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DECEMBER, 1908.]
THE DATE OF BUDDHA.
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probably he gave instructions to "the prince and magistrates of Suvarnagiri", where he seems to have lived in religions retirement, to engrave his last commands in all parts of his dominions, and that possibly before his instructions could be carried out, he departed from this world. If this precept were to be considered as that of Buddha, scholars ought to have, but have not been able to point out among Buddha's sayings the teaching herein engraved, namely, “Let small and great exert themselves." Nor does this find a place in the list of the passages, which Asoka culls from Buddha's sayings and publishes for the edification of the monks of Magadha in the Bhabrá Edict, famous for its clear showing of Asoka's adherence to the Buddhistic faith. Moreover, the words under discussion, namely, Iyam cha sduane.. 256 8e in the Brahmagiri text, and Vyuthend advane .. vidáså ta in the Rupnath text, no more belong to the body of the text than the words " Padena likhitam lipi karena" (written by Pada, the Scribe), which we find at the end of the Brahmagiri, Jatunga Râmesara and Siddapura inscriptions. Just as the Seribe immortalized himself by adding his name at the end of the inscription, so even the Prince and Magistrates of Suvarnagiri, who published this inscription, began it by proclaiming that it was at their instance that it was published, and ended it by appending hereto its date in the years of the Nirvana. The term vyútha' was applied by them to Asoka, who had probably just then departed' to the other world, and, as it was no longer possible, on account of his death, to adhere to the practice of dating the Inscriptions of Asoka in the years of his reign, this inscription had to be dated in the years of the Nirvana of Buddha. The Brahmagiri text may therefore be translated thos: "This teaching was proclaimed by the Departed (Aboka) in the year 250." The Rūpnath and Sahasrám texts have, in addition, the following words respectively, namely, " 256 Sata rivdsd ta" and "Satd rivutha ti 256." Dr. Bühler correctly translates Sata' 11 as 'Teacher and considers it refers to Buddhs; and in my humble opinion these words mean "in (the year) 256, since the departure of the Teacher (Buddha)." I therefore consider that the precept was perhaps the last admonition to his people of Asoka, who departed'
Like some full-breasted swan, That, fluting & wild carol ere her death, Ruffles her pure cold plume, and takes the flood With swartby webs.
The next point to be considered is the period given in the inscription for the interval when Asoka was a lay disciple. The exact word used in the Rûpnåth inscription for this period is adhitiaani, whereas the Brahmagiri text has adhdtiyani. Dr. Bühler translated this Magadbi word in the columns of the Indian Antiquary for 1877 (p. 256), as meaning thirty-two and-a-half years. Bat Dr. Bübler subsequently gave up this construction, and he states in the Epigraphia Indica, Vol. III (p. 134), that the word means two and-a-half years, an interpretation which, though wrong, has been adopted by Mr. Smith in his Asoka, and by Mr. B. L. Rice, the discoverer of the Mysore Edicts. (Ep. Carnatica, Vol. XI., p. 4.)
Mr. V. A. Smith says: "We have Asoka's own authority for stating that in the ninth year of bis reign, for the reasons above explained, he joined the Buddhist Community as a lay disciple." 13 I.Babmit that we have no such authority. The reasons advanced by Mr. Smith are almost the same as those relied on by M. Senart and are based on the thirteenth Rock Edict. Asoka says therein that he conquered the Kalingas in the ninth year of his reign, that he was greatly affected by the horrors of war and that ever since he had zealously protected the law of Piety, had been devoted to that Law and had proclaimed its precepts." I think that it is wrong to draw from this statement that Asoka was converted only then for the first time. It simply shows that the bloodshed caused in the
11
Skt. Basta, a name of Buddha. See Amarakola, I, 14.
12 Asoka, p. 18.
