Epigraphia Indica Vol 27

SR No.: 032581
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1947
Total Pages: 490
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 27 MB

Page 62

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No. 7 ]
SAKRAI STONE INSCRIPTION: V. S. 699 the two dissimilar signs for 9 are likewise used is afforded by the Käman stone inscription. Prof. V. V. Mirashi, the editor of this last record, has noticed the peculiarity and cited some more analogous instances.”
In this way, we now arrive at the reading : Samvat 699 lvir-Ashādha su li... V. S. 699 is equal to A. D. 642-3, and that would be quite compatible with the palaeographical data. Our inscription would thus be later by about a decade than the Madhuban plate and earlier by about a decade than the Kudārkot inscription."
Now, what remains to be verified is whether there was an intercalary Ashādha in V. S. 699. A reference to the tables given for such verifications in Diwan Bahadur L. D. Swamikannu Pillai's Indian Ephemeris" will show that A. D. 643 did have an intercalary Ashādha. A slight hitch may be felt inasmuch as A. D. 643 works out to be V. S. 700, whereas our inscription has V. S. 699. This can be overcome by the assumption, a very natural one in the present case, that the year referred to in the inscription is Kārttikādi. This means that the Ashādha of the Kürttikādi V. S. 699 is the same as the Ashädha of the Chaitrādi V. S. 700. And that squares with the given date.
It may now be said that our inscription furnishes instances of the numerals 6 and 9, and that for the latter it gives two dissimilar signs. It may further be pointed out that our inscription is among the earliest to adopt the more advanced system of decimal notation. The older inscriptions, it is well known, have the primitive mode of employing distinct symbols for units, tens, hundreds, etc.
TEXT [Metres: v. 1 Prithvi ; v. 2 Sragdharā; v. 3 Mālini; vv. 4,5 Sardūla
vikridita; vv. 6,8-14 Anushtubh ; v. 7 U pajāti of Salini & Vaišvadēvi.] 1 Om Ranad-radana?-darana druta-Sumēru-ren-udbhatam sugandhi-madirā-mada-pramudit
äli-jhankäritam(tam) anēka-rana-dundubhi-dhvani-vibhinna-ganda-sthalam Mahaganapatēr=mmukham disatu bhūri-bhadrāņi vah || [1 *] Nrityantyäs=s-angahārarii charana-bhara-parikshõbhita-kshmä-talāyāh=prabhrasht-êndu-prabhāyān nisi visșita
nakh-õdyota2 bhinn-andhakārāh yē lil-odvēllit-agrā vidadhati vitat-ambhõja-pūjā iv=āśās=të hastās=
sampadam vo dadatu vidalita-dvēshiņaś=Chandikāyāḥ || [2 *] Madhu-mada-janudřishțih spashta-nil-otpal-abho mukuta-maņi-mayükhai ramji(rañji)tah pita-vāsā[h*] |
jaladhara iva vidyuch-chhakra-chap-anuviddho bhavatu Dhanada1 Above, Vol. XXIV, plate facing p. 334, text I. 22. Another date, namely the year 229, given in I. 13 of this inscription, provides a clearer instance of the sign for 9 under discussion.
. Ibid., p. 331, n. 2.
3 The conclusion arrived at here is corroborated by the two inscriptions from Jhālräpåtan (Ind. Ant., Vol. V, pp. 180-3, with plate), one of which is dated Samvat 746. Their characters are more ornamental than those of our inscription (which circumstance is explained by their being later hy half a century), but are
septially of the same type. Another record, exhibiting this ornamental variety of alphabet (though somewhat earlier in date as warranted by the tripartite form of y), is the Benares inscription of Pantha (above, Vol. IX, pp. 59-62, with plate).
• Indian Ephemeris, Vol. I, Part I, pp. 30 and 238.
From an inked estampage. • Expressed by a symbol.
? This da cannot readily be recognisel on account of a superfluous stroko attached to the upper left side of the letter.
• The e-stroke of this mē, which is of the siromātrā type, has not come out clearly on the impression.
• The o-stroke of this dyő is likewise not visible on the estampage. The correct form of the word would be uddyola. The form udyōta can also be right, but in that case the root would be yutri and not ayuta, unlow it be assumed that, on the analogy of such forms as ujvala and satus, which occur in the present inscription itself, 1. 3 and 1. 5 respectively, one of the two d's has been omitted in udyota. These remarks apply also to the name Udyötania, that occurs below, II. 6-7.