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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
INCRIPTIONS OF THE KALACHURIS OF TRIPURI Lōņiya, who announces this meritorious work (kīrtti)1 on the surface of the earth, for the religious merit of these, (her) mother and father. May you attain the stainless worlds !
No. 36; PLATE XXIX B THIS inscription was first brought to notice by General Sir Alexander Cunningham in his Archæology Survey of India Report for 1883-1884. He again referred to it in the next year’s report and published a lithograph of it.2 The inscription was subsequently noticed by Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar in Cousens’ Progress Report of the Archæology Survey of Western India for 1903-4, p. 54 and by Rai Bahadur Hiralal in his Inscriptions in the Central Provinces and Berar.3 Though noticed several times, the inscription has defied all attempts at interpretation ; for, Cunningham was told that the language of the inscription was not Sanskrit. Dr. Bhandarkar also has remarked ‘what the language of the inscription is cannot be made out.’ The inscription is edited here from ink impressions supplied by the Director General of Archæology.4
Chhōţi Deori (Small Deori) is situated on the left bank of the Ken, about 16 miles to the west of Jōkāhi, in the Murwārā tahsil of the Jabalpur District in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The village is so-called probably to distinguish it from the larger village named Deori which lies about five miles to the west. It is also called Madhā Deori on account of a number of small temples (maţhīs) from thirty to forty in number, which lie buried in dense jungle. According to Cunningham, all these were most probably Śaiva shrines. The pillar on which the present inscription is incised must have also belonged to a Śaiva temple as is indicated by its contents. ‘The pillar is 7 feet 2 inches high and I foot square. The inscription of 11 lines is near the top; in the middle there are two seated figures, male and female;5 and below, there is a standing male figureâ6. As stated above, the inscription consists of eleven lines. It covers a space 1’ ½˝ broad
by 1’ 2˝ high. It is in a state of fair preservation. The characters belong to the proto-
Nāgarī alphabet resembling those of the Saugor stone inscription.7 They are very carelessly
written. Several groups of aksharas are unnecessarily repeated in 11.4 and 5 as well
as in 11. 10 and 11. The marks for medial vowels and visarga are omitted in many
cases. The form of kh in khaņda-, 1.I, likhatam, 1.9 and likhitam, I. 10, is peculiar. It
resembles somewhat the conjunct ksha, with this difference that the lower curve is turned
to the left instead of to the right. The form of p in kapāli-, 1. 2 and puna, 1.9, which closely
resembles that of d is also noteworthy. L has three different shapes in lighatam, 1.8,
likhatam, 1. 9 and likhitam, 1. 10. The form of ś, the left limb of which has developed a
curve and that of k which has a triangle on the left show that the inscription is not
earlier than the seventh century A.C. On the other hand j, though slanting, has not yet
turned its middle horizontal bar into a vertical ; t has not developed a vertical at the top ;
d and r show no tail, and the upper part of p is not closed. In these respects the characters
1This probably refers to the temple of Śiva where the inscribed panel was apparently put up.
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