The Sanskrit Drama in its Origin, Development, Theory & Practice c10.s6.3

c10.s6.3

The Prākṛits¹ found in Bhāsa are normally Caurasenī, which is present in all the plays save the *Dūtavākya*, which has no Prākṛit; Māgadhī found in two different forms; and what may be styled Ardha-Māgadhī. The distinctive feature of his language is its transitional aspect as compared with Aṣvaghoṣa on the one hand and Kālidāsa on the other. Aṣvaghoṣa never softens—save in one instance—hard consonants, but both *t* and *t* are changed to *ḍ* and *d* in Bhāsa. Aṣvaghoṣa never omits consonants, but, though this is less often carried out than in Kālidāsa, we find cases of the loss of *k, g, c, j, t, d, p, b, v,* and *y* when intervocalic. *y* itself suffers frequent change to *j*, contrary to Aṣvaghoṣa's usage. The change of *n* initial and medial to *ṇ* is regular, while it is unknown to Aṣvaghoṣa. The aspirates *kh, gh, th, dh, ph,* and *bh* are all often reduced as later to *h*, but never in Aṣvaghoṣa.