An easy textbook for learning Prakrit

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Manish Modi

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Feb 24, 2016, 8:55:36 AM2/24/16

to ROZ EK SHER, JAIN CLASS

|| ॐ ह्रीं श्रीपार्श्वनाथाय नमः ||

|| Auṃ Hrīṃ ŚrīPārśvanāthāya Namaḥ ||

Jay Jinendra

प्राकृत विद्या प्रवेशिका

Prakrit Vidya Praveshika

By Elacarya Prajnasagara

Set of 2 books

2015 24 x 16 cm 259 pages

Paperback Rs. 230 for the set

http://www.navelgazing.net/2016/02/a-textbook-for-learning-prakrit.html

Prakrits are the oldest languages known to mankind. As per the ancient Sanskrit adage, ‘prakrityaa bhavam praakritam’ {Prakrit is that which came into being naturally}.

Ashokan edicts are the oldest inscriptions found in India. They are in Shauraseni Prakrit, and written in the Brahmi script.

Prakrit was a fluid language and existed in many forms:

शौरसेनी Shauraseni - was spoken in and around the ancient kingdom of Shurasena (Mathura). It serves as the reference point for most Prakrit grammarians.
पाली Pali - was spoken in the Eastern region of the Gangetic plains
पैशाची Paishachi - was spoken in the Bahlika regions such as Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan, Quetta, Afghanistan and other parts of Asia lying to the North-West of India
मागधी Magadhi - was spoken in the Magadha region
अर्धमागधी Ardhamagadhi - was spoken in the Western region of the Gangetic plains
महाराष्ट्री Maharashtri - sophisticated later form of Prakrit, was spoken in the Western region of the Deccan plateau, preferred by Prakrit poets because of its innate elegance
अपभ्रंश Apabhramsha - last form of Prakrit, was spoken in Northern India. It metamorphosed into Khadi Boli, Braj, Avadhi, Bundeli, Dhundari, etc.

Prakrit was an important part of the rich linguistic tapestry of ancient and classical India. A great deal of secular as well as religious literature has been written in Prakrit.

Unfortunately, not many university departments in India and abroad teach Prakrit. As a consequence, Prakrit is restricted largely to learned Jain renunciants and a handful of lay scholars. They learn Prakrit through the teacher-pupil tradition. Also, there exist some ancient and medieval texts describing Prakrit grammar in great detail. But they have all been written in Sanskrit! Unless you know Sanskrit, you will not be able to use them to learn Prakrit.

Prakrit is used by the Jain community in their daily worship rituals. Hence, the need for an organised and easy to read textbook for learning Prakrit. This textbook serves the purpose.

It is a well organised and thoughtfully created self study book for those who would like to study Prakrit through Hindi. Through short, easy to grasp lessons, it takes the reader through the orthography, consonants, various conjunctions, nouns, pronouns, tenses, genders, conjugations, transitive and intransitive verbs, active voice, passive voice, suffixes, cases, etc. which form the crux of Prakrit syntax.

Prakrit is case-driven and a thorough study of its grammar shall gain a reader a lifetime VIP Pass into the world of Prakrit.

We are proud to recommend this set of two books to all those who love ancient India and her rich linguistic and cultural heritage.

At Hindi Granth Karyalay, we have been delighting readers since 1912. We are committed to make the best writings on Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism and South Asian Studies available all over the world. Hence, beside our own publications, we stock and sell books from all the major publishers of India. At our bookstore, which is the oldest in Mumbai, we stock thousands of books on various topics such as religion, philosophy, Indology, literature, poetry, dramatics, art, self-help, yoga, children’s literature, alternative medicine, music, cinema and sports.

We carry books in Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Apabhramsha, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada and Marathi. We also carry huge stocks of graphic novels, children’s literature, popular English novels, etc. We wish to be a one-stop bookstore that caters to different tastes.

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Best regards,

Manish Yashodhar Modi

हिन्दी ग्रन्थ कार्यालय

१९१२ से धर्म, संस्कृति तथा साहित्य की सेवा में