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268
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
SEPTEMBER, 1876.
doctrine of benevolence. And to them who are inclined to all that, let the assurance be given that Devâ na mpriya does not attach so much value to love-gifts or show of reverence as to this, that all sects may increase in good name and intrinsic worth and be reverenced. For this end, sheriffs over legal proceedings, magistrates entrusted with the superintendence of the women, hospice-masters, (?) and other bodies have been appointed. And the result of this is that Devînâmpriya's persuasion has increased in prosperity, and that he causes the Righteousness to come forth in full splendour. I
The mention, in this place, of the sheriffs is cer. tainly intended to remind the people that it has always been the earnest desire of the king to ensure the impartial administration of justice, without respect to religious belief. He refers to his official acts in order to show that, though he is himself now a sincero Buddhist, yet in nothing does he favour co-religionists above others. The jurisdiction of the magistrates charged with the superintendence of the women was certainly not limited merely to the public womon. For though the hetairai played as great a part in Indian society as their sisters in ancient Greece, and though it was necessary that such an element of society should be under state control, yet in this place something else must be meant. The men. tion here of certain magistrates has a specific reason; what that reason is cannot be a matter of doubt, if the beginning of the inscription be compared with the conclusion. As the appointment of high officials is a guarantee for savrapdsandani, and that of itthdjhakleha mahdmata has been made in the interest of all ghårastani, they serve to watch over the purity of morals and of domestic life. The magistrates referred to must therefore have been a kind of censores morum, whoso duty was to rest in the luxury and other excesses of the mations.
No. VI. begins the second column of the edicts (Plate XII.), and is in fourteen lines of moderate length: the first only, on the vertex of the rock, has lost a few letters. It reads thus:
Deva ... pi ... si râjâ evam kha atik&tam amtaram na bhutapuva sava .. la athakarme va pațivedanå vå ta maya evankatam * save kâle bhurnjamanasa me orodhanamhi gabhagaramhi vachamhi va .vinitamhi-cha uyanesucha savata pațivedakâ stit& athe me janasa spativedetha iti savatacha janaga athe karomi.
Yacha kimchi mukhatá. Añapayami syayar dåpa. kam vê sivåpakar va yava puna mahamätesa
achayika aropitam bhavati tâya athayu vivido ni kati vasanto parisayam Anantaran pațivede. tayam me sovati save kâle evam may& Afiapitan nasti bi me to så ustanamhi atha sartiranaya va katavya matehi me savå loka hitar 10 tasacha puna esa mdle ustânarcha atha sartiranacha násti hi kammataram 11 sava loka hitattayacha kimchi paråkamami aham kimti bhatánam anannâmgachheyam idhacha nâni sukhâpay&mi paratacha svagam &rådhayamtu ta et&ya athiya 18 ayath dhammalipi lekhápita kiti chirar tisteya iti tathacha me putâ potâcha papot&cha " anuva. taram savaloka hitaya dukuvantu idam amata agena paråkamena.
Professor Kern corrects the first five lines as follows:- Devånampiyo Piyadasi rája evar dha : atikatan antarar na bhut&pubar savam kalam athakarmar. Vå pativedang và; ta maye evankatam; ' saram kalam bhumjamanasa me orodhanamhi gabhågåramhi rachamhi.vinitamhicha uyanesucha savata pativedakâ stit& 'atham me janasa patividetha' iti, savatacha janasa atham karomi.
"However clear," he remarks, "the general meaning of this document may be, some terms occur which are not found elsewhere, and others which, though their meaning may be easily guessed, yet deserve a few observations of a grammatical nature.
"The word pațivedand signifies, in virtue of its form, care, inspection,' and that is the meaning here, as well as communicating, informing, reporting.' We do not need to inquire at all of such forms as vedand, bodhand, &c., whether or not they are used in causative signification. Vedand is notion, feeling, painful feeling;' but is also causative, communicating, making known.' As little is the distinction to be observed in such a form as vedaka, and such like; it is only the connection which shows the meaning. Thus sanvedana signifies feeling, knowledge ;' but it signifies also to bring to knowledge, to acquaint. Moreover, verbs of the 10th class also admit of a double conception; e.g. vedayate, in Mund. Upan. p. 279, is 'to know, to think.' Prativedayati is generally a causative with the signification of making known, informing;' but pratisanimedayati occurs also as a denominative,
to obtain knowledge of, to be aware of, to observe.' See, for instance, Lalitav. 147. 11: sukhan. cha kdyena pratisamedayati sma. I select this passage from among many others just because we
Dharmaysa dipant is an ambiguous expression, per hapa selected purposely, as it also signifies "to glorify, to adorn the faith (i.e. Religion)."
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The corrections here are :-In line 1 si raja for pi rdja: in line 6 mahamätesu for mahathatesu (?); in line 10 tasacha for tasecha.
