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PILLAR EDICTS OF ASOKA.
271
Devanam-piye [Piyada]s[i] lája hevår-Ahå[:] yâni-hi-kani-chi mamiya sadhavani katani tarh-loke and patiparhne tar-cha anuvidhiyarti[:]tena vadhit-cha[7] vadhisarnti-cha matapitisu sususaya gulusu sususdy& vayomahalakânam anupatipatiya babbanasamanesu kapanavalakesu dva dasabhatakesu sampaţipatiya[.] Devanan-piy[e Pilyadasi lája hevarh-Aha[:] munisnamh-chu ya-iyam dharmavadhi vadhita duvehi. yeva Akalehi dharmaniyamena-cha nijbatiya-cha[.8] Tata.cbu lahu-se dhammaniyame(,) nijhatiya-va bhuye[.] Dhammaniyame-chu-kho esa ye-me iyam-kate imani-cha imani" játâni avadhiyani[,) annani-pi-chu bahu[kåni] dharmaniyamani yani-me kafani[.) Nijhatiya-va-chu bhuye munisánath dharmavadhi vadhita avihirsâye bhutanan[9]
anàlambhâye påpânam [.] Se-etaye athâye iyam kate (1) putâpapotike chamdamasuliyike hotu-ti (1) tatha-cha anupațipajamtu-ti [.) Hevam-hi anupatipajamtam hidata[pala]te aladhe hoti [.) Batavisativasábhisitena me iyam dhammalibi lik hâpå. pita-ti [.) Etam devånam-piye aha :) iyam [10]
dhammalibi ata athi silAthambhåni-va silaphalakani-vă tata kataviya ena esa chilathitike siyâ [11].
TRANSLATION. King Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, speaks thus :
"Those kings who lived during the past ages conceived this wish, 'Might mankind in some way grow the growth of the sacred law," But mankind did not grow a befitting growth of the sacred law."
Concerning this matter) king Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, speaks thus:
"This (thought) came to me, 'On the one hand kings conceived during the past ages this wish, Might mankind in some way grow a befitting growth of the sacred law l' On the other hand mankind did not grow a befitting growth of the sacred law. By what means then would mankind (be moved) to obey ? By what means would mankind grow a befitting growth of the sacred law? By what means may I raise up some among them to (grov) the growth of the sacred law ?"
Concerning this matter) king Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, speaks thus :
“This (thought) came to me " Sermons on the sacred law I will order to be preached ; instruction in the sacred law I will order to be given. When men hear it, they will obey, they will raise themselves,' and mightily they will grow the growth of the sacred law." For this purpose I have ordered sermons on the sacred law to be preached, and have directed various instructions on the sacred law to be given, so that even my servants] who dwell (as rulers) among many men, shall give instruction and expand it. Even the lajúkas who dwell (as rulers) among many hundred thousands of souls, even they have been ordered by me," "Instruct (my) loyal people in this way and in that."
Piyadasi, beloved of the gods, speaks thus:
"Having regard to this same matter, I have erected pillars of the sacred law, I have appointed superintendents of the sacred law, I have ordered to be preached [sermons on) the sacred law."
77 Read máxi che, as the sense requires.
71 Etam-eva-me an dekhamáne (i.., Garavekskyamanan) may be explained as a nominative absolute, apalogous to arijitan hi vijiramare, Rock Edict XIII (L. 36, k.) Bat it is not impossible that anwekhamánena (ic. anvekshanánona) was what Aboka really wrote.
