South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

L. 6, tuphâkaṁtikaṁ, and upâsakânaṁtikaṁ (l. 7) contain the Genitives Plural of tuphe (Nom. Plur.) and upâsaka combined with the postposition antikaṁ (see Childers, s. v.), ‘ penes vos’ and ‘ penes laicos.’ Prof. Kern adds that we might assume an etymological spelling tuphâkaṁaṁtikaṁ in which the anusvâra became elided. “ For such an elision of anusvâra between two vowels is found in the Vêdic metrical system, in the metrical portions of the Pâli texts, and in the Sanskṛitized Buddhist gâthâs, just as e.g. in Latin templum Apollinis becomes templâpollinis. Roth has rightly remarks (s. v. samana) that samanêva (Ṛigv. VI. 75, 4 and elsewhere) represents samanam iva. In the same way we have dêvamânêva chitrâm (Ṛigv. X. 107, 10) for dêvamânam iva chitrâm, and not for dêvamânâ iva chitrâm as explained in the Padapâṭha.” Another interesting instance is pointed out by Prof. Kern in Ṛigv. VIII. 59, 2. “ The traditional reading indraṁ taṁ śumbha puruhanmann âvasê is metrically impossibly, as the last four syllables must be (symbol). Now what has happened ? The words of the poet were ºmanâvase, which stands for ºmanam avase. The diaskeuasts took puruhanmanº for a Vocative, and as they did not understand the â in ºâvase, they shortened it. In applying the Sandhi rule of Sanskṛit grammar, they changed ºman into ºmann and omitted the accent of puruhânmanam which they took for a Vocative, but which in reality is an epithet of indram, meaning ‘ who has slain many.’ In this manner they gave birth to the Ṛishi Puruhanman !”

Huvâ Prof. Kern derives from the Skr. Conj. Aor. bhuvat, the a being lengthened on account of the following ti.─ Saṁsalanasi is the Locative of saṁsalanaṁ, which both Prof. Kern and Dr. Bloch explain as the equivalent of Skr. saṁsmaraṇa, ‘ remembrance.’ The expression saṁsalanasi nikhitâ (Skr. saṁsmaraṇê nikshiptâ) would, therefore, mean ─ ‘ put to memory.’─ In l. 7 yâvu is the 3rd Pers. Plur. Opt. of yati.

L. 8, visvaṁsayitave.─ From the manner in which the words are connected it is evident that visvaṁsayitave (again in l. 9) is to be regarded as one word, and not as the adjective visvaṁ (Skr. viśvam) + a verb savitave. Prof. Kern and Dr. Bloch agree in interpreting visvaṁsayitave as corresponding with Skr. viśvâsayitum, to be taken in a reflexive sense, ‘ to make oneself familiar with.’ As instances of a similar use of a causative verb Prof. Kern quotes darśayitum, which sometimes has the meaning ‘ to show oneself.’ For ºaṁsº instead of ºâsº he compares the Jaina Prâkṛit niyaṁsei and niyaṁsâvei=Skr. nivâsayati, whereas we have the reverse in vîsâ=Skr. viṁśaº, tîsâ=Skr. triṁśat, chattâlîsa=Skr. chatvâriṁśat.

Anuposathaṁ-cha-dhuvâye occurs also in pillar edict V. : dhuvâye-cha-anuposathaṁ, ‘ constantly on each fast-day,’ where Bühler (Ep. Ind. Vol. II. p. 264) explains dhuvâye=Skr. dhruvâya. Compare also Kâlsi rock edict I. : no-dhuve, ‘ not regularly ’ (in the Shâhbâzgaṛhi version no dhruvaṁ).

L. 9, âhâle.─ Prof. Kern is of opinion that âhâle cannot correspond here with Skr. âhâra. “ Childers,” he says, “ has âhâro= ‘ food, nourishment ; cause ’ (more correctly : ‘ ground, basis ’). But there are in reality two different words which have coincided in form, namely, âhâro, ‘ food ’ (= Skr. âhâra), and âhâro, ‘ ground ’ (= Skr. âdhâra). It seems to mean ‘ territory ’ in the compound sâhâra (Mahâvagga, VI. 30, 4), ‘ with all the territory.’ In any case âhâle here equals âdhâra, and its meaning must be ‘ territory, field of business,’ ” In his rendering of the Rûpnâth edict M. Senart has adopted the meaning ‘ food ’ for âhâle ; but the concluding sentence of the Sârnâth inscription leaves little doubt about the correctness of Prof. Kern’s interpretation. It will be seen from the above that Dr. Bloch has arrived independently at the same conclusion. I may add that in later inscriptions also the word has the meaning of ‘ a territorial division.’ Compare Burgess, Buddhist Cave Temples (London 1883), p. 113, footnote 4.

L. 10, savata.─ Compare rock edict II. (Kâlsî) : savatâ vijitasi, ‘ everywhere in the empire.’─ Viyaṁjana (Skr. vyañjana) must here (and in l. 11) have a different meaning from that