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FEBRUARY, 1891.]
OLD-KANARESE INSCRIPTION AT KOTUR.
69
Or, in the decimal notation, 21 Here again the Burmese method works out naturally and clearly.
This argument seems to shew us how the system arose naturally out of a system of notation which was merely one of writing numbers as they were spoken. If this be the fact, its antiquity is beyond doubt, and we are thus brought face to face with what may be & genuine sample of primitive mathematics.
SANSKRIT AND OLD-KANARESE INSCRIPTIONS.
BY J. F. FLEET, Bo.C.S., MR.A.S., C.I.E.
No. 194.- AN OLD KANARESE INSCRIPTION AT KOTUR. Kotar is a village abont twenty miles in a north-westerly direction from Saundatti, the chief town of the Parasgad Taluka or Sub-Division of the Belgaum District, Bombay Presidency. It is entered in the map, Indian Atlas Sheet No. 41, as Kotoor, in Lat. 16° 1', Long. 75° 2. The present inscription, now brought to notice for the first time, is on a stone tablet on the south side of a temple or shrine of the god ParamAnanda in a field, Survey No. 6, of this village. I edit it from an ink-impression made by my own man.
The surface covered by the writing is irregular in shape; the extreme measures are about 2' 5" square. There are no sculptures on the stone. - The characters belong to the transitional period of the so-called Old-Kanarese alphabet; and may be allotted, approximately, to the ninth century A.D. The size of the letters varies from " to 1t". The engraving is bold and excellent. It may be noted that the j is formed in two ways, see, for instance, jaya and rája, line 1; so also the m, see, for instance, mati and mana, line 2. Also, in several instances a distinct form of the lingual d is used, as compared with the dental d; see, for instance, nadadu, line 3. - The language is Old-Kanarese ; and the record is in verse throughout. - In respect of orthography, the only point that calls for notice is the use of b for v in the Sanskrit word víra, lines 4 and 9; though the v is preserved in varsa, line 1, and virájita, line 2. The other peculiarities, - e. g., sambre for sambhu or kasabhu, throughout, except perhaps where it is used in line 8 as a name of Siva ; nij-échche for nij-échchhe, line 5; nivirtti for nivritti, line 15; and santosa for sa:klósha, line 16, -are linguistic, rather than orthographical; and are customary in the adaptation of Sanskțit words in Old-Kanarese.
The inscription belongs to the class of virgals or vira-kallus, 'monumental slabs of heroes. It describes how & Saiva ascetic named Sambu, i. e. Sambhu, performed the ceremony of walking through the fire, and then stood in it till he was burnt to death. It mentions & Chalukya prince named ParahitarAja; in which word we have, of course, a biruda, rather than a proper name. It is not dated ; and the name of this prince is not known from any other record. Bat the inscription is to be referred, on palæographical grounds, to about the ninth century A. D.; and Parahitarâja was doubtless one of the Chalukya chieftains who must have survived, and would probably be entrusted with subordinate authority, during the period of the Rashtrakūţa supremacy in this part of the country.
TEXT.2 1 Sris-jaya-yntamge Parahita-rajamge Chaļukya-vambad-atamge lasa2 [d-ri]jita-gunamge Sambu, virájí(ji)ta-mati-vêle-gondu bhaya-rahita-manam (0) 3 Jadi rajatôdarad-alkade tada-dadisade nadadu dahanana[m] vola-gond-64 gadisade chintisi manadol-Mridana nagumvage på yda Sambuve biram 1 5 Kichchin-olag-i]du Sambu nij-êchebeyinroladârciv=arim=end-anunayadim 6 bichchalike-verasi manadol-mechchi Mahêsvaranan=alli c hintisut-ildam 1 7 Pogaļalk-alambam=appro!puga!nne t adag=avane så (bà)śvatam-madi dbaga
The form of me that is used in this word, is the one that is liable to be mistaken for ro, or sometimes re; see ante. Vol. XIX. p. 431, note 53.
From the ink-impression.
3 Metre, Kanda; throughout.
