Page:The Origin of the Bengali Script.djvu/144

(e) The form used in the Bodh-Gayā inscription of Aśokacalla is similar but slightly cursive.

(f) The western variety form is used in the Gadādhara temple inscription of Gayā.

(g) The modern form minus dot is to be found in the Cambridge Manuscripts.^[1]

In later periods we find that a slanting cross bar in the interior of va denotes ra as in modern Assamese:

(1) Manuscript of Caṇḍīdāsa's Kṛṣṇa-Kīrttana, fol. 179, Mallārarāgaḥ (L. 1).

(2) Niranta in L. 4 of the Kāmākhyā minor temple inscription of Śaka 1666=1744 A.D.

28. La:—

(a) In the Manda inscription we find two forms of La.

(i) The modern Bengali form as in Gopāla (L. 3); and,

(ii) The archaic form in which the base line is still present, galāvasaḥ (L. 8).

(b) The Kamauli grant shows the use of peculiar 12th century form of La which is also found in the Deopārā praśasti and the Tetrawan image inscription of the second year of Rāmapāla. The form of this letter is the same as the Ta of modern Nāgari.^[2]

(c) The modern Bengali form is used in the Torpondighi grant.

(d) The peculiar ta-shaped form is to be found in the Dacca image inscription.

(e) This is also the case with the Bodh-Gayā inscription of Aśokacalla.

(f) The same form is used in the Gadādhara temple inscription of Gayā.

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1. Ibid, pl. VI, X, 41.
2. Ibid, pl. V, XIX, 37.