Great inscriptions were made of complex and exciting literary stuff, writes B. N. Goswamy
 A scribe at work. Detail from a painted wooden bookcover of probably a 14th century manuscript. Oriental Research Institute, Mysore |
Epigraphy (from Greek, meaning “written upon”): the study of inscriptions engraved into stone or other permanent materials, or cast in metal; the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them.
…….
…….
…….
Going through the volumes I was drawn, incidentally, to the origin of the Uttankita series, and the choice of its title. The inspiration for this massive work came, one learns, from none else than the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, Chandrashekhara Saraswati, one of whose many concerns was to try and preserve for the coming generations records of the past: both as knowledge and inspiration. Towards this end, he founded a Trust, with the name Uttankita Vidya Aranya that contains a highly intelligent pun. For it recalls to the mind, on the one hand, one of the great savants of India, the sage-like Vidyaranya, spiritual preceptor of the two founders of the great Vijayanagar empire, who flourished in the 14th century; on the other hand, the planned publication on epigraphs, bearing the title Uttankita Vidya Aranya, could be taken to signify ‘A Forest of Engraved Knowledge’. Of complex but exciting literary stuff like this, one knows, were many great inscriptions of the past made.
…….
…….
…….
Read the complete article at source.
Source – https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080928/spectrum/art.htm