Prakrit Bhasha Ka Vyakaran Parivar

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Prakrit Bhasha ka Vyakaran Parivar" by Dharmashila Mahasati:

The book, "Prakrit Bhasha ka Vyakaran Parivar" (The Grammar Family of Prakrit Language), authored by Mahasati Shri Dharmashila, emphasizes the critical importance of grammar for understanding any language. Prakrit, being a vernacular language, initially did not have its own grammar. However, as its literature grew across various genres like poetry, drama, astrology, and specialized texts (like those dealing with gemology or land assessment), the need for grammatical systematization arose.

The author notes that all currently available grammatical works on Prakrit are written in Sanskrit, not in Prakrit itself. Some scholars believe that Prakrit grammars were indeed written in Prakrit but are now lost. The text then explores the available "grammar family" of Prakrit.

Two Major Traditions of Prakrit Grammar:

Scholars have identified two main branches of Prakrit grammar:

1. Western Tradition: Represented by the Prakrit grammar of Trivikrama (circa 13th century CE). It is suggested that the great poet Valmiki composed this, though there's no definitive proof. Other works like Lakshmidhara's "Shatbhasha-Chandrika" and Singhraja's "Prakrita-Rupavatara" are also included in this tradition.
2. Eastern Tradition: The foundational work here is Vararuci's 'Prakrita-Prakasha'.

Key Prakrit Grammars Discussed:

The text details several significant Prakrit grammars:

• Prakrita-Prakasha by Vararuci:

  • Considered the earliest Prakrit grammar. Some scholars consider Chanda's Prakrita-Lakshana to be earlier, with Vararuci following its model.
  • Vararuci is also identified with Katyayana, the famous Varttikakara, and is believed to be a contemporary of Kalidasa.
  • It contains 506 sutras and has four ancient commentaries, including those by Bhamaha, Katyayana, Vasantaraja, and Sadananda.
  • The grammar is divided into twelve chapters, covering:
    • Vowel changes (1st chapter)
    • Deletion of medial consonants (2nd chapter)
    • Deletion and substitution of conjunct consonants (3rd chapter)
    • Miscellaneous rules for specific words, including anvikari, vikari, and deshaj words (4th chapter)
    • Gender and case endings (5th chapter)
    • Pronoun rules (6th chapter)
    • Verb conjugations (Tinganta Vidhi) (7th chapter)
    • Verbal root substitutions (Dhatudesh) (8th chapter) - considered very important.
    • Nipata (Indeclinables) and their usage (9th chapter)
    • Paishachi language rules (10th chapter)
    • Magadhi Prakrit rules (11th chapter)
    • Shauraseni Prakrit rules (12th chapter)
  • It's noted that the last three chapters might have been added later by Bhamaha or another commentator, as some commentaries only cover Maharashtri.
  • Prakrita-Prakasha is highly valuable for understanding sound changes in Prakrit and is considered essential for Prakrit studies. Vararuci's period is estimated to be around the 6th century CE.

• Prakrita-Lakshana by Chanda:

  • Some consider this grammar to be earlier than Prakrita-Prakasha, while others attribute it to Panini. However, its current unavailability makes definitive conclusions difficult.
  • It is a concise work, appearing to reflect an older stage of Prakrit, possibly resembling the language of Ashoka's inscriptions.
  • Chanda states that medial unaspirated consonants are not deleted and remain present.
  • It has 66 or 103 sutras divided into four parts, discussing tadbhava, tatsama, and deshaj words, along with gender and case systems similar to Sanskrit.
  • The last part discusses Apabhramsha, the non-deletion of 'adhorepha', Paishachi and Magadhi tendencies, and substitutions like 'l' for 'r' and 'sh' for 's'.

• Siddha-Hema-Shabd-Anushasana by Acharya Hemachandra:

  • Dedicated to Siddharaja, hence its name.
  • It contains seven chapters on Sanskrit grammar and an eighth chapter on Prakrit grammar.
  • It is considered the most refined, organized, and complete Prakrit grammar available.
  • Hemachandra's period is estimated to be 1088-1172 CE.
  • It covers six Prakrit sub-languages: Maharashtri, Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Chulika-Paishachi, and Apabhramsha. Apabhramsha rules are presented independently in 116 sutras.
  • Hemachandra's Prakrit is referred to as "Jain Maharashtri Prakrit" due to the influence of Jain Agamas.
  • He provided his own commentaries (Brihat and Laghu Vritti).
  • Hemachandra's style is more refined than Chanda and Vararuci, incorporating earlier traditions while adding new rules.
  • The grammar is divided into four parts, discussing sandhi, consonant-ending words, anusvara, gender, visarga, vowel and consonant changes, conjunct consonants, taddhita, nipata, indeclinables, case relations, and verb constructions.
  • A significant portion is dedicated to verbal root substitutions (Dhatudesh).
  • Hemachandra's classification of Sanskrit words into Prakrit as tatsama, tadbhava, and deshaj is mentioned. He also acknowledges "Arsha" Prakrit (ancient, possibly Agamic Prakrit) where rules are often optional.
  • A critique is made that some of Hemachandra's verbal root substitutions don't align with linguistic principles, suggesting a focus on meaning over etymology.

• Sankshiptasara by Krama-Ishvara:

  • Covers both Sanskrit and Prakrit. The Prakrit section, called "Prakrita-Pada," follows the structure of Siddha-Hema.
  • It divides Prakrit grammar into six sections: vowel work, consonant work, stem formation, verb formation, Apabhramsha work, and prosody.
  • Krama-Ishvara followed Vararuci's model, and his period is estimated to be the 12th-13th century CE.

• Prakrita-Vyakaran by Trivikrama Deva:

  • A comprehensive grammar with three chapters, each having four parts, totaling 12 parts and 1036 sutras.
  • Trivikrama Deva adapted Hemachandra's sutras, maintaining a similar subject order but introducing novelty in the classification of indigenous words and explaining Apabhramsha couplets with a Sanskritized overlay.
  • It also includes polysemous words and rules for various Prakrit languages like Shauraseni, Magadhi, and Paishachi.
  • His time is estimated between the 12th and 15th centuries CE, placing him after Hemachandra and before Kumaraswami.
  • There's a debate on whether both the sutras and commentary are by Trivikrama Deva or if the sutras are by Valmiki and the commentary by Trivikrama.
  • He is considered a prominent grammarian of the Western tradition.

• Prakrita-Rupavatara by Singhraja:

  • Presents Trivikrama Deva's sutras in a concise format similar to Laghu-Siddhanta-Kaumudi.
  • It briefly covers sandhi, noun and verb forms, compounds, and taddhita.
  • It discusses six languages: Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Chulika-Paishachi, and Apabhramsha.
  • Singhraja's period is around 1300-1400 CE. The work includes comparisons with Hemachandra's sutras and offers detailed pronoun forms, though some are noted as artificial.

• Prakrita-Kalpataru by Rama Sharma Tarkavagisha:

  • Composed in the 17th century CE, following Purushottama's Prakrita-Anushasana.
  • It has three branches detailing rules for Maharashtri, various regional Prakrits (Shauraseni, Prachya, Avant, Vaaniki, Magadhi, Ardha-Magadhi, Dakshinatyadi), Vibhashas, and Apabhramsha.

• Prakrita-Sarvasva by Markandeya Kavindra:

  • A significant grammar from the 15th century CE.
  • Markandeya categorizes Prakrit into four types: Bhasha (Maharashtri, Shauraseni, Prachya, Avantya, Magadhi), Vibhasha (Shakari, Chandali, Shabari, Abhirika, Dhakki), Apabhramsha (Nagara, Brachada, Upanagara), and Paishachi (Kaikayi, Shauraseni, Panchali).
  • The first eight parts cover Maharashtri, followed by chapters on Shauraseni, Prachya, Avantya, Vaaniki, and Magadhi.
  • Markandeya is noted for systematizing Eastern Prakrit, similar to Hemachandra's work on Western Prakrit.
  • The grammar is written in Arya meter with a self-commentary. He mentions authors like Vararuci, Shakalya, Bharata, Kohala, Bhamaha, and Vasantaraja.

• Shatbhasha-Chandrika by Lakshmidhara:

  • Presents a comparative study of six Prakrit languages: Prakrit, Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Apabhramsha, etc.
  • It follows the structure of Bhattoji Dikshita's Siddhanta-Kaumudi.
  • Examples are drawn from texts like Setu-Bandha and Gauda-Vadha.
  • Lakshmidhara explicitly states that this work is an explanation of Trivikrama's commentary.
  • It is very useful for Prakrit knowledge, providing detailed noun and verb forms, including indigenous words.
  • Lakshmidhara is placed after Trivikrama Deva, as he mentions Trivikrama in his work.

The book concludes by listing other Prakrit grammars, including those by Lankeshvara, Purushottama, Appayadikkshita, Raghunath Kavi, Ratanachandra, Samantabhadra, Narachandra, Krishnapanḍita, Vamanacharya, Chandivara Sharma, Narasimha, Chinnavomm Bhupala, Durgunacharya, Nagoba, Shubchandra, Pt. Bechardasji, Shrutasagara, and Bhoja, indicating the extensive and rich tradition of Prakrit grammar.