Epigraphia Indica Vol 12

SR No.: 032566
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sten Konow
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1913
Total Pages: 464
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 25 MB

Page 158

No. 16.)
THE “PYU” INSCRIPTIONS.
129
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BI
»
DI.
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DI
TEXT. Plate A tdņ8 þå u hi t(r)s hna (ka) harivikramal hå8 BI td 8 þå8 u (bhg) s(n)a8
[8]ihavikrama þå8 » C tdə þåg a hi
sūriyavikrama hå8 » DI tdạ8 hå: a bi
sūriyavikrama þås uv()8 Plate A
snis (na s kni (de) hni snis hrå să (de) hni
sni8 () si (de) (p) (6) Dl þå8 k(d)io þås [tą] tio (p!)io snið (hau)8 sa pf () Plate A ti" phvg (t)pâ p(1)å ta (k)io (kha) a sni sni8 p(!)& sa Bl tio phug p(!)å ta (k)io (kha) sni8 sni8 p(1)& si
ta (k)io (kha) u [sn]i: sni8 tr[u sau]
ta (k)io (kha) sni8 Plate A tå (de) kni tio phug t(k)o tio td>8 &S a ra (kl)e8 på
BI p(1)& (de) (k)o tio phvg (t)på tio tdạ8 588 u ru (kl)e8 yå » Cp(1)
ti8 tdə bå8 u ro (kl)e8 y&
þåg u ru (kl)e8 på Where so much is uncertain it seems hardly worth while to discuss the doubtful letters at length. The word de may perhaps be le, or something else. The word bhii might conceivably berg, rę or ; ta may be vg or even t'e, and so on. There is very little to guide one in these doubtful cases, when the language is as good as unknown. I am not sure whether tio just before the last tda8 onght to have two dots after it or one : the texts appear to differ. In C piria looks like minia. The letter vi is also very like j in several of these words.
It appears from these inscriptions compared together that they have the following common elements : (a) the phrase tda8 ba8u....ba8, which includes the easily recognizable proper names Harivikrama, Sihavikrama and striyavikrama, (b) the phrase beginning with anis and ending with ta kio kha # sni3, aud (c) the final phrase þå u tu kleyå. What are we to make of it all? It appears from the Myazedi inscription that tda8 means "king" and has is a general honorific word, prefixed to the names of august personages (and worshipful objects, such as the statue of the Buddha mentioned in that inscription). What the next few words stand for I do not know. In the Myazedi inscription hi appears to mean "to die" and " death", but I am by no means sure that it is the same word here. In view of the unintelligible variant in Bl and the additional tra hna ka in A, I have my doubts. Perhaps these are partly names or titles of the personages commemorated. It is plain that on the strength of the first phrase we are justified in speaking of a dynasty reigning at Prome, which used "Pyu" as its official language and affected Indian names ending in vikrama. But very likely its members had “Pyu" names as well. The honorific bả8 was apparently capable of being suffixed as well as prefixed to the royal name. The words uvo8 to plio in Dl are beyond me at present. I merely point out that the first word occurs in l. 3 of the Myazedi inscription. Possibly it should be read u vo8 and in that case the u would be the genitive alfix. It would then be tempting to conjecture that 008 meant "queen", as it accompanies the word mayas in that context. If we read uvg8, perhaps the word means "his." But in any case I think we may conclude with great probability that
[There is a sign resembling an annsvära above, and a virama below the akshana ma in Harivikram, - S. K.)
[Looks like thio-S. K.) * This looks more like saw in my rabbing than it does in the plate, but I am very doubtful of it.