Prākṛta forms, can be detected very easily, on referring to the poetic composition in the standard Prākṛta language. For example, the Prākṛta verses are found composed in such works as শকুন্তলা, রত্নাবলী, etc., in such an artistic manner, that if for the প্রাকৃত words their Sanskrit equivalents are substituted, the verses correctly maintain their meters.
The rules laid down in the first part of Chapter XVII of the Nātya Śāstra relating to the use of provincial peculiarities in the speeches of the actors cf different rank and position, very distinctly mention that the standard Prākṛta of the drama has only to be nominally modified to suggest provincial peculiarities to the audience. The peculiarities or rather the points of deviation from the standard Sauraseni have been noted as follows: (1) The speech of all people of the Eastern Gangetic valley is to be made full of এ-sound:[1] গঙ্গা সাগর মধ্যে তু যে দেশাঃ সংপ্রকীর্ত্তিতা; একার বহুলাং তেষু ভাষাং তজ্মঃ প্রযোজয়েৎ. (2) ন is said to be the characteristic peculiarity of all peoples of the tract extending through the Vindhyas to the sea-coast;[2] (3) 'উ' is said to be the peculiarity in North-West India,[3] and (4) 'চ' is noted to be the characteristic of the speech of the peoples of Surāṣṭra and its neighbourhood as has been mentioned above.[4] Regarding the aboriginal
- ↑ This is perhaps on reference to the nominative-denoting এ.
- ↑ The tract seems to be of the Hinduized Dravidians using ম or ন at the end of nouns; the বিভাষা speaking tribes including Oḍras, were certainly excluded.
- ↑ In later times the apabhraṅśa-speaking Ābhīras are given this characteristic; but the Ābhīras are বিভাষা speaking here. উ is rather the Maithili characteristic in later প্রাকৃত. To reduce some vowels to উ sound in names as in কালু, নরু, বীরু, হরু, etc., has been usual in Bengal, since long.
- ↑ In modern Marathi, genitive-indicating suffix is চ; but this could not possibly have been the characteristic here referred to.
