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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
SUPPLEMENTARY INSCRIPTIONS
No. 185 ; PLATE CLX TWO small fragments of a long inscription were found built up in a modern wall at Māṇḍū. the well-known archaeological place in the Dhār District of Madhya Pradesh, by R. B. Deshpande, supervisor of the repairs of ancient monuments at that place, in 1923. Fitting both the pieces together, the text was deciphered and published, with a small introductory note, translation and a small-size photograph, by K. K. Lele, in the Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Institute, Vol. VIII (1927) pp. 142 ff. The inscription is edited here from the original fragments, which are now presented in the archaeological museum at Dhār, and from the photograph accompanying Leleâs article. The record is incised on a well polished black stone, and, as stated above, it is fragmentary. The initial portion which pays homage to Sarasvatī is fortunately preserved. The extent portion shows fifteen lines of writing, of which a number of aksharas are lost on either of the sides ; and we have no means to ascertain the portion which is lost below also. The dimensions of the existing portion are not noted. All the lines being incomplete, no coherent sense of the record can be made out, except the general idea that it contained a hymn to Saraswatī, the Goddess of Learning.
The Language of the inscription is Sanskrit ; and except for the customary Oṁ namaḥ Sarasvatyai in the beginning, the preserved portion thereof is all metrical. The verses seem to be all in the anushṭubh metre. They are not numbered, but it appears that they were separated from each other by a double daṇḍa, and a single daṇḍa was also put at the end of each of the halves. As to palaeography and orthography, we find that the letter k is its ligature form, e.g., in kalpa-, l. 1 ; that ṅ has not developed the dot, as in the first letter. That is preserved in l. 7 ; that ch and v are alike in form, cf. chēd = bhavatī, l. 5, but dh has its distinct shape in showing a curved horn above its fore-limb, as in dharmma-, l. 3. The signs of the medial dipthongs are put above and also before the letter to which they belong ; and the sign of avagraha occurs in l. 11. All these peculiarities tend to indicate that the inscription was engraved in the 11-12th century. Beginning with paying homage to Sarasvati, as already seen, the inscription eulogises the deity as fulfilling all desires, like the wish-giving tree, and therefore highly victorious. In ll. 3-6 we read that all dharmas (undertakings ?) are supported by her and her alone, that she is embodied in sounds and words, and for these reasons her charm attracts in every dispassionate ascetic. Lines 7-10 state that her charm is in the form of the various metres used in the hymns of the Vēdas ; her devotee becomes a good poet and also that the entire universe is held by the wise persons. And lastly, ll. 11∙15 appear to means that Vālmīki, Vyāsa and the other poets were sent in this world by her, for doing favour to it (the region) and that Dilīpa and Vasishṭha. by serving her (in the form of) a cow became a model king and a model sage, respectively. ____________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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