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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
INSCRIPTIONS OF THE CHANDELLAS OF JEJAKABHUKTI the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XV (1886), pp. 33 ff.1 The inscription is edited here from the original stones and ink-impressions kindly supplied to me by the Chief Epigraphist of the Archaeological Survey of India.2 The two temples, inside the portico of one of which the inscription exists, are known, as stated above, by the name of Sāsbahū, i.e., of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Both these names appear to be rather peculiar ; but we have a number of instances to show that these two names are given to temples and other monuments in this part of the country, in consequence of which the real name being forgotten in course of time.3 These shrines are also associated with the mythical name Sahasrabāhu, the thousand-armed, which is obviously a further attempt to Sanskritise the name Sāsbahū. Furthermore, both these temples are also locally known as Jain temples ; and this seems to have misled Rajendralal Mitra to associated them with Jainism. He goes so far as to take the word Padmanātha occuring at the commencement of the present inscription as a short form of Padmaprabhanātha, the sixth of the Jaina Tīrthaṅkara. But this argument cannot hold ground in view of the fact that the inscription itself again and again states that the temple was constructed for the worship of Vishṇu. In this connection Cunningham’s remarks too are noteworthy. He writes : “But as the sculptures, which can be recognised both inside and outside of the large temple are chiefly confined to the members of the Hindu triad and their consorts, I conclude that the temple must belong to the Brāhmanical worship”.4
As stated above, the inscription in engraved on two slabs, the writing on the first of them covering a space about 156∙2 cms. broad by 47∙7 cms. high, and on the second 162∙5 cms broad by 45∙7 cms. high. Each of the slabs contains twenty-one lines. In the last line of the second slab the writing covers only about one-third of the length of the whole line. The inscription is tolerably in a good state of preservation, with the exception of a few letters where the stone is worn. The letters are carefully written and beautifully engraved, though occasionally their forms are indistinguishable, as will be shown below. The size of the letters varies from 1∙2 to 2 cms., and in the first 3 or 4 lines they are bigger and sparsely written. The Characters are Nāgarī, regular for the period to which the inscription belongs, i.e., the eleventh century A.C. The initial form of the short i is marked by two loops with a
curved or hooked end turned in opposite direction and placed one below the other : see ihe, l. 13 ; and the initial long ī, which occurs only once īśvara, l. 5, is denoted by an additional
stroke above the top, as the sign for medial ē. The initial ē has its forelimb suddenly turned
to the right and its end joined to the middle of the vertical, e.g., in ētat, l. 20 ; and in a few
instances, e.g., in ēsha-, l. 38, it cannot be distinguished from p. The letter k, when an initial
member of a conjunct consonant, occasionally changes its loop to a horizontals stroke as in kshiti, l. 2. but not in the same word in l. 12. The conjunct consonant gg appears as gn, e.g., in durggē, l. 4, and ṅ continues to be without a dot. Letters like ṅ, ḍ and h have not developed
the upward curve of their end ; cf. brahmāṇḍa, l. 13, contrary to the fact h in Mahīpāla, l. 14, has a fine curve of its end. Sometimes there is no distinction between g, m and bh, between t, v and h between ch and v ; and the superscripts t and n in a conjunct consonant
often assume the form of a horizontal stroke, as in chitta, l. 21 and gadanti, l. 20. The verticals
of dhā continue to be joined by a horizontal stroke, as in dadhāsi-, l. 17. The two different
forms of ph can be noted in harsh-ōtphulla, l. 1 and phalam, l. 11, and of bh in bhagavān and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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