fourth line seems to have been correctly given by Prinsep bhokhati-bhikhunábhikhamavisedáto. "a gift of food to the much-emaciated Bhikshus." I can make nothing of the fifth line and of onehalf of the sixth, but the concluding portion of the inscription, which is nearly perfect, reads— Ichhahime Sán -ti-Sangham samage milathitike siyáti. "Is it my wish that the Sánti community may always be united." The whole inscription, in Roman characters, may, with some conjectural restorations, be read as follows: 1. Devanam(piya) Magadhe (raja). 2. . (a)bhi(rádemá)nam Chetiyagiri. . 4. bhokhati bhikhunábhikhamavise dáto. 6. Sasivi(ye) petaviye. Ichhahime Sán 7. -ti Sangham samage milathitike siyáti. The drift of this inscription, at least as I understand it, seems to be the following: "DEVANAMPRIYA, king of Magadha, offers his salutation to the community of Chaityagiri (and perhaps to that of Dharmawith a gift of food for the Bhikshus, much giri also) SÁNTI Community may always be united." By reading ksháma, "debilitated" for the Fali * khama. In my account of the great Sánchi Tope I have already identified the present name of Sánchi with the Sanskrit Sánti, which I presume was the name of the great Vihar on the Chetiyagiri, or "hill of Chaityas." If my reading of Dhamagiri be correct, we may identify the "hill of religion" in the long spur which stretches northward as far as Kánákhera. This hill is still covered with ruins, which no doubt once formed a part of the vast religious establishment of Sánchi-kánákhera. LATER INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE GATEWAYS. ON THE NORTH GATEWAY. Pl. XIX., No. 178.-Dhamagirino bhikhuno dánam. "Gift of DHARMAGIRI, the mendicant monk." No. 179.-Isi-Pálitasa-cha Samanasa-cha dánam. "Gift both of ISI-PÁLITA and of SRÁMANA." Prinsep, No. 16, reads the same. ON THE EAST GATEWAY. No. 180.-Arahadinasa bhikhuno Pokhareyakasa dánam. Prinsep, No. 20, reads Pakhareyakasa doubtfully as the name of the donor, and takes no notice of Arahadina. No. 181.-Bhadata Nágilasa Savinamjnyátinam dánam thabho. "Pillar-gift of BHADRATA NÁGILA, the learned in all things." (?) Prinsep, No. 47, reads Danda-nagilalasa pavinanátinam dánathambho; and translates, "This pillar is the gift of the illustrious family of DANDA NAGIRALA." But the fac-simile impression of this inscription, as well as a hand-copy now before me, agree in the reading which I have given above. No. 182.-Kirárasa Nágapiyasa Achhavade Sethisa dánam thabho. "Pillar-gift of NÁGAPRIYA, ACHHAVADA, the Sreshti (or master) of the weavers." Prinsep, No. 3, reads Karasa and translates "Gift of ACHHAVADÁ SETHI, the beloved of KARASA NAGA." See also No. 192 of the western gate. Prinsep evidently considered Sethi as the feminine form of Seth, a "banker." I have ventured to identify the Kirúr of this inscription with the weaver caste, who bear the same name at the present day; but this is a mere conjecture. No. 183. This inscription is too indistinct to allow even of a conjectural translation. ON THE SOUTH GATEWAY. No. 184.-Budha Palitaya bhikhunaye dánam. "Gift of BUDHA PALITÁ, the mendicant nun." Prinsep, No. 23, reads Budha Palitasa bhikhuno dánam," the gift of BUDHA PÁLIT, the poor man." No. 185.-Pothakasa bhikhuno dánam. "Gift of POSTHAKA, the mendicant monk." Prinsep, No. 23, reads Panthaka. No. 186.- Virasa bhikhuno dánam. "Gift of VIRA, the mendicant monk." No. 187.-Yakhaye bhikhuniyá vádiva. "Gift of YAKSHÁ, the mendicant nun No. 188.-Hanajaya dánam. "Gift of HANAJÁ.” No. 189. Vedisa Kehidántakarehirápakam mankata. This inscription is quite perfect: but as it seems to have formed only a part of a longer inscription, I cannot even make a guess as to its meaning. The donor was an inhabitant of Vidisa, and was perhaps named Kehidánta. No. 190.-Rajnye Siri Sátakanisa Avesanisa Vásithi-putasa Anandasa dánam. "Gift of ANANDA, son of the neophyte VASISHTHA, in the reign of SRI SATAKARNI." This valuable inscription is carved on the bas-relief of a Tope, in the middle of the upper architrave of the south gateway. The King, Sri Sátakarni, was the third* of the Andhra dynasty of Magadha; and * Wilson's Vishnu Purána, p. 472. his reign extended from the year 19 to 37 A. D. The word, which I have translated neophyte, occurs also in No. 161; but in this instance it is possible that it may have another signification. A'vesan means simply "entrance," from vis to enter; but as there is a separate inscription on the middle architrave (see No. 191), and another on one of the pillars of the gateway (see No. 189), it is clear that the whole entrance could not have been the gift of Ananda. A'vesani must therefore have some other meaning which is not given in the dictionaries. Now as isha, a ploughbeam, is derived from, isha, to go, ishani may be taken for a beam of any kind; and thus we shall have ava + ishani = aveshani, or (as there is but one s in Pali) avesani, an entrancebeam, or gateway architrave. As ava means to "enter," this derivation is quite legitimate. But if this was the real meaning, it seems difficult to say why the term should have been separated from dánam; for in the pillar gifts the word thabho invariably precedes or follows dánam. After a careful examination of all the inscriptions on the gateways of the Sánchi Tope, and a comparison of their alphabetical characters with those of other inscriptions of known dates, such as those of Asoka, B. C. 250; those of the Sah coins of Gujrat, A. D. 300; and those of the Guptas, A. D. 400 to 500; both Lieutenant Maisey and myself had concluded that the Sánchi gateways were erected about the |