Indian Antiquary Vol 06

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 70

46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1877.
I think that a careful comparison of these Eran inscription. The fourth sign of col. 4 figures with each other and with the correspond- seems to owe its upper right-hand stroke to a ing groups of letters will go far to establish my desire to show a difference between the syllable proposition. But I must add some further and the figure. The fifth sign of the same considerations regarding each numeral.
column, and that in col. 9, may be read hri. The oldest sign for 4 appears to be (p. 44, But it seems to me that they are merely a corcol. 1) kf; in the Kshatrapa and Andhrabhsitya ruption of the second form in col. 5, the vertical inscriptions (col. 3) it resembles partly ki and stroke of which was curved towards the right. partly nka. The latter group is clearly obser- The Valabhi figures in col. 6 offer at first vable in the Gupta inscriptions and on the sight some difficulties. But the first figure is Valabhi plates (col. 5), on which latter, how clearly trá, and the sign for the long i which ever, kú also occurs, and the sign from the we found already in the fourth Gupta form is manuscripts resembles nka or shka --mistakes probably owing to the desire for differentiation. I think, for nka. Now the remarkable fact is The following two signs, which look like ná, are that, though the upper part of the sign is not mere corruptions of trá. For the J for t does always the same, the lower always shows the appear occasionally instead of h in other inscripfigure of that form of ka which is used in the tions, e.g. in the Nâsik inscription No. 12, 1. alphabet of the period. Thus the first two 1,1-velidataputasa. The loop was no doubt columns show the simple cross, which is the oldest caused by hasty writing form of the letter ka, and the third a cross where The sign for 6 in the Bauddha books (cols. the vertical stroke is curved towards the left, 7 and 8) is clearly phra, and all the other signs just as we find the ka in Rudradáman's Girnar represent the same gronp or phra, with the and the Jasdan inscriptions, while the manu- exception of the second sign in col. 4 and that scripts give the usual Devanagari ka. The 4 of in col. 8. The former may be read pha, and the Gupta and Valabhi inscriptions likewise seems to be a mutilation of the full figure, made shows the particular ka of those alphabets. for convenience sake. The latter, which re
The sign for 5 is in the old Bauddha and presents rphu, is apparently owing to the fact Jaina manuscripts distinctly tri. The signs in that the scribes mistook the subjoined ra in the Andhrabhritya and Nahâ pâna inscriptions the old books for u, and the r before the ph is may be read in the same manner, though the remnant of the long á vhich we find in the the ri vowel is not, as usual, attached to the Valabhi and Gupta figures. right-hand curved horizontal, but to the left- The sign for 7 is throughout gra or gra. hand vertical stroke of the t. This discrep- It ought, however, to be observed that only the ancy may be either the result of the desire second sign of col. 4 shows the little notch att to distinguish the numeral sign from the syl- junction of the two letters, which is usual when lable tri (in order to prevent unistakes), or be the syllable is not to be taken as a numeral. owing to the indifference which the old writers The sign for 8 is clearly hrd or hra in the felt as to the manner in which they joined the manuscripts, on the Eastern piates, and on the parts of compound letters. Similarly kri is Valabhi plates. On the latter the ra is, howsometimes 3 and sometimes for even F. The ever, joined to the ha in a manner different from same remark applies to the Kshatrapa signs that in the words, where we have (5). The (vol. 4), but it ought to be observed that as the reason is probably the desire for differentiation. ri in their inscriptions receives a stronger curve The other columns show mostly ha. to the left, so the sign for 5 shows the same The sign for 9 is throughout 8. The shape peculiarity. The first two signs in col. 5 are gomewhat differs from that usually employed simply repetitions of those in col. 3, but it in the texts, but agrees exactly with that used agrees with the nature of the Gupta characters in the word ori : compare, e.g., the ori svasti ot that the left-hand stroke has no curve to the the Valabhi plates with the sign for 9 in the left. The third sign of the same column is clearly same inscriptions. a tri in the later form. The same sign actually The sign for 10 is in the ancient Baudulha occurs as tri in the name Matrivishnu in the (col. 8) and in the Jaina manuscripts clearly
1 Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soc. vol. VII. 4th plate at p. 52.
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