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26
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXII
TRANSLATION
(I) King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the Gods, honours men of all religious communities with gifts and with honours of various kinds, (irrespective of whether they are) ascetics or householders.
(II) But the Beloved of the Gods does not value either the offering of) gifts or the honouring (of people) 80 (highly) as the following, viz that there should be a growth of the essentials (of Dharma) among (men of) all sects.
(III) And the growth of the essentials (of Dharma is possible in) many ways.
(IV) But its root (lies) in restraint in regard to speech, (which means that there should be no extolment of one's own sect or disparagement of other seots on inappropriate occasions and that it should be moderate in every case even on appropriate occasions.
(V) On the contrary, other sects should be duly honoured in every way (on all occasions).
(VI) If (a person) acts in this way, (he) not only promotes his own sect but also benefits other sects.
(VII) But, if a person) acts otherwise, (he) not only injures his own sect but also harms other sects.
(VIII) Truly, if (a person) extols his own sect and disparages other sects with a view to glorifying his own sect owing merely to his attachment (to it, he) injures his own sect very severely by acting in that way.
(IX) Therefore restrained speech is commendable, because people should learn and respect (the frondamentals of ) one another's Dharma.
(X) This indeed is the desire of the Beloved of the Gods that persons of all sects become wellinformed (about the doctrines of different religions) and acquire pure knowledge.
(XI) And those who are attached to their respective (sects) should be informed as follows:
(XII) The Beloved of the Gods does not value either the (offering of) gifts or the honouring (of people) so (highly) as the following, viz. that there should be a growth of the essentials of · Dharma) among (men of all seets."
(XIII) Indeed many of my officers are engaged for the (realisation of the said) end, such as) the Mahāmätras in charge of the affairs relating to) Dharma, the Mahämātras who are super intendents (of matters relating to the ladies (of the royal household), the officers in charge of my cattle and) pasture lands and other classes (of officials).
(XIV) And the result (of their activities, as expected by me,) is the promotion of one's own nect and the glorification of Dharma.
ROCK EDICT IX
[BOULDER E] 1 (1) Devanampiy[e) Pi[yada]si lājsā] hevar ā[hā] [l*] (II) (jajne [ch-āvucham)
1 e expression in the original is generally taken to stand for Sanskrit samaväya meaning concord'. It may, however, also suggest Sanskrit sámia-vāda meaning' restrained speech' which is apparently intended by the word sathyama used in the Shahbāzgarhi text. Cf. dharma-vaya for Sanskrit dharna-vdda in Rook Ediot XIII line 5. See PIHO, Hyderabad, 1941, p. 144 ; Select Inscriptions, p. 34, noto 10.
· Chakravarti: "The three letters are faintly visible on the rook."
