________________
NOTES ON ASOKA'S ROCK EDICTS
capital. The change in the text was made for some reason in the Dh. and the Jaug. versions and then in order to make the text reasonable dukale was changed to dukalatale.
(2) ROCK-EDICT XII
Section 'D' of the Girnar version has been read and translated by Hultzsch as follows:
tasa tu idam malam ya vaci-guti kimti atpa-päsaṁda-pājā va parapāsaṁda-garahā va no bhave aprakaraṇamhi lahukā va asa tamhi tamhi prakarane |
105
"But its root is this, viz. guarding (one's) speech, (i.e.) that neither praising one's own sect nor blaming other sects should take place on improper occasions, or (that) it should be moderate in every case."'
This gives an impression that Aśoka permitted on a moderate scale both the praise of one's own sect and blaming of the other sects. But this is very unlikely. The pious emperor might have permitted only a moderate praise of one's own sect on proper occasions. But since he was anxious for the promotion of all the sects, in no case could he have thought of recommending even moderate criticism of other sects. This becomes quite clear from the next section 'E' which is read and translated by Hultzsch as follows:
pujetaya tu eva para-påsamda tena tana prakaraṇena |
"But other sects ought to be duly honoured in every case".
Hence it shoud be clearly understood that lahuka va asa applies only to arpa-pasamda-puja and not to para-pasaṁda-garaha. The last part of the section 'D' therefore should be translated as, "or (that the praise of one's own sect) may be moderate on every occasion."
(3) ROCK-EDICT XIV
The last section 'E' of the Girnar version of this edict has been read and translated by Hultzsch as follows:
tatra ekadā asamātam likhitaṁ asa desam va sachāya kāraṇaṁ va [a] locetpå lipikardparddhena va
Jain Education International
Madhu Vidya/309
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
