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1 68
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. VIII.
its preserved portion does not contain any reference to the event which, in all probability, it was meant to commemorate. But at the time of its erection such a reference must have appeared superfluous. It is noteworthy that, though the Rummindet inscription twiee refers to the Baddha's birth, the reference is, in reality, incidental. The pillar was erected, not to commemorate this fact, but to record Agoka's visit and his liberality on that occasion.
The language of the Sarnath insoription presents the same characteristios, peculiar to the MAgadut dialect, as are found in the rock ediots of Kalei, Dhauli and Jangada, the pillar edicts of Radia, Mathia and Rampärva, the Rapnåth, Bairat and Sahasram odiots, and in the Barabar cave inscriptions. These characteristios are the Nominative Singular Masculine ending in e, the substitution of 1 for r and of n for the exclusive use of the dental sibilant, and of forms like hevan for fuam and hedise for idrida:
It will be seen that our epigraph contains several words not met with in any of the other A80ka inscriptions & point which, though adding to its interest, increases the difficulty of its interpretation. On the other hand, the fact that in the beginning we find a passage correspond. ing to the fragmentary Kosambi-Sanchi edict, and at the end one which recurs in the Råpnáth ediot, is important for the interpretation not only of the Sarnath inscription, but also of the parallel passages quoted.
In publishing my version of the inscription I wish to acknowledge thankfully the great benefit derived from a number of explanatory notes which I owe to the kindness of Prof. Kern, who has authorised me to give them publicity here. Dr. T. Bloch has also favoured me with some valuable remarks to be noticed in the sequel. In my transcript I have followed Dr. Bühler's system of joining by a hyphen such words as are written continuously in the original.
TEXT. 1 Deva[nath-piye Piyadasi 1Aja*) 2 e [la'] . . 3 Pata[lipute]. . . . . . .ye-kena-pi samghe-bhetave-e-chur-kho 4 [bhikh-vs-bhikhani-va] sathgham-bh[i]khati se-odatâni-dus[2]ni samnandha
payiy&-Andvasasi 5 Avasayiye [1] Hevam.iyath-sdsane bhikha-samghasi-cha bhikhuni-samghasi-cha
vinnapayitaviye [1*] 6 Hevan-devanan-piyo-aha [l*) Hedisi-cha-ika-lipf tuphakartika-huvå-ti samsala
nasi-nikhita [1] 7 Ikan-cha-lipim-hedisam-eva apasakanantikan-nikhipatha [lo] Te-pi-cha-upåsak &
Anuposathan-gåva 8 etam-eva-sâsanam visvamsayitave (1) Anuposatham-cha-dhuvaye ikike-'mahâmåte
posathaye 9 yâti etam=eva-skaanam vispatsayitave Ajánitare-cha [lo] Avatake-cha
taphAkan-ahale 10 avata-vivåsayatha-tophe etena-viyamjanena [*] Hem-eva-savesu-kota-visavesu
etena 11 viyamjanena vivas&payatha [ll"]
The meaning of this letter is doubtful. It resembles most the sign for I, but the stroke to the proper right is slanting downward, and not horizontal w in saralanari (1. 6).
It will be noticed that initial ( is exprewed here in another way than in iyan (1. 6), ika (16) and ikan (1.7). In the latter two dota are beroath and the third above; in ikike (for (kaika) we have just the reverse. It is posible that in the second came bus to be read. We find post-consonantic in lip (1.6).
