970 Re- examination of the various Inscriptions [Nov. 



dhara chhandah, as lines 2, 3 ; 6, 7 ; 12 and 13 ; lines 8, 9 are in the 

 manddhrdntd measure ; and lines 10, 1 1 in the sdrddla vikririta ; and 

 again at the conclusion of the eulogy, line 28 contains a complete half 

 verse in the prithvi chhandah, laudatory of the purifying powers of 

 Ganges water. 



Each line contains half a stanza, or two charanas. The termination 

 of the first charana is well defined by a blank space on the stone. The 

 second pdda or versicle of the stanza is generally erased or unintelligi- 

 ble — but in the 3rd and 4th lines* this also is entire. 



From line 14 the composition continues uninterrupted in a florid 

 style of prose or gadya. 



As it generally happens that the construction of each pdda is finite 

 and independent, the mutilation of the poetical part does not necessarily 

 prevent the understanding of the general purport, and it is evident that 

 the verse was no less a string of high flown panegyrical descriptions 

 of the prince lately defunct, namely Samudra Gupta, than the prose 

 continuation ; with the sole difference that the latter, governed by the 

 initial demonstrative pronoun tasya, ' of him,' is constantly in the geni- 

 tive case — until the sense is completed in the words babhuva bdhur ayam 

 ucchritas stambhas, ' this lofty pillar,' has become the arm ; and then 

 follows yasya, * of whom' still referring to the same person as before, 

 rather than to the pillar-arm itself. 



After the apostrophe to Ganges-water above mentioned comes an 

 acknowledgment of the authorship of the panegyric, and of the 

 erection of the monument to his deceased master, by the dewan of 

 the young prince (whom Dr. Mill conjectures with great plausibility 

 to be Chandra Gupta II.) : — and at a respectful distance the name of 

 the officer by whom his orders were carried into execution ; avasthitam- 

 cha, is the word employed, which from the obscurity of the copy be- 

 fore him Dr. Mill read sendnvitamcha. 



When I mention further that I find no invocation in lines 2, 3, on 

 behalf of the sculptor and blackener of the letters, I have summed up 

 all the changes, and I may venture to say amendments, which Captain 

 Smith's facsimile has introduced in the general bearing of the docu- 

 ment embraced in Dr. Mill's analysis, (page 261, vol. III.) 



But this is by no means the extent of obligation due to it: — for 

 although lines 13-37 remain as before, eulogistic descriptions of the 

 king in the genitive case, the purport of the greater part is entirely 

 altered; moreover by some unaccountable oversight in Lieut. Burt's 

 transcript the last dozen letters of the 15th line are omitted altogether, 



* I adhere to the former numbering of the lines for convenience of reference. 



