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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXX
Medial i is plainly visible in the word fri in No. VIII. It is open to the left. The same mātrā is also seen on the letter h in No. XI where, correctly speaking, it should be è and not i. The form of medial i, open to the right, is to be seen in the word sri in No. XIII. The form of medial u differs, as is well-known, in combination with different consonants. The examples of this sign found in these inscriptions are as follows: & straight downward stroke in ţu (No. VI), a curved downward stroke in gu (Nos. IX, XI and XII) and ru (Nos. XIII and XVI), and a curved upward stroke in tu (No. XVIII). In the case of the medis u in gu of No. IX, it looks almost like the medial u in modern Nägari, but in reality the curved stroke which appears to be a continuation of the u mātrā is not joined with the u stroke. The form of the medial ri is to be seen in Nos. II, and XVI. In No. II, it ends in a loop; it is partly mixed up with an ornamental letter below. In No. XVI, it looks as it is in the modern Nāgari script; but here some flaw in the stone is responsible for its modern look. In fact, it is more or less of the same type as is found in No. II, its curl descending from the right side of v and ending in a loop.
TEXTS
XI . Guhisvaradattaḥ
Ι Mānaparvvataḥ
II Mātçidattah
III
Matri (tri)cbētasya
IV Isvaradāsaḥ
Hiranys
XII [Srimad-Gu]hēsvaradatta[s]ya
XIII Sri-Rudravarm[m]anaḥ
XIV Skandadattaḥ
XV Skandadattah
XVI Rudravřiddbih
XVII [A]dhishthāņa
XVIII Chaturvy[ū]haḥ
XIX Bhaddrabalah
VI Katukattam bha)
VII Yajña
VIII Sri-Guhavarmmaḥ
IX Gubavarm[m]a Adityava[rmma)
Ādtiya These short inscriptions contain only proper names and were possibly engraved on the rock by pilgrims who visited the holy place in olden days. Most of the names are typical of the Gupta period. Hence their importance. The first in our list, Mänaparvata, obviously refers to the Māna mountain or Māna pas8 which, as may be seen on the accompanying map, lies higher up in the Himalayan range, beyond Badrinath. The occurrence of the name on the rock in question, however, tends to indicate that the range of hills behind the confluence of the Alakānanda and Bbāgirathi at Dēvaprayag was also known as Māna. The personal name Mātricheta
