An Inscription from the Patna District

In this epigraphic note, D.C. Sircar re‑examines a four‑line inscription on a black schist slab from Bihar Sharif, previously described by A. Banerji‑Sastri as a Magadhi inscription dated 1400 CE. The slab, measuring roughly eight by five inches, was acquired by the Patna Museum in 1943 and bears the name of the carver Kamadeva and the date Saka 1322 (1400 CE). Banerji‑Sastri read only the last line and called it a standard votive donation. Sircar argues that the inscription actually records the construction of a kirti—a shrine—dedicated to the deity Kausika‑naga and that its script is an early form of Bengali, not Magadhi. He provides details about the slab’s provenance, measurements and writing and notes the cultural significance of Kausika‑naga worship, which is mentioned in the Mahabharata’s description of Rajagriha. The article emphasises the challenges of deciphering late medieval Bengali manuscripts and inscriptions and corrects earlier palaeographic misidentifications. Sircar calls for careful re‑examination of such inscriptions to improve understanding of regional scripts and religious practices.

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