________________
APRIL, 1881.]
THE INSCRIPTIONS OF ASOKA.
105
Translation. Hail! On Wednesday the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month) Karttika of the Jaya samvatsara, which was the eight hundred and fifty-sixth year) of the centuries of years that had expired in the era of the Saka king,-- the glorious Bappu vara sa, -the Mahásd manta, who had attained the five mahasabdas; he whose glances were as bright) as jewels; he who was famous in the van of war; he who
was the sun of the country of) Kataka; he who was the hero of the resplendent Chandramayyas (?); he who was a very Bhairava on a minor scale to the assemblage of the enemies of the brave Gôp ala; he who was a very sun to the neighbouring countries, --came to the temple and bestowed three rice-fields at (the village of) Nandikesvara.
(L. 11).The son of Nijabbe, who was the daughter of Sinda, ...
THE INSCRIPTIONS OF ASOKA.
BY PANDIT BHAGWÅNLÅL INDRAJI. The labours of learned Oriental scholars such splendid condition, from its being deeply enas Prinsep, Wilson, Barnouf, Kern, and others, graved on a fine close-grained and smooth stone. have Wirown considerable light on the rock It is, however, much to be regretted that a portion inscriptions of Asoka. Owing, however, to of it, which contained the very valuable and the very scanty and insufficient means at their long edict No. XIII, has been broken off, and command, the translation of these important nearly three-quarters of the edict carried away. records has been performed in so incomplete a After this inscription, two others, one at Kalsi way that they still afford a field for the investiga- and the other the Bactro-PÅli inscription at tion of our best scholars. If these inscriptions Kapure-di-g arhi, should be examined. were carefully re-examined and re-translated in Both of these are also in very good preservation a systematic way, I have no doubt they would and complete, notwithstanding their being slightfurnish interesting and as yet unexpected ly injured by the effect of time and weather on the results bearing upon the language and palmo- shallow cutting and rough surface of the stones graphy of different provinces of India, as well on which they are engraved. They are indeed in as on the history and religion prevailing in the such a condition that any one practised in readtime of Asoka.
ing such inscriptions and acquainted with their The necessity of re-examining these ancient language can trace out every letter in them with records arises from the fact that the facsimiles considerable ease and accuracy. The Girnar made hitherto are more or less erroneous, inscription would serve at the same time as and consequently cannot be thoroughly de- an aid in some doubtful parts. After these, the pended on for the purposes of deducing such remaining two inscriptions at Jau ga d å and results as might be gathered from them. Even Dhaulishould be gone through. These inscripthe lithographed copies published with so much tions, although they are much broken, would be care and trouble in the Corpus Inscriptionum of service in assisting the work of investigation, Indicarum by the able and experienced scholar for the portions of them that still remain intact and archæologist General A. Cunningham are are in excellent preservation. not of a quite satisfactory character, although, It may be mentioned here that the edict in justice to the learned author, it must be No. XIII, which has almost altogether disappear admitted that they are far better than those ed in the Girnar inscription, is fortunately in which preceded them, and that they form the a very satisfactory condition in both the Kalsi first collection of all these records in one volume, and Kapure-di-garhi inscriptions, and thus neatly printed and easy of reference.
the most valuable information it contains is left For purposes of re-investigating these in us, which otherwise would have been quite lost. scriptions, I think the Girnar inscription But we are as yet quite in the dark regarding should be taken in hand first, because it is in it, for no translation of any value has been
Lit, to the tiara (of the god). Or, perhaps, maguda is heres corruption of mahakata.
