194 



JOURNAL, E.A.S. (CEYLON). [VoL. X. 



it is clear that in these inscriptions the symbols for e and i are not 

 sufficiently distinguished, since General Cunningham in each case 

 reads vandate (which is neither Sanskrit nor Pali) for vandati ; and at 

 page 113 he has Vijayata for Vejayanta, the well-known palace of the 

 Buddhist archangel Sakka. He also reads Kupiro (Kubiro) for 

 Kubero. I therefore feel little hesitation in amending-pediko to 

 -pidiko. The missing n is easily restored when we observe how fre- 

 quently, in the case of a conjunct consonant, one letter of the group 

 is made to do duty for both — e.g., Kasapa for Kassapa, Yejayata for 

 Vejayanta, Kakusadha for Kakusandha. Ketd is the correct Pali form 

 of the Sanskrit Jcreta, "purchaser." Santhata (sawstrita) occurs 

 pretty frequently in Pali with the meaning " strewn", " spread," and 

 there is no reason why the neuter should not be used as a synonym of 

 santhara (sa??^stara). The latter word is often used in the sense of 

 " layer," " stratum " (see, for instance, " MaMvaosa," p. 169, phalihdsan- 

 thara, "a layer of quartz stones"). Kotisanthatena ketd would then 

 f l mean purchaser for a layer of kotfis," and this exactly tallies with the 

 Buddhist narrative, which states that Anathapkdika spread the whole 

 area of the garden with a layer of coins, amounting to 18 koiis, which 

 he handed over to Jeta as the purchase-money (Spence Hardy's 

 of "Manual Buddhism," p. 219). Koti in Pali is sometimes used 

 absolutely for a large sum of money (ten million kahapawas). 



It is impossible to read General Cunningham's most interesting 

 account of these sculptures without a sigh of regret that they should 

 be so far beyond the reach of our inspection. I hear of a proposal to 

 remove them from Bharhut. The scheme carries with it a certain 

 aroma of vandalism (fancy carting away Stonehenge !) ; but if it 

 should be carried out, is it too much to hope that the sculptures may 

 find their way to the India Office, instead of being consigned to the 

 peaceful oblivion of an Indian museum ? 



E. C. Childers. 



The Bharhut Sculptures.'" 5 



38, Clanricarde Gardens, W., Dec. 1, 1874. 

 Through the kindness of Dr. Max Muller, I have now seen a photo- 

 graph of the Jetavana bas-relief, and a rubbing of the inscription. I 

 admit at once that the emendation I proposed last week of pi for pe 

 in the name Anathapediko cannot be sustained. The letter is as clear 

 as possible, and is pe and nothing else.f My other emendations, how- 



* Academy, December 5, 1874, p. 612. 



f I take this opportunity of correcting an inadvertence in my last letter : 

 the form vandate is correct Sanskrit, though in Pali we only have vandati. 

 The dialect of these inscriptions is certainly not pure Pali, though at first 

 sight it appears to be so. 



