Siddhhem Shabdanushasan Prakrut Adhyayana Udaharnona Mul Stroat

Here is a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Siddhem Shabdanushasan Prakrut Adhyayana Udaharnona Mul Stroat" by H.C. Bhayani:

This book, authored by H.C. Bhayani, delves into the origin and sources of the Prakrit examples used by Hemachandracharya in his magnum opus, "Siddhahem Shabdanushasan." Hemachandracharya, a renowned Jain scholar, cited examples from prevalent literature to illustrate the grammatical rules of various Prakrit languages, including Prakrit, Shauraseni, Magadhi, Paishachi, Chulika-Paishachi, and Apabhramsha.

Bhayani's work aims to trace the original sources of these examples. It acknowledges that Hemachandracharya either personally selected these examples or adopted them from earlier Prakrit grammarians like Vararuci, Chand, Namisadhu, and possibly the now-lost Svayambhu grammar.

The author highlights the significant challenges in identifying the original sources of these examples due to several reasons:

• Loss of Original Works: Many original texts have been lost over time.
• Vastness of Prakrit Literature: The sheer volume of Prakrit literature makes the task difficult.
• Single-Word Examples: When an example consists of only one or two words, tracing its origin becomes nearly impossible.

Despite these difficulties, the author emphasizes the immense value of such an endeavor. It provides a clear picture of the Prakrit-Apabhramsha literature that was considered authoritative and standard up to Hemachandracharya's time.

The book then reviews previous attempts to identify these sources:

• Weber (1881): Identified some words and fragments quoted in "Siddhahem" from his edition of the "Gatha-Saptashati."
• Pischel: Noted many of Hemachandracharya's words in his own Prakrit grammar and indicated the original sources in some instances.
• P.K. Gode: In his work "The Prakrita Grammarians" (1938), he compared the Prakrit section of "Siddhahem" with other Prakrit grammarians, highlighting similar rules and examples.
• Muni Vajrasen Vijay: In his edition of the Prakrit section, he provided a list of examples and their found sources, also including information on Apabhramsha examples. Bhayani notes that there is still scope to complete Vajrasen Vijay's work and find more original sources.

Bhayani observes that Shauraseni and Magadhi examples are fewer, requiring less effort to trace. For Paishachi and Chulika-Paishachi, no original sources remain, making tracing impossible. The remaining task involves finding the sources for general Prakrit examples, with significant reliance on texts like "Gatha-Saptashati," "Harivijaya," "Vajjalagg," "Setubandha," "Gaudavaho," "Lilavatikaha," "Taragana," and Prakrit verses cited in works on Sanskrit poetics (as compiled by Dr. Kulkarni).

The current work is presented as a continuation and fulfillment of these earlier efforts.

The book then proceeds to list examples from "Siddhahem" categorized by language (Main Prakrit, Shauraseni, Magadhi, and Paishachi/Chulika-Paishachi) alphabetically within each section. For each example, the identified original source is indicated where possible. The author states that details regarding Apabhramsha examples are provided in his own Apabhramsha grammar.

A significant portion of the text is dedicated to providing these meticulously cataloged examples and their identified sources. The author also acknowledges the contributions of others in identifying sources.

Key Findings and Contributions:

• Source Identification: The primary contribution of the book is the systematic attempt to identify the original literary sources for Hemachandracharya's grammatical examples.
• Literary Landscape: It sheds light on the Prakrit and Apabhramsha literary corpus that was influential during Hemachandracharya's era.
• Methodological Challenges: The author candidly discusses the difficulties encountered in this research, such as lost texts and the sheer volume of literature.
• Scholarly Review: The book engages with and builds upon the work of previous scholars in this field.
• Detailed Listing: A substantial part of the text provides a comprehensive list of Prakrit verses with their identified sources, serving as a valuable reference for scholars.
• Arsha Prakrit: The text discusses the "Arsha" (or canonical) Prakrit examples found in Hemachandracharya's work, noting their presence in texts like the Dashavaikalika, Uttaradhyayana, and Dashavaikalika Sutra. It highlights that the Arsha Prakrit in Hemachandracharya's context often refers to the language of Jain canonical texts, with specific characteristics like the use of 'e' instead of 'a' in the nominative singular of certain nouns.
• Critique of Previous Interpretations: Bhayani subtly critiques the interpretations of scholars like Nitti Dolci, suggesting that some of their critiques of Hemachandracharya might stem from a misunderstanding of the purpose and context of his grammatical work.

In essence, H.C. Bhayani's "Siddhahem Shabdanushasan Prakrut Adhyayana Udaharnona Mul Stroat" is a scholarly work of significant importance for the study of Prakrit literature and Jain grammar. It offers a detailed and systematic investigation into the origins of the linguistic examples used by Hemachandracharya, contributing valuable insights into the Prakrit literary heritage and the scholarly methods of the time.