Prakrit Vyakaranam Part 1 - Book Summary

This is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Prakrit Vyakaranam Part 1," authored by Hemchandracharya and edited by Dr. Suresh Sisodiya. The summary is based on the Hindi commentary "Priyodaya" by Upadhyay Panditratna Shri Pyarchand Ji Maharaj.

Book Title: Prakrit Vyakaranam Part 1 Author: Acharya Hemchandracharya Commentary: Priyodaya Hindi Vyakhya by Upadhyay Panditratna Shri Pyarchand Ji Maharaj Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Sansthan, Udaipur Year of Publication: 2006

Overall Summary:

This volume, "Prakrit Vyakaranam Part 1," is a re-publication of the foundational work on Prakrit grammar by the renowned Jain scholar Acharya Hemchandracharya. The present edition is based on the highly acclaimed Hindi commentary, "Priyodaya," meticulously crafted by Upadhyay Panditratna Shri Pyarchand Ji Maharaj. The book was originally published in two parts in 1967 by Shri Jain Divakar Divya Jyoti Karyalaya, Beawar, but became largely unavailable over time. Recognizing its immense value for students, scholars, and enthusiasts of Prakrit language and grammar, the Agam, Ahimsa-Samta Evam Prakrit Sansthan, Udaipur, decided to re-publish it.

The book is structured to provide a deep and accessible understanding of Prakrit grammar. It meticulously details the rules of Prakrit language formation, including:

Introduction to Prakrit: The text begins by highlighting the historical significance of Prakrit as the vernacular language of the common people, adopted by Lord Mahavira for his teachings, and its subsequent evolution into a literary language.
The Author and His Work: It provides an insightful overview of Acharya Hemchandracharya's multifaceted genius, his scholarly contributions across various fields like grammar, prosody, lexicon, poetry, and biography, and his close association with the royal families of Gujarat, which facilitated his extensive literary output.
The Commentary: The summary acknowledges the profound scholarship and effort of Upadhyay Panditratna Shri Pyarchand Ji Maharaj in creating a simple yet comprehensive Hindi commentary on Hemchandracharya's intricate Sanskrit grammar. The commentary follows a detailed structure for each grammatical rule, presenting the original Sanskrit sutra, the grammatical explanation (vritti) by the original author, a detailed and simple Hindi explanation, Sanskrit synonyms for Prakrit words, and the sequence of sutras applied in the formation of Prakrit words (sadhana).
Structure of Prakrit Grammar: The text outlines Hemchandracharya's Prakrit grammar, which is divided into four chapters (padas). The first two chapters deal with phonetic changes and vowel/consonant rules, along with the description of indeclinables. The third chapter covers remaining grammatical aspects, and the fourth chapter systematically explains the grammar of various Prakrit languages like Sauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Chulika Paishachi, and Apabhramsha.
Key Grammatical Concepts Covered (First Pada - Chapter 1):
- Introduction of Prakrit: The text begins with the definition of Prakrit, deriving it from "Prakriti" (nature or common people) and its relationship with Sanskrit.
- Vowel and Consonant Rules: A significant portion of the first chapter is dedicated to detailing the transformations of vowels and consonants, including:
  - Vowel changes: Elision of vowels, diphthongs (ai, au), vowel shortening and lengthening.
  - Consonant changes: Assimilation, deletion, substitution of consonants (e.g., 'k' to 'h', 't' to 'd', 'sh'/'sh' to 's', etc.).
  - Sandhi rules (vowel combination).
  - Rules for specific word formations and exceptions.
- Grammatical Categories: The text also covers rules related to gender, number (dual is often replaced by plural), case endings, verbal roots, indeclinables (avyaya), and compound words.
- Specific Dialects: The latter part of the chapter (in the first pada) touches upon the characteristics of different Prakrit dialects like Sauraseni, Magadhi, and Paishachi.
Detailed Sutra Explanations: The summary lists the specific sutras covered in the first pada, providing a glimpse into the depth of the grammatical analysis. This includes rules for vowel and consonant modifications, sandhi, case endings, and specific word derivations, often illustrated with examples and cross-references to other parts of Hemchandracharya's larger work, "Siddha Hem Shabdanushasana."
Publisher's Note and Acknowledgements: The publication is made possible through the generous support of Shri Sundarlal Ji Dugad of Kolkata, who established the "Rooprekha Prakashan Nidhi." The publishers express gratitude to the editorial team, proofreaders, and the printing press for their contributions.
The Significance of the Re-publication: The re-publication aims to make this invaluable grammatical treatise, which was previously unavailable, accessible to a wider audience, thereby promoting the study and understanding of the rich Prakrit language and its literature.

Key Focus Areas of the First Chapter (as evident from the detailed sutra list):

The extensive list of sutras indicates a meticulous coverage of phonetic changes and grammatical formations in Prakrit. The emphasis is on understanding how Sanskrit words transform into their Prakrit counterparts. This involves detailed rules for vowel elision, substitution, vowel and consonant changes, sandhi rules, and the application of specific suffixes and prefixes. The first pada particularly focuses on the initial stages of Prakrit grammar, setting the foundation for further linguistic analysis.

In essence, this book is a scholarly undertaking to preserve and propagate the knowledge of Prakrit grammar as codified by Acharya Hemchandracharya, making it readily available to the modern reader through a clear and informative Hindi commentary.