Indian Epigraphy c10.s4.30

c10.s4.30

In the inscriptions of the Gupta age, the auspicious word siddham at the beginning of epigraphs was sometimes represented by a crescent-like curved stroke opening towards the left.¹ This mark resembles the symbol or mark of interpunction at the end of many of Aśoka's edicts at Kalsi. It has been pointed out that some scholars regard it as standing for the *praṇava*, i.e. the auspicious syllable *oṃ*, even though the sign occurs in typical Buddhist epigraphs and the Buddhists did not attach any importance to the *praṇava*.² We have seen above that, though this view is supported by a statement of Al-Bīrūnī,³ there is some evidence to show that the symbol was read as *siddham* or *siddhir-astu*.⁴ The suggestion seems to be supported by the fact that some medieval inscriptions begin with the symbol followed by a *namaḥkāra* passage like *Oṃ namaḥ, Oṃ namaḥ Śivāya, Oṃ namo Nārāyaṇāya, Oṃ namaḥ śrī-Viśveśvarāya*, etc.,⁵ and also by the *maṅgala*: *Oṃ svasti*.⁶ We have explained the confusion of the symbol with the *praṇava* by the fact that sometimes it was read as *Oṃ siddhiḥ*.⁷