________________
DEVELOPMENT OF STUDIES IN PRAKRIT GRAMMER AND LINGUISTICS
Bhagchandra Jain 'Bhaskar'
and
Prakrit has been considered one of the most ancient languages of Indo-Aryan Group. It was a Vedic dialect which was gradually Prakrit reached to the status of Pali, developed and Apabhramsha and modern Aryan languages. It is therefore not impropar to state that the modern dialects are directly related linguistically to these ancient languages. It does not matter if their cultured forms are available in circimference of a circle or nerve of Sanskrit language and grammar.
The scholars like Dr. Katre have divided the Vedic dialects into three Groups on the basis of Panini's Ashtadhyayt, i.e. (1) Pracyā (Eastern dialect), Udicya (Northern dialects) and Madhyadestyä (Middle dialects). The Pracya dialect was used by non-Vedic people of Bihar and adjoining areas. That was called Mägadht during the period of Mahavira and the Buddha. Udicya was the dialect of Vedic or Brahmanic people who developed it from Chandasa to Sanskrit. Thus both, the Prakrits and Sanskrit are the sister languages which are derieved from a lively source of Chandasa In later period Chandasa was developed, refined, cultivated and denoted by the name of Sanskrit. Panini was the leader of these ancient Sanskrit Grammarians. Magadhi or Pali, Ardhamagadi or Arsa, Maharastri, Sauraseni, Paisaci, Niya and Apabhramsa are the principal Prakrit dialects which got the status of languages in due course and Sakari, Canda'i, Savari, Abhiri, Dravid, Odra etc. are the sub-dialects.
Of these Prakrit and Sanskrit, which is earlier is a big question which has been a controvertial point since inception. The answer to the question may be divided into mainly two divisions, viz. i) Those who are of the view that Prakrit is derieved from Sanskrit, ii) those who considered and treated Prakrit as the original source of Sanskrit. The first group of scholars is led by Hemacandra, Markandeya etc. and second one is guided by Namisadhu, Rajasekhara and others. Hemacandra and his followers accepted Sanskrit as the Prakriti or basis of Prakrit, while Namisadhu. the Commentator of Rudrat's Ravyalankara is of the view that the basis
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
