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164
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XIV.
from that part of the country ; but the present provenance is quite in keeping with the known extent of the Kadamba dominions, Halsi or Palāsika, one of the secondary Kadamba capitals being only 24 miles away from Sangoli.
The plates are three in number, rectangular with corners slightly rounded off, flat without raised rims, of uniform thickness and equal dimensions, each being 81 long x 21 broad. Through a hole in each plate, in diameter, passes a heavy ring, 2f" in diameter. There is no emblem on the ring. Of the first and last plates only one side, of the middle one both sides, are inscribed. All the inscribed sides coutain five lines each, except the reverse side of the middle plate, which contains six.-The letters are engraved with sufficient care, and are deep enough, except in places, where they are completely lost. They do not, however, show through the reverse. The average length of each letter is ". The plates together with the ring weigh about 2 lbs.
The alphabet closely agrees with that of all the other Kadamba grants, and is thus regular for the period and locality to which the grant refers itself. Comparing particularly with the other two grants of Hari-varman, from Halsi, I find that the alphabets are identical in all the three grants, except the letters ga, ta and sa, which show a distinot loop at the bottom in the Halsi grant issued in the fifth year of the reign, which proves that both forms were in vogue at the period. Of individual akşaras from the present grant the form of a in line 1 is noteworthy owing to the loop; also the form of ka in l. 9, which has instead of a complete vertical line an oblique stroke up to the horizontal line and below it the vertical line 88 osoal from the centre downwards. This form of ka has its origin in the late Kadamba period, and it continues to early Chalukya times.
The language is Sanskrit, the whole grant being in prose, except the first benedictory stanza and the usual verses at the end. The attributes employed to describe the Kadamba kings in general and Hari-varman in particular are such as are found in other Kadamba grants, except Parama-mähēsvara, which is worthy of note. The epithet Sri-nitambanāna in 1. 4 is introduced before Kadamband merely to serve the purpose of alliteration, as other phrases are introduced in so many other Kadamba grants. Another attempt at alliteration may be traced in the final obeisance to the three Brahmanical deities, i.o., Namo Hari-HaraHiranyagarbhēbhyah 1. 21.
As regards orthography, we find the doubling of the preceding consonant before ya, as in anuddhyānao 1. 2, sväddhyāya 1. 3, and before ra, as in sa-gottro' 1. 12, sa-göttraya 1l. 14, 15. Bat, on the other hand, we find sa-gotrānām 1.3, sa-gotrebhyah 11. 10-13, sa-gotrāya l. 15. The consonant following ra is often doubled, as in Sambhuravvio 1. 1, charchcha 1. 3, kirtti) 1. 6, Hari-varmma 1. 7, pravarddhao 1. 8, Atharvva-1.., dharmma-karmma l. 9, farmma ll. 10-15, -pahartta 1. 17, Bahubhir=pvao I. 18; but not in Dharma 1. 5, Garga- 1. 12, farma 11. 12, 14. The use of the class nasal is preferred to that of an anusudra in the body of a word, while the latter is retained at the end of a word, the only exceptions being vifvēshaa-jao, jagatām-patih 1. 1, sa-pāniyan-Te, Tēdāva-grāmandatta- I. 16, and uktafi-cha I. 18. The final Visarga is as often as not changed into the following sibilant; e.g. anidhanat-Sambhaol. 1, dikshitatzfruta1. 6, Mahestaras-Srro 1. 7, Yafaf-farmma 1. 13, rajab his-Sagao 1. 18; but rajah sakala- 1. 6, bhyah wa-dharmma- 1. 9, "bhyah Siva- 1. 10, hyah Sravishtha. 1. 13. The Jihvamaliya is not need; the Upadhmaniyanis used twice; e.g.-kirtti praja-1.6, -parah parama- 1. 7. The Samdhi
1 Ind. Ant., Vol. VI, pp. 39 and 31.
1 ct, the following expressions, ocurring in juxta-position with kadambåndine; vis., mad-dharma-sad. ambanán, Iud. Ant., Vol. VI. p. 26; VII, 85; afritambánatis [Epi. Carna., Vol. VIII, p. 19), afrita-jaw-amba. tä (Ind. Ant., Vol. VII, p. 83]; praja-sadharan-ambanan (Ind. Ant., Vol. VI, p. 28]: adi-käla-räjarski bimbanán (Ind. Ant., Vol. VII, p. 33] ; sibudha-pratibimbanário (Ind. Ant., Vol. VII, p. 87].
