Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 4

SR No.: 522604
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 288
Language: English, Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin, & India
File Size: 5 MB

Page 95

86
Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin No. 4
redress public-grievances he arranged quinquennial and triennial tours of officials respectively from the central and the provincial headquarters. 12
Public Utility services received a great impetus. These comprised the construction of roads, planting of shade trees, fruit groves, digging of wells, excavation of tanks, establishment of alms-houses, hospitals both for men and animals, transplanting of medicinal herbs and so on. These services were extended even to the territories of frontier and friendly foreign allies.18
Asoka disapproved of convivial gatherings 14 that comprised of hunting, feasting, drinking, and merry-making. He thought of them as the breeding grounds of self-arrogance and ill-will, which in the ullimate analysis disparaged the mental as well as moral faculties of community. Instead, he pleaded for gatherings of piety.
He laid emphasis on the observances of Non-Violence-in all its manifestations-i.e. either by mind, word or action, to the possible extent. To begin with, he set his personal example by restricting large scale slaughter of animals for the royal dishes and limiting it to only two
and one antelope for the time being with the assurance that that too would be given up later op.15 He gives an exhaustive list of creatures including small insects whose killings were to be abandoned. He asserts that those animals which were not eaten and whose skin and bone were not useful otherwise, should not be slain. Besides, he also pleads for the pre12. एताये च अठाये हक महामातं पंचसु पंचसु वसेसु निखामयिसामि ए अखखसे
अचंडे सखिनालंभे होसति । एतं अर्थ जानतू तथा कलंति अथ मम अनुसथी'ति । उजेनिते पि चु कुमाले एताये व अठाये निखःम यिसति हेदिसमेव वगं नो च
अतिकामयिसति तिनि वसानि । हेमेव तखसिलाते पि S. K. R. E. I. 13. सर्वत विजितम्हि देवानं प्रियस पियदसिनो रालो एवमपि प्रचंतेसु यथा चोडा,
पाडा, सतियपुतो, केललपुतो आ तंबपंणी अंतियको योनराजा ये वा पि तस अंतियकस सामीपं राजानो सर्वत्र देवानं प्रियस प्रियदसिनो राजो द्वे चिकीछ कता मनुसचिकीछा च पसुचिकीछा च । ओसुढानि च यानि मनुसोपमानि च पसोपगानि च यत यत नास्ति सर्वत्रा हारापितानि च रोपापितानि च मूलानि च फलानि च यत यत नास्ति सर्वत हारापितानि च रोपापितानि च । पंथेसु कूपा च खानापिता, व्रछा च रोपापिता परिभोगाय पसुमनुसानं ।
R. E. II. 14. न च समाजो कतव्यो । बहुकं हि दोसं समाजम्हि पसति देवानं प्रियो प्रियदसी
राजा R.EI. 15. R. E. I.