Indian Antiquary Vol 42

SR No.: 032534
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 400
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 381

CHAPTER III]
BOWER MANUSCRIPT
several slightly differing variations, shown in (h), (i) and (k), none of which, however, affects its distinctive character of angularity.
xxvii
Fig. 11. A
с
The boundary of the western and eastern areas runs roughly along E. Long. 81°. At Kausambhi (Long. 81° 27') we have inscriptions in both varieties of the northern Gupta type side by side: the western variety in the Pâlt land-grant (E.I., Vol. II, p. 364, 1, 4, yathaisa), the eastern in the pillar inscription of Samudragupta, now in Allahabad (F. GI. No. 1, p. 1, Plate i), and in the Kôsam image inscription (F. GI. No. 65, p. 266, Plate xxxix C). Similarly, we find the western variety in the image inscription of Dêôriyâ (Long. 81° 51', F. GI. No. 68, p. 271, Plate xl B), and close by, the eastern variety in the image inscription of Mankuwâr (Long. 81° 52', F.GI, No. 11, p. 45, Plate xii A), and in the inscriptions at Gadhwa (Long. 81° 18'; F.GI, Nos. 7, 9, 64, 66, pp. 36, 40, 264, 267, Plates iv B,D, and xxxix B,D).59 As the Nepal valley lies within the eastern area, all the Nepalese inscriptions at, or near, Kâtmândâ (Long. 85° 71') exhibit the eastern cerebral (Fig. 10, d), but exceptionally they preserve the distinction of the two sibilants by using the western angular dental s (Fig. 10, h).60 Throughout the whole of the Bower Manuscript, the two sibilants appear in the western variety of the northern Gupta type, as may be seen by referring to Table I. This fact limits the country of origin of the manuscript to some part of north-western India; and as will be shown in the sequel, the probability is that Parts I-III were written in the extreme north, and Parts V-VII, in the extreme south of that portion of India, or rather (p. xxxv) by scribes coming from those localities.
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Я
d
Forms of the Palatal Sibilant.
The western variety of the northern type of the Gupta script itself possessed two subvarieties. The distinctive feature of these sub-varieties is their different way of writing the palatal sibilant é, either with a curvilinear or a straight-lined top. The successive stages of development of the form of this sibilant are shown in Fig. 11. Originally, in the Asôka script, it had the form (a). Gradually the medial perpendicular line assumed a slanting position as in (b), till finally, in the Indoscythic period, in the Kushana script of the second century A.D., it became more or less horizontal, as in (c). Somewhat later, apparently in the early Gupta period, in the fourth century A.D., the alternative form (d) arose, which flattened the rounded top into a straight line. These two forms of the palatal, s the round-topped and the flat-topped, however, were not restricted to a particular area, or a particular period of time. Tucy existed A instructive. contemporaneously during the Gupta period, and in the same common area, example is the group of Mandasôr inscription of Yasodharman (F. GI. Nos. 33, 34, 35, pp. 142, 149, 150, Plates xxi B,C, xxii), which were written by the same scribe, named Govinda (ib., p. 146), about 533 A.D. He uses the flat-topped form of throughout his three records.c1 On the other hand, the writer of the somewhat earlier Mandasor inscription, of the time of Kumâragupta and of the year 473-4 A.D., uses the round-topped
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59 Exceptionally the eastern variety is found in two inscriptions as far west as Mihrauli (Long. 77° 14 F. GI, No. 32, p. 139, Plate xxxi A), and Udayagiri (Long. 77° 50', F. GI. No. 6, p. 34, Plate iv A). 60 See Indian Antiquary, Vol. XI, p. 163 ff. The two sibilants may be seen in juxtaposition in 1, (käryytshu sadvi) of No. 3, p. 167.
61 Unfortunately, owing to the nature of the soft sandstone, on which they are incise:1, the angles of the letters are much eroded, thus obscuring somewhat their true forms, but the flat top is still well marked in several cases; e.g.. in sabda, 1. 6, and irf., 1. 7, of the complete pillar inscription (F. G., p. 146-7) and in sala and satra, 1. 1 of the duplicate inscription (ib., p. 159). In the better preserved inscription, on the harder slate tablet, the flat top of é is quite distinct; e.g., in srt 1, 4 (ib., p. 153.)
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