On the Origin of the Indian Brahma Alphabet c5.108

c5.108

Its great antiquity is attested by the Chinese writers. Hiwen Tsiang states in the Siyuki² that the instruction of the young Hindus began with the practice in the twelve *chang* or tables. What these twelve tables were, appears from an account of the Indian alphabet and elementary instruction, given by Hui-lin³ who wrote between A. D. 788—810. According to him the thirty four consonants, the last of which was *kṣa*, were each first combined with the twelve vowels *a*—*aḥ*, and thus a table or syllabary was formed identical with the modern Bārākhaḍī, which bore (according to another authority) the name Siddhavastu "the matter (preceded by the word) *siddha*". Next came ligatures of each consonant with *ya*, *ra*, *la*, *va*, *sa*, *ha* and the five nasals, and each of these ligatures was again combined with the twelve vowels. The result was a set of eleven further tables, which were, as the author says, in common use. Though Hui-lin calls these tables *fan* or "cycles", it is not doubtful, as Dr. A. von Rosthorn remarks, that they are identical with Hiwen Tsiang's twelve *chang*. It thus appears that the system of instruction in writing, described by Hui-lin and Hiwen Tsiang, is based on the Bārākhaḍī still used, but is further developed in accordance with the requirements of Sanskrit teaching. But the four vowels, *ṛ*, *ṝ*, *ḷ*, *ḹ* are not included, and Hui-lin, who mentions them expressly, states that ordinary people and beginners did not know them, as well as that they were employed as 'expletives' by grammarians. Hiwen Tsiang, too, excludes them from the ordinary alphabet which, as he says in the Siyuki, I, 77 (Beal), contained 47 letters i. e. the 12 vowels and 35 consonants, *ka*—*ha*, *ḷa* and *kṣa*.