Page:The Origin of the Bengali Script.djvu/98

66 8. In the case of La we find important changes. The base line has disappeared and the letter consists of a top-stroke, a vertical straight line at right angles to it and two small curves joined together which touch the left side of the vertical line.

9. We find two forms of the palatal sibilant Śa here also:—

(a) The transitional form between the looped one and the more modern form. This particular transitional form is earlier than that to be found in the Bādāl pillar inscription, as here the loop is still present but nestles against the left side of the right vertical straight line. ''Cf. Śetu'' (L. 12).

(b) The other form is more widely used and is same as variety (d) of the Bādāl pillar inscription.

We now turn to the alphabet of the Bhāgalpur grant which is the latest record of Nārāyaṇapāla discovered up to date as it was issued in the 17th year of his reign. We find that in the alphabet of this inscription we have the Proto-Bengali forms almost complete:

I. Vowels:—

1. A is the complete Bengali one in which even the short line joining the comma-shaped scroll to the right vertical line is slanting downwards instead of being horizontal as in the Bādāl pillar inscription. ''Cf. Asir (L. 20), Abhitva(ra)māna (L. 35), Anyāṁs=ća'' (L. 36). The wedge has almost disappeared from the lower part of the letter.