XXI.

INSCRIPTIONS

ON THE

STAFF OF FIRUZ SHAH.

TRANSLATED FROM THE SANSCRIT.
As explained by RADHACANTA SARMAN.

Ο

N a very fingular monument near Dehli, an outline of which is here exhibited, and which the natives call the Staff of Firúz Shah, are feveral old Infcriptions, partly in ancient Nágarì letters, and partly in a character yet unknown; and Lieutenant Colonel Polier, having procured exact impreffions of them, prefents the Society with an accurate copy of all the Infcriptions. Five of them are in Sanscrit, and, for the moft part, intelligible; but it will require great attention and leisure to decypher the others. If the language be Sanscrit, the powers of the unknown letters may, perhaps, hereafter be discovered by the ufual mode of decyphering; and that mode, carefully applied even at first, may lead to a difcovery of the language. In the mean time, a literal verfion of the legible Infcriptions is laid before you. They are, on the whole, fufficiently clear; but the fenfe of one or two paffages is at present inexplicable.

I.

The firft, on the fouthweft fide of the pillar, is perfectly detached from the reft: it is about feventeen feet from the bafe, and two feet higher than the other infcriptions.

O'M.

In the year 1230, on the first day of the bright half of the month Vaisáh❜ch (a monument) of the FortunateVísala-Déva-fon of the-Fortunate-Amilla-Déva,-Kingof-Sácamharì.

II.

The next, which is engraved as a fpecimen of the character, confifts of two ftanzas in four lines; but each hemiftich is imperfect at the end, the two first wanting seven, and the two laft five, fyllables. The word Sácambharì in the former infcription enables us to fupply the clofe of the third hemiftich.

O'M.

As far as Vindhya, as far as Himádri, (the Mountain of Snow,) he was not deficient in celebrity making Aryaverta (the Land of Virtue, or India) even once more what its name fignifies . He having departed, Prativáhamána Tilaca (is) king of Sácambhari: (Sácam only remains on the monument.) By us (the region between) Himawat and Vindhya has been made tributary.

In the year from Sri Vicramaditya 123, in the bright half of the month Vaisách'h ..... at that time the Rájaputra Sri Sallaca was Prime Minifter.

The second stanza, fupplied partly from the daft infcription, and partly by conjecture, will run thus:

vritté sa prativáhamána tilacah śácambharibhúpatih asmábhih caradam vyadháyi himawadvindhyátavíman

dalam

The