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NOVEMBER, 1881.]
FOLKLORE IN THE PANJAB.
331
of chchha, which is the form that the Sanskrit tsa assumes in the ordinary Páli. The latter has sanvachchhara, "a year." For it may be noticed that, if the left perpendicular stroke be omitted, the remainder of the symbol very closely resembles the usual sign for cha as in mậta cha).
The third letter of the second word must be read (as by Sir E. C. Bayley) ti, not di, as Professor Dowson has it. In Sanskrit there are two words, which are nearly synonymous, adhiraja and atirája. The former is the usual one in Sanskrit, but the latter is preferred by the North Western Pali, from whence, indeed, it may have been adopted into Sanskrit. It is true, di and ti are not always clearly distinguish- able in Arian PAli writing; though in the present case the ti is sufficiently distinct; but the matter is decided by the contemporary Mathurà Inscriptions of Kanishka and Huvish ka, which have atirbja." As these are written in the Indian Pali characters, where the signs for t and d are very different, there can be no doubt as to the true reading being ti.
The name of the month is daisika, not dažsisa as Professor Dowson read it. Sir E. C. Bayley read it correctly. All the letters, including ka, are quite distinct. The month referred to is the Makedonian Daisios (May-June), as Sir E. C. Bayley at once recognised. The form of the name which occurs here must be a Western Pali adaptation of the Greek; ka is a common pleonastic suffix.
As regards the character which occurs no less than four times in this inscription (in atha, yathin, yathi and pratithánar), it undoubtedly signifies th as General Cunningham maintains (J. A. S. B., vol. XXXIII, p. 36), and not 11, as Professor Dowson thinks (J. A. S. B., vol. XXXII, p. 422, J. R. A. S., vol. XX, p. 223). It cannot be t!, because in all those places where it has hitherto been found, the PAli requires tth; thus attha, "eight," yatthi, "staff," pratitthánai, "shrine." Nor is there any reason why it should signify a double consonant. In such old Pali inscriptions double consonants are not usually indicated. Hence it follows that the symbol in question must stand for single th.
FOLKLORE IN THE PANJAB.
COLLECTED BY MRS. F. A. STEEL. WITH NOTES BY LIEUT. R. C. TEMPLE, B.S.C., F.R.G.S., M.B.A.S., &c.
(Continued from p. 233.) No. 10.-Custom
(4) Pirthi...... dust (prithví, earth). Opprobrious Names.
(5) Mihli...... well-rope (máhal, Panj.). (a) Children's Names.
(6) Julli ...... rags (Panj., a quilt made In the Panjab among Musalmang, Hindus,
of rags and patches). Sweepers and Sikhs alike, a mother losing (7) Bůta ...... a tree (Panj.). several children in succession, especially if song, (8) Kaudi ... a cowry. will call any sons, not daughters as a rule, that (9) Kalu ...... black (reference to laula may be subsequently born, by names signifying
kutta, a black dog). objects of contempt, in the hope that they may (10) Khôtâ...... a donkey. live. Somo such names refer to certain cere- (11) Rurk ...... dungheap (Panj.) monies performed at the birth of such children, (12) Afûrâ ...... dungheap (Panj.)' but the greater number refer merely to common There are various customs attendant on the objecta. Examples are :
birth of such children. (1) Gudar...... waste cotton.
Thus in some cases the new-born child is (2) Chůhå ... rat.
put into an old winnowing basket or chhaj (3) Billa ...... tom-cat.
(Hindi, chhaj, Panj. chhaj), with the sweepings
* Thus mahirija ya rajitirijasya devaputra ya Hwvishkasya vir dinam, on a pillar; see J. 4. 8. B., vol. XXXIX, pl. iv.
Conf. Ind. Ant., vol. VIII, pp. 321-22; vol. IX, pp. 141 and 229.
- Compare from Bungal :-(3) Chbuchhunra, musk rat. (4) Dhuria, dusty. () Ootharni, rage. (9) KariA, black. (11) (12) Gonauri, duaghjap. Ind. Ant. vol. VIII, pp. 321-23.
From Mysoro :-(7) Bemban, Margosa tree. (11) (12) Tippa, dunghill.
From Madras (Tamil) :-(11) (12) Kuppan, Kuppaswami, Dungheap. Ind. Ant., vol. IX, p. 229.
T : name Kauda, (8) a cowry, has apparently in the Panjab no reference to price, as in Bengal. See Ind. Ani., vol. IX, p. 141..
The name Khota, (10) a donkey, is apparently confined to the Multân district.-B.C.T.
