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CHAPTER V]
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(8) 550-600 A.D., a group of stone inscriptions (calligraphic) from Bodhgayā, Long. 85° 2' (F.GI., Nos, 71, 72 76, pp. 274, 278, 281, Plates xliA, B, and xliiD). The first (No. 71) is dated in 588 A.D., the third, undated, must be some 40 years older. This group shows that by this time the new form had not only penetrated far into the eastern area, but had also fully superseded the old form. The latter is entirely absent from these inscriptions: among a total of 34 cases of y, there is not a single instance of the old three-pronged form. The transitional form still predominates over the modern, there being 26 cases of the former to 8 of the latter. In agreement with the obsolescence of the old form, the original rule respecting the distributive use of the new form is now entirely inoperative: that form is now used with every kind of vowel. See Figure 30. Thus we find ya in No. 71, lines 1 (modern, a), 2, 3 bis, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 bis, 11 (ten times, all transitional, b); in No. 72, three times (modern); in No. 76, 1. 1, twice transitional,
Fig. 30. once modern. Again, we have yâ in No. 71, 11. 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14 (all transitional, c), and yi in No. 71, 1. 11 (transitional, d); and yu, in No. 71, 11. 1, 4 (both transitional, e). Further, the new form is used ad libitum with the superior or the lateral stroke. Thus we have ye with the transitional form and superior stroke
in yena, No. 71, 1. 3. and in avâptave Forms of ya, yd, yi, yu, yt, y8 in 500-550 A.D. No. 76, 1. 2; and with the modern form and superior stroke (g) in avâptayl, No. 72, and with the same form and lateral stroke (h) in yêna, No. 71, 1.1. Similarly we have yê with the transitional form amd lateral stroke (i) in yôdhâs, No. 71, 1. 1, aod possibly also (k), in the superscript y of achargyó, No. 76,1.1, and in senayôr, No. 76, 1. 1. So also, we have yau with the transitional form and lateral stroke in upadhyâyau, No. 76, 1. 1.
(9) Seventh century.-The prevailing conditions are, on the whole, the same as in the preceding period, except that the transitional y is gradually giving way entirely to the modern y. The last instances of it appears to occur, in 672 A.D., in two stone inscriptions ef Adityasena, at Aphsad, Long. 85° 44', and Shâhpur, Long. 85° 43' (F.GI., Nos. 42 and 43, pp. 200 and 208, Plates xxviii and xxixA). Here we find both yâ and ye, in the transitional form (Fig. 31 a and b); vis., yâ, in prayaga, 1. 7 of No. 42, and yê in urddhayé, 1. 4 of No. 43. At this time the old form of y has become entirely obsolete, except in two archaic and highly ornate inscriptions, of 625 A.D.,
Fig. 31. at Vasantgadh, Long. 73° (Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IX, p. 187), and of 661 A.D. at Udaipur, Long. 73° (ibid., Vol. IV, P. 29). Their ornate forms of yê, yai, yô, with the old three-pronged y, are shown in Fig. 31 c, d, e, 'But the use of the old form of y, in these two inscriptions, is not
Forms of yd, yé, yo in 925-672 A.D. their only archaism: there are several other examples of archaism in them which have been pointed out by Professor Kielhorn (ibid., Vol. IV, p. 29). It is obvious, therefore, that the use of old forms is intentional: they belong to the studied ornate character of the inscriptions in question. Being archaic, the occurrence of the old form of y really corroborates the fact that in ordinary writing, whether calligraphic or cursive, that form of y was no longer in ase in the seventh century.86 Even in ornate inscriptions the use of the old form is exceptional, as shown by the highly ornate Jhâlrâpâ than inscription of 689 A.D. (Indian Untiquary, Vol. V, p. 181), which uses the new form exclusively (Fig. 31, f. g). For the purpose of dating ordinary writings (as in manuscripts), therefore, the rule laid down by me in 1891 (Journal, As. Soc. Beng., Vol. LX, p. 90) still holds good that the form of y is
5 Examples are the calligraphic Banskhers copper-plate of Harsha, 628 A.D. (Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, P. 208), and the calligraphic, but undated, Lakhamandal and Kudark06 inscriptions (ib.. VOL. 1, PP. 10, 179) which are referable to the middle of the seventh century,
