Indian Epigraphy c16.s1.22

c16.s1.22

But that such abbreviations were popular in earlier times is not only indicated by the date portion of early inscriptions referred to above, but also by the use of *ga* for *gāthā* in the Khotanese manuscript of the Dhammapada and *ślo* for *śloka* and *pā* for *pāda* in the Bower manuscripts.² In the medieval inscriptions and manuscripts, often a *daṇḍa* and sometimes a globular mark are used to indicate contractions; e.g., *ṭha* and *pam* followed by such a mark would indicate *ṭhakkura* and *paṇḍita* respectively.³ In the manuscripts of Prakrit works, the same mark seems to indicate reduplication of the following consonant.⁴