Madhuvidya

SR No.: 006525
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 762
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Philosophy
File Size: 17 MB

Page 313

M. A. MEHENDALE
(a) The first separate edict at Dhauli opens thusLine 1 - (A) Devānar piyasa vacanena Tosaliyar mahämāta
nagalaviyohālakā vataviya 'At the word of Devānärpriya, the Mahāmātras at Tosali, (who are) the judicial officers
of the city, have to be told this.' The second separate edict at Dhauli also opens in a similar manner except that it has kumăle mahāryātā ca for mahāmāta nagalaviyohälakä of the first edict.
The first separate edict at Jaugada open as Line 1 - (A) Devānampiye hevam āhā (B) Samāpāya mahāmātā
nagalaviyohālakā hevam vataviyā Devānāmpriya speaks thus. The Mahämätras as Samāpā, (who are) judicial
officers of the city, have to be told this.' The second separate edict at Jaugada also opens in the same way as above but it adds the word lājavacanika which means 'The Mahämätras have to be told at the word of the king.
The commencement of the Dhauli separate edicts which is so markedly different from that of the other major edicts gives an impression that these edicts were not issued directly by the king from the capital to his officers at Tõsalī. It rather suggests that the text of these edicts was being conveyed to these officers by some other officers while the king was on tour. If the king had addressed himself directly from the capital to the officers at Tösali, as has been suggested by HULTZSCH (p. 177, f.n. 5), he would have begun his letter, though perhaps less modestly, somewhat like the one found at Calcutta-Bairāt in which the king addresses the Sangha 11 As the king was not in the capital while issuing these edicts, he could not send these to the officers at Tosali in the usual manner. Hence in order to give them authority it was found necessary to say expressly at the commencement of the inscriptions that the Mahāmātras were being instructed at the instance of the king (Devānampiyasa vacanena).12 These words are not to be found in the first separate edict at Jaugada received by the Mahāmātras at Samāpā, but the second edict there contains the word lājavacanika 'at the word of the king' which serves the same purpose as the opening words in the Dhauli version.
11. Here the text commences as - Priyadasi lajā Magadhe samehar abhivādetūnan āhā apabad hatař ca phâsuvihälatan cā The Māgadha king Priyadarsin, having saluted the Sangha, hopes they are well and comfortable.'
12. Similar expression is found also in the so-called Queen's edict (devānanpiyasa vacanenā savata mahamatā vataviya) where the queen seems to register her request, but authority is sought to be given to the edict by saying that the instruction was being conveyed at the instance of the king."..
Madhu Vidyā/288