Page:The Origin of the Bengali Script.djvu/79

Rh (5) in the case of la, we find the acute angle having, in certain cases, become too small and the right vertical straight line produced downwards, e.g. in kamala (L. 4), but in other cases, it retains the form of the Aphsaḍ inscription, e.g. valavī (L. 6.),

(6) we find two forms of śa also:—(a) the earlier, with a curved, top as in paramamāheśvara (L. 3), and (b) the later form, which we find for the first time, and which resembles the 9th century form of the Dighwā-Dubhauli grant,

(7) in sa the lower part of the left limb is cursive and projects beyond the vertical level of the left side of the letter,

(8) the third variety of the dental sa of the Aphsaḍ inscription is used in all cases.

The Bodh-Gayā and Khālimpur inscriptions of the 26th and 32nd year of the reign of Dharmapāla, most probably, were incised in the 9th and last decade of the 8th century A.D.

In the Bodh-Gayā inscription of Dharmapāla we find:-

1 three forms of śa:

(a) the ancient form with the round top as in Śilābhidaḥ L. 1, Keśava L. 2 and ṣaḍ-viṅśati L. 7,

(b) the later form without the cross-bar as in Mahadevaścaturmnkha and śreṣṭha (L. 2),

(c) the transitional with the lingering cross-bar, as in śreyase (L. 4);

2 the cross-bar of the lingual ṣa going to intersect the acute angle at the bottom, instead of joining the right vertical line;