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78 The Häthigumpha Inscription and the Bhabru Edict study of this edict began early in the nineties of the nineteenth century and over a dozen scholars have since laboured on it.
This edict is one of the most well-preserved epigraphs and is contained in eight lines as follows: Li Piyadasi' Lājā Māgadhe i Samgham abhivādanami āhā
apābādhatař ca phāsu vihālataṁ cā. L2 Vidite ve bhamte āvatake hamā Budhasi Dhammasi
Samghasīti galaveicam pasāde" ca. E kemchi bhamte L3 Bhagavatā Budhena bhāsite savevi se subhāsite vā e cu
kho bhaste hamiyāye diseyāvii hevam Sadhamme cilathitike hosatīti alahāṁ hakaṁ tam vataveviii Imām
bhaste dhammapaliyāyāni Vinayasamukase L5 Aliyavasāni Anāgatabhayāni Munigăthā Moneyasūte
Upatisapasine e ce LāghuloL6 văde musāvādam adhigicya Bhagavatā Budhena
bhāsite. Etāṁ bhamte dhammapaliyāyāni ichāmi L7 kimti bahuke bhikhupāye cā bhikhuniye că abhikhinam
sunayu' cā upadhāleyeyu ca L8 hevamevā upāsakā cā upāsikā cā. Etem bhamte imam
likhāpayāmi abhihetam ma jānamta ti*.
1.
For text, ref. Woolner, op.cit., p. 32; Hultzsch, E., Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, I, p. 172ff.; Mookerji, op.cit., pp. 212-13; Sircar, D.C., Select Inscriptions, I, p. 77; E. Senart, 1.A., XX, p. 165ff; B.M. Barua, I.H.Q., II, p. 88. Alternate readings Senart -- ii. Māgadham Hultzsch - i. Priyadasi ii. Māgadhe iii. abhivadetūnam iv. gälave v. prasāde vi. sarve viii, vātave ix. suneyu x. abhipretam me jānamtü ti. Barua - vii. diseyo viii. vitave
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