Apbhramsa Vyakarana Gujarati - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Apabhraṁśa Vyākaraṇa Gujarati" by H. C. Bhayani, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Apabhraṁsa Vyākaraṇa Gujarati (A detailed analysis, meaning, interpretation, translation, commentary, and glossary of the Apabhraṁsa section from Hemacandrācārya's Siddhahema-Śabdānuśāsana).

Author: H. C. Bhayani

Publisher: Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Hemchandracharya Navam Janmashatabdi Smruti Sanskar Shikshannidhi, Ahmedabad (in 1993)

Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/001466/1

Overall Purpose and Content:

This book is a scholarly exploration and presentation of the Apabhraṁśa section from Hemacandrācārya's comprehensive Sanskrit grammar, the "Siddhahema-Śabdānuśāsana." Hemacandrācārya's work, specifically its eighth chapter, is considered highly significant for the historical study and development of Prakrit languages, including Gujarati, and for understanding Apabhraṁśa literature. The author, H. C. Bhayani, aims to make this complex subject accessible to students and scholars by providing a detailed analysis.

Key Features and Structure:

The book is structured to offer a thorough understanding of the Apabhraṁśa section, including:

Detailed Introduction (Bhūmikā - Pages 10-53): This is the most substantial part, covering various aspects of Apabhraṁśa:
- Apabhraṁśa Literature (Pages 10-29):
  - Unique Characteristics: Primarily Jain origin, mostly in poetic form (prose is negligible).
  - Origins and Early Literature: Still somewhat obscure, with the earliest surviving works dating back to the 9th century CE. Evidence suggests significant literary activity before this.
  - Key Literary Forms:
    - Sandhibandha: The most prevalent form, used for various narrative themes (epic poems, biographies, religious stories). Examples include works by Svayambhudeva, Pushpadanta, and others.
    - Rāsabandha: Another significant form, often described as lyrical, of moderate length, and popular. While its definition is known from early poets, no ancient examples survive by name, except for a didactic Jain rāsa from around the 13th century.
    - Continuous Mahākāvya: Poems composed in a single meter without subdivisions like Sandhi.
    - Religious and Spiritual Works: Including devotional and yogic texts.
    - Miscellaneous Works and Later Trends: Including short Apabhraṁśa poems called "Sandhi."
  - Notable Authors and Works: The introduction discusses prominent poets like Svayambhudeva (Pauṁcaryi, Riṇimicaryi), Pushpadanta (Mahāpurāṇa, Nayakumāracarya, Jasodharacarya), Dhanapala (Bhaviṣyavadaṭṭakaha), Kanakamara (Vardhamānacarita), Dhādila (Śrīvaracarita), and others.
  - Sandesh Rāsak: A significant work by the Muslim poet Abdur Rahman, noted for its pure literary merit, lyrical beauty, and its representation of the "sandeshakāvya" (message poem) tradition. It is highlighted as the first pure secular literary work in Apabhraṁśa found so far.
- Apabhraṁśa Language (Pages 20-31):
  - Ancient References: Discusses early mentions of Apabhraṁśa's nature.
  - Consideration of Apabhraṁśa's Form: Analyzes its linguistic characteristics.
  - "Apabhraṁśa" Definition: Explores the etymology and evolving meanings of the term, tracing it from general "corruption" or "deviation" from standard language to referring to a specific literary language.
  - Linguistic Development: Places Apabhraṁśa as a transitional stage between Middle Indo-Aryan (Prakrit) and New Indo-Aryan languages, detailing its phonological and morphological changes compared to Prakrit. It notes the influence of local dialects and the eventual incorporation of many Apabhraṁśa features into modern Indian languages.
- Hemacandrīya Apabhraṁśa (Pages 31-53):
  - Phonological Development: Details changes in vowels and consonants, including assimilation, elision, and metathesis.
  - Grammatical Features: Covers verb conjugations (present, future, imperative), noun declensions (cases, gender), pronominal forms, postpositions (anuga), and verb derivation.
  - Specific Linguistic Peculiarities: Highlights characteristic Apabhraṁśa features, such as the treatment of consonant clusters, the development of certain sounds, and the usage of specific suffixes and particles.
  - Analysis of Hemacandra's Examples: Bhayani scrutinizes the examples provided by Hemacandra, noting their linguistic diversity reflecting different time periods and regions. He emphasizes that these examples, while systematic within Hemacandra's framework, represent a compilation of existing Apabhraṁśa usage rather than a purely prescriptive grammar of a single dialect.
Sutras, Commentaries, Meanings, Interpretations, and Translations (Pages 54-109): This section presents the actual grammatical rules (sutras) of Hemacandrācārya's Apabhraṁśa section, along with Bhayani's Gujarati translation, explanations (vritti), and critical notes (tippana). This forms the core of the text's grammatical analysis.
Appendices (Parishishta - Pages 109-188):
- List of Characterictic Phonological Changes: Summarizes key sound shifts.
- Grammatical Features: Detailed analysis of verbal forms, noun declensions, pronouns, postpositions, etc.
- Corpus Analysis: Examination of specific linguistic features in Hemacandra's examples, comparing them with broader Apabhraṁśa literature and noting regional influences (e.g., towards Gujarati or Western Hindi).
- Comparative Linguistics: Discussions on how Apabhraṁśa relates to Prakrit, Sanskrit, and later vernaculars.
- Footnotes and Commentary (Tippana): Extensive notes offering scholarly explanations, derivations, comparative insights, and critical evaluations of Hemacandra's text and Bhayani's interpretation.
- Glossary (Shabd-sūchi): A comprehensive list of Apabhraṁśa terms with their meanings and references to the sutras.

Significance of the Work:

Scholarly Depth: H. C. Bhayani, a renowned scholar of ancient Indian languages and literature, brings immense expertise to this work.
Accessibility: The book aims to bridge the gap in understanding Apabhraṁśa, often perceived as difficult, by presenting it in Gujarati with detailed explanations.
Comprehensive Coverage: It offers not just grammatical rules but also literary context, linguistic analysis, and comparative perspectives.
Reference Value: This study serves as an invaluable resource for scholars of Prakrit, Apabhraṁśa, Old Gujarati, and historical linguistics in India.
Contribution to Jain Studies: By focusing on Hemacandrācārya's seminal work, it directly contributes to the understanding of Jain literary and linguistic heritage.

Key Takeaways from the Introduction:

Apabhraṁśa Literature's Uniqueness: Primarily religious (Jain) and poetic.
Hemacandra's Importance: His Apabhraṁśa grammar is considered the most extensive and significant among ancient Apabhraṁśa grammatical works, crucial for understanding the origin of Gujarati and other modern Indo-Aryan languages.
Challenges of Apabhraṁśa Study: The limited readership and the perceived difficulty of Apabhraṁśa are acknowledged, with the book aiming to prove these perceptions incorrect.
Evolution of Meaning: The term "Apabhraṁśa" itself has undergone semantic shifts, initially referring to any "corrupted" or "deviated" speech from Sanskrit or Prakrit, and later becoming the name of a specific literary language.

In essence, H. C. Bhayani's "Apabhraṁsa Vyakarana Gujarati" is a meticulously researched and thoughtfully presented scholarly work that makes the intricate world of Apabhraṁśa grammar and literature accessible through the lens of Hemacandrācārya's authoritative text, enriched by Bhayani's own profound scholarship.