Part 16 - Growth of Buddhist Sanskrit (5th century B.C. to 1st century A.D.)

Several Buddhist texts have come down to us in language of the Pre Pāṇini period. Winternitz described this language as gāthā language. In course of transitions to the Pure Sanskrit, the Buddhist Āgama text of the Sarvāstivādin probably appeared. As already stated, the name Sanmitiyas, suggests consolidation between Theravādin (Sthavara) and the Mahāsāngihkas, between the period from the Vaisali council, circa 4 th century B. C., and Purusapura council circa 1st century A. D. In this period the language growth in the then North-West India saw drastic changes. The Sanmitiyas, who accepted the Apabhraṃśa language in conformity with Theravada tradition, played no fewer roles than the Mahāsāngihkas to be with the people. On the other hand the Mahāsāngihkas experimented by using the Prākṛt language as medium for their Āgama which was then generally used by commoners. [see notes regarding Edgerton's views]

The fragments of Prākṛt version of the Mahāsāngihkas works do not always reveal whether they followed the Saurasenī Prākṛt. The Mahāsāngihkis is said to have developed in Uddiyna, (presently Baluchisthan and further west), while the Sarvāstivādis entered in the race by adopting Sanskrit for preservation of the Buddhavacana. They could not overlook the contemporary Sautrāntika group of the Mahāsāngihkas and the Sammityas in the North West. The Mahāvastu, Lalitavistara, Gaṇḍavyūha, Kāraṇḍavyūha, Mañjuśrimūlakalpa, Saddharmapuṇḍorīka Sūtra are preserved in the ' Mixed Sanskrit '. In contrast, the Lankāvatāra, Daśabhūmīśvara Sūtra, Sāriputra Pariprccā etc. do not bear the specimen of the Mixed Sanskrit. In brief saṃskṛta-bhāṣā was therefore accepted in due course by the Buddhist in general after the Puruṣapura council. Nāgārjurna, Maiṭrceta, Piṭrceta and Aśvaghosa were the advocates of Sanskrit for communication among the then educated and cultured elite, the Shiṣṭa-Jana.