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OCTOBER, 1906.)
THE ORIGIN OF THE DEVANAGARI ALPHABET.
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an Asur,' infidel, he was in such favour with the gods that they made him the guardian of the temple of Kimikhya. It is not improbable that the temple was originally erected by Naraka; but of this we have no certain evidence. The assertion made in the Tantra, however, would at least lead us to suppose that the temple was in existence in his days. (Robinson's MS.)......
"The socket of the yone is cut so as to accord with the square and octagonal portion of the inserted part of the linga.. .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . The removal of a heap of stones in front of this edifice disclosed the foundation of another shrine that appears to have been surmonated by a circular or octagonal temple. This covered a crypt some 8. feot below the surface, neatly faced with cut stone, and having at the bottoin, bedded in a circular slab or. yoni, a Mahadeva, in the form of a Linga."
To sum up: - The chief doctrines of Tantric system are much older than they have hitherto been supposed, and are, in fact, Athurvanic in character-(1) because the Tantric Káma and Bhaga, known also by the names Siva and Sakti, are no other than the phallic god and goddess Kama and Bhaga of the Atharva-Veda : (2) becanse the Tantric and Atburvanic practices of witchcraft are almost identical : (3) because the symbols which, as representing gods or goddesses, are dealt with in Tantric literature must precede the manufacture of idols in human likeness : and (4) because the same symbols as those treated in Tantric literature are stamped on Hindn coins of undoubted antiquity. From this it must neoessarily follow that, although the Pantric works which furnish ample material to prove the growth of the Devanagari Alphabet out of indigenous hieroglyphics may be recent, and in some cases quite modern, yet those Tantric passages which treat of symbolical worship and of the meaning and purpose of symbols must be either exact quotations from older works, which they replaced, or modern compositions containing ancient traditions.
CHAPTER III.
The Tantrio Hieroglyphios.
Having thus far investigated the reasons for admitting the antiquity of the Indian hieroglyphios, which, as we shall see, have given riso to the Deven&gart Alphabet. let us now turn our attention to the consideration of the hieroglyphics treated of at length in Tantric literature: -
मध्ये कालं बिन्दुदीप स्वाभाति वर्नुलाकारः। सदुपरि संतोऽर्धचन्द्रोऽन्वर्थः कान्स्या तथाकृस्या । भय रोधिनी तदूर्व त्रिकोणरूपा च चन्द्रिकाकान्तिः । नादस्तु पचराग बाण्डवयमध्यवर्तिनी सीरा।। नादान्तस्सध्यस्थिताबिन्तुयुक्तलाङ्गगलवत् । तिग्विन्दुहितये वामोगच्छत्सिराकृतिशक्तिः ॥ frat
r y EZITTITATI काधोबिन्दुहितयधुतरेखाकृतिस्समनाः। सेवाप्रविन्दु हीनोन्मनास्त महाविन्दुः ।।
P. 17, Varivasydrahasya.
In the middle of the forehead does a circular dot shine as the flame of a lamp. Above it is the semi-circle which resembles the half moon, both in form and colour. Then comes above it the figure of Rodhint, the obstructer, which bas the form of a triangle, and is as brilliant as the moonlight. But the figure of Nads, sound, is like a ploughshare, as brilliant as a ruby, between
