Page:The Origin of the Bengali Script.djvu/139

Rh 18. Da:—

(a) In the Māndā inscription the older form with the curved back.

(b) In the Kamauli grant we find the same form.

(c) The same form is to be found in the Dacca Image inscription along with the completely developed modern form. For the older form see deva (L. 2) and for the modern one see Dāmodra (L. 1).

(d) The Torpondighi grant shows the use of the older form.

(e) We find the modern Bengali form in all cases in the Bodh-Gayā inscription of Aśokacalla. But in the Bodh-Gayā inscription of Aśokacalla's brother, Daśaratha, incised in La-saṁ 74 = 1193 A.D. we find the older form in all cases.

(f) This is also the case with the Gadādhara temple inscription of Gayā; ''Cf. Govindapāla (L. 3) and Dvivedaḥ (L. 5), but the older form persists in ligatures, e.g., nda in Govinda (L. 3) and rdda in caturddaśa'' (L. 4).

(g) The Cambridge Manuscripts show the use of the older form.

19. Dha:—

(a) In the Māndā inscription we find the use of the older form in which the slanting straight line has not as yet been added to the top; Pādadhuli (L. 4).

(b) In the Kamauli grant we find that this addition has already been made.