________________
In Search of the Original Ardhamăgadhi
K.R. Chandra (a) puras = pure' (in jassa natthi pure pacchā maijhe
tassa kuo siyā - Ācā., 1.4.4.145; pure saṁkhadim vā pacchā vā - Ācā., 2.1.2.338); purekaļa, purekamma, purekkhada, purekkhāra, puresamthaya, etc. vide Pischel (345). adhas = adhe, ahe (uddhan adhe ya tiriyam ca pehamāne - Ācā., 1.9.4.320; adhe disāto vā āgato - Ācā., 1.1.1.1; kāyaḥ ahe vi danisemti - Sū. Kr., 1.4.1.3). hetthā is also explained as derived from the word adhe. Adhestāt = (*adhestāt) = dhastāt = hastāt = hetthāt, hetthā (see, Pischel ,107) bahavah = bahave (Ācā., 1.9.3.295, 297, 302; Sū.Kr., Uttarā, Uvāsagadasão, Nāyādhamma, etc. see, Pischel, 380) nāmatah = nāmate (jahā nāmate aganikãe siya-Isibhā. 22, p.43.5; se jahā nămate - Isibhā, 31, p. 69.20). naḥ = ne, ne = asmākam, (paridevamānā mā ņe cayāhi
iti te vadanti) -Acā, 1.6.1.182; see, Pischel, 419).
The practice of changing the final 'ah'of a word-form to 'e'instead of to 'o'has been prevalent specially in the Eastern India, as is evidenced clearly in the Ashokan inscriptions. Such a change is found in other word-forms too, over and above that in the word-forms having the termination of the Masculine Nominative Singular of the words ending in 'a' As for instance,
lājine, (rājñah) - Dhaulī, Jaugada, Kālasī; atane (attane = ātmanah) - Separate Jaugada inscription, Separate Dhaulī inscription; piyadasine (priyadarsinah) - Dhaulī, Jaugada, Kālasī.
But in the inscriptions of other places there are found the usages with the final 'o'in place of 'ah'e.g. rāño, (Giranāra, Shāhabāzagadhī) rājāno and priyadasino (Giranāra).
it is ciear from these instances that the usage with -ah' = '-e'is inherited by the Ardhamāgadhi from the
55
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
