232 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, [N.S., XVU, 
many scholars to have lived in the 7th century B.C.' Panini 
refers in his Grammar (VI. 3. 115) to the practice of marking 
cattle with the svastika-symbol.? The svastika has long been 
a favourite emblem with the Jains whose traditions represent it 
as having been the special sign of Suparsvanatha,’ a Tirthan- 
kara who is said to have flourished considerably anterior to 
the period of Mahavira (died 528 B.C.).* One at least of the 
gold-leaf ornaments associated with the Piprahwa vase con 
taining the relics of Buddha is embossed with a svastika. 
here ave two principal forms of the svastika: (1) that 
with the arms turned to the right, and (2) that with the arms 
turned to the left. Analysing each of these two forms we find 
it composed of two identical elements, [° or ‘J , superposed 
cross-wise. We are at once reminded of the Brahmi o which 
is written [ or ‘7 in the earliest known Indian inscriptions. 
The idea suggests itself that the svastika is composed of nothing 
but two Brahmi o’s crossing each other. It will be recalled 
textual accuracy through thousands of years, are recited in India 
now nearly as exactly as of yore’. Panini teaches the same 
thing in his rule om-abhyadane (VIII. 2.7.), and the Gopatha 
alphabetically, the sign for o would need to be repeated. 
e repetition might be indicated by writing two o’s one 
after the other: but such a device seems to have been repugnant 
to the scriptal scheme of ancient India ; for two identical vowels 
have never, I think, been found placed side by side in that way in 
her antique records. Such a mode of representation would, 
besides, be cumbersome and in conflict with the requirements 
matic method, would consistin placing two o’s crosswise,. 
giving rise to the forms LB and FH (according as T or L was 
taken to stand for 0) which are precisely the principal forms 
of the svastika. [See Plate II.] To complete this alphabetic 
representation of the omkara, pronounced with a nasal at the 
end, a ma or some other nasal would have to be added on to 
: AS een Oxford History of India (1919), p. 57. 
e Swastika, by Th Wil: the Smit ian i- 
tution, 1894), p. 772. {ne Lee eee . se 
3 ra ‘ roe : 
er ee Jaini, Outlines of Jainism (Cambridge, 1916), table 
4 Traditional date, which I see no reason to doubt. 
5 Cf. Kielhorn in A, V, p. 144. 
