Elements of South-Indian Palæography, from the Fourth to the Seventeenth Century A.D. c7.s4.1

c7.s4.1

The oldest ᴍss. on palm-leaves contain merely the text, and that continuous from the beginning to the end; even the end of a section being marked by a | only. After the 15th century this awkward custom was generally given up, and the divisions of a text plainly marked by ornamental flourishes which are various forms of the word ‘Çrī’. About the same period were written the earliest examples of ᴍss. with diagrams or illustrative pictures¹. The later inscriptions have commonly at the commencement very rude representations of sacred emblems, *e. g.* the trident and drum of Çiva¹); the conch of Vishṇu; the sun and moon; the liṅga with a worshipper etc.²); the Jains put an elephant.