languages, in the list of which Māgadhi occurs. These list of prakrit speakers do not always conform with the documentary evidence when we consult the sanskrit dramas. Persons who speak Māgadhi in sanskrit dramas do not always tally with the statement as mentioned by sanskrit dramaturgists. In a sense it is a problem. What is the source-book of sanskrit dramaturgists to describe the characters speaking Māgadhi ? There are very few sans dramatists who have used Māgadhi in their Sanskrit dramas. Sauraseni speakers are more than Māgadhi speakers. However, let us discuss the authors who mention Māgadhi dialect in their respective features and the persoas speaking Māgadhi.
In the Nāțyaśāstra (chap. XVII) Bharata (300 A. D.) mentions the name of Māgadhi among the list of his prakrit dialects :
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