[INDOLOGY] Some questions on Alphabet in Lalitavistara

[Madhav Deshpande]

Dear Colleagues,

     As I have been reading the Lipiśālāsandarśana-Parivarta [p. 89, P. L.
Vaidya edition], some interesting features of the alphabet popped up for
me.  The Alphabet omits *r̥* and *l̥*, but includes *ai, au*, and *aḥ*.
Among the consonants, it adds *kṣ *at the end after *h*.  The version of
this passage as given in the Bauddhāgamārthasaṅgraha [ed by P. L. Vaidya]
also omits *l*, while it is included in the version of Lalitavistara edited
by Vaidya himself.  I wonder if there are textual variants about this.  I
don't know what this alphabet represents.  The omission of *r̥ *and *l̥ *goes
along the phonologies of Prakrits, but the inclusion of *ai, au*, and *aḥ* goes
in the direction of Sanskrit.  The addition of *kṣ *and the possible
omission of *l *point to something else that I cannot figure out.  Any
suggestions and references are welcome.

Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies

[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]


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