Mahabharata Theory of Bishnupriya Language
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[edit] Mahabharata, Manipur and the Bishnupriya Manipuris
Bishnupriya Scholars like Shri Mahendra Kumar Singha, Pandit Sena Singha and some other history writers hold that Babhrubahana and his descendants comprising of many other colonies of Indo-Aryan stock are called Bishnupriya, speaking a language of Indo-Aryan origin.
According to these scholars, they are worshippers of Vishnu and Lord Vishnu was installed by Babhrubahana from Hastinapura. Their view is that, Meiteis and Meitei language is of kuki-chin origin and a kuki-chin group language group cannot be related with the people and language of epic Mahabharata.
They hold that BPM is highly influenced by the Sanskrit and Maharastri as well as Sauraseni Prakrits that is colloquial language of the soldiers and the people of Kuru Panchaya and Mathsadesh including Hastina Indraprastha
Shri Jagat Mohan Singha and Sri Birendra Singha developed the theory on observation of morphology, vocables and phonology of Bishnupriya Manipuri (BPM) language. They hold that BPM is highly influenced by the Sanskrit and Maharastri as well as Sauraseni Prakrits.(17) Sauraseni Prakrit colloquial language of the soldiers and the people of Kuru Panchaya and Mathsadesh including Hastina Indraprastha etc. All the characteristics of Mahararstri and Sauraseni Prakrits are exactly found in the BPM. For example, the verbal forms change following number, gender or the subjects in Bishnupriya Manipuri as visible in the Vedic, Pali and Prakrit language -
Singular
1st person - Mi Jauriga ( I am going )
2nd Person - Ti Jarga ( You go )
3rd person - Ta Jarga ( He goes ), Ta Jakga ( he may go )
Plural
1st person - Ami Jiarga ( We are going )
2nd Person - Tumi Jaraiga ( You go )
3rd person - Tanu Jitaraga ( They go ) , Tanu Jakaga ( They may go )
W.Shaw and Raj Mohan Nath , two eminent scholars are of the view that " Bishnupriya " with its Devanagari script had been language of ancient Manipur.(18) On the other hand, some other Bishnupriya Scholars like Dr. K.P. Sinha has objected to claim of Manipur to the alleged connection of Hindu legend. Dr. Sinha tried to prove his theory on the basis that Bishnupriya Manipuri language as a resultant language of Magadhi Prakrit.(19) According to him the origin of a language is to be inferred not from the history of the people; the origin of a community and the origin of their language do not necessarily go together.
