121 
1898.] Dr. Hoernle —Two Copper-plate Grants of Ratnapdla. 
identical. The only difference appears to be in the statements refer¬ 
ring to the land and the person to whom the land was granted. 
The two sides of the first (originally second) plate have 19 lines, 
each. The second (originally third) plate has 7 lines. The inscrip¬ 
tion on the obverse of the former plate probably commenced with the 
word phala on 1. 21 of the obverse of the second plate of the Bargaon 
grant. The reverse of that plate commences with the word [pn-] 
yanuvarttanam , the syllable pri being at the end of the obverse side ; 
and this word stands on line 43 of the reverse of the second plate of the 
Bargaon grant. The formal part of the Sualkuci grant ends in its 
37fch line (the last but one on the reverse side of the existing first plate) 
with the phrase gdsani-krtya which stands in the 58th line (the first 
of the 3rd plate of the Bargaon grant). From here the remainder of 
the Sualknci grant is occupied with the portion peculiar to it, describing 
the grantee and the granted land. 
The mechanical execution of the Sualkuci grant is, if anything, 
still more slovenly and inaccurate than that of the Bargaon grant. A 
glance over the extracts, given below, will show numerous blunders. 
There are, however, a few variants, which appear to be genuine 
differences of composition ; e g., 1. 14, kalahansa-gdminl (for kalahamsa- 
gflmini) ‘ females walking like kalahamsa geese,’ 1. 24, Bhismo dhanusi ; 
or which actually offer more suitable readings, as in 1. 11, krda-gakuni 
(for krida-gakuni ), and in 1. 33, mahis-aj-dvika. 
Palaeographically the Sualkuci grant does not differ in any way 
from the Bargaon grant. The guttural nasal rj is throughout made 
without a ringlet. Only once, in 1. 12, tamka, it is represented by the 
anusvara; but this case is not above suspicion, because the reading 
here is defective ; see the extract below. The anusvara is formed by 
a ringlet and placed above the line. The special final form for n occurs 
in 1. 10, janapaddn, and 1. 11, prablirtln and sarvvdn. The special final, 
form of t occurs in 1. 21, bhrt, and in 1. 34 ’ bhut . The special final form 
of m occurs, twice, in 11. 23 and 24 vairyam ; as a rule, however, the anus¬ 
vara is used ; thus in 1. 9, mandalnm , 1. 10, alarjkdram , 1. 16, sdrthdnam , 
and 1. 23, gamblurya[_m~], where the Bargaon grant has the special form. 
The initial short i, made by two ringlets placed above a hook, occurs 
in 11. 3 and 34, iti, 1. 40, ista; but in 1. 21, the hiatus with iva, which 
the Bargaon grant shows, is avoided in the Sualkuci grant by the 
insertion of a euphonic r. The avagraha occurs in 1. 25, guryori, where 
it is omitted in the Bargaon grant. It appears also to be intended, 
in 1. 40, by the mark of interpunctnation. 
Regarding the probable date of the Sualkuci grant, see the remarks 
on the Bargaon grant. It is not dated in any era, but professes to 
have been issued in the 26tli year of the reign of Ratnapala. 
J t. 16 
