Prakrit Evam Apbhramsa Ka Adhunik Bharatiya Aryabhasha Par Prabhav

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Prakrit evam Apbhramsa ka Adhunik Bharatiya Aryabhasha par Prabhav" by Mahavirsaran Jain, focusing on its core arguments:

The book, "The Influence of Prakrit and Apabhramsa on Modern Indian Aryan Languages" by Dr. Mahavirsaran Jain, argues that while Modern Indian Aryan (MIA) languages demonstrably evolved from Prakrit and Apabhramsa, a precise, scientific tracing of this developmental journey is severely hampered by several limitations.

Key Arguments and Challenges:

• Limited Data: The primary challenge is that our available data from the Prakrit and Apabhramsa eras primarily consists of literary forms. The diverse regional and social dialects spoken across those regions are largely unrecorded and thus unavailable for study.
• Nature of Prakrit Regional Variations: Jain questions whether the documented regional variations within Prakrits (like Maharashtri, Shauraseni, Magadhi, Ardha-Magadhi, Paishachi) represent distinct languages or simply regional dialects of a single literary Prakrit. He argues that the phonetic differences, while noted, are not substantial enough to classify them as separate languages, unlike the significant structural and mutual unintelligibility observed between modern MIA languages. He likens these Prakrit variations to modern dialectal differences within a single language (e.g., "Kolkata Hindi" vs. "Mumbai Hindi").
• Bharat Muni's Natyashastra: Jain uses Bharat Muni's Natyashastra to support his point. While Muni mentions seven "Deshabhashas" (regional languages), Jain argues that Muni's intention was to allow playwrights flexibility in depicting characters from different regions. However, for theatrical communication, playwrights would use a single Prakrit form adapted with regional pronunciations rather than entirely different languages that actors couldn't perform or audiences wouldn't understand. This implies that these "Deshabhashas" were likely variations of a common literary Prakrit.
• Shauraseni and Maharashtri: The text delves into the debate surrounding Shauraseni and Maharashtri Prakrit. Some scholars argue for a chronological difference (Maharashtri as a later development), while others suggest a stylistic difference (Maharashtri for poetry, Shauraseni for prose). The influence of Shauraseni as a mother of Maharashtri is highlighted, with the development of Maharashtri possibly stemming from a desire for softness in poetry through vowel-heavy structures.
• Apabhramsa's Role: Apabhramsa, initially a corrupted form of Sanskrit, evolved into a standardized literary form. Its prevalence from the Himalayas to Sindh, often characterized by "ukara bahula" (prominence of the 'u' sound), is noted. By the 8th-9th century, it served as a lingua franca. However, similar to Prakrits, the regional variations of Apabhramsa spoken by the populace are largely unknown, with only literary forms surviving.
• The Gap in Transition: A significant challenge is the lack of information about the spoken forms of MIA languages as they emerged from Apabhramsa. While some texts provide lineage (e.g., "Paia-Sadda-Mahannavo" tracing languages from Apabhramsa dialects), the specific popular forms of these emerging languages are not well-documented.
• Late Literary Evidence: Even for the MIA languages themselves, the earliest surviving literature often belongs to a later phase of the transitional period, not the initial stages. This means that the documented literary language might not fully represent the colloquial language of the time.
• Impact on Phonology: Despite the limitations, Jain details the significant phonological impact of Prakrit and Apabhramsa on MIA languages. Many core phonetic structures and sounds have been preserved in central MIA languages, while border languages show more distinct developments. Examples include:
  • Assimilation and loss of certain consonants.
  • Changes in vowel pronunciation.
  • The disappearance of retroflex sounds ('ṣ') in modern languages.
  • The preservation of shortened 'e' and 'o' sounds in Apabhramsa, leading to their development as independent vowels.
  • The emergence of retroflex implosive sounds ('ḍ', 'ḍh') in languages like Hindi, Punjabi, and Sindhi.
  • Compensatory lengthening of vowels due to consonant elision.
  • The tendency for final vowels to shorten or be elided in Apabhramsa, a trend seen in many MIA languages.
• Impact on Grammar:
  • Reduction of Inflections: A significant grammatical influence is the reduction in the number of case endings. This process began in Prakrit and continued in Apabhramsa, where case meanings were further clarified through the use of postpositions.
  • Development of Postpositions: The necessity to clarify meaning due to fewer inflections led to the rise of postpositions in Apabhramsa, a feature that became prominent in MIA languages. Hindi, in particular, shows a significant development of these analytical postpositions.
  • Semi-Analytic Nature: While many scholars consider MIA languages purely analytic, Jain argues that they remain semi-analytic, retaining both inflectional forms and postpositions. Some languages still exhibit synthetic tendencies in certain grammatical constructions.
  • Loss of Neuter Gender: The neuter gender, which disappeared in Apabhramsa, is absent in most MIA languages, except for Marathi and Gujarati.
  • Plural Markers: The development of plural markers, often distinct from case endings, in languages like Bengali, Oriya, and Assamese is noted. While some languages (like Western Hindi, Sindhi, Marathi) retain inflected plural forms, the trend is towards using separate words for pluralization.
  • Verb Forms: The influence of Prakrit and Apabhramsa on verb conjugations, particularly in present tense, subjunctive mood, and imperative forms, is evident. The development of future tense forms from Apabhramsa auxiliaries is also highlighted.
  • Participial Constructions: The shift from finite verb forms to participial constructions for expressing past tense, a trend that began in Prakrit and Apabhramsa, became a significant feature of MIA languages.
  • Gender Agreement in Verbs: The gender distinctions found in participial verb forms in Apabhramsa are seen as the source of gender agreement in verb forms in languages like Hindi and Marathi.
  • Compound Tenses and Verbs: The development of compound tenses and compound verbs, often attributed to Dravidian influence, is also traced by Jain to later Apabhramsa traditions, evident in texts like "Ukt Vyakti Prakaran" and "Raulvel," which influenced languages like Hindi.

In conclusion, Dr. Mahavirsaran Jain's work underscores the crucial, foundational role of Prakrit and Apabhramsa in the evolution of Modern Indian Aryan languages. However, it also emphasizes the significant gaps in our knowledge due to the limited nature of the available data, making a complete and definitive scientific reconstruction of this linguistic lineage a challenging endeavor. The book highlights how general phonetic and grammatical structures inherited from these older stages have shaped the modern languages, even as regional and stylistic variations contributed to the rich diversity we see today.