1837.] Note on Col. Sykes Inscriptions. 1045 



3C 35* 3f flJl (Til an( * ^' °^ success i ve alphabets, and may ex- 

 plain the circumstance of that class of n alone being known in the 

 written Prakrit of the Hindu drama, and of the sacred literature of the 

 Jains. For the word udhi see observations on No. 5. 



The symbol on this inscription, Col. Sykes identifies with that on 

 coins 16, 17, 18, 26, 27, 32 and 51 of plate 34, vol. v. 

 Inscription 3 may be transcribed in Roman letters thus : 

 Virasenakasa gahalatila maghasa 

 Dhama nigamasa dayadhama, chetiya-ghara, 

 Niyuta sama I oka hit a sukhaya. 

 In Sanskrit this sentence may be rendered with exact conformity : 



" The compassionate and pious act of Vira Senaka, the gahalatila magha, the 

 abode of righteousness, — for the pleasure and advantage of the virtuous attendants 

 of the chaitya temple." 



This inscription is stated by Col. Sykes to be " on a Buddhist cave 

 temple in which there is a large isolated dehgopa, under the hill fort of 

 Seunere or Jooneer." The expression chetiya ghar of course alludes 

 to this interior structure : it is exactly the modern vernacular name, 

 and it introduces us with certainty to a new letter, the gh, which has 

 been hitherto a desideratum ; and which was of doubtful existence in 

 the primitive alphabet. Some modification is also perceptible in the 

 kh of the word sukhdya, of the reading of which however there can 

 be no reasonable doubt. 



The symbol at the head of this inscription agrees precisely with 

 that of many of our golden Indo-Scythic coins. 



The name gahalatila magha reminds us of a tribe of Rajputs, the 

 Gehlotes, or Grahalotes who founded the Gohila dynasty of Mewdr, 

 after the destruction of the Balabhis of Saurashtra. Magha is the name 

 of one of the dwipas or divisions of the universe. It also applies to 

 the Magas of the Arracan country, Buddhists who claim to have 

 given their name to the Magadha province whence they migrated east- 

 ward : but this is doubtful. 



Figure 4 is headed, " Perfect inscription over the doorway of the 

 large pillared cave temple within the vestibule, Sainhadri caves." 



Some little ambiguity remains as to the third letter which may be 

 either a or s ; in the latter case the sense will only vary so far as to 

 introduce the name of the mother as well as of the father of the 

 benefactor — Kali sutasya, ' born of Kali' — but as the same letter oc- 

 curs in the next inscription without change, I think it must be an a 

 6b 



