Prakrit Vyakaranam Part 2 - Book Summary

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Book Title: Prakrit Vyakaranam Part 2 Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Ratanlal Sanghvi Publisher: ZZZ Unknown Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/090367/1

This document is the second part of a Prakrit grammar book, authored by the renowned Jain scholar Hemchandracharya and presented with a Hindi commentary by Pandit Ratna Shri 1008 Shri Pyarchandji Maharaj. The compilation and editing were carried out by Shri Uday Muniji Maharaj and Pandit Ratanlal Sanghvi, respectively. The book is priced at twelve rupees and fifty paise and was published in Veera Samvat 2463 / Vikram Samvat 2024.

Key Themes and Content:

The provided pages offer a detailed glimpse into the structure and content of this Prakrit grammar book. The initial pages (Page #2 to Page #11) showcase a collection of positive testimonials and endorsements from various Jain scholars and institutions. These endorsements highlight the book's accessibility, clarity, and usefulness for students of Prakrit, praising its simple Hindi commentary, analytical explanations of examples, and occasional clarification of complex points.

Introduction (Aamukh - Page #4):

The introduction emphasizes the significance of Prakrit as a language of the masses and its broader scope compared to Sanskrit. It asserts that a deep understanding of Prakrit is essential for comprehending the core of Indian life and culture. The text stresses the fundamental role of grammar in language learning, quoting the adage "Mukh Vyakaranam Smritam" (Grammar is considered the mouth). It acknowledges the rich tradition of Prakrit grammar, mentioning scholars like Chand, Trivikram, and Vararuchi, but highlights Acharya Hemachandra's grammar as unique for its modern style, simplicity, and comprehensiveness in covering various Prakrit dialects like Magadhi, Ardha Magadhi, Shauraseni, Paishachi, and Apabhramsha. The introduction expresses the need for an accessible edition for ordinary students and introduces the Hindi commentary by Upadhyay Shri Pyarchandji Maharaj as the "best commentary" of its kind.

Structure and Content of the Grammar (Pages #6 onwards):

The subsequent pages provide a detailed table of contents, outlining the grammatical topics covered in the third and fourth parts (or perhaps sections of this volume, given the numbering).

Third Part (Tritiya-Pad) - Primarily focused on morphology and syntax:

This section appears to cover a wide range of grammatical rules concerning:

Noun and Adjective Declensions: Rules related to the elision of suffixes, the formation of case endings for masculine, neuter, and feminine words, and the vocative case.
Pronoun Declensions: Detailed rules for pronouns like "Kim," "Tad," "Yad," "Etad," and "Idam."
Miscellaneous Morphological Discussions: Rules concerning the replacement of final vowels, the transition from dual to plural, and the permutation of case endings.
Verb Conjugation: Methods for forming verb roots from nouns, present tense conjugations, causative verbs, and rules for changes in final vowels of roots.
Passive and Impersonal Voice: Rules related to "Karmaṇi-prayoga" and "Bhava-prayoga."
Past Tenses: Rules for forming past tense verbs.
Other Verb Forms: Rules for imperative verbs and remaining verb conjugations.
Particles and Suffixes: Rules for particles like "Ja" and "Jja," and verbal augmentations.
Active Participles: Rules for present tense active participles and their feminine forms.

Fourth Part (Chaturth-Pad) - Primarily focused on Phonetics, Dialects, and Special Rules:

This section seems to delve into more specialized aspects of Prakrit grammar:

Verbal Roots: Rules regarding the replacement of Sanskrit verbs with their Prakrit counterparts.
Dialects: Detailed explanations of Shauraseni, Magadhi, and Paishachi languages.
Cūlikā-Paiśācikā: Presentation of a specific variant of Paishachi.
Apabhramśa: Explanation of the Apabhramśa language.
Other Specific Rules: Rules concerning "Anyanyatva" (interchangeability) in Prakrit and other languages, and the application of "Saṃskṛtavat" (Sanskrit-like) rules in the remaining sections.

Detailed Grammatical Rules (Examples from Pages 11-38):

The core of the document consists of detailed grammatical rules with their explanations and examples, written in Hindi. These examples illustrate the transformation of Sanskrit words and grammar into Prakrit. Some of the rules and examples mentioned include:

Rules for Vīpsā (Repetition): Explaining the formation of words like "ekaikaṁ" (one by one) from "ekena ekena."
Case Endings: Demonstrating how Sanskrit case endings like '-s' (nominative singular), '-jas' (nominative plural), '-śas' (accusative plural), '-ām' (genitive plural), '-bhis' (instrumental plural), '-bhyas' (ablative plural), and '-sūpi' (locative plural) are transformed into Prakrit equivalents like '-ḍo', '-āvo', '-āu', '-āhi', '-āhintō', '-āsu', '-i', '-immi', '-a', '-e', '-u', '-o', '-ā', '-i', '-u', '-o', '-ā', '-i', '-u', '-o'.
Vowel Changes: Rules detailing vowel shortenings and lengthenings, such as the change of 'ai' to 'e'.
Consonant Changes: Explaining changes in consonants, like 'kṣa' becoming 'cha'.
Verb Conjugations: Providing examples for different tenses and moods.
Pronoun Forms: Demonstrating how Sanskrit pronouns are adapted in Prakrit.
Special Dialectical Features: Highlighting differences in forms across various Prakrit dialects.

Specific Examples of Sanskrit to Prakrit Transformations:

The text provides numerous examples, showing how Sanskrit words are transformed in Prakrit, adhering to the grammatical rules explained:

Vṛkṣaḥ (Sanskrit Nominative Singular) -> Vacchā (Prakrit): Illustrating the changes in case endings and possibly phonetic alterations.
Ekaikaṁ (Sanskrit) -> Ekamekaṁ, Ekamekke (Prakrit): Showing the application of rules for repetition (Vīpsā).
Vṛkṣeṇa (Sanskrit) -> Vaccheṇa (Prakrit): Demonstrating changes in the instrumental case ending.
Vṛkṣaiḥ (Sanskrit) -> Vacchehi, Vacchehiṁ (Prakrit): Illustrating the instrumental plural forms.
Vṛkṣāt (Sanskrit) -> Vacchatō, Vacchaō, Vaccha'u, Vaccaahi, Vacchaahintō, Vaccha (Prakrit): Demonstrating various ablative singular forms.
Vṛkṣebhyaḥ (Sanskrit) -> Vacchatō, Vaccha'o, Vaccha'u, Vacchaahi, Vacchehi, Vacchaahintō, Vacchehintō, Vacchaasunto, Vaccheasunno (Prakrit): Showing the numerous forms for the ablative plural.
Priyaśya (Sanskrit) -> Pi'assa (Prakrit): Illustrating the genitive singular.
Premappaḥ (Sanskrit) -> Pemmassa (Prakrit): Another example of the genitive singular.
Śaityam (Sanskrit) -> Sa'altaṇe (Prakrit): Demonstrating phonetic and case ending changes.
Vṛkṣe (Sanskrit) -> Vachche, Vacchaṁmi (Prakrit): Showing locative singular forms.
Tasmine (Sanskrit) -> Tam, Tammi (Prakrit): Demonstrating pronoun declensions.
Vṛkṣāḥ (Sanskrit) -> Vaccha (Prakrit): Showing changes in the nominative plural.
Vṛkṣān (Sanskrit) -> Vachchhe (Prakrit): Illustrating accusative plural changes.

The text meticulously breaks down the derivation of Prakrit forms from their Sanskrit origins, citing specific sutras (grammatical aphorisms) from Hemachandra's original work.

Overall Impression:

This volume of Prakrit Vyakaranam by Hemchandracharya, as presented with the Hindi commentary, appears to be a scholarly and thorough work. It aims to make the intricacies of Prakrit grammar accessible to students through clear explanations and numerous examples, bridging the gap between the classical Sanskrit grammatical tradition and the vernacular Prakrit. The extensive collection of testimonials on the initial pages underscores its pedagogical value and positive reception within the scholarly community.

This summary is based solely on the provided pages and reflects the content presented within them.