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JUNE, 1877.]
THREE NEW EDICTS OF ASOKA.
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institutes of science,' and sástri, a teacher. I 5. Death of the Sthaviras Tishya and select from these numerous possibilities the last Sumanas.......... in the 8th year. explanation, because in Pali satthul = Sanskrit 1 6. The third Buddhist convocation ..... sastri is a common designation of Så kya ... in the 17th year. muni. The translation of the date is therefore, 7. Planting of the Bodhi-tree in Ceylon. . . " 256 (years) since the departure of the Teacher ..... in the 18th year. (have elapsed)." The final ta, which I be- 8. Death of queen Asandhimitra... lieve to represent ti, indicates here probably .... 12th year after the last event. that the inscription is finished.
1 9. Asoka's marriage with her attendant... The result which has now been gained is ... 4th year after the last event. tbat the inscriptions proceeded from a Maurya | 10. Destruction of the Bodhi-tree..... 3rd king, or from a contemporary of the Mauryas, year after the last event. who was a Buddhist lay brother during thirty. 11. Death of Asoka....... 4th year. two years and a half, and a member of the after the last event. sangha for upwards of a year, i. e. who was a
12. Total of Asoka's reign . . . . 37 years.! Buddhist for more than thirty-three and a half, There are two points connected with these and that in the thirty-fourth year of his ad- dates which require consideration, viz. if the herence to the Buddhist faith 256 years after years of Asoka mentioned under Nos. 3-7 are to the Nirvana had elapsed, or in other words the be counted from the death of Bindusara or 257th year after the Nirvana corresponded to from A soka's abhishekı, and, secondly, how the second half of the 34th year after his con- the dates under 8-11 can be reconciled with the version. Now we know of no Indian princes statement No. 12, that Asoka ruled 37 years. who made any great efforts for Buddhism in As regards the first question, the common the third century after the Nirudna besides custom of the Hindus to reckon the years of Asoka and Dasaratha, his grandson. their kings from the date of their abhisheka, But the latter cannot be the author of the and not from their actual accession to the throne, inscriptions, as he reigned only seven years. is a strong argument for taking all the years There remains, therefore, nobody but Asoka, mentioned under Nos. 3-7, as well as the total whose reign lasted more than thirty-seven under No. 12, to refer to the period after Aboka's years. This inference is fully confirmed by abhisheka. This argument is further strengththe Mahávania, which, provided a certain line ened by the consideration that if the 4th year, in of interpretation is adopted, gives the years which Asoka's brother Tishya entered the saragha, of Asoka's reign after his conversion as and the 6th year, in which his (Asoka's) son upwards of 34, and places his death in 257 Mabendra and his daughter Sanghamitra were Buddhæ.
ordained, had to be counted from Bindusara's The chronological dates regarding A śoka death, both these events would fall before Asoka's which occur in the Ceylonese chronicle are as conversion to Buddhism. For his conversion canfollows:
not have taken place earlier than the 8th yearafter 3. Interval between Bindu så ra's death Bindu så ra's death. Now Indian princes and A sok a's abhisheka....... (upwards were, and are, no doubt, great latitudinarians in of) 4 years.
religious matters, and it would not be extra2. Interval between Asoka's abhisheka ordinary to find that the brother of a Brahand his conversion to Buddhism......... manical king had turned Buddhist with his (upwards of) 3 years.*
sanction. But it seems extremely improbable 3. Conversion of Tishya, the Uparája .. that a Brahmanshould persuade, or even give per ....... in the 4th year of Asoka's reign.t mission to, a son and a daughter to become
4. Ordination of Mahendra and San. ! ascetics of another sect than his own. For this ghamitra....... in the 6th year. I reason also I can come to no other conclusion || Vide Childers' Pali Dict. 8. v.
Turnour translates chatuhi vassehi (V.20) wrongly by 'in Mahavarisa, V. 17-20,-Turnoor, pp. 21-22.
the fourth year.' Mahav. V. 35,-Turnour, p. 23. In this passage and + Mahav. V. 163-172.-Turnour, p. 34. the preceding one the author says that three and four years I Mahdu. V. 215,-Turnour, p. 37. respectively had elapsed when the second event took place Ma hau. V. 286, -Turnour, p. 42. the latter fell, therefore, in the 4th and 6th years. Mr. il For the last dates see Mahav. XX.1.6.-Turnour, p. 122
