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286
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
नामेदपर्यन्तं त्रिकोणं स्वस्तिकान्वितम् | रंबीजेन युतं रक्तं स्मरेत्पावकमण्डलम् | हृदो धूमध्यपर्यन्तं वृत्तं षडिन्दुलाञ्छितम् *ggart år svært enka. आब्रह्मरन्ध्रं भ्रूमध्याद्वृत्तं स्वच्छमनोहरम् | ***W¶ænge afafaenky, ||
P. 3, Chap. 1., Mantramahodadhi.
The devotee has to contemplate as the golden earth on the rectangular portion of the body from the legs up to the knee-joints, with the bijakshara la, which is also the bijakshara of Vajra, the weapon of Indra. He has also to meditate as a mass of white water on the semi-circular portion from the knee-joints to the navel, with its bijakshara va, and marked with the figures of two lotus flowers. He has to recollect as the fiery region that triangular portion of the body which extends from the navel to the heart and which is red, decked with a svastika symbol and the bijakshara ra. He has similarly to recollect as the sphere of air that portion of the body which extends from the heart to the middle of the brows, and which is in the form of brown circle, decked with six dots and the bijakshara ya. And he has to meditate as the sky on that pure and circular portion of the body which extends from the centre of the brows to the Brahmarandhra, a hole on the top of the head, and which is decked with its bijakshara ha,
[Остовив, 1906.
A reference to Plate VIII. will clearly show how closely the Devanagari la identifies itself with the hieroglyphic representing the earth and strongly disclaims the parentage sought for it by Prof. Bühler in the Semitic lamed. With regard to this letter, the following passage occurs in the Yoginihridaya :
वसुन्धरागतो गन्धस्तलिपिर्गन्धवाचकः
P. 41.
'The earth contains smelling substance. Hence the word lipi, smearing, suggests a smelling
substance.'
The above passage is thus annotated in its commentary :
वसुन्धरायाः पृथिष्या गुणी गन्धः
तलिपिः पृथिवीवाचको वर्णो लकारः
The characterestic property of the earth is scent. Hence the word lipi, daubing with scent, suggests the earth. Hence the letter 1 (which is the initial sound of that word) denotes
the earth.'
All that is meant in the commentary is the selection of the hieroglyphic representing the earth for the letter 1, with some show of reasoning to justify the selection. We may, therefore, assume that similar line of reasoning as the above one guided the selection of other hieroglyphics for other letters.
Regarding the letter va, the Vatulagama says as follows:
वकारं वारुणं ह्यापश्चतुर्थं मेदसि स्थितम् | बलस्य यानि नामानि सन्ति तान्यपराणिच । बकारस्यापि नामानि
P. 51, Vatulagama.
