Epigraphia Indica Vol 17

SR No.: 032571
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: F W Thomas, H Krishna Sastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1923
Total Pages: 426
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
(VOL. XVII.
N. B.-It is customary to read the auspicious symbol or in the beginning of an inscription as it and this interpretation has been adopted by eminent epigraphists like Hoernle and Fleet. Hoernle writes thus (Intro. Bower Manuscripts, Indian Antiquary reprint, p. 22) - "Indian manuscripts or records as a rule commence with some benedictory word, such as siddham
success or swasti "hail' or with the sacred particle on. The last mentioned is almost universally used at the present day. It may be either written in full or indicated by a symbol. The latter takes the form of a spiral, which may turn either to the right or to the left, and which is probably a conventional representation of the sacred sarikha, or conch-shell." In editing the Mankuwar Stone Image Inscription of Kumara-gupta, where this symbol is met with for the first time, Dr. Fleet remarks (Corpus. Ins. Ind., p. 46, n. 3):-"As was usual throughout the whole of the period covered by this volume, this word is represented by a symbol, not by letters. Om is not of very frequent occurrence at the commencement of Buddhist inscriptions." Thas both the scholars read the symbol as on, but none has advanced any reason for their reading it so. Writing about eight centuries and a half earlier, Al Beruni also says the same thing (Vol. I, p. 173) "The Hindus begin their books with Orhthe word of creation, as we begin them with 'In the name of God.' The figure of the word om is a This figure does not consist of letters; it is simply an image invented to represent this word, which people use, believing that it will bring them a blessing and meaning thereby & confession of the unity of God." This passage of Al Beruni is perhaps responsible for the confident reading of Hoernle and Fleet. But the reading should be reconsidered in the light of the following points:
(a) In Bengal, this symbol was largely used in all ancient documents and manuscripts and in teaching alphabets to beginners they were taught to draw this symbol to start with. This custom was prevalent as late as twenty-five years ago, but has disappeared by this time. This symbol was called athji and was supposed to signify the god Gaņēka, the giver of success, being drawn to represent his elephant's trunk. In reading, it was read Siddhir-astu.
(6) In the Gupta inscriptions this symbol only appears in those in which the customary benediction Siddharh is left out, and nowhere does it appear with it. Consequently it must have stood for Siddhath, and as time went on it must have become more and more customary to represent the word by this symbol.
c) In some inscriptions the symbol is found to precede Or, which would never have been the case if the two were identical. In such cases the reading given is Or, Or, which is certainly not reasonable. Reference may be made to Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XII, p. 8, Ibid, Vol. XIV, p. 159, for examples of the joint use of Orin and this symbol. In view of these facts, the symbol, I think, should be read Siddhan or Siddhir=astw1
TRANSLATION.
Part I. May success attend ! In the eighteenth year of the victorious reign of His glorious Lajesty Layshachandra-dēva, on Thursday in the dark Fourteenth Tithi, and under the star Pushya, Bhivu-dáva, son of Kusuma-dove, Lord of Karmanta, caused to be made the Lord Narttēśvars .... on the 14th day of Ashādha (calculated) by the movement of the moon. And all the letters engraved by Ratöke.
Part II. Also engraved by the illustrious Madhusudans.
[This weths to be the proper interpretation of the symbol, in spite of Al Beruni's statement to the contrary. In the Tamil country the same symbol slightly modified 2 is even today called the Pillaiyar-fadi. Gapăia's usland in Ant taught to be dnwa by children before they begin to learn their alphabet.-Ed.)