1840.] Note on Kandahar Gems. 105 



is a lakh yojana;" or by paraphrase might be read, "The site of the in- 

 fluence of the two lords of the world extends (a lakh yojana) eight hun- 

 dred thousand miles." The yojana (the measure occurring, Captain Mac- 

 leod informs me as Yoozana in the religious and geographical works of 

 the Burmese) is made of four measures of two thousand fathoms, (Dhor.uk 

 the distance between the extremities of the hands extended.) 



As respects the reading of the inscription, I think there is sufficient pro- 

 bability of correctness to justify its publication; but it will be observed that 

 "ja," "ga," "na," and "lo," are the only exactly, or very nearly corres- 

 pondent letters with those found on the Goojerat inscription. The compound 

 "dra," (the third character of the inscription) is an arbitrary reading. 

 "Ya," which Kamalakanta interprets to be the character which recurs 

 three times in the inscription, the sixth, eighth, and ninth letters, resembles 

 the " ya," of the Goojerat type, but is not identical in shape. "Bha," is 

 the Goojerat letter reversed. "Ska," is in the gem very minute ; it is a 

 double letter, clearly defined in the Goojerat type ; its supposed corres- 

 pondent in our inscription is sufficiently similar to authorise our giving it 

 this value. Pandit Kamalakanta insists strongly upon the correctness of his 

 rendering, arguing from the context where the character is obscure ; in the 

 critical observations by him on the reading, which I have above abridged, 

 he repeatedly dwells on there not being "the slightest doubt" of the cor- 

 rectness of his interpretation. I have thought it best to affect less certainty 

 for obvious reasons ; however it must be remembered that the lakh Yojan 

 is the Boodhist circle of the sun's revolution, and that this is most distinctly 

 written on that face of the gem, which bears the symbol of Meru with the 

 sun and moon revolving about it, for though it occurs on both the other 

 faces, the characters are carelessly written, and are comparatively indistinct. 

 What the intent of appending this motto might be, remains to be considered 

 with reference to the general description of the gem. 



Supposing it possible (which I can hardly suppose), that the head may 

 be considered as representing Boodh, we should, without a forced interpreta- 

 tion, see in the gem, the seal, or perhaps amulet, of some zealous Boodhist, 

 who bore about him in these emblematic devices a constant remem- 

 brance of .the universality of the doctrine; — for instance; 1. Boodh; 

 2. The hand inculcating his true doctrine; 3. Throughout the celestial 

 (and terrestrial ?) system. The motto would have similar reference to the 

 extension of the doctrine throughout " the mansion of the lords of the earth." 

 Supposing, however, the head to be that of a monarch, as the beard 

 would not allow us to consider it that of a teacher, the repetition of the 

 motto might lead one to suppose, that it contained some allusion to his 

 name. Could he be some " Jagad raja," who by using the word in a double 

 sense intended at once to celebrate his own name, and either allude to the 



p 



