Introduction
The “Māhārāstri Prākṛta” was a rich and widely used language in ancient India. It remained prominent up until around 875 CE, reaching as far as Amer (modern-day Rajasthan). During the rule of the Satavahana dynasty, it held the status of an official language. It was not only employed in administrative activities; however, it also thrived as the natural spoken language of southern India. Known as the “Māhārāstri Prākṛta language,” it had a significant literary, cultural, and social influence.
Linguistic Nature of Māhārāstri Prākṛta
As the vernacular language of the Māhārāstra region, Māhārāstri established itself early on as a lively and evolving tongue. According to scholars, modern Marathi developed from this Maharashtri base. Due to various regional influences, several dialectical variants of Marathi emerged, the major ones being:
Kandeshi Marathi
Kolhapuri Marathi
Varhadi Marathi
Nagpuri Marathi
Marathwadi Marathi
Additionally, dialects like Ujjayini, Jamneri, Kandesh, Vagalambi (Tamboli), Jayari, and Nanduwadi Marathi are also noteworthy. In the contemporary period, the Marathi language has been categorized into around 27 provinces and 45 subdivisions, with branches like Varkari, Shahiri, Bharadi, Varhadi, Deshasthi, and Brahmani being prominent.
In ancient times, the influence of Māhārāstri extended even to the Konkan coast of Andhra Pradesh, flourishing especially under dynasties like the Satavahanas and the Chalukyas.
Literary Contributions
Maharashtri Prakrit had a profound impact on literature. Many celebrated authors composed their works in Maharashtri, including:
Chetubandhu
Halhan (author of Gathasaptashati)
Vakpati Raja (author of Gaudavaho)
Hemachandra Acharya
Kumarapala Charita-kara
In particular, gatha (lyrical poetry) literature is heavily influenced by Maharashtri. According to the Sanskrit tradition, even great poets like Kalidasa employed Maharashtri in their verses and Shauraseni in their prose, highlighting the literary excellence of Maharashtri.
Jain Māhārāstri and its Special Features
Modern Western scholars have distinguished “Jain Maharashtri” from the general Maharashtri based on certain textual characteristics found in Jain literature. However, it fundamentally stems from the ancient Maharashtri tradition. The distinctive features of Jain Maharashtri include:
A lesser degree of consonantal sandhi (phonetic fusion) compared to standard Maharashtri.
A greater emphasis on orthographic (spelling) accuracy.
Prominent Jain Maharashtri works include:
Dharmasangrahani
Samayicchakara
Kuvalayamala
Vavahardasha
Upadeshamala
Thus, the prominent features of general Prakrit languages are found vividly reflected in Maharashtri Prakrit.
Conclusion
Maharashtri Prakrit holds a crucial place in India’s linguistic heritage. Its literary richness, social usage, and cultural influence are still felt deeply within the Marathi language and Indian linguistic studies today. Maharashtri not only enriched Prakrit literature but also served as a foundational pillar in the evolution of many modern Indian languages.
Ramani Swarna, from ISJS-Pune, Maharashtra has taken initiative to recognise May 1,2025 as “Māhārāstri Prākṛta Day”. This initiative has been taken in the respectful and loving memory of my parents, Late Shri Badri Das Jain and Late Smt. Kapil Sundari Jain, for their dedication and commitment towards the country and Jain religion. This is a small step towards the recognition and growth of the beginning of the work left behind by them.
Initiatives Launched for Awareness
Following initiatives were launched to create awareness amongst the people:
WhatsApp Channel: Puralipis and Modern Scripts (Link)
WhatsApp Channel: Prakrit Grammar, Language, Literature, Culture, Religion And Museum Studies (Link)
WhatsApp Community Group: महाराष्ट्री Mahārāṣṭrī Prākṛt (Link)
Polls Competition for public participation
Results of the Competition
The winners from India and other countries like South Korea were:
Atul Kulkarni
Dherya/Drishya
Ravi Jain
BR. Reshma Kamble
Prabhavati Kakkalmeli
Seulki Park
Expert Contributions
It is great to know that “Māhārāstri Prākṛta Day” is being celebrated on May 1, 2025. Experts who shared their valuable knowledge include:
Prof. (Dr.) Arindam Chakrabarty
Prof. (Dr.) Sushma Singhvi
Prof. (Dr.) Jagat Ram Bhattacharya
Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Singh
Prof. (Dr.) Vasant Kumar Bhatt
Prof. (Dr.) Jitendra Bhai Shah
Prof. (Dr.) D.N. Sharma
Prof. (Dr.) Sumat Jain
Dr. S.N. Pandey
Dr. Pulak Goyal
Prof. (Dr.) Anirban Dash
