The Sanskrit Drama in its Origin, Development, Theory & Practice c10.s6.5

c10.s6.5

In the case of conjunct consonants we find that *jñ* gives in Bhāsa either *ññ* or *ṇṇ*, possibly the latter by error; Aṣvaghoṣa has *ññ* only, Kālidāsa *ṇṇ*. For *ny* and *ṇy* Bhāsa has always *ṇṇ* as against Aṣvaghoṣa's *ññ*. The eliding of a consonant, with the compensatory lengthening of the vowel as in *dīsadi*, is unknown to Aṣvaghoṣa, where the omission of the consonant twice occurs but without lengthening; it is frequent in Bhāsa and regular in Kālidāsa. The analogous use of a short vowel and a double consonant to represent a long vowel with a single consonant is unknown to Aṣvaghoṣa, but Bhāsa has it in *evva, evvam, jovvana*, *devva*, *ekka*. On the other hand, like Aṣvaghoṣa, for *ry* he has *yy* only in lieu of Kālidāsa's *jj*. For the later *metta* *matta* is always found, and the epenthetic vowel is *u*, not *i*, in *purusa*, and *puruva* is normal.