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38
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
MARCH, 1898.
The alphabet employed in the sabjoined inscription differs slightly from that of the four others, In the latter, the individual characters have a tendency to slant towards the left, while in the former they are more straight. This has perhaps to be accounted for by the different nature of the writing materials commonly in use, and the mode of holding the style, prevalent in the two parts of Southern India to which these inscriptions severally belong. The use of Sanskrit words and Grantha characters is very common in the Påodya grant, while in the four others most of the Sanskrit words have assumed Dravidian forms and are written in the Vatteluttu alphabet. In the latter some of the characters are distinctly round, for example t, ?, ? and ?, while in the former they are not quite round. It is not possible to say which of these two is the more developed form, until the immediate source of the alphabet is determined, and the two types of characters compared individually with those of the parent alphabet. From other Pandya inscriptions which are published, we know that, besides the Vattelatta, the Tamil alphabet was also used in the Pandya kingdom. The former was probably imported from the Chora 'kingdom and the latter from the Chola country. As the earlier Pandya inscriptions, like the present one, are found engraved in the Vatteluttu character, and the later ones, like the stone inscriptions found at Madura, Tirupparaikunram and other places, and the large Tirappû vagam copperplate grant of Kulašəkhara-Påədya,- in the Tamil alphabet, it is not unreasonable to suppose that it was the former that was originally used in the Pandya kingdom. The latter was probably introduced during the time when the great Saiva devotees, Tiruvanasambandar and Tirunavukkaraiyar, flourished, or on the occasion of a subsequent Chôļa conquest. The forms which the characters have assumed in the present inscription, might be due to the influence of the Tamil alphabet on the original Vattelattu. This Pandya grant also throws some light on the Vatteluttu numerals, as the plates are numbered on their left margins. The number on the third plate is rather indistinct, and the symbols for four, five, six and seven seem to be closely allied to the corresponding ones used in Tamil inscriptions, while those for one and two do not exhibit any intimate connection with the known South Indian pamerals. The investigation of the origin of the Vattelutta numerals is closely connected with, and must throw considerable light on the question of the immediate source of the Vatteluttu alphabet. We must have a complete set of the Vatteluttu numerals and their earlier forms, and the earlier forms of the Vatteluttu alphabet, before we can speculate on the origin of either of them, or on the relation which existed between them. Dr. Burnell has expressed himself as follows on this question :-"Of all the probable primitive alphabets with which a comparison of the Vattelutta is possible, it appears to me that the Sagsanian of the inscriptions presents most points of resemblance."2 A comparison of the Vatteluttu characters with the Tamil alphabet, which is used in ancient inscriptions found in the Chola country and in other Tamil districts, yields the following results :--The symbols for {, , , , , ! and I are almost the same in both, while those for a, á, u, ki, o, k, i, ch, p, m, y, v,
Line 3. fa dipattil for Binnattil.
5. Sevvarangôn . Sarnarsó-Köda. » 7. munga-vvaļum.. mudagura vålam.
... vapepodippadiy' for vannu ti[ra]vadiy. 9. aratkkadaviya for knda-kkadaviya. , 11. kodukkum kalukkum. , 12. orättag
Ör-Ottarsi. » 13. kôņamappa k Anam pop.
20. vil chohila and pasaiyar for vilakkil and vagaiyra. 21. Ada raitti kai for attai-ttitai. 27. adichchu , alikku.
28. ...m Maka! and feari for matagal and i-siri. .. 29. pappinada and Malaippalli for apnipru and Malaiyampalli. 33. Nidatangana tradey for odadaru Karaibagorsabbs.
. yürde Aidamandarai munachchappotti for norru-siymbatt-el-arai k Aba poppi.
. 356. bonnan for Karsiffiandr sabha). The soven small lines of writing on the right margin of the second side of the second plate seem to have been entirely ignored.
South Indian Palmography, 2nd edition, p. 51.
