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OCTOBER, 1908.]
THE ORIGIN OF THE DEVANAGARI ALPHABET.
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Ekadasadhara, eleventh support, is one among the many names of the Devanagari letter 8. In the edicts of Asoka it has a perfect triangular form. In his Setubandha, a commentary on the Nity&shodasikdrnava, Bhaskarananda says : - कोणत्रयवतुड़वो लेखो यस्य तत्. नागरलिप्या साम्प्रदायिकैरेकारस्य त्रिकोणाकारतय लेखनात्.
P. 14, Setubandha.
It is called Koņntrayodbbava, born from a triangle, because it is written like a triangle. For the letter & of the Nagari alphabet is always written like a triangle by strict adherents to tradition."
The emphasis laid on the word sdmpra láyikaih, by strict adherents to tradition," is to be noted here ; for it is customary among others to write the letter e like a triangle with a tail. Regarding this lofter, the Tripúrátapinf Upanishad anys thus: -
सविता प्राणिनस्सूते. प्रसूते शक्तिः सूते त्रिपुरा. शक्तिरायेयं त्रिपुरा परमेश्वरी महाकुण्डलिनी देवी जातवेदसमण्डलं योऽधीते सर्व व्याप्यते. त्रिकोणशक्तिरेकारेण महाभागेन प्रसूते. तस्मदिकार एव गृह्यते. वरेण्यं श्रेष्ठं भजनीवमक्षरं नमस्कार्यम् तस्माद्वरेण्यमकाक्षर गत्पते.
• The sun brings forth living beings. Sakti does the same. Tripuri (triangle) brings forth species. Sakti is the eternal Tripara, the great.goddess, possessing of a great circle. Who knows the circle of fire ? (the circle drawn on earth, within which fire is worshippe 1). The triangular Sakti pervades all things and brings forth species through the magnificent letter. Hence, that letter & alone is taken as the best, most respectable and worshipfal symbol. Hence, that one adorable letter is selected.' 26
Hence, it may be believed that this triangular symbol representing Sakti, Bhaga, Ekadasadhara or Ekapäidini was taken to be the symbol for the initial syllable of the last word.
The Devanagari letter i is called by the names Kâma-kula, Manmathakala (wife of Káma), Hardakala, part belonging to the breast, and Bindutraya, three dots. It is only in the edicts of Lesoks, which were and are still Greek to all modern Tantric scholars, that this letter has the form of three dots placed at the three angular corners of a triangle. (See Plate VIII.) Regarding this letter, the Kalimata says: -
सनुरीयस्वरूपं तु बिन्दुत्रयमितीरितम् वदात्मत्वं तु देव्यास्ते साधकेन च यद्भवेत् वडावनां श्रुणु प्राज्ञे महोदयकरीं शुभाम् कध्वविन्द्वात्मकं वक्त्रमधोबिन्नुवयात्मकम् कुचबं च तच्छेपैशेषाङ्गानि च भावयेत्या
Patala 4, Kadimata.
It is said that the form of the fourth vowel is three dots. O, wise goddess, listen, how thy form is, in the view of thy devotee, identical with the form of that vowel and how the contemplation of that form is not only auspicious but also productive of immense property. The upper dot represents
36 Compare similar verses, D. 2, Kadimata.
* The Tripurttapint Upanishad is olearly an attempt not only to represent the Gayatrt mantra with hieroglyphio symbol, but also to make it of the same parport as the Tantrio panchadas, filftoon-lettered mantra referred to above.
* Compare stansa 19, Saundaryalahari ; p. 45, Bhashya on Lalitasahasranama; and p. 73, Kama-kal4 Chidvalli; also p. 59, Dakshind martieamhita.
