Prakritmargopadeshika - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Prakritmargopadeshika" by Bechardas Doshi, based on the provided PDF pages:

Book Title: Prakritmargopadeshika (प्राकृतमार्गोपदेशिका) Author: Acharya Bechardas Jivraj Doshi (अध्यापक बेचरदास जीवराज दोशी) Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas, Delhi-Varanasi-Patna Translated into Hindi by: Sadhvi Shrimati Sutraji (पंडित साध्वी श्री सुत्रताजी) Year of Hindi First Edition: 1968 CE / 2495 Vir Samvat

Overall Purpose and Significance: The book, "Prakritmargopadeshika," is a comprehensive guide to the Prakrit language, particularly for Hindi speakers. The preface, written by Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, highlights the indispensable nature of studying Prakrit for a complete understanding of modern Indo-Aryan languages. He emphasizes that without Prakrit, the study of languages like Pali, various Prakrits, and Apabhramsha remains incomplete. The book aims to bridge the gap in the availability of accessible Prakrit learning resources in Hindi, filling a void that existed primarily because the discussion and study of Prakrits had waned among Hindi speakers.

Key Contributions and Focus: The book covers the grammar of Prakrit, Pali, Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Chulika-Paishachi, and Apabhramsha. It is considered a "pocket edition" of Pischel's comprehensive Prakrit grammar, making advanced linguistic knowledge more accessible.

Author's Motivation and Evolution of the Work: Acharya Bechardas Doshi explains his motivation stemmed from R.G. Bhandarkar's "Sanskrit Margopadeshika" in English, which had a Gujarati translation used in Gujarat's schools. Inspired by its style, Bechardas Doshi created a Gujarati "Prakrit Margopadeshika" manuscript in just three to four months. This initial work, published about 56-57 years prior to the Hindi translation (around 1911-1912 CE), was his first original contribution and was done during his student years, without relying on Sanskrit. He later revised and expanded it, leading to five Gujarati editions. These later editions incorporate comparative studies with Sanskrit, Pali, and other ancient Prakrit languages, referencing the grammar of Acharya Hemchandra and the "Paliprakash" of Acharya Vishudheshwar Bhattacharya.

Hindi Translation and Publication: The Hindi translation was undertaken by Sadhvi Shrimati Sutraji, a disciple of Sadhvi Shri Mrigavatiji, who was in turn a disciple of Sadhvi Shri Shilovatiji. The author expresses his gratitude to Sadhvi Mrigavatiji for suggesting the translation and to Motilal Banarasidas, particularly Shri Sundarlal Jain, for undertaking the publication. The printing process involved collaboration with Keshav Mudranalaya in Varanasi, with corrections and editing handled by Shri Kapil Dev Giri.

Core Content and Structure:

The book is structured into several key sections, covering various aspects of Prakrit grammar and linguistics:

Varnavigyan (Phonetics/Alphabet):
- Introduction to Prakrit vowels and consonants, their pronunciation, and articulation points.
- Discussion of specific vowel usage in Prakrit (e.g., absence of plut pronunciation, limited use of certain vowels).
- Details on consonant usage, including the fact that consonants are generally not used alone without a vowel.
- Rules regarding the use of 'ng' (ङ) and conjunct consonants (e.g., 'ky', 'tr', 'pl', 'sv') in Prakrit.
- The absence of 'sh' (श), 'ṣa' (ष), and visarga (:) in Prakrit, with exceptions noted.
- Extensive details on Akshar Parivartan (Phonetic Changes), outlining how Sanskrit sounds and conjunct consonants transform into Prakrit sounds. This is a significant portion of the book, with numerous examples for each change (e.g., Sk/kt/ky/kr to kk, tk/kh, Gg/g, Chch/ch, Jj/j, Jh/jh, Tth/th, Ddh/dh, Nn/n, Pp/p, Ph/f, Bb/b, Mm/m, etc.).
Shabd Vibhag (Word Division):
- Sanskrit-sam (Sanskrit-derived): Words that are identical or closely resemble Sanskrit words.
- Deshy (Indigenous): Words that are ancient and do not have a clear etymological link to Sanskrit or Prakrit. These can include words from various non-Aryan languages like Dravidian and Arabic-Persian. The text mentions Acharya Hemchandra's "Deshishabd-sangrah" (Desi-Shabd-Sangrah) for such words.
- Examples are provided for both name forms and verbs derived from Sanskrit.
Shabd Rachna (Word Formation):
- This section delves into the rules of word formation and the transformations of sounds.
- Svaron ka Samanya Parivartan (General Vowel Changes): Rules for how vowels change, categorizing them into general and specific changes, and changes specific to certain languages.
- Detailed rules are presented for changes like:
  - Hrasva to Dirgha (short to long vowels)
  - Dirgha to Hrasva (long to short vowels)
  - 'a' to 'i'
  - 'u' to 'a' and 'aa'
  - 'u' to 'o'
  - 'ru' to 'ar'
  - 'ru' to 'u'
  - 'ṛu' to 'ri'
  - 'l' to 'i' and 'ili'
  - 'ai' to 'e'
  - 'au' to 'o'
- Svaron ka Vishesh (Special Vowel Changes): Exception rules for vowel changes.
- Asanyukt Vyanjan ka Samanya Parivartan (General Consonant Changes): Rules for changes in single consonants.
- Sanyukt Vyanjan ka Samanya Parivartan (General Conjunct Consonant Changes): Rules for changes in conjunct consonants.
- Vishesh Shabdon mein Vishesh Parivartan (Special Changes in Specific Words): Changes occurring in particular words.
- Shabdon mein Sarvatha Parivartan (Complete Changes in Words): Words undergoing significant transformation.
- Agam (Insertion): Rules for the insertion of sounds.
- Vyanjan ka Parivartan (Consonant Changes): Extensive discussion on how Sanskrit consonants change in Prakrit, including rules for intervocalic consonants, final consonants, and specific sound shifts (e.g., k to kh, g to m, ch to t, j to y, t to d, d to l, n to n, p to v, etc.). The text also elaborates on the specific rules for Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Chulika-Paishachi, and Apabhramsha.
- Lop (Omission): Rules for the omission of sounds, particularly final consonants and intervocalic consonants.
- Sandhi (Junction): Rules for how sounds combine at word boundaries, with a note that Prakrit often avoids sandhi within a single word to maintain clarity, unlike Sanskrit.
- Samas (Compounding): Detailed explanation of the four main types of Sanskrit compounds (Dvandva, Tatpurusha, Bahuvrihi, Avyayibhav), their formation, examples, and nuances in Prakrit, often drawing parallels to scholarly usage.
- Vaidik tatha Loukik Sanskrit Bhasha ke Saath Prakrit Bhasha ki Tulna (Comparison of Prakrit with Vedic and Classical Sanskrit): A significant section that draws parallels between Prakrit and Vedic Sanskrit in terms of grammar, verb conjugations, and phonetic changes, highlighting the shared lineage. It also addresses the misconception of Prakrit being a "low" language.
- Ek Dusri Spashtata (Another Clarity): A section addressing the notion that Prakrit was the language of the common people, women, and Shudras, countering this by citing the use of Prakrit by learned scholars and the existence of Prakrit grammars.
- Pathmala Vibhag (Lessons/Textbook Section): A series of lessons demonstrating grammatical concepts through Prakrit sentences and vocabulary.
  - First Lesson: Present tense verbs, focusing on first, second, and third person singular endings.
  - Second Lesson: Plural verb endings.
  - Third Lesson: Present tense with 'jj' and 'jja' suffixes.
  - Fourth Lesson: Verb 'as' (to be).
  - Fifth Lesson: Demonstrates various verbs and their conjugations.
  - Sixth Lesson: Declension of 'a'-ending masculine nouns.
  - Seventh Lesson: Declension of 'a'-ending neuter nouns.
  - Eighth Lesson: Nouns.
  - Ninth Lesson: Declension of 'sarva'-like words.
  - Tenth Lesson: Declensions of demonstrative pronouns like 'tumh', 'amh', 'im', 'e'a'.
  - Eleventh Lesson: Past participle suffixes.
  - Twelfth Lesson: Declensions of 'i'-ending and 'u'-ending masculine nouns.
  - Thirteenth Lesson: Future tense suffixes.
  - Fourteenth Lesson: Future tense.
  - Fifteenth Lesson: Declension of 'ṛ'-ending words.
  - Sixteenth Lesson: Potential mood and optative suffixes.
  - Seventeenth Lesson: Potential mood.
  - Eighteenth Lesson: Declension of 'a'-ending, 'i'-ending, 'ī'-ending, and 'ū'-ending feminine words.
  - Nineteenth Lesson: Types of causative suffixes.
  - Twentieth Lesson: Suffixes for Bhavi and Karmani (passive/impersonal voice).
  - Twenty-first Lesson: Ansuz'an't words.
  - Twenty-second Lesson: Some denominative verbs.
  - Twenty-third Lesson: Examples of potential participles.
  - Twenty-fourth Lesson: Present active participles.
  - Twenty-fifth Lesson: Numeral words.
  - Twenty-sixth Lesson: Past active participles.
- Prakrit Shabdanchi Suchi (Prakrit Word List): An extensive glossary of Prakrit words with their meanings and page references.
- Vishesh Shabdanchi Suchi (List of Special Words): A list of specific or important words.
- Shuddhi-patrak (Errata): A list of corrections.

Linguistic Approach: The book adopts a comparative linguistic approach, extensively comparing Prakrit forms with Sanskrit. It systematically details phonetic shifts (varnavigyan, akshar parivartan), word formation (shabd rachna), sentence structure (sandhi, samas), and grammatical forms (vibhakti, tense, mood). The author's deep knowledge of various Prakrit dialects (Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Apabhramsha) and Pali is evident in the detailed comparative analysis.

Target Audience: The book is designed for students and scholars interested in the study of Prakrit languages, offering a systematic and comprehensive foundation.

In essence, "Prakritmargopadeshika" is a seminal work that demystifies the Prakrit language, making its study accessible and comprehensive through a structured pedagogical approach and detailed linguistic analysis. It serves as a vital resource for understanding the evolution of Indian languages and the rich literary and religious heritage preserved in Prakrit.