Six Indian languages — Tamil, Sanskirt, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odiya — have been given classical language status, but it is surprising that Prakrit has not figured in the debate on classical languages, said Nalini Balbir, French Indologist.
The scholar from Sorbonne Nouvelle University- Paris 3, who delivered a keynote address at the inauguration of the international Prakrit conference at Shravanabelagola, said Prakrit in all its variant forms was the language of the common people and it had been an integral part of social life and polity for centuries.
“Many great works of Jain and Buddhist philosophy are in Prakrit. Despite its significant contribution to the Indian literary heritage, at one point the language was projected as ‘popular’ or ‘vulgar’,” said Prof. Balbir, speaking on the sidelines of the seminar.
Prakrit started losing importance after the 12th century, the time when regional languages in the northern part of the country emerged. The fact that it was spoken by the common people was also one among the reasons the scholars of that time ignored it. “While Sanskrit, another ancient language, continued to gain recognition, Prakrit was sidelined,” she said.
In recent years, the language has been receiving attention, with a few universities in India and abroad offering courses in Prakrit studies. Young scholars of Japan have developed an interest in Prakrit studies and Jainology. “Many young scholars in Japan and Russia are into Prakrit studies. In fact, Kundakunda’s [Jain scholar] works in Prakrit have seen Russian translation. In Japan, a few scholars have written on Prakrit and Jain studies,” she added.
