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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA works─ we find in the inscription a decided predominance of compounds over simple words. On a rough calculation the text contains about 1,330 syllables ; about 440 of them belong to 144 simple words, while the remaining 890 are taken up by 88 compound nouns, consisting variously of from two to as many as fifteen members. But throughout, these compounds are plain and easy to understand, so that there is nothing embarrassing about their prevalence. In respect of inflection and syntax, the language is generally correct. Of grammatically wrong forms there is only the instrumental patina (for patyâ), in line 11 ; but this form is equally found in the Râmâyaṇa, Mahâbhârala and similar works, with which the writer seems to have been familiar.[1] An unusual construction we have in anyatra saṁgrâmêshu, ‘ except in battles,’ in line 10, for the customary anyatra saṁgrâmêbhyaḥ ;[2] a redundant word in â garbhât=prabhṛiti, ‘ from the womb,’ in line 9, for either â garbhât or garbhât=prabhṛiti ; and an apparently wrong addition of pûrva in anupasṛishṭapûrva, in line 10, used in the sense of simply anupasṛishṭa.[3] Of words not found in dictionaries the text presents only upatalpa, in line 6, denoting in my opinion ‘ an upper story,’ and Śvabhra, in line 11, as the name of a particular country or people ; but attention may also be drawn to the words mîḍha, l. 3, râshṭriya, l. 8, and praṇaya-kriyâ, l. 16, the meanings of which will be considered below.
The author’s disposition of his subject-matter is simple and lucid. His object being to record
the restoration, by the Mahâkshatrapa Rudradâman, of the lake Sudarśana near which the inscription was engraved, he treats of his theme in six sentences, five of which have for their subject the words ‘ this lake Sudarśana ’ with which the inscription opens. This lake is now in an
excellent condition (lines 1-3). It was destroyed a storm during the reign of Rudradâman
(ll. 3-7). All the water having escaped, the lake, from being sudarśana, became durdarśana
(ll. 7-8). The lake had been originally constructed during the reign of the Maurya Chandragupta, and was perfected under the Maurya Aśôka (ll. 8-9). It has now been restored and made
more beautiful than ever (sudarśanatara) by Rudradâman (ll. 9-16), under whom this work has
been carried out by the provincial governor Suviśâkha (ll. 17-20).─ Form this it will be seen
that the greater part of the text is devoted to the actual restoration of the lake, which naturally
furnishes the occasion for a dull eulogistic description, and a record of the exploits, of the Mahâkshatrapa by whom it was accomplished (ll. 9-15). The previous history of the lake is sketched
in a short, though historically important,[4] sentence. On the other hand, a vivid and striking
account is given of the storm by which the lake and the surrounding country were devastated, in
[1] That the author has used what I may call the epic viṁśat─ the text actually has vîśat─ for viṁśati, has
been already stated. The phrase paura-jânapadam janaṁ in line 16 is a Pâda of an ordinary Ślôka, and actually
occurs in the Râmâyaṇa ;and we find in the text a number of words which seem peculiar to, or at any rate occur
often in, epic poetry.
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