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Development of Nāgarī Script
of the letter became triangular in the Gupta period; and the post-Gupta inscriptions show the development of a triangular foot-mark.
Left facing hook with a horizontal bar is the shape of the Mauryan la. The base of the letter flattens in Kushāna period. From the viewpoint of the development Kushāna period is a transitional one (Fig. 3) showing two distinct forms of the letter, the hooked and the broadened left limb type. The first form of the letter is called eastern and second the western variety. Both forms of the letter are employed in the Gupta Brāhmi. Out of them, the western variety paved the way for the Kuțila, or Nāgari character.
The Mauryan va is represented as an upright stroke upon a circle. The circle develops into a triangle, and vertical is reduced which sometimes takes the shape of triangular head-mark in the Kushāņa period. In postGupta inscriptions, head-mark further reduces and base is slightly slanted.
Sibilants and Ha
The standard shape of the Mauryan palatal śa is like an arrow facing upwards with its prolonged middle bar. The angular top of the letter develops into a curve in pre-Kushāņa period. In the Kushāna Brāhmī, evolution is rapid (Fig. 3), finally takes a form in which left limb has a triangular or line foot-mark and a horizontal line in the middle. The top curve of the letter became peculiar with a downward extending right limb in the Gupta period. In post-Gupta period, foot-mark became peculiar like that in letter ga.
The cerebral sha of the Mauryan Brāhmi is represented as two parallel curves, placed one upon the other. In pre-Kushāna period, left vertical is reduced with flattened and angularized base and middle curve developed into a horizontal stroke. The Gupta inscriptions reveal two varieties of this letter; the eastern is formed by a narrow oval with a head-mark at the left and a leftward angle at the right; and the second, the western type is represented as the letter pa with fully lengthened mid line. The bottom of the letter in post-Gupta inscriptions has a slight slope.
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