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READINGS FROM THE BHARHUT STUPA.
SEPTEMBER, 1881.]
is omitted in disam (twice) and purathimam; but in Pâli (as well as in Prâkrit) some license is permitted in the use of the cerebral ? and the final anusvára. For the rest the two sentences are grammatically and orthographically correct.' In order to explain the meaning of these two enigmatical sentences, it is necessary first to examine a third inscription, which evidently forms, with the other two, a distinct set; viz.,
(13.) An inscription, on Plate xiv, left side, in the intermediate space, above the theatrical scene in the bottom compartment of Plate xv, is transcribed on Plate liv, No. 31, and read on p. 134 as-Dakhini disa chhaki mavam cha rasahásani. But the actual letters are:
Dakhinam disa chha kámávacharasa hasani,
and the words should be so divided. Adding the necessary complements, the correct reading would be-Dakkhinam disamh chha kámávacharassa hassani, or in Sanskrit-Dakshinam disam shat kámávacharasya hâsyáni, i. e., "to the southern (or lower) side (are) six amusements of the pleasure-world." In dakkhinam there is another instance of the lax use of the dental n, instead of the cerebral; the regular form being dakkhinam. That this inscription refers to the scene of amusements immediately below it, is, of course, at once evident, and that it is closely related to the two previously noticed inscriptions is very probable from the fact of their containing notices of direction (south, north, east). Now the scene below the present inscription contains 13 figures, all female, except one little boy, and they form three distinct groups. On the right-hand side there are four Apsarases (or goddesses) engaged in dancing; on the upper left-hand side there are three sitting figures, turning their heads towards each other, and engaged either in singing or, perhaps, in gambling. On the lower left-hand side there are six figures, of whom five are sitting and playing on various instruments, while the sixth (the little boy) is dancing in imitation of the Apsarases. The agreement of these three groups with the three inscriptions
See Kahn, Beiträge zur Pali Grammatik, pp. 87, 57, and my edition of Chanda's Prakrita Lakshanamh, p. xxx and sûtra ii, 15.
That is, according to the usual rules of orthography in such monumental inscriptions.
The kamavachara as well as the suddhavåsa mentioned in No. 12 are technical terms of the Buddhist Cosmogony; see Spence Hardy's Manual of Budhism, pp. 3, 30, 261, and Childers' Pali Dictionary, sub voce.
The Buddhists enumerate six kinds of amusements; viz., dancing, singing, beating of drums, gambling, clapping of
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will be seen at once; and there can be no doubt that the object of the legends really is to explain in detail the three groups of the amusement scene over which they are inscribed. The two first inscriptions are, it is true, somewhat removed from the groups to which they refer ; but the object in placing the inscriptions was evidently to arrange them so as to indicate by their very position the directions and the groups to which they refer. A comparison of the position of the inscriptions with the position of the groups in the scene will at once show this. This amusement-scene appears to have been a particular object of attention to the waggish monks of the Bharhut vihara, for not less than eight distinct inscriptions are devoted to it alone, and all its details are elucidated with evident relish. Before proceeding to the others, therefore, I shall conclude the examination of the series of these legends.
(14.) The inscription, in the intermediate space, below the amusement-scene, on Plate xv, left side, is transcribed on Plate liv, No. 32, and read on page 29 as-Sádikasam madam turam devánam, where no explanation is given. But on page 134 it is read as-Sadika sammadan turam devánam, and the phrase sádika devánam is there said to mean "praises of the gods." I do not understand how sádika should come to mean "praises"; but the inscription is not without difficulties, and I am unable to offer an altogether satisfactory interpretation. Letter for letter the inscription runs :
Sáḍikasammadam turam devána,
where the only correction required is túran for turain; but, as already noted, the length of the vowels and is not usually indicated. The word sádika, I take to be a somewhat irregularly formed equivalent of the Sanskrit sátaka, "a kind of dramatic performance" applicable to the dancing of the Apsarases. 10 Sammada is both an adjective "gay," and a substantive "gaiety;" but as the latter is masculine, the word must here be an adjective, agreeing hands. See Hardy's Manual of Budhism, p. 494. But it is clear that the number six of the inscription refers to the six figures and not to these six amusments, some of which are not at all represented in the scene.
10 The termination aka and the surd have a tendency to change to ika and d respectively. See Kuhn's Beiträge, pp. 22 and 39; and my Prákrita Lakshana, pp. xiv, xxvi, sutra iii, 12. Mr. Tawney suggests to me the Skr. sarika, "gambling with dice," which would also give a good sense, though the interchange of d and r, would be unusual.
