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JUNE, 1878.]
THE THREE NEW EDICTS OF ASOKA.
151
cient Buddhists must have been such utter fools. is the correct interpretation of the seemingly A number of objections against, and difficulties inconsistent statements of the chronicles. We with, certain details also present themselves at ! shall see, farther on, that the latter, when speakonce. Thus, with respect to the alleged in- ing of the ages of Theras or Upasampana consistency of the chronicles regarding the ages Sadhus always refer to the period after the of Mahinda and Sanghamitta and the reign of upasampadd, or, to adopt Mr. Rhys Davids' Devânâm-piya Tissa, one cannot help seeing appropriate term, to the spiritual ages just as that it has only been caused by Mr. Rhys references to the ages of anointed kings refer to Davids' method of interpretation. Both the the time after their abhisheka. Dipavavisa and the Mahávarsa state that Ma- If we now turn to the chief portions of Mr. hinda and Sangha mitt å received the Rhys Davids' calculations, it becomes impossible first or pabbajjd ordination at the end of or in the to accept without a re-examination the statesixth year of Asoka, and that Mahind a alone ments contained in his first table, though they received the second or upasampadá ordination at agree with Mr. Turnour's analysis of the the same time. Afterwards it is alleged that Ma- Dipavassa." As it has been found that hinda died in Ceylon,'having completed sixty the seeming contradictions in the case of years,' in the eighth year of king Uttiya ;" Sanghamittà disappeared, as soon as and Sanghamitta, after having completed the chronicles were correctly interpreted, the fifty-nine years', in the ninth year of the same question arises whether a reconsideration of the king. Now as Asoka was crowned after the text of the Dipavansa would not clear away completion of the 218th year of the Nirvana the stupendous absurdities contained in the era, his sixth year corresponds to 224-225 table which gives the data regarding the Theras. A.B., and the eighth year of Uttiya to 284- But even supposing the first table to be correct, 285 A.B. The interval between Mahinda's a consideration of Mr. Rhys David's second table upasampadů and his death is thus exactly sixty raises numerous difficulties. One cannot help years, as stated by the chronicles. It is clear asking how he gets the sixteen years between that the sixty years can only be referred, as Mr. Buddha and Dåsa ka without the help of Turnour has done, to the spiritual age, or the the Rájávali, which he considers to be unworthy period after the upusampadá,-- not to the natural of reliance; or how, if he gets them from that age, as Mr. Rhys Davids wishes to do. This source, he can reconcile that with his promise to explanation is confirmed, as Mr. Rhys Davids rely on the Therávali alone. One must further himself has shown, by a verse of the Dipa- ask why he adds the sixteen years in col. 5 of vansa where it is stated that Mahinda had com- table II., and not in col. 3, where they are pleted twelve years when he came to Ceylon.18 evidently also required. If he had added the The case of Sanghamittà is no less clear, if the sixteen years in col. 3, the total would become statement that she died after completing fifty- 283, and it would have appeared at once that the nine years' is referred to the period after her chroniclers could not have made the mistake second or upasampadá ordination. The interval imputed to them. (paras. 115, 116). Finally, between the sixth year of A sok a, 224-225 A.B., on comparing the two tables a serious discrepUttiy a's ninth year, and 285-286 A.B., is, as ancy is observable between the figures given for Mr. Rhys Davids has stated, 61 years. But as Dá saka's age at Sonaka 's upasampádd in Sangha mitt & was in 224-225 only eighteencol. 3 of the first, and col. 1 of the second table. years old, she had to wait two years before she In the former place it is stated to be 40, and in conld receive the second ordination, which gave the second 45, and no explanation is offered. her fall membership. If we deduct these, the Similar vacillations occur, too, in the date of figures agree, and she really had completed fifty- Asoka's coronation, which sometimes is stated to nine years after the upasampadá at the time have occurred after the completion of the 218 of her death. There can be no doubt that this years of the Nirvana era (i.e. in 219 A.B.), and
13 According to the Diparansa, when Uttiys had completed eight years' : see below.
13 Compare also Dip. VII. 27, where it is stated that Mahinda was four years of age (i.e. spiritual age) when
Asoks had ruled ten years :Asokassa das savisamhi Mahindo chatwassikosabbarte sutapariyattila ganipáchariyo ahus 27
Jour. As. Soc. Bong. vol. VII. pp. 919 seqq.
