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AN EARLY HISTORY OF ORISSA
for Asoka, who has dated all important events in terms of a year of his coronation.
Now, on the question as to which of the two Nakshatras–Tishya and Punarvasu, is the birth star of Aśoka. Dr. Mookerji?, like Buhler, favours the latter, viz., Punarvasu. Bhandarkar, however, opines— Of the two Nakshatras, greater importance has been assigned to Tishya. This may be seen, also, from the fact that although in the usual list of Nakshatras, Tishya comes after Punarvasu, it is placed prior to the latter in PE V, not once but twice. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that as so much importance has been given to Tishya, that must be the Nakshatra of the Emperor.” Dr. Barua, on the other hand, points out that the Tishya alone finds mention in the two Separate Kalinga Edicts promulgated in the conquered province of Kalinga. Here, it must be either Asoka's birthstar or that of the conquest of Kalinga. When the name of Tishya is repeated in PE V, which has nothing to do with Kalinga, we may establish by elimination that it is the birth star of Asoka, in which case, the Punarvasu must pass on as the star of abhisheka (coronation). To suggest that the Tishya was the star of conquest, will go against the fact that Asoka was discreet enough not to remind the people of Kalinga of its conquest by the Maurya army.
1. Asoka, p. 184, fn. 3. 2. Asoka, p. 11. 3. AHI, Vol. II, p. 373,
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