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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
THE DATE OF THE GRECO-BUDDHIST PEDESTAL FROM HASHTNAGAR. Mr. V. A. Smith has published, ante, Vol. XVIII. p. 257, a facsimile of a so-called Arian, recté Kharoshtri inscription on the pedestal of a Græco-Buddhist sculpture, found by Mr. King at Hashtnagar, and in the Journal of the Bengal Asiatic Society, Vol. LVIII. Pt. I. Plate x., an excellent photo-etching of the sculpture together with the inscription. In the articles accompanying the two reproductions of the document, he has given Sir A. Cunningham's reading: Sam 274 emborasmasa masasa me panchami 5.
MISCELLANEA.
Though the great archeologist, to whom we owe the correct determination of many Kharôshtri signs, has undoubtedly succeeded in reading the figures, and thereby in settling the most important point, every student of Prâkrit will agree with me that his rendering of the words is open to improvement, because several of them are linguistically impossible. On comparing the facsimile and the photo-etching, I find that the line has to be read s follows:
Sam II C xx xx xx x iv Pôstavadasa masasa diva]sammi par[cha]mi 5 [11]1.
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This is in Sanskrit:
सं २७४ प्रोष्ठपदस्य मासस्य दिवसे पञ्चमे ५ [ ॥ *] and in English:
"The year 274, on the fifth, 5, day of the month of Praushṭhapada (i. e., Bhadrapada or AugustSeptember)."
With respect to the characters of the inscription, I have to add that the right limb of the syllable po has run together with the left portion of the figure 4, the lower part of which latter touches the foot of the vertical stroke of p. In the photoetching the upper part of the vertical stroke of p is not visible, though it is unmistakable in the facsimile of the impression. The vowel-stroke of the syllable po is attached rather low down to the vertical, and is nearly horizontal instead of slanting. In the Asôka Edicts such a stroke would denote not ó, but u. Here it must be 6, because in the later Kharôshtri inscriptions u is expressed by a loop at the foot of the consonantal sign.
The second sign of the first word sta consists of a vertical line, with one very short and one
1 The representation of the Kharoshtri figures in Roman figures has been taken over from Mr. A. V. Smith.
2 The reading pothavadasa is linguistically possible,
[NOVEMBER, 1891.
somewhat longer horizontal, attached to its left. Some scholars have read it tha or tha. In the Asoka Edicts its most elaborate form is 7. I have given my reasons for accepting Sir A. Cunningham's explanation in the Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft, Vol. XLIII. P. 154 f. The va of divasammi has been almost effaced, and the cha of panchami has been injured. All the anusváras stand below the line and are visible in the photo-etching alone. The last is injured and indistinct.
With respect to the difficult question to which era the year has to be referred, I can only say that Mr. Smith's alternative proposal to take Samh. 274 as a Saka year, and as equivalent to 352 A. D., seems to me improbable. For, the letters of the inscriptions look very like those of Kanishka's and Huvishka's Kharôshtri.inscriptions. Moreover, it is doubtful whether the Kharoshorf writing was still used in the fourth century, A. D.
G. BÜHLER.
PROGRESS OF EUROPEAN SCHOLARSHIP. No. 25.
The Revue Critique for 1889.
In the number for May 19th, M. Barth contributes a critique on M J. Grosset's contribution to the study of Hindu music, already noticed in these pages. M. Barth is of opinion that Hindu music must continue to remain. unintelligible to European scholars until it is taken in hand by a master of both the Hinda and European systems of the art. In default of this, M. Grosset has done his best with the very inadequate materials at his command.
The same author deals, in the number for May 27th, with Dr. Fick's edition of a Jaina version3 of the legend of Sagara. The Jains have taken this saga and turned it into a stupid story for the edification of the faithful. The Prakrit text is taken from the Kathánakas inserted by Dêvêndra Gani into his commentary on the UttaradhyayanaSútra, on which Prof. Jacobi has already drawn for his well-known Prakrit grammar and readingbook. To this is added a translation, notes and glossary.
In the number for the 18th and 26th August M. V. Henry reviews Prof. Johannes Schmidt's
and the form would likewise be correct Prakrit for praushthapadasya.
B. Fick, Eine Jainistiche Bearbeitung der SagaraSage. Kiel, C. F. Heseler, 1889.
