be made by the authors their vehicles of thought. That even Oriya acquired its distinctive characteristics in the 12th century A.D., by being fully differentiated from Bengali and Bihari, can be proved by the text of the Rock inscription which has been preserved in the Khameśwari temple at Sonepur; a portion of this inscription runs as: যে হরই তাহার মুণ্ডরে ব্রহ্মতাল রুদ্র তাল পড়ই.
As the literary fragments which will be quoted presently very liberally, came into existence when the maintenance of artificial long and short sounds of vowels became very difficult with the authors on account of their settled pronunciation and the prevalence of provincial pronunciation in the vernacular composition, many metrical irregularities may be noticed in them; the author of the Prākṛta Paingala has been forced to formulate a rule as to where the long vowel is to be treated short. The rule reads: জই (যদি) দীহো (দীর্ঘ) বিঅ (অপি or ও) বণ্ণ (বর্ণ) লহু (লঘু) জীহা (জিহ্বা) পটই (পড়িতে হয়), হোই (হয়) সোবি (সেও) লহু৷ বণ্ণ বি তুরিঅ (ত্বরিত) পটিও (পঠিত), দো তিনি বি এক্ক জাণেহু৷
The rule purports to indicate, that if a varṇa is দীর্ঘ or long in form, but it is usual to read it লঘু or short, it is to be read as লঘু; again, if the usage of the language requires it, two or three letters should be read together in quick succession to form one syllable, for a word of two or three letters may be required to be treated as one syllable. The verse illustrative of the rule is:
অরেরে, বাহহি কাহ্ন! নাব ছোটি; ডগমগ কুগতি ন দেহি৷
তই ইৎথি নই-হি সন্তার দেই, জো চাহহি সো লেহি৷
The directions in respect of the verse are that the first রে of অরেরে, and বা of বাহহি are to be treated short, while হি of বাহহি is to be read (no doubt on account of emphasis) long; again, ডগমগ is to be read as ডগ্মগ্, and though the first two syllables of সন্তার are long, only the first syllable স has to be read long; then it is stated that জো of
