________________ 162 ACARYA VIJAYAVALLABHASURI COMMEMORATION VOLUME "It is well, O Sister, that my husband is killed in battle; for, if he had fled the battlefield and returned home I would have died of shame among my women-friends." जइ भग्गा पारकडा तो सहि मज्झु पिएण / अह भग्गा अम्हहं तणा तो तें मारिअडेण || (Jai bhagga parakkada to sahi majjhu piena/ Aha bhagga amhaham tana to tem mariadena//) "If enemies are fleeing (from the battlefield), it must be, O friend, because of my husband's valour; but if our men are running away, then it must be that he has been killed in the battle." पाइ विलग्गी अन्त्रडी सिरु ल्हसिउं खन्धस्सु / तो वि कटारइ हत्थडउ बलि किजउँ कन्तस्सु / / (Pai villaggi antradi siru lhasium khandhassu/ To vi katarai hatthadau bali kijjaum kantassu//) "The entrails hang down and entangle the feet; the head, severed from the trunk, is drooping sidewards; yet the hand is firmly on the dagger -I bow to this husband of mine." The heroism of these verses captures our imagination and wins our heart. From Apabhramsa slowly evolves the New Indo-Aryan Languages. This is not surprising because Apabhramsa was always so near and akin to the rising regional languages than to the Prakrit which was nearer to Sanskrit. For instance, the following Apabhramba verse easily turns into old Gujarati with only slight phonological changes : सिरि जर-खंडी लोअडी गलि मणियडा न वीस / at fe IEET FRISTI GT 38- ! .. (Siri jara-khandi loadi gali maniyada na visa/ To vi gotthala karavia muddhae uttha-baisa//) (Apabhramsa) सिरि जीर्ण-खंडी लोबडी गलि मणियडा न वीस / तोइ गोठडा कराविया मुग्धाए ऊठबईस // (Siri jarnakhandi lobadi gali maniyada na visa/ Toi gothada karaviya mugdhae uthabaisa//) (Old Gujarati version) Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
