Praudh Prakrit Apbhramsa Rachna Saurabh Part 2 - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Praudh Prakrit Apbhramsa Rachna Saurabh Part 2" by Kamalchand Sogani, based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Praudh Prakrit Apbhramsa Rachna Saurabh Part 2 (A Treasury of Advanced Prakrit-Apabhramsa Compositions, Part 2)

Author: Dr. Kamalchand Sogani (Retired Professor, Philosophy, Sukhadia University, Udaipur)

Publisher: Apabhramsa Sahitya Academy, Jainvidya Sansthan, Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra Shri Mahavirji, Rajasthan.

Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/002699/1

Overall Purpose:

This book is a scholarly work dedicated to the study of Prakrit and Apabhramsa grammar, specifically focusing on the verb and participle (kṛdanta) rules. It aims to provide a systematic and understandable explanation of these rules, drawing heavily from the foundational grammar works of Hemachandracharya. The book is intended for students and researchers of Prakrit and Apabhramsa languages, making them accessible even to those with a basic understanding of Sanskrit.

Key Contents and Structure:

The book is structured to demystify complex grammatical rules, particularly those pertaining to verbs and participles, in both Prakrit and Apabhramsa. The core of the book consists of detailed explanations of the Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms) that govern these grammatical aspects.

Main Sections and Their Focus:

Introduction and Editorial Notes (Page 5-6):
- Highlights the historical significance of Lord Mahavir's teachings in Prakrit, emphasizing Prakrit as the source of Apabhramsa and subsequent North Indian languages like Hindi.
- Mentions the role of Jainvidya Sansthan in teaching Prakrit and Apabhramsa through correspondence.
- Explains that Part 1 of "Praudh Apabhramsa Rachna Saurabh" focused on noun and pronoun rules in Apabhramsa, and Part 1 of "Praudh Prakrit Rachna Saurabh" covered the same for Prakrit.
- Crucially, Part 2 focuses on the verb and participle (kṛdanta) sutras in both Prakrit and Apabhramsa, presented in Sanskrit.
- Outlines the pedagogical approach: the sutras are explained in five steps: sandhi vicched (breaking down compound words), vibhakti (case endings), shabdaartha (literal meaning), poora artha (full contextual meaning), and prayog (usage examples).
Sutra Vivchan (Analysis of Sutras) - Introduction (Page 8-12):
- Acknowledges Hemachandracharya's significant contribution in writing Prakrit grammar using Sanskrit sutras.
- Reassures readers that a deep knowledge of Sanskrit is not required; a basic understanding of Sanskrit grammar and even the grammar of other languages like Hindi or English can be helpful.
- Emphasizes the need for understanding Sandhi rules (vowel, consonant, visarga) and the indications of Sanskrit suffixes (pratyaya) for various tenses, persons, and numbers.
- Lists the grammatical elements covered: tenses (present, past, future, imperative/injunctive), persons (prathama, madhyama, uttama), numbers (ekavachana, bahuvachana).
- Identifies five types of participles (kṛdanta) discussed: sambandhaka kṛdanta (gerund/adverbial participle), hetvarthaka kṛdanta (infinitive of purpose), vartamanakalika kṛdanta (present participle), bhutakalika kṛdanta (past participle), and vidhi kṛdanta (potential/optative participle).
- Mentions the three voices: kartṛ vācya (active), karma vācya (passive), and bhāva vācya (impersonal), and the need to understand causative verb formations.
- Crucially, it presents a detailed list of Sanskrit verb suffixes for various tenses and moods, serving as a foundational reference for understanding the subsequent sutras. This includes Lṭ (present), Luṅ (aorist), Laṅ (imperfect), Liṭ (perfect), Lṛṭ (future), Lot (imperative), and Liṭ (optative/injunctive), Āśīrliṅ (precative).
- Lists the suffixes for different types of participles: kta (past passive), śatṛ (present active), śānac (present active, often with nasalization), ktvā (gerund), tumun (infinitive), tavya, anīyar (gerundives).
- Explains suffixes for passive/impersonal voice (kya = ya) and causative verbs (ṇic = ay).
- Provides important "tables of contents" or lists of mathematical symbols and their meanings used in the text, such as case endings (prathama/ekavachana, dvitiya/ekavachana, etc.) and common noun declensions (Hari, Bhūbhṛt, Gopā, Rāma, Strī, Guru, Sarva). This is essential for understanding the grammatical analysis presented later.
Detailed Sutra Explanations (Page 20-41 for Prakrit, Page 42-54 for Apabhramsa):
- This is the main body of the book, where each sutra is meticulously broken down.
- Each sutra is followed by its grammatical analysis, including:
  - Sandhi Vicched: Breaking down the sutra into its constituent words.
  - Root word and case endings: Identifying the root of the word and its grammatical case and number.
  - Meaning of terms: Explaining the meaning of each significant word in the sutra.
  - Full meaning of the sutra: Providing the contextual meaning of the aphorism.
  - Examples of usage: Demonstrating how the sutra applies to form actual words, particularly verb forms.
- The text systematically covers rules for verb conjugations in the present tense, imperative, conditional, and future tenses, as well as rules for forming various types of participles (kṛdanta).
- It highlights variations and specific rules for different types of verb roots (akarānta, akarānta, okārānta) and discusses causative verbs and passive/impersonal formations.
- Specific attention is given to the transformations of suffixes in Prakrit and Apabhramsa compared to Sanskrit. For instance, it details how Sanskrit suffixes like -ti, -si, -mi are modified in Prakrit and Apabhramsa.
Verb Forms (Page 48-68):
- This section provides tables of conjugated verb forms for both Prakrit and Apabhramsa.
- It categorizes forms based on:
  - Verb type: Akarānta (ending in 'a'), Ākarānta (ending in 'ā'), Okārānta (ending in 'o').
  - Tense/Mood: Present, Imperative/Vidhi, Past, Future.
  - Person and Number: First, Second, Third Person; Singular and Plural.
- These tables effectively consolidate the rules explained in the preceding sutra sections, presenting concrete examples of how verbs are conjugated.
Appendices:
- Appendix 1: Sandhi Rules (Page 77-80): This appendix lists and explains the key sandhi (joining) rules (vowel and consonant) that are frequently encountered when analyzing the sutras and forming words. This is vital for understanding the phonetic changes.
- Appendix 2: Grammatical Analysis of Sutras (Page 81-94): This extensive appendix provides a tabular breakdown of many of the sutras, showing the sutra number, the sutra itself, the constituent words, their root words, case endings, and the specific grammatical context. This is a critical reference for serious students of grammar.

Pedagogical Approach and Significance:

The book's strength lies in its systematic and multi-step approach to explaining complex grammatical rules. By breaking down each sutra and providing detailed analyses, examples, and tables of forms, Dr. Sogani makes the study of Prakrit and Apabhramsa verbs and participles more accessible. The inclusion of Sanskrit suffixes and the grammatical analysis of the sutras themselves equips the reader with the tools to understand the linguistic evolution and the underlying grammatical principles. The book serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to master the verbal system of these important ancient Indian languages.