|
The Indian Analyst
|
North Indian Inscriptions |
THE GUPTA INSCRIPTIONS
6 [rajā]dh[i]r[ā]ja-śrī-Pur[u]g[u]p[t]as=tasya puttras=tat-pādānuddhy[ā]t[ō]
Mahādēv[y]ā[ṁ] śrī-Chan[dr]adēvyām=utpan[nō] Ma[hā]- No. 47 : PLATE XLVII DAMŌDARPUR COPPER-PLATE INSCRIPTION OF VISHṆUGUPTA: This plate also was found in the village of Dāmōdarpur, in the same circumstances as Nos. 22, 24, 38 and 40 and is deposited along with them in the Museum of the Varēndra Research Society, Rajshahi, now in Bangladesh. It was edited by Radhagovinda Basak in the Ep. Ind., Vol. XV, pp. 142 ff. and plate v a and b. But the date, namely, 224, was first correctly read by Rao Bahadur K. N. Dikshit, ibid., Vol XVII, p. 193.
The plate is one in number, and is inscribed on both sides, the first containing twelve full lines and a thirteenth with only three syllables and the second containing nine lines of writing. It measures 6 3/8" by 7/8". The edges of the plate have not been raised into rims for the protection of the writing. Though the letters are well executed and well preserved some of them towards the close of lines 1-4 and in line 12 have been eaten up by verdigris and made quite illegible. There is a regular patch of corrosion right across the first side, which is prominent on the second side also and has rendered it very thin in this portion. The seal is practically of the same oval shape as that of the plate in No. 40 above and was attached to the middle of the proper right side. It measures 2" by 1 5/8" and is divided into two parts with two parallel horizontal straight lines in relief. The upper side is marked with a trident also in relief, and below occurs in relief the legend “Kōṭivarsh-ādhishṭhān-ādhi[Karaṇa]sya.” The weight of the plate together with the seal is 22-9/16 tolas. The characters belong, generally speaking, to the eastern variety of the Gupta alphabet as remarked about the plate described in No. 22 above. The other paleographical points that deserve notice are: (1) the occurrence of initial a in adhishṭhān=, line 4, Amṛitadēv°, line 6, apradā-, lines 10 and 18, and so on ; (2) the initial ā in ārya-, line 4, Āyō[dhya]ka-, line 6, ākshēptā, line 22; (3) the initial i in it°, lines 14 and 17; (4) the initial ē in ētasmād= and ētan-, line 14, and ēkaḥ in line 16 and (twice) in line 17; (5) the peculiar form of the medial ā after ṇ and dh indicated by a hook attached to the bottom on the proper left of these letters as in -kshēttrāṇāṁ, lines 6 and 7, =āvadhāraṇā-, line 24, and =vvasudhā, line 20; (6) the method of forming r in conjunction with a following y, e.g., in ārya-, line 4; (7) the coupling of ending t and n with the imme- diately following consonants, e.g., tat-pāda-, line 2, =Amṛitadēvāt=pañchadaśa-, line 14, śāśvat- kāla-, line 18 and -stōkān=dātuṁ=, line 10; and (8) the peculiar conjunct hya in –vā(bā)hy-a°, line 6 and =upasaṁgṛihya, lines 7 and 14. The language is Sanskrit; and the inscription is in prose throughout, with the exception of three imprecatory verses in lines 20 to 22. The only linguistic peculiarity that calls for notice is the use of the affix ka in some words, such as =ānuvahamā[na]kē, line 3, -niyuktakē, line 4, and -kulaputtraka-, line 6. In respect of ortho- graphy, we have to note (1) the doubling of k, g, t, t(h), d(h), m and v in conjunction with a preceding r as in -madhuparkka-, line 9, svarggē, line 21, -pravarttana-, line 9, sārtthavāha-, line 5, Puṇḍravarddhana-, line 2, kṛimir=bbhūtvā, line 20, -dharmmēṇa, lines 10 and 18, dha- [rmm-ādhi]kāra-, line 11, dharmma-, line 12, pūrvvēṇa (twice), line 17, vahubhir=vvasudhā, line 20; also wrongly in the case of sh in Kō[tiva]rshsha-, line 3 and varshsha-, line 21; (2) the doubling of t in conjunction with a following r, e.g., °puttra-, line 3, -Kulaputtraka-, line 6, -[Kshē] ttra°, line 6, (but not in the same word in line 10 or in atr=āraṇyē, line 8 or in âsatra- line
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| > |
|
>
|