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94
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
had one pupil, there are several. Peculiar and noteworthy are the names of monks and nuns, which like Kaboja, Pratithana, Chirati, and perhaps also Odi, consist of adjectives derived from the names of countries, towns and races. In these cases it would seem that the real name of the donors has been left out. Some similar names occur among the laymen-thus the name of Kekațeyaka, I. 1. 3, the father of Dhamaand father-in-law of Vijita, apparently stands for Sanskrit Kaikateyaka, and means he of the Kikata country or Magadha.'
As regards the persons who are not marked as monks, and presumably were laymen, the specifications of their social position, which are sometimes added, possess some interest. To the highest rank belongs the Våkaladevi, I, O. 8. Descending lower in the social scale, we have a gahapati, or village land holder, I, 22, 23. Next we find numerous persons bearing the title sethi, sheth, or alderman, II, 11, 35, 57, 85, 99, 115; C. 45, C. 46, C. 94, II, C. 8. Simple traders ránija or vánika are mentioned I, 47, 81, 91, 0.119. A royal scribe rájalipikara occurs I, 49, a professional writer, lekhaka, I, C. 48, & (royal) foreman of artisans, avesani, I, C. 190, & trooper, asavárika, I, 117, and a humble workman, kamika, I, 10. The prevalence of merchants and traders seems to indicate, what indeed may be gathered also from the sacred books of the Buddhists, that this class was the chief stronghold of Buddhism. The mention of professional writers is of some importance on account of the great age of the inscriptions. Among the epithets given to females the repeated occurrence of the old Pali title pajavati, literally a mother of children,' I, 8, 48, 95, 117; 0.45, C. 46, C. 62, is not without interest, and the fact that some females are named merely the mother of N. N., and, that others proudly associate the names of their sons with their own," is worthy of note. Very peculiar is the phrase I. 73, Tápasiyánam nusáya Mitaya of Mita, the daughterin-law of the Tapasiyas'. The inscriptions I. C. 58, 0.59 and O. 67, of which unfortunately no impressions are accessible, indicate that the Tapasiyas were a family or tribe residing in Ujjain. If Mita is called the daughter-in-law of this community, that looks very much like a confirmation or practical illustration of a view regarding the legal position of married women mentioned as existing, but combated as objectionable by Apastamba, Dharmasttra, II, 10, 27, 3. He says, "For, they declare that a bride is given to the family (of her husband, and not to the husband alone)." I must content myself for the present with pointing out the possibility of a connexion between the wording of our inscription and the passage of Åpastamba. In order to prove it, more inscriptions containing the same or similar statements, and further information regarding the Tapasiyas, are required.
* See Prof. Rhys Davids : Sacred Books of the East, vol. XI, p. 867, note. * Bee 1, 2, 59, 72, 108; I. C. 37; C. 66; C. 166. 1 See e.g. I, 30; C. 83. Similar canes occur frequently in other Buddhist, and also in the Jaina inscriptions.
* According to Sir A. Cunningham's copies the three inscriptions run as follows:-No. 58, Ujoniga Tapasaydna Pwanajaya ddnath; No. 59, Ujoya, Tapasdyand Irimdtasa ddeant; No. 67, Uenigd Tapasiyend Sihadataya darath, None of the texts can be quite correct. I suspect that the real readings are: (1) Ujeniya Tapasiydna kuad-Naddya ddnatt, "The gift of NadA (Nandd), daughter-in-law of the Tapasiyas, from Ujjain;" () Ujeniga Tapaniydnd Isimitasaddnarh. - The gift of loimita (Rishmitra) of the Tapasiyas, from Vijain; (3) Ujeniya Tdporydnd Sihadataya donant, "The gift of Sihadata (Sith hadatta) of the Tapasiyas from Ujjain." If we combine the information conveyed by these inscrip tions with the statement of our No. 73, it is evident that the Tapasiyas were a family or tribe, settled in Ujjain. I do not think it neomsary to anume, with Bir A. Cunningham (Bhilsa Topes, p. 366), that they were ascetics. We have also Parivrajaka RAJA, Corp. Insor. Ind., vol. III, pp. 97ff. I may add that Sir A. Cunningham identifies, loc. cit., the Tapasiya with the "Tabasi Magorum" and the "Tabasa geus" of the classical authors.
