106

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

and are at once classed as barbarous Hindi. Yet

an application of Vararuchi's rules will, in many cases, without any great exercise of ingenuity, suffice to discover the original Sanskrit form,

[APRIL 5, 1872.

bourhood, the one Kusum-Sarovar or Ku sumokhar (for Kusuma-pushkara), the other Brikhbhān-pokhar

or

Bhān-okhar.

As the

rule was laid down by Vararuchi 1800 years ago, I can only claim credit for its practical resusci tation ; but it is of great importance, and at

and explain its corruption. Thus Maholi is for Madhu-puri ; Parsoli for Parasurāma-puri, (Parsa being the ordinary colloquial abbrevia

once affords a clue to the formation of an im

tion for Parasurāma) Dham-sińha for Dharma

mense number of otherwise unintelligible local

sińha," Báti for Bahula-vati; and Khaira for

names.

Khadira.

including the letter p, where they are simple and

The foregoing considerations demonstrate the soundness of the proposition laid down at the outset, viz., that the proportion of words in the Hindi vocabulary not connected with Sanskrit forms is exceedingly inconsiderable ; such fact appearing—1st, from the silence of the early grammarians as to the existence of any such non-Sanskritic element ; 2ndly, from

non-initial; the term ‘non-initial’ being expressly

the discovery that many of the words hastily

extended to the first letter of the latter member

set down as barbarous are in reality traceable to a classic source ; and 3rdly, from the uncon

So far as I am aware, the true ex

planation of these common endings-oli, -auli, -auri, -ávar, has never before been clearly stated. They are merely corruptions of -puri or -pura, combined with the prior member of the com

pound, as explained by Vararuchi, in Sūtra II. 2, which directs the elision of certain consonants,

of a compound. The practical application of the rule was first suggested to me by observing that two large tanks at Barsâna and Gobardhan were called indiscriminately in the neigh ON

THE

IDENTIFICATION

OF

scious adherence of the modern vernacular to the same laws of formation as influenced it in an ad

mittedly Sanskritic stage of development.

WARIOUS

PLACES IN THE

KING DOM OF

MAGADHA VISITED BY THE CHINESE PILGRIM CHI-FAH-HIAN, IN A. D. 415. y A. M. BROADLEY, B.C.S., ASSISTANT MAGISTRATE IN CHARGE OF SUB-DIVISION BIHAR IN PATNA.

(Cotinued from page 74.) PART III.

SINCE writing the last part of my notes, I have paid another visit to the Som-bhāndār cave, and carefully examined the chaitya I found there. It appears to me so curious that I propose to describe it more particularly. Its form is square with a conical top surmounted by a large knob.

by three umbrellas. The bases vary in design ; on either side, beneath the pedestal, is depict

Each side is 1 foot 10 inches broad, and its total height is 4 feet 9 inches. On each face there is

fourth by bulls. The conical top of the chaitya

a pillared canopy, underneath which is a stand ing figure of Buddha on a lotus-leaf pedestal, with a miniature attendant on either side, each holding a torch. The hair on the head is knot

ted, and the body is covered by a long cloak. The hands, instead of being raised in the usual attitude, are held down close by the side. The attendant figures are elaborately dressed and ornamented.

At each corner of the arch of the

canopy are figures holding scrolls. In the cen tre of the canopy, and immediately above the head of Buddha, rises a pipal tree surmounted

• This bare adoption of a personal name as a local

designation is uncommon, but is paralleled by the name of a village in the Chhātā Pargana, which is called simply

ed the Wheel of the Law, supported on one

side by elephants, on another by caparisoned horses, (with saddles of almost European shape), on the third by elephants kneeling, and on the resembles the cupola of a temple. To return to Mount Vipula. This hill rises about three hundred yards to the east of the hot springs previously described. Its direction is due north-east.

The northern face of the

mountain is a rugged cliff, and its western slope is but a little less precipitous. At the foot of the hill there are six wells, some of which

contain hot, and some cold water. They resemble in shape those of Mount Baibhār, and are called respectively Nānā-kund, Sitä kund, Sómakund, Ganeshakund, and Rāma kund. Nearly a quarter of a mile from these Umrāo, while another village in the Kosi Pargana has the fuller form Umrārau, for Umrao-pura.