Restoration Of Original Language Of Ardhamagadhi Text

Here is a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Restoration of Original Language of Ardhamagadhi Texts" by K.R. Chandra:

The book "Restoration of Original Language of Ardhamagadhi Texts" by K.R. Chandra, published by ZZ_Anusandhan, is presented as an introduction to a larger work. The first part of this book focuses on identifying and critically analyzing variations in ten selected words from the Ācārāṅgasūtra's first Śrutaskandha, considered the oldest among the Jain Agamas in terms of subject matter, style, and language.

The ten words chosen for study are: yathā, tathā, praveditam, ekadā, ekaḥ-eke, ekeṣām, aupapādika/aupapāttika, lokam, loke, and kṣetrajña. The author presents the various Prakrit forms found for each of these words in palm-leaf and paper manuscripts. For instance, yathā appears as adhā, ahā, jadhā, jahā; tathā as tadhā, tahā; praveditam as paveditaṁ, pavetitaṁ, pavetiyaṁ; ekadā as ekadā, egadā, egatā, egayā; ekaḥ-eke as eke, ege; ekeṣām as egesām, ekēsiṁ, egēsiṁ; aupapādika/aupapāttika as upavāiye, upavāite, upavātiye, upavādiye, upavāite, upavātiye, ovavāiye, ovavātiye, and ovavādi; lokam as lokaṁ, loka, loya; loke as lokassi, lokansi, logansi, loyansi, lokammi, logammi, loyammi; and kṣetrajña as khettan, khedan, khetan, kheanna, kheyanna, kheyaṇṇa, khettaṇṇa, khittaṇṇa, khedaṇṇa, and kheanna.

Based on these numerous Prakrit variations, Chandra argues that the ancient Ardhamagadhi language, even in its earliest parts, exhibited a significant degree of phonetic transformation. He questions whether the original teachings of Lord Mahāvīra, as collected in the Ācārāṅga, which should reflect the most archaic language, would have simultaneously contained such a wide range of variations for a single word.

The author posits that these diverse forms are evidence of the different stages and regional influences of Middle Indo-Aryan languages as Jainism spread from East India to North India (Mathura) and then to the West (Gujarat and Rajasthan). The local vernacular languages gradually influenced the Agamas, which were preserved orally in the Guru-disciple tradition. This influence is evident even in the final recension of the Agamas, attributed to Devarddhigani in the fifth century CE, which shows a stronger presence of Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit. This is why scholars like Muni Puṇyavijaya described the language of the Agamas as a "khichadi" (a mixed language), and Pandit Bechārāi considered the current language of the Agamas not to be its original form.

Despite these later influences, Chandra asserts that linguistic analysis of the preserved manuscripts can still distinguish between older and later forms of words. He critiques past editorial practices for the Agamas, which primarily prioritized readings found in ancient palm-leaf manuscripts, those present in more manuscripts, or those supported by commentators, neglecting linguistic considerations.

Chandra highlights a significant finding from his research: paper manuscripts, even if not the oldest, sometimes preserve older readings, while some of the oldest palm-leaf manuscripts contain later readings. The inconsistency in word forms even within the same manuscript indicates the freedom exercised by scribes during the copying process, potentially without a clear understanding of the original language. He points out the lack of dedicated grammatical works on the fundamental characteristics of Ardhamagadhi, making it challenging for editors to establish the original form.

The author concludes that the current published editions of the Agamas lack uniformity in their textual readings. Therefore, a crucial and necessary task is to re-edit the Jain Agamas from a linguistic perspective. This re-editing should involve compiling all variations found in available manuscripts and accepting those readings that align with the ancient linguistic form of the language.

In the second part of his book, Chandra intends to analyze selected words from other important Jain texts like Sūyagaḍāṅga, Āvaśyaka, Ācāraṅga, Ṛṣibhāṣitāni, Uttarādhyayana, Daśavaikālika Sūtra, and their Sanskrit commentaries, drawing on their variations from the M.J.V. editions. The overarching conclusion is that a comprehensive collection and critical study of all archaic variations found in the manuscripts of these texts are essential for a linguistically accurate re-editing of the Jain Agamas.