No. 48. Kanheri Buddhist cave inscription. Prakrit.
| The inscription is engraved on a detached rock opposite Cave No. 41. The stone slab having the dressed portion were the inscription is engraved, measures 1.10 m x 1.25 m. The sides of this detached boulder have remained vertical till today. This definitely indicates that it has not been moved since the inscription was cut. The stone is not far away from the remains of the ancient stone-wall across the stream which flows only in rainy season from nearby catchment area at the foot of the hill. Across the stream, there are remains of an ancient stone-wall which measures 32 m. x 2.75 m. x 4 m. In the broken wall, there is a conduit excavated in the rock which measures 1.7 m. x 1.75 m. x 1 m. Letters: Each individual letter measuring about 8 cm. x 1 cm. is boldly and neatly engraved but some of them are severely damaged. The inscription, which consists of three lines is deeply cut and distinct, but the major portion of the first line and a part of the second are peeled off. Characters: the alphabets employed in the inscription under study decidedly belong to the middle of the 2nd century A.D. The characters resemble very closely to those of the inscriptions from Nasik of the Sātavāhana King Vāsiøōhiputra Puëumāvi (133-62 A.D.) and generally those of the Karle records of the time of Vāsiøōhiputra Puëumāvi. Language: Prakrit and calls for no special remarks. Orthography: There is not much that calls for special notice in the script. There is no case of reduplication of consonants or the use of onjuncts. the letter 'ka' denotes elongated form. The looped type 'ta' which is occasionally noticed in the Sātavāhana epigraphs is found. The flat-based 'pa' and 'ma', triangular 'da' and 'dha' clearly indicate the Southern influence.(ShG) |
| 1847 Bird, Hist. Res. Plate XLVI, 22; 1861 West, JBBRAS VI, p. 11 f., No. 52, and Plate; Luders list 1031; ShG No 32; |
| Lu: - Not read. |
TEXT.
1. . . . . . . . . . .
2. patisa sethisa Pu-
3. íakasa talāka deya dhama