Indian Palaeography c15.s9.t3.17.3

c15.s9.t3.17.3

The loop of *ma* is slightly tilted to the left. *Ya* is of the tripartite form, with its third left arm sometimes curled inwards and sometimes almost dropped. *Ra* optionally has the serpentine vertical. *La* has its right vertical curved to the left. *Va* is either triangular or round. *Sa* has a hook on the left. The vowelless consonant, as *m* in *ddham*, is placed at the right bottom. In the conjuncts the tendency is to write the second letters with a cursive hand, but no cursive forms are developed, except the optional form of *tha* which draws the end of the circle inwards instead of giving the dot separately within the circle. This inscription has been placed by most palaeographers in the first quarter of the fourth century a.d. But the forms of the open-mouthed *a*, the foot type of *e*, the quadrangular looped base of *kha*, the open-mouthed *ṇa* with the medial *ā* attached to its right bottom, the deeply curved left arm of *ba*, and the cursive medial *o* in *lo* raise doubts as to the validity of this dating. If these forms are at all indicative, its date should be in the second half of the fourth century a.d.—a view which was expressed long ago by Fleet.²