Classical Language Status For Prakrit And Pali

Popular in ancient India, Pali and Prakrit are among the five languages which were recently accorded the status of Classical Languages. Marathi, Bengali and Assamese are the other languages that have been accorded similar status.,

Prakrit (natural) is a blanket term for the peoples’ languages that were used by the common masses in ancient Indian subcontinent. Parkrit, unlike Sanskrit, was people's language, the natural speech of the people because the Prakrit language was simple and easy than Sanskrit both in sound and grammar. 

Each region of the subcontinent had its own particular variety of Prakrit. A large number of Ashokan edicts are in Prakrit. 

Famous works written in Prakrit are the poems “The Building of the Causeway” (Setubandha or Ravanavaho), “The Slaying of the King of Gauda (Bengal)”  (Gaudavaho) and a drama named Karpuramanjari. While Setubandha was written by Vakataka king Pravarasena II (r. c. 420 – 455 CE), Gaudavaho has been ascribed to 8th century poet Vakpati, detailing the exploits of Yashovarman who had established an empire at Kanyakubj which for a while controlled much of the North India. Vakpati was the court poet of Yasovarman. 

Another Vakataka ruler was Sarvasena (c. 330 – 355 CE) who is credited with the authorship of Harivijaya describing the story of bringing the parijata tree from heaven by Krishna. Many of the verses of Sarvasena were incorporated into Gathasaptashati,  the most important literary work in Prakrit, ascribed to Satavahana king Hāla who ruled in the Deccan in the 1st century AD. Gathasaptashati was revised by later scribes.

Named after its heroine, Karpuramanjari was written by 10th century dramatist Rajsekhara.

When Jainism came into being in the 6th century BC, the Hindu religious texts were all in Sanskrit while those of Buddhism were in Pali which is still the religious language of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and South-east Asia.

The Jainas, however, opted for Prakrit, though at different places texts were written in local languages as well.  Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, himself preached in Ardha Magadhi (Half Magdhi), the sacred language of the Jains, A large literature of Jainism was written in Ardha Magadhi. Maghdhi was official language of the Mauryan court, and Ashokan edicts were composed in this language.  

Shauraseni 

Shauraseni is another important Prakrit. Originally used in the western part of modern Uttar Pradesh, this Prakrit was used in drama for the speech of women and respectable people from the lower strata of society. 

Maharastri

Maharastri (Maharashtri ) was another notable  Prakrit.   Official language of the Satavahana dynasty Maharashtri , it was a literary language popular for lyric song. Works like Karpūramañjarī and Gatha Saptashati (150 BCE) were written in Maharashtri Prakrit, commonly used in western and southern India. Hemachandra,  the 12th century court poet of the Chalukyas of Anhilwara, was the grammarian of Maharashtri Prakrit. 

Pali, one of the early Prakrit languages, became the language of the Sthaviravadin Buddhists. Today, it is the religious language of the Buddhist in Sri Lanka, Burma and South-East Asia.