Introduction to Prakrit

: INTRODUCTION TO PKAKRIT BY ALFRED C. WOOLNER. M.A. (OXON), PRINCIPAL OF THE ORIENTAL COLLEGE, LAHORE. PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PANJAB, LAHORE. CALCUTTA PRINTED AT THE BAPTIST MISSION PRESS. 1917. -^/ u> Ganthaarena niaguruno Siri- Arthur. Anthony. Macdonbll. -acarianarindassa Baillatitthatthassa nam a aavvaim uvaaranaim sumaria imassa potthaassa adimmi sasineham ahilihidam. MJi98871 I*KEFA( E. Degree courses in Sanskrit almost invariably include a Drama, of which a considerable portion is in Prakrit. In practice, whatever Examiners may imagine, the student reads the Sanskrit chayd, which most editions provide for him on the same page. At any rate he begins that way ; reading the Prakrit afterwards, noticing certain similarities, and some of the differences, so that he may be able to recognize a passage, with which he is already familiar in its Sanskrit form, and perhaps in an English translation. Even the more advanced student who reads the Prakrit as it comes, at the slightest check looks down at the ' shadow.' Consequently few students have any definite knowledge of any one of the Prakrits One cannot blame them. Tlie editions they use are often incorrect in the Prakrit portions, and there is no convenient book of reference on which they can find definite rules. One object of this Introduction to Prakrit is to provide students with a guide for the more attentive and more scholarly study of the Saura- seni and Maharastri passages in their Sanskrit Plays. The main object however is to assist the student of the History of the great Indo- Aryan Language from Vedic times to the present day. The Indian student starts with an inti- mate knowledge of at least one modern Indo-Aryan language. In the Sanskrit he learns at school, he becomes familiarised with the stereotyped literary form of the ancient language. If he studies Sanskrit in the University, he will discover that the Vedic language represents a still more ancient stage of vi PREFACE. Indo- Aryan. For this there are accurate texts, and many works of reference available.' The middle stage has been comparatively neglected. In India itself, the mediaeval Prakrits are in a more real sense dead languages, than is Sanskrit itself. Outside India scholars have found in Pali, the language of the oldest Buddliist Scriptures, a convenient representative of this stage. The student of Indo- Aryan Philology needs a clear view of tlie main characteristics of the diflFerent Prakrits. It is hoped that this work may prove useful for this purpose. Method of Study. Perhaps the best plan is to begin with the thorough study of one dialect, afterwards comparing others with this as a standard. This was the method of the Indian grammarians who took Maharastri as their standard. But the only fyroae extant in Maharastri was written by Jains, and that not in the same dialect as the songs in the dramas. There are excellent aids to the study of Pali, but Pah is too archaic to make a good central point, and it is a separate subject in our curricula, and generally regarded as appropriate only to students of Buddhism. Moreover the Sanskrit student does actually first come into contact with Prakrit in the plays, and most of it is Sauraseni. For this, among other reasons, it has been thought desirable to present a general view of the subject, with special stress on Sauraseni and Maharastri. The student making use of this book is advised to read the general sections, and to study the chapters on Phonetics and Grammar with special reference to the two main Dramatic ' Particularly recommended : A Vedic (>iinnninr for Students by Prof. .A. A. Macdonell, Clarendon Press. 19)1). — PREFACE. Vll Prakrits. The more important examples are printed in bold type, and may be memorised. The Extracts 1 to 14 should then be thoroughly mastered, and the knowledge acquired applied to any play the student may be reading.' The next step will be more philological, consisting in the comparison of the several stages and dialects as far as they are described in Chapters IV to X, and illustrated in Extracts 15 to the end.* The specimens of PaH and of old Prakrit are intended as inducements to further study. Modern forms have been occasionally quoted to show the historical continuity of words from ancient times. The student should be able to connect up a much larger number of forms from his mother tongue. The Index is intended partly for convenience of reference, and partly to provide an instrument by which one may test one's ability to explain forms, and to recognize them out of their context. Transliteration. The Roman script has been used for several reasons. Over a dozen years of teaching experience has convinced the writer that the slovenly spelling, so prevalent in both Roman and Devanagari scripts, is partly due to the fact that Hindi and Sanskrit are written in the same script, but with slightly different sound-values. A word written in Deva- nagrl may be pronounced as in Sanskrit or as in Hindi, e.g. HJWTf, as hhagavan or as bhagvdn, VH as dharma or dharam, ' If he will read a play for the sake of these two Prakrits only, let him choose KarpCiramanjari (Konow's Edition). 2 The most interesting play for variety of dialect is the Mrcchakatikam. Vlli PREFACE. ^I«5 as mmaveda—or samved and so on. Confusion is increased if the student has to distinguish a Prakrit pronunciation when the spelling is identical witli that of a modern word. Another reason is that the Roman script being more atomic than Devanagarl has advantages for stating phonetic laws in Enghsh. Moreover any Indian student who aims at keeping abreast with modern scholarship should make himself thoroughly familiar with the use of this script. To make use of many books of reference, and Oriental Journals, it is almost as important to him, as Devanagarl to the Western scholar. These reasons seemed to outweigh the disadvantages of increased labour in proof-reading, and tlie initial feeling of un- familiarity with Sanskrit in this guise that may be experienced by the beginner. On doubtful points, such as derivations where "Doctors disagree," the authority of Pischel has generally been followed. Controversy has generally been avoided, and where any reference has been made to rival theories or matters of dispute, it is only to suggest to the student fields of enquiry that still await his enterprise. Apart from facilitating the study of the Indian Drama, and of Indian Philology, it is hoped that this little book may lead some of our students and graduates to take an interest in the great field of Indian thought and literature that lies outside the Sanskrit circle. Without some knowledge of this, it is impos- sible to obtain an adequate idea of the life of mediaeval India. A. C. WOOLNER. (lulmarg. 191 n TABLE OF THANSI.ITKRA TION. Vowels. -^ a . TABLE OF TRANSLITERATION. 2. Similarly other nasals are often represented by anusvara. ^^ pamca for pafic ^^ sainkha for sankha ^ damda for danda SJ^, jambu for jambu but see § 35 3. For the weak y see § 9. Note. 4. Hindi ^ is represented by r, cerebral oS by 1. In practice this causes no confusion with the vowels ^ f and ^ 1. The letter ^ d was probably pronounced as a cerebral r long before the diacritical dot for ^ was devised. 5. In general it should be understood that transliteration is merely the substitution of one set of symbols for another, and does not tell us anything more about the pronunciation. It is quite possible that ^ ca was pronounced something like tsa in Maharlstri as in modern Marathi, and that in Magadha ^T a was pronounced as Bengali renders it to-day. Even if so, we may feel sui'e that a Midlander would use his own sounds iu pronouncing either Prakrit. .. ,. ., .... ...... —... CONTENTS. Pages Preface . v-viii Table of Transliteration . ix-x Corrections . xv PART I. Chapter I: Subject Defined. Three periods of Indo-Aryan speech—Three stages of the middle period —Various uses of the word Prakrt . 1-4 Chapter II : Prakrits Enumeration of the more important Uterary Prakrits . 4r-7 Chapter III : General Character of Prakrit. Remains synthetic —Grammar simplified —Pho- netic changes — assimilation— Parallel of Ro- mance languages . 7-10 Chapter IV : Phonetics. Single Consonants. A. Initial §§ I to 8.—B Medial §§ 9 to 28.— C. Final § 29 . 10-16 Chapter V : Compound Consonants. Assimilation § 33 —Two mutes § 34—Nasal and Mute § 35— Mute and Sibilant § 38—Semivowel and Mute § 38 and § 41—Two Nasals § 46 —Nasal and Sibilant § 47—Nasal and Semivowel § 48 Sibilant and Semivowel § 49 —Two Semivowels § 50—Svarabhakti § 57 .. .. .. 17-23 Chapter VI : Vowels. Substitutes for r § 60 — for ai, au § 61 —Change of Quantity § 62—Lengthening § 63 —Shorten- ing § 67 — Vowel for Vowel § 69 — Omission of Vowels § 74—Samprasarana § 75—Epenthesis ". § 76 . 23-28 Chapter VII: Sandhi. A. Consonants § 77—B. Vowels § 80 . .. 29-30 — . ——— XU CONTENTS. Chapter VIII: Declension. Pages A stems § SO—I stems § 88—U stems ^ 90— Feminine declension § 91 — Variants § 92 R stems § 96— AN stems |j 98—IN stems § 100 -AT stems § 102—S stems § 104— Pro- nouns § 106—Numerals § 112 . .Sl-41 Chapter IX: Conjugation. Indicative § 114 — Imperative 5> 116 — Optative § 117—Future § 118—Passive § 119—Causa- tives § 120— Participles and Infinitive § 121 - Gerund § 122—Irregular Verb.s § 123—Past Participles § 125— Irregular Indicatives § 126 Irregular Futures § 134 —Irregular Passives § 135—Infinitives § 136—Gerundives § 137 . 42-57 Chapter X: Classification of Prakrits. Magadhi—Dialects of Magadhi —Ardha-Magadhi —Geographical classification— Pali-Apablirain4a —Pai^aci . .. .. .. 57-69 Chapter XI : Prakrit Literaturk. Jain Literature —Ardha-Magadhi ahgas— J Siin Maharastri-Kavya : —Setubandha—Gaudavaho Hala —Dramatic Prakrits— Prakrit Grammars 70-80 PART TT.

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