In search of the Original Form of Ardhamāgadhī – Statistical Study (Analysis)

Summary

In the final instalment of his exploration of Ardhamāgadhī, K. R. Chandra applies statistical methods to analyse phonetic changes across three major editions of the Ācārāṅga Sūtra. He constructs a corpus of all occurrences of particular sounds—such as voiced versus voiceless stops, aspirates, nasals and sibilants—and compares their distribution in the Jacobi, Schubring and Mahāvīra Jain Vidyalay texts. By calculating percentages of sound correspondences he shows that the Jacobi edition preserves a higher frequency of archaic consonant clusters and vowel distinctions, suggesting that it reflects an older recensional tradition. The study also reveals patterns of assimilation; for example, the clusters “tṛ,” “tr” and “dr” often collapse into “t” or “d” in later manuscripts. Chandra uses chi‑square tests to determine whether differences in sound distributions are statistically significant and demonstrates that certain changes, such as the loss of intervocalic “y,” are systematic rather than random scribal errors. He argues that quantitative analysis complements traditional philological methods by providing objective criteria for evaluating competing readings. The paper ends by proposing reconstructed phonological rules for early Ardhamāgadhī and suggesting how these rules can inform the editing of other Jain texts.