1896. ] N. N. Vasu— Nagaras and the Nagari-alphabet. 127 
Tt has been stated about the commencement of this paper that 
Césa-krsna, the writer of the Prakrta-candrika, has mentioned Nagara, 
Upanagara, and Daiva among the 27 forms of corrupt languages.! 
Most probably like these three languages three different forms of writing 
were also current. The Daiva or Bhauma-déva-lipi mentioned in the 
Lalita-vistara had probably some points of resemblance to the Daiva- 
lipi or writing of the Déva-bhaga. 
But I have not come across any proof to lead me to surmise that 
Déva-lipi signifies Nagaraksara. Now in some countries Nagara may 
mean Dévanagaraksara, but Dévakgara has nowhere any such import. 
In Bengal it is humorously used to denote very bad and illegible writing. 
Under such circumstances I cannot take Dévalipi or Bhauma-déva-lipi as 
representing our present Nagari character. 
It is now admitted that the Lalita-vistara was composed in the 
2nd or 3rd century B.C. The fourth Upanga Prajiiapanasttra was 
written by Cyamarya, the first Kalakacarya. On referring to the 
Kharataragaccha Pattavali, we find.that Cyamarya lived 376 years after 
Mahavira’s nirvana (B.C. 151). Consequently it must be admitted 
that nearly 2000 years ago there was no lipi extant under the name of 
Nagara or Nagari. 
Then when did the name of Nagara first make its appearance ? 
We find the first mention of Nagari-lipi in a Jaina religious book, 
the Nandi-sttra.2 Jainacarya Laksmi-vallabha-gani thus speaks in his 
Kalpastitra-kalpadruma-kalika :— 
HY Bl waneat areietaueaa wereufarat efarat: | 
aalaa Val Tut -2 safety 2 wafafa saafafy ¢ a- 
aelfafs wsgifata ¢ matty oquntfati = ateifafa 
« afadifafa yo Sadtfaty i aradifaiy 12 adifaty 
aa aaatfaty 1s weelfafe (yu metfafa e¢ afaifar 
fafy (o maaifate (os AlazaT | 
The author then relates :— ?ufammieaq afy feqyagu— 
q Tel 2 aisle steel @ HUTT yaa ¢ atest aeTal 
cS MET & Weratat eo AM we feeat wR Fel wes 
amet U8 wWarlat Vy urTiat e¢ Fat Yo araal vs Heratal 
1 Hven the names of these three corrupt forms of languages have not been 
found in works earlier than (ésa Krsna’s. 
2 The South-Indian form of the Nagari character usually goes by the name of 
Nandi-nagari, 
