1896. ] N. N. Vasu—Nagaras and the Nagari-alphabet. 131 
above-mentioned Dadda, Jainka, Dantidurga and Dhruva seem to be 
derived from the ancient Gupta-lipi and clearly look like the Nazarak- 
sara of the earliest stage: but dissimilarity has entered into the plates 
of Govinda Suvarna-varsa and others. The vowel-signs (e.g., t, tt, t1) 
as adopted in the plate of Suvarna-varsa and others are similar to those 
of the Vangiya and the Maithila-lipi. From this it appears that the 
vowel-signs which are used in the Vangiya and Maithila-lipi are 
not of recent date, though they have no accordance with those in 
the Gupta and Nagari-lipi, and that they must have existed at least in 
the 6th or 7th century A.D. Nagari-lipi having such vowel-signs is 
called Jaina-nadgari in Gujarat. 
The full currency of the Nagari-lipi is seen to date from the 9th 
or 10th century A.D. The forms which this lipi came to bear between 
the 9th or 10th century A.D. are still the same. A very slight 
difference which may here and there be seen is due to the characteristics ~ 
of the writer or of the engraver in the different localities. 
It is clear from the Jaina-books as well as from the ancient inscrip- 
tions stated above, that the Nagari-lipi was current during the 5th 
century A.D. I have said that the Nagari-lipi originated from the 
Nagara Brahmanas of Nagara-ananda-pura. These Nagara Brahmanas 
are inhabitants of Gujarat, The most ancient Nagari-lipi, discovered 
up to date, is from Gujarat ; and this fact strongly upholds my theory. 
But a question may arise here. Antiquarians have described the 
innumerable inscriptions between the 3rd and 7th centuries A.D. dis- 
covered in Gujarat, to be written in the cave-characters. Most of the an- 
cient inscriptions and copper-plates, found in various parts of the 
Deccan, are inscribed in such cave characters. Given these facts, what 
led the Nagara Brahmanas to adopt a character different from that 
which was current in their own country? A thorough scrutiny of 
the cave-characters does not allow us to recognise them to be the 
origin of Nagari-alphabet: on the contrary, the Nagari-alphabet must 
be rather said to descend from the ancient form of Gupta-characters. It 
seems therefore that the most ancient Nagari-lipi used in Gujarat, was 
brought over by the Nagara Brahmanas, either from Gauda, or 
Magadha or from some other country in Northern India to Gujarat. 
The following is related in the Skanda-purana, Nagara-khanda ch. 108: 
the eminent Trijata who had delivered Camatkara-pura from the snakes, 
gave presents of wealth and jewels and established here in Nagara 
those Brahmanas who had come with their wives and children to Hata- 
kécvara from the furthest and the most Telos countries.!. From this it 
1 fasnay yards Faq ZuNle saq | 
aaiaagtea faiegr greta: IsTaa 
