A Grammatical Analysis of the Dvyāśraya‑Mahākāvya’s Śaurasenī Ślokas

Summary

Mana Apoorva Shah’s contribution analyses the Śaurasenī portions of Hemacandra’s *Dvyāśraya‑Mahākāvya*, an eleventh‑century epic that interweaves grammar, history and poetics. Hemacandra, a polymath of the Caulukya court, composed the poem in twenty‑eight cantos: the first twenty narrate the deeds of Caulukya kings in Sanskrit, while the last eight, written in various Middle Indo‑Aryan dialects, illustrate the grammatical rules compiled in his *Siddhahemashabdanuśāsana*. The author explains that each Prakrit canto corresponds to one of the eight chapters of Hemacandra’s grammar and showcases the dialect treated in that chapter. The Śaurasenī section appears in the twenty‑seventh canto and is associated with the seventh chapter, which covers around thirty rules. By examining selected verses, the paper identifies characteristic features of Śaurasenī: the use of *e* and *o* for Sanskrit short vowels, the reduction of diphthongs, specific pronominal forms, and the retention of certain consonant clusters. Tables in the article align grammatical sutras with the verses that illustrate them, demonstrating how Hemacandra crafted his poetry to serve as a mnemonic for linguistic rules. The study further notes that the *Dvyāśraya* is unique in presenting a systematic survey of Māhārāṣṭrī, Śaurasenī, Māgadhī and other dialects within a single literary work and that its commentaries by later scholars confirm its pedagogical purpose. In addition to linguistic analysis, the author summarises the historical content of the cantos, such as the praise of King Kumārapāla and descriptions of courtly life. By situating the *Dvyāśraya* within the broader context of Jain scholarship and regional linguistic history, the paper argues that Hemacandra sought to elevate Prakrit dialects to the same status as Sanskrit by demonstrating their grammatical elegance and literary potential. The article thus provides insights into medieval Indian linguistics and the interplay between poetry and grammar.