Prakrit Vyakaranam

Prakrit Vyakaranam by Hemchandracharya: A Comprehensive Summary

This document provides a summary of Hemchandracharya's Prakrit Vyakaranam, also known as the eighth chapter of his comprehensive Sanskrit grammar, Siddha-Hema-Chandram. The edition summarized here has been annotated and published by Parshuram Sharma.

Introduction and Scope:

• Title: Prakrit Vyakaranam (प्राकृत व्याकरणम्)
• Author: Hemchandracharya (श्रीहेमचन्द्राचार्य)
• Annotator/Editor: Parshuram Sharma (श्रीपरशुरामशर्मा)
• Publisher: Motilal Laghaji
• Context: The eighth chapter of Hemchandracharya's Siddha-Hema-Chandram.
• Purpose: To provide a new edition for University Students studying Prakrit languages, especially in relation to modern Indian vernaculars. The preface notes the limitations of previous editions.
• School of Thought: Hemchandracharya belongs to the Western School of Prakrit grammNrians, represented by Acharya Hemachandra, whose work provides an exhaustive treatment of Prakrit dialects. The Eastern School is represented by Vararuci.

Prakrit Dialects Treated:

Hemachandra's grammar systematically covers the following six Prakrit dialects:

1. Maharashtri (माहाराष्ट्री): Considered the base dialect for all others.
2. Shauraseni (शौरसेनी):
3. Magadhi (मागधी):
4. Paishachi (पैशाची):
5. Chulika-Paishachi (चूलिकापैशाची):
6. Apabhramsa (अपभ्रंश): Treated in detail, with Hemachandra reserving fuller treatment for another work.

Key Concepts and Rules:

The text delves into various aspects of Prakrit grammar, covering phonetics, morphology, and syntax. Here's a breakdown of the major themes and rules discussed:

I. General Principles:

• Prakrit vs. Sanskrit: Prakrit is understood as derived from Sanskrit (प्रकृतिः संस्कृतम् । तत्र भवं तत आगतं वा प्राकृतम्). It follows Sanskrit grammar in terms of roots, suffixes, gender, case, compounds, and nomenclature, with specific deviations outlined in the text.
• Influence of Lokas: Certain sounds and forms not found in Sanskrit are understood from usage (लोकादवगन्तव्यम्).
• Bahu-lam (बहुलम्): Many rules in Prakrit are described as 'bahu-lam' (general or manifold), indicating exceptions or variations that are detailed in specific contexts.
• Arsha (आर्षम्): Rules specific to the Prakrit of the sages, where many grammatical rules are optional.

II. Phonetic Changes:

• Vowel Changes:
  • Vowels in compounds (समासे) can change between short and long (दीर्घ-ह्रस्वौ मिथो वृत्तौ).
  • Certain vowels (इ, उ, ए, ओ) before other vowels may not undergo Sandhi (संधि).
  • Specific vowels undergo changes (like इ becoming ई, उ becoming ऊ, etc.) in various contexts and with certain following sounds.
  • Vowel i after a pronoun is lengthened.
  • In Apabhramsa, vowel changes are common, with opportunities for simplification and lengthening.
• Consonant Changes:
  • Dropping of Consonants (लुक्): Final consonants of words are often dropped (अन्त्यव्यञ्जनस्य लुक्). Specific rules govern the dropping of certain consonants (e.g., श्र, द) and when prefixes like निर्, दुर् are involved.
  • Substitution of Consonants: Many consonants undergo substitution based on their position in the word, surrounding sounds, or the specific dialect. This is a major theme, with numerous sutras detailing changes:
    • क, ग, च, ज, त, द, प, य, व are often dropped (प्रायो लुक्) in certain positions.
    • क, ग, च, ज, त, द, प, श, ष, भ undergo changes to ह or other letters.
    • ñ, , , and न undergo changes to अनुस्वार.
    • Changes in specific contexts like 'an-tya' (अन्त्य), 'ādi' (आदि), 'madhya' (मध्य), 'antara' (अन्तर).
    • Specific examples of substitutions include:
      • क, ग, च, ज, त, द, प, य, व often change to their voiced counterparts or are dropped (क → ग, ग → घ, etc.).
      • श, ष, स often change to स.
      • य and र are subject to metathesis (व्यत्यय).
      • Many specific roots (धातु) have unique substitutes in Prakrit, especially in causal forms (ण्यन्त) and when forming verbal nouns (भाव-कर्म). For instance, 'कथ' (to speak) has substitutes like 'वज्जर', 'पज्जर', 'उपाल', 'पिसुण', 'सङ्घ', 'बोल्ल', 'चव', 'जम्प', 'सीस', 'साह'.
      • Specific changes for Apabhramsa are also detailed, such as the general retention of consonants, vowel changes, and specific pronoun declensions.

III. Morphology:

• Declension of Nouns:
  • Detailed rules for the declension of masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns ending in vowels (अ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ) and consonants.
  • Special rules for the declension of pronouns (tyadādi, yad, tad, kim, idam, etad, sarva) and their cases.
  • Specific rules for words like राजन्, आत्मन्, and derivative words.
  • Gender variations in Prakrit compared to Sanskrit are noted.
• Conjugation of Verbs:
  • Treatment of Present, Past, and Future tenses.
  • The role of the Present tense in covering other tenses.
  • Imperfect, Optative, and Conditional moods are discussed, often sharing similar forms or being indicated by specific particles.
  • Causal forms (ण्यन्त) and Passive voice are explained with their respective terminations and roots.
  • The text lists numerous substitutes for Sanskrit roots in Prakrit, often specific to certain meanings or contexts. These are alphabetically arranged in the index.
  • Specific roots like स्मृ (to remember), भ्रम् (to wander), दृश् (to see), गम् (to go), the causative forms of these, and others undergo significant changes.
  • Indeclinables (अव्यय) and particles are also discussed with their specific meanings and usage.

IV. Syntax:

• Sandhi (संधि): Rules regarding the joining of words are given, with particular attention to the interaction of vowels and consonants.
• Case Usage: While Prakrit largely follows Sanskrit case usage, deviations are noted. For instance, the dative is sometimes replaced by the genitive, and the genitive by the ablative or locative.

V. Dialectal Variations:

• Shauraseni: Characterized by the change of अ to अ, and त to द, etc.
• Magadhi: Characterized by the change of to ; and of 4, 77, etc., to , , etc. It generally follows Shauraseni rules.
• Paishachi: Marked by the change of to 5, and other consonants remaining largely unchanged.
• Apabhramsa: Characterized by extensive vowel changes, dropping of final consonants, and specific pronoun declensions.

Key Features of the Edition:

• Annotation: The edition includes commentary (टिप्पणी) by Parshuram Sharma, covering vocabulary, grammatical explanations, and lexicographical information (शब्दकोश, धातुकोश).
• University Focus: The preface emphasizes its suitability for university students.
• Comparative Grammar: It implicitly aids in understanding the relationship between Prakrit and Sanskrit, and indirectly with modern Indian vernaculars.

Overall Significance:

Hemchandracharya's Prakrit Vyakaranam is a foundational text for the study of Prakrit languages. It provides a systematic and comprehensive framework for understanding the phonetic, morphological, and syntactic rules governing these ancient languages, tracing their evolution from Sanskrit. The detailed treatment of root substitutes and dialectal variations makes it an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike. The inclusion of commentary by Parshuram Sharma further enhances its accessibility and utility.