हतगमफ शललख क शबद क वयतपततगत अधययन

The Hathigumpha inscription has an important place in the history of Odisha. This inscription was engraved by Kharvel, who was the king of the Mahameghavahan dynasty. This inscription is inscribed on a rock in front of a cave called Hathigumpha on the Udayagiri hill, about five kilometers from Bhubaneswar. The script used is Brahmi, and the language is Prakrit, which was the common spoken language of that time. The Hathigumpha inscription not only reflects the life and achievements of Kharvela but is also an invaluable source of the ancient history, art and culture of Odisha. In these inscriptions, we can see a wonderful coordination of Sanskrit, Prakrit and native languages. This not only reflects the historical and cultural development of Odisha, but also proves helpful in the study of linguistics and literature. These inscriptions play an important role in the development of Odia language and literature. These inscriptions provide information about the early forms of Odia language. The Prakrit word ‘Bharadhavasa’ is the Sanskritized form of ‘Bhāratavarṣa.’ According to the grammatical rule ‘anādābayujo stathayor dadhau’ (12/3), under Shauraseni Prakrit, the Sanskrit letter ‘ta’ is often replaced by ‘da’ — hence, in ‘Bhārata’, the ‘ta’ becomes ‘da’, resulting in ‘Bharada’. According to Hemachandra's rule ‘dīpo dho bā’ (8/1/223), the ‘da’ in roots like ‘dīpa’ may be replaced by ‘dha’ in certain forms. Applying this, the ‘da’ in ‘Bharada’ becomes ‘dha’, resulting in ‘Bharadha’. In the word ‘varṣa’ (meaning region or country), another rule ‘sarvatra la-ba-ram’ (3/3) states that when a conjunct consonant includes ‘la’, ‘ba’, or ‘ra’ in the first or second position, those consonants may be elided. Thus, the ‘ra’ in ‘varṣa’ is dropped, transforming the word into ‘vaṣa’. Then, following the rule ‘śaṣoḥ saḥ’ (2/43), the letter ‘ṣa’ is replaced by ‘sa’, converting ‘vaṣa’ into ‘vasa’. Finally, combining these transformations, the Sanskrit word ‘Bhāratavarṣa’ evolved into the Prakrit form ‘Bharadhavasa’. The Hathigumpha inscription shows the influence of several Prakrit dialects, including Maharashtri, Shauraseni, Paishachi, and Magadhi Prakrit. According to the grammatical rule ‘śeṣādeśayor dvitvam anādau’ (3.50), when one consonant of an original consonant cluster is dropped, the remaining consonant is typically doubled. However, this doubling is generally not found in the Hathigumpha inscription. This absence reflects the particular nature of epigraphic Prakrit. The language of the Hathigumpha inscription is Prakrit. In standard Prakrit, there is usually a tendency to drop unaspirated consonants, but the inscription often contradicts this rule. Some words deviate from standard Prakrit conventions, which gives the inscription a unique linguistic identity. For examples: vavahāra (vyavahāra), yovarāja (yuvarāja), sandasana (sandarśana), dapa (darpa), dutīya (dvitīya), apatihata (apatihata), caka (cakra), anugaha (anugraha), ratana (ratna), rājagahaṁ (rājagṛhaṁ). The word cavutha is used instead of caturtha in the Hathigumpha inscription, which is not found in other forms of Prakrit but appears in ancient Odia literature. Such usages indicate that by the time of the Hathigumpha inscription, some significant linguistic changes had already occurred within Prakrit. Over time, these forms influenced the development of the Odia language. There are several linguistic similarities between the language of the Hathigumpha inscription and modern Odia. It is evident that during Kharavela’s time, the Odia language was still in its Prakrit stage. The Hathigumpha inscription, therefore, plays a crucial role not only in the historical study of dynasties but also in tracing the evolution of the Odia language.