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156
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1877.
Etena cha amtalena | jambudîpasi ammisam, (size) and a half." And this sermon (is) by the devâ[hu]sam, ta-2Departed. Two hundred (years) exceeded by fiftysix, 256, have passed since; and I have caused this matter to be incised on the hills; or where those stone pillars are, there too I have caused it to be incised.
Transcript of the Rúpnáth Edict.
Devânâm piye hevam âhâ: sâtirakekâni adhitisâni va[s], ya sumi pâká sa[va]ki, no cha badhi pakate. Sâtileke chu chhavachhare, ya sumi haka samgha-papite-1bâdhi cha pakate. Yi imâya kâlâya jambudipasi amisâ devâ-husu te dâni masâ katâ. Pakamasi hi esa phale, no cha esâ mahatatâ pâ-potave. Khudakenâ hi ka-2
munisâ | misam deva katâ. Pala kamasi hi] iyam phale [n]o [cha ilyam mahatata-vachakiye påvatave. Khudakena hi pala-3kamaminenâ vipule suag[e] [sa]kiye âlâ[dha yita]v[e]. Se etâye athâye iyam sâvâne |: khudakâ cha udâlâ cha pa-4lakamamtu, amtâ pi cham jânamtu|; chilathitike cha palakame hotu. Iyam cha athe vadhisati, vipulam pi cha vadhisati,-5diyaḍhiyam avaladhiyena diyaḍhiyam vadhisati Iyam cha savane vivuthena; duve sapamnâlâti--6
satâ vivuthâ ti (sû й phra) 256. Ima cha atham pavatesu likhâpaya thaya; [yata] và a7– thi hete silâthambha tata pi likhapaya thayi.-8
Translation.
The Beloved of the gods speaketh thus :.(It is) [more than thirty-two] years [and a half] that I am a worshipper (of Buddha), and I have not exerted myself strenuously. (It is) a year and more [that I have exerted myself strenuously]. During this interval those gods that were (held to be) true gods in Jambudvipa have been made (to be regarded as) ment and false. For through strenuous exertion comes this reward, and it ought not to be said to be an effect of (my) greatness. For even a small man who exerts himself can gain for himself great rewards in heaven. Just for this purpose a sermon has been preached: "Both small ones and great ones should exert themselves, and in the end they should also obtain (true), knowledge. And this spiritual good will increase; it will even increase exceedingly; it will increase one (size) and a half, at least one
L. 2. Read sahvachhale, R. Six or seven letters have been lost. E. and B. have two sentences, corresponding to this lacuna, containing sixteen letters. S. can have had one sentence only. The sense requires the sentence given above. Read amisamh, according to R. Read deva-husis as R. has deva-husu aud a verb is required. The vertical stroke in the facsimile is the left-hand part of the . This emendation I owe to Pandit Bhagvanlal Indraji. Read te for ta, according to R.
L. 3. Read deva. The pala before the lacuna is probable from the photograph. The restoration is certain on account of the corresponding passage in K., which here, as everywhere, substitutes the root pakam for palaam. The second and third lacunas liave been filled in according to R. L. 4. Restorations according to R. and B.-Read sivune. L. 5. Read cha janamtv.
L. 6. Read sawine; the facsimile has dute, but according to the photograph duce, which the sense requires, is at least probable, if not certain.
L. 7. Restoration suggested by the fact that two syllables have been lost, and a relative pronoun is desirable, though not absolutely necessary. The date had been read by General Cunningham before I received the inscription. This phrase probably alludes to the Buddhist belief that the devas also have shorter or longer terms of existence,
pi parumaminenâ sakiye pipule pi svage ârodhave. Etiya athaya cha sâvane kate: khudakâ cha uḍâlâ cha pakama mtu ti, atâ pi cha janamtu. Iyam pakâre cha-3
kiti? chirathitike siya. Iya hi athe vaḍhi vadhisiti, vipula cha vadhisiti, apaladhiyenâ diyadhiyam vadhisati. Iya cha athe pavatisu lekhapeta vâlata hadha cha; atbi-4silâthubhe silâthambhasi lâkhâpeta vayata. Etinâ cha vayajanenâ yâvatakatu paka ahâle. savara-vivase tavayati. Vyuthenâ sâvane kate. (sû phra) 256 sa-5ta-vivâsâ ta-6
Translation.
The Beloved of the gods speaketh thus: (It is) more than thirty-two years and a half that I am a hearer (of the law), and I did not exert myself strenuously. But it is a year and more that I have entered the community (of ascetics), and that I have exerted myself strenuously. Those gods who during this time were considered to be true (gods) in Jambudvipa, after which they die and are born again in other stages of existence according to their karma.
I Materials used: two rubbings forwarded by General Cunningham.
L. 1. Read sutilekâni, the letter
looks blurred and is a mistake for J. For puká read hald. There is a faint mark between sa and ki which may be va,-savaki is required as synonym for upasake; samgha ushite is a pos sible reading, as the letters appear to be half effaced. The reading given above is supported by B.
L. 2. Under the và of devá-husa there is a vertical stroke, resembling an u 6. Probably it is intended to indicate the absorption of the initial a of clusu, and is the oldest forin of the Avagraha S. Read esa for esá. A letter may have stood between khudalena hi and ka. But I rather think the marks in the impression are accidental scratches.
L. 3. Read pakamaminend; vipule; arâdhave; the long & in pakûre is not quite certain.
L. 5. Read lehhipets thayi ti; tapayati b for 6; but ს possibly the reading on the stone may be tapayati, as the lower part of vá does not quite form a circle. Possibly vyathend. The two last figures of the date had been read by General Cunningham before I received the inscription. L. 6. Probably ti for ta to be read.
