12.1 Language and Texts

Sanskrit Text

Embedded from 10.10 Literature, Scientific Literature › Sanskrit Literature

• S acquired classical form in poetry/Kavya and prose/gadya,
• Other composition were agama/ religious, itihasa/ traditional history, shastra/treatises
• Ashvaghosha 1st writer to use S for non-religious purpose
• Allahabad Prashasti in Champu Kavya,
• Transition from Prakrit to S in royal inscription completed
• Prakrit - Apabhramsa
• Ambiguity concerning various writers is common
• Kalidasa's works
  • Poetic description of love, Vaidharbhi style
  • Banabhatta and Dandin praises, Mammata describes love making of Shiva and Parvati as improper
• Bhasa - Madhyamavayoga, DutaGhatotkacha, Dutavakya, Balacharita, Charudatta
• Shudraka's Mrichchhakatika, Bharavi's Kiratarjuniya, Natyashastra,

Warder - Kavya obtained its widest audience in dramas performed in popular festivals

• Sanskrit texts compiled were Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana
• Bhartrihari wrote commentary on Patanjali's Mahabhasya
• Yajnavalkya, Narada, Katyayana, Brihaspati smritis compiled
• Kammandaka's Nitisara,
• Meghaduta
  • Yaksha banished by Kubera asks passing cloud to relay his message to his beloved
• Panchatantra - Vishnusharma, amusing satirical tales
• Philosophical texts
  • Samkhya Karika of Ishvarakrishna, Vyasa commentary on Patanjali's Yogasutra
  • Prashastapadas commentary on Vaisheshika Sutra

• E Medieval Sanskrit is characterised by pedantry, ornateness and artificiality.
• It includes religious texts, Bhanas/monologue plats, stotras/hymn composition, story literature and anthologies of poetry.
• Harshacharita, Ramacharita,
• Padmaguptas Navasahasanka-charita of Malwas king of same sanem.
• Bhagvata Purana, Brahmavaivarta Purana and Kaliak Puran talks about Tirtha/pilgrimage, Vrata/vows, penances, gifts and darma of women.
• Upapuranas can be used to trace connection b/w Brahmanical and Non Brahmanical ideas.

Embedded from 1.2 Literary Sources › Famous ancient Biographies were

• Banabhattas's Harshacharita written in 7th Century, also wrote a prose romance called the Kadambari.
• Vakpat wrote Gaudavaha in 8th century about Yashovarman of Kannauj.
• Bilhana wrote Vikramankadevacharita in 12th Century about Chalukya Kings especially Vikramaditya I.
• Nandikkalambakkam (9th century) is about Pallava king Nandivarman III.
• 11th century work Kalinkattupparani by Cheyankontar based on war b/w Chola King Kulottunga and Anantavarman Chodaganga of Kalinga.
• Sandhya Kara Nandis's Ramcharita about Rampala of Bengal and Ramayana.
• 12th Century Kumarapalacharita by Hemachandra about Chalukya kings of Gujarat.
• Prakrit was lingua franca in 3rd century BC

• Dharmshastra compilation were written during this time called Chaturimshatimata.
  • Vyavaharamatrika and Dayabhaga by Jumtavahana became popular in Bengal.
  • Commentaries on Manu Smriti by medhatithi, Govindaraja and Kulluka.
  • Commentaries on Yajnavalkya smriti by Vijnaneshvara called Mitakshara and Apararka.
• Krishi Parashara in Bengal

Pali

• Show strong Sanskrit influence.

Prakrit

• Most were Jaina texts in Maharashtri dialect.
• Language used shows artificiality and ornamentation
• Lekhapaddhatti both in Sanskrit and Prakrit,

Apabhramsa

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• Apabhramasa represents last stage of Prakrit language
• Out of this modern north Indian languages emerged.
• Apabhramsa is considered to be a major source of the modern Indo-Aryan languages found in South Asia, including Hindi and other regional languages.
• Apabhramsa is considered to be the predecessor of the historical dialects Ardha-Magadhi, Shauraseni, Maharashtri, and ultimately, modern Hindi.
• Apabhramsa is known for its simplicity and clarity in comparison to Classical Sanskrit, which is known for its complex grammar and paradigms.
• It is considered to be the language of the Bhakti saints, with many hymns and poems being written in it, particularly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Apabhramsa has had a significant influence on modern North Indian languages like Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi, as well as on other South Asian languages such as Nepali, Assamese, Persian, and Urdu.
• Another stage in the development of the Indo-Aryan languages was Apabhramsha ("falling away"), a vernacular of Western India which achieved literary form in the Middle Ages and was used by Jaina writers in Gujarat and Rajasthan for the composition of poetry. Its chief characteristic is the further reduction of inflexions, which are in part replaced by postpositions, as in modern Indian languages. A similar degenerate Prakrit was used in Bengal by a few late Buddhist poets, and is the ancestor of modem Bengali. [1]

1. AL Basham Wonder that was India.↩︎