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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
A.D 804[1] (except in modaloḷ, ,line 9, and lîkhîtaḥ, line 19), and perhaps in vallabha, line 1 (but
not in ballaha, line 2, and lôka, lina 3) of the Paṭṭadakal inscription of his father Dhruva ;[2] but
the Taḷakâḍ inscription of Śrîpurusha-Muttarasa[3] shews only the old square type of the l. The j,
which occurs twice, in line 2, is of the old square type, which remained in use during the whole
of the ninth century A.D., but, towards the end of it, in conjunction with also the later cursive
type. In the ja of râja,–– the fourth syllable in line 2,–– we have an ordinary old square j,
but of the open form ; that is to say, with spaces at the place at which the top part of the
letter and the lower part usually join to form an upright, and at which the centre stroke to the
right starts from that upright. In the jâ at the beginning of line 2, we have a peculiar form of
the old square type of the j, which I would propose to call the “ back-to-back ” j, because one
more stroke in the centre of the left-hand (proper right) part of the character would have given
us a double j back-to-back : here, the exact form of it is closed ; in B., the Bêgûr inscription,
we shall meet with it in its open form. In other genuine records, we have this back-to-back j,
in the closed form, in the word śrîrâjya and yuvarâja, line 3, and several other words, in the
Kyâtanahaḷḷi inscription of Bûtuga I. of the period A.D. 870-71 to about 908,[4] and in the word
Bijêśvarada in a short inscription at Paṭṭadakal, in the Beḷgaum district,[5] which may be referred
to the same period or may be placed somewhat later.
And we may note that in spurious records
we find it all through the Merkara grant, of the Western Gaṅga series,[6] the lithographs of which shew it in both the open and the closed forms, and which includes also the corresponding form
of the guttural ṅ which we shall meet with in B., the Bêgûr inscription ; and we find it, again, in
the same class of records, in the Chicacole grant of Dêvêndravarman, of the Eastern Gaṅga
series,[7] in the closed form in vijayavata, line 1, Vâjasanêya, line 13, Nâgarâja, line 23, and other
words, and in the open form in nija, line 7. The forms of the j in this Doḍḍahuṇḍi record do
not guide us much. But the kh and the l indicate that we may place it in the period A.D 800 to
860, even if they do not actually compel us to do so. There are, indeed, in the forms of j and ṅ
which occur in B., the Bêgûr inscription, plain indications that the development of the alphabet
of Western India was slower in Mysore than in the more northern parts. But it does not
seem likely that the old square type of kh can have lingered on long enough, even there, to
justify us in referring this record to A.D. 938 or thereabouts, as we should have to do if, instead of
accepting my proposed identification of the princes who are mentioned in it, we identify the
Nîtimârga, whose death is recorded, with the next admissible prince who had that appellation.─
The language is Kanarese, of the archaic type, in prose. The record includes two words,
mane-magattin in line 4 and kil-guṇṭhe in line 5, for which only conjectural meanings can be
proposed.[8] And, as indicated to me by the Revd. Mr. Kittel,[9] in śrîmar, for śrîmat, line 3,
the composer seems to have formed a plural which is not justifiable.─ As regards orthography, the only actual peculiarity is the use of s for ś in êsvara, line 2. But we may note also
that we have the short i for the long î twice, in lines 1 and 5, and the long î for the short i
once, in line 1 ; this latter feature, however, may be treated as a mistake in writing, quite as
much as a mistake or peculiarity in spelling.[10]
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[1] Ind. Ant. Vol. XI. p.125, and Plate.
[2] Ibid. p.124,and Plate. A more faithful reproduction of this record will be issued before long.
[3] Ep. Carn. Vol. III., TN.1, and Plate.
[4] Ep. Carn. Vol. III., Sr. 147, and Plate.
[5] Ind. Ant. Vol. X. p. 170, and Plate at p. 167.
[6] Ind. Ant. Vol. I. p. 363, and Plate, and Coorg Inscrs. p. 1, and Plate.
[7] Ind. Ant. Vol. XIII. p. 273, and Plate. On its occurrence in this record, see some remarks by Prof
Kielhorn, about, Vol. V. p.122, note 4.
[8] See page 44 below, notes 4 and 6.
[9] I consulted Mr. Kittel about the meaning of mane-magattin and kil-guṇṭhe in this record, and about some
expressions in the Bêgûr and Âtakûr inscriptions, sending him, of course, my full reading of the texts, and
translations. And I am mush indebted to him for various suggestions, which I mention on the footnotes.
[10] It is rather a curious thing that, whereas in the oldest records the difference between i and î as
attached to consonants, is nearly always marked, less and less attention was paid to this detail, in the
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