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APRIL, 1873.]
CORRESPONDENCE, &c.
121
dimensions and a hundred tanks in its vicinity, and should offer a black kid at her shrine. The fort was made, ninety-nine tanks were dug, and the hundredth tank was nearly completed; the kid was being led towards that shrine, in order to be ready to be offered on the completion of the hundredth tank, when the goddess, transforming herself into a cock, crew. The conditions not having been completed, the marriage was not performed. The Mughuls, however, frightened at her power, fled from this portion of the country. The fort allud. ed to I have seen, as also the tanks; the fort is situated near the village of Uti. The tanks, although I have not counted ninety-nine, exist in great numbers, but appear to have been dug merely to obtain earth for making the earthwork of the fort, which extends over about one square mile of ground. About the centre of the oblong-shaped site is a spot very much higher than any other portion of the fort. There are no legends which explain when or why this shrine was neglected as a place of worship, but it is quite clear that for a long time such was the case; for comparatively lately the stones I have described were dug up, and a Goala built a shed over them, and from this
time all castes of natives have continued to worship Maheśvari there, under the name of Chândi. From the first Goala family which looked after this shrine, sixteen hundred families now exist in the villages adjacent to Barantpur. These Goalas are called Debahar, the exact meaning of which is not known, but it is only a man of this class who can attend to the duties of this shrine. This class of Goala did not exist till the stones were discovered, nor do they exist, as far as I know, in any other part of India. I should here tell you that the goddess or figure of the woman is only half visible, the natives being afraid to unearth it. To the south-west of the place where the goddess stands is an immensely deep, perfectly round tank, from which, rumour says, all the water used for the shrine was taken. The whole of the land round is high, but the natives decline to allow it to be dug.
Inscription on a granite door-frame found in Baraptpur, March 1872 :
The conquering Sarba Singha Deba, who is adorned with all good qualities, the blessed of Maheśvari, the joy-bestowing moon of the lotus lineage of Budheśa.'
CORRESPONDENCE AND MISCELLANEA. ON PROF HOERNLE'S THEORY OF THE
| page of any drama which does not clearly prove GENITIVE POST-POSITIONS.
this. In my opinion it is not possible to weld Sir, The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Ben- into one all post-positions of the modern languages, gal (Part I. No. 2.--1872) contains four essays of as Prof. Hoernle does. As for the genitive postProf. Hoernle's "in aid of a Comparative Grammar | positions in the Bangali and Oriya languages, it is of the Gaurian languages." The greatest interest easy to prove that Prof. Hoernle is in error. He attachos to the second essay (pp. 124-144), in derives them from a Prakrit word kerakd or kerika, which Prof. Hoernle endeavours to prove that the which he asserts to be only found in the MrichchhaSanskşit participle krita is, in one form or katikd, and even there only about fourteen other, the original of the genitive post-positions in times. This sweeping assertion, twice repeated, the modern Aryan languages of India. Prof. is at variance with fact. I have noticed thirtyHoernle no doubt shows a considerable amount of
eight passages where this word occurs in the acumen, but it is unfortunate that his acumen is. Mrichchhakatikd, viz. (ed. Stenzler) p. 4, 3, mama not supported by a more thorough knowledge of kerakena; p. 21, 21, attanakelik&e; 37, 13; palakethe Prákpit language. Thus (at p. 154) he in- laam; 88, 3, attakerakam; 53, 20, vessâjanakerako; stances several times a Prakpit word 'bhramarako',
63, 16,ajjuåkerao; 64, 19, ajjassa kerako; 65, 10, tassa and apparently is unaware that some of his inter- kerao; 65, 11, attakeraar; 68, 11, amhakerakam; 74, pretations, which he believes to be new, are very 8, attanakeraketti; 88, 27, attanakeraketti ; 90, 14, old and have been refuted long ago. Every Pri. mama keriâ; 95, 6,-keriâe ; 96, 21, kassa kelake; 96, krit scholar will be struck by the assertion (at p. 22,-kelake; 97, 3,-kelake; 100, 18, kassa kerakam 141) that the Prekfit of the plays is founded upon 100, 20, aijachâludattåha kelake; 104, 9, appano the Satras of Vararuchi. On the contrary, it is a kerikar; 112, 10, kelake; 118, 17, attarakelake; well known and often discussed fact that the 119, 5, beppakelake; 122, 14, mama kelak&do; 122, Prakrit of the plays is far from being the same as 15, mama kelikdim ; 130, 10, attamakelakehin ; 132, that taught by Vararuchi, and there is scarcely a 4, mama kelake ; 132, 16, mama kelakae ; 133,2,
The name of this general is said to have been 'All Khân, and his speedy retreat has given rise to a proverb used in this part of the country. If person is unsuccessful in an undertaking, people say, "Wah, Al Khan ki karnt hai."
