Indian Epigraphy c6.s1.4

c6.s1.4

Inscriptions may greatly vary in point of length. Sometimes an epigraph contains only a mark or one single word or expression, indicating the name of an individual, often a pilgrim at a holy religious establishment engraving his name on a wall or stone to commemorate his visit, or standing as the label of a sculptured scene from the epics or the Jātakas.¹ Somewhat longer inscriptions may record the dedication of the images of deities² or commemorate such events as the fall of a hero in battle or such curious social customs as the self-immolation of a widow⁴ and the head-offering of a devotee.⁵ In some cases, however, an inscription may embody a kāvya in many cantos or a drama in several acts. The Udaipur Rājasamudra inscription,⁶ called the Rājapraśasti-kāvya, falls in the first category, while the Ajmer Lalitavigraharāja and Harakeināṭaka inscriptions⁷ are instances of the second type. The Kudumiyamalai (Pudukottai, Madras State) inscription⁸ contains a unique seventh century work on musical notations.