Epigraphia Indica Vol 34

Author(s): D C Sircar
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 24

No. 1) GRAECO-ARAMAIC INSCRIPTION OF ASOKA NEAR KANDAHAR
3 thrópois, kai 'apd toutou eu'sebestérous 4 tous a'nthrópoue e'poísen kal pánta 5 eu'thēnei katà påsan gěn, kal & pékhetai 6 basileús tõn e’mpsúkhon kal • loipol de 7 Anthropoi kalózoi thöreutal ' a'liers 8 bariléās pépauntai thëreúontes, kai
9 e'tines a'krateis, pépauntai t&s a'kra10 sfas kata dine min, kai e'nékooi patri
11 kal metrl kai tôn presbutéron parà 12 ta préteron, kai toi loipod loion 13 kal á'meinon katà pánta tanta 14 poioartes diáxourin.
TRANSLATION
Ten years having elapsed (from his installation), King Piodásses has shown mankind (the way to) Piety. And since then he has rendered mankind more pious, and everything is thriving on the whole earth. And the King abstains from animals (i.e. meat), and all men including the King's huntsmen and fishermen have stopped hunting. And those who could not control themselves have ceased to do so as far as they could. And (having become) obedient to father and mother and to the elders, contrary to what happened before, they will, henceforward, by thus acting, lead a better and in every way more profitable lifo.
ARAMAIC TEXT
1 שנן – פתיתו עביר זי טראן פרידרש מלכא קשיטא מהקשט 2 מן ארין זעיר מרעא לבלהם אנשן וכלהם ארושיא הובר 3 ובכל איקא ראטשתי ואף זיי זנה במאכלא למראן מלכא זעיר 4 קטלן זנה למחזה כלהם אנשן אתהחסינן אזי נוניא אחדן 5 אלך אנשן פתיובת כנם זי פרבסת הוין אלך אתהחסינן מן 6 פרבסתי והופתיסתי לאמותי ולאבוהי ולמזישתיא אנשן 7 איך אסרהי חלקותא ולא איתי דינא לכלהם אנשיא חסין 8 זנה הותיר לכלהם אנשן ואוסף יהותר
1 shan 10 ptytw 'byd zy mr'n Prydrsh mlk' qshyt' mhqsht 2 inn 'dyn z'yr mr" Iklhm 'nghn wklhm 'dwghy' hwbd
1 From Prof. Schlumberger's French translation. The interpretations of the two texts, respectively by Prof. Pugliese Carrstelli and Prof. Levi della Vida, are given in an English translation in an appendix to Un Editto Bilingue, etc., pp. 33-34.
From Prof. Dupont-Sommer's tranmript.