Indian Palaeography c15.s4.t2.9

c15.s4.t2.9

The initial *a* is of the curved type with the curve projecting its two arms beyond the left vertical, a feature of the later period. The long *ā* is formed optionally by adding a curve to the right vertical, as had been the practice since Gupta times, but a new form with a vertical stroke on the right of short *a* is seen as in the Rāshṭrakūṭa inscriptions of the eighth century A.D. The initial *i* has two dots above and a tailed one below. The initial *ī* shows a new form, displacing the one which was in use since the Kushāṇa period. It shows four dots arranged in the form of a rhombus, the lowest one having a tail curved to the left. This form is also seen in Nepalese manuscripts from the tenth century A.D. onwards.¹ The other initial vowels are of the type seen in this period. The medial vowels have all become standardized, as is also seen in the Nalanda stone inscription of Yaśovarman. *Halanta* (a vowelless consonant) is marked by a short stroke attached to the bottom right of the letter. *Ka* is of the looped type. Flat tops are seen in *kha*, *ga*, *ṭa*, *dha*, and *śa*. The development of tails is observable in the right limbs of *ka*, *kha*, *gha*, *tha*, *da*, *dha*, *na*, *pa*, *ma*, *ya*, *la*, *va*, *sha* and *sa*. Remarkable late forms are *ṇa* with an angular right outer arm while the left still falls in a curve, *tha* with an outer loop at the top left, *pha* with an outer curl on the top right, the rounded form of *va* used both for *va* and *ba*, *bha* with a curved right limb and the left showing a notch; this last is an obvious simplification from the triangular foot-mark, though *sa* maintains the triangular loop at the bottom left with the only change that the loop is now filled up. Finally, *ma* has now merged its left tail in the twisted loop, as is also seen in the late inscriptions. On the whole the style is much simplified. The angularity is well marked and the bent verticals have mostly been straightened, leaving a trace in the tails—all these due to the hard pen that was used for writing, as has been rightly observed by Bühler.