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ASOKA'S ROCK EDICTS.
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hundred thousand were slain, and many times as many died. Afterwards, now that Kalinga has been conquered, are found with the Beloved of the gods a zealous protection of the Sacred Law, a zealous love for the Sacred Law, a zealous teaching of the Sacred Law. That is the repentance of the Beloved of the gods on account of his conquest of Kalinga; for when an unconquered country is being conquered" there happens both a slaying and a dying, and a carrying-off of the people. That appears very painful and regrettable to the Beloved of the gods. But the following appears to the Beloved of the gods still more regrettable than that ; for there dwell Brahmans, or ascetics, or men of other creeds, or householders, among whom the following is practised, vis. obedience towards the firstborn (?), obedience towards parents, obedience towards venerable persons, becoming behaviour towards friends, acquaintances, companions, and relatives, slaves and servants, and firm attachment. Such men suffer there injury or destruction, or forcible separation from their beloved ones. Or mis ortune befalls the friends, acquaintances, companions, and relatives of those who themse'ves are well protected, but whose affection is undi. minished. Then even that misfortune becomes an injury just for those unhurt ones. All this falls severally on men, and appears regrettable to the Beloved of the gods. And men have faith not merely in a single creed."
Even one hundredth or one thousandth part of those men who were slain, died, or were carried off during the conquest of Kalinga, now appears to the Beloved of the gods a matter of deepest regret. Even, if a man does him an injury, the Beloved of the gods holds that all that can be borne should be borne. Even on the inhabitants of the forests. found in the empire of the Beloved of the gods he takes compassion, if he is told that he should destroy them successively, and the Beloved of the gods possesses power to torment them. Unto them it is said --what? "Let them shun doing evil, and they shall not be killed;" for the Beloved of the gods desires for all beings freedom from injury, selfrestraint, impartiality and joyfulness. .
But this conquest the Beloved of the gods holds the chiefest, viz. the conquest through the Sacred Law. And that conquest has been made by the Beloved of the gods both here in his empire and over all his neighbours, even as far as six hundred yojanas, where the King of the Yonas, called Amtiyoka dwells, and beyond this Amtiyoka, where the four (4) Kings dwell, viz., he called Turamaya, he called Antikini, he called Maka, and be called Alikasudara" further in the south, where the Chodas and Pamdas dwell as far as Taṁ ba paṁni, likewise where the Hida-king dwells. Among the Visas, Vajris,* Yonas, Kamboyas, in Nabhaka of the Nábhitis, among the Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Amd hras, and Pulidas-everywhere they follow the teaching of the Beloved of the gods with respect to the Sacred Law. Even those to whom the messengers of the Beloved of the gods do not go, follow the Sacred Law, as soon as they have
* for the construction compare the reading of the MSS. A and B in the passage Jdlaka, III, p. 275:-Senako nám rajjarh kdrento Bodhisatto Sakkottar adresi.
20 The King means to say that on the occasion of conquests many creeds suffor, as there is no country where the people are contented with one only. The Kalst version, with which that of Gimer seems to have agreed, is more explicit, as it says:
And there is no country where there are not found these countless congregations into which these Brahmaus and ascetics are divided. And there is nowhere a country where the people have faith in one oreed slove."
According to Lassen, Indische Alterthumskunde, Bd. II, p. 254 f. the five Yons or Greek kings named are Antiochos IL, king of Syria (died 347 B.C.). Ptolemaios II., king of Egypt (died 248 B.C.), Antigonos Gonatas, king of Macedonia (died 239 B.C.), Magas, king of Oyren (died 258 B.C.), Alexander, king of Epirus (died between 262 and 258 B.C.).
The Visus are probably the Bais Rajpats, the Vajris the Vrijis of Eastern India.
