Indian Antiquary Vol 47

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 56

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ FEBRUARY, 1918
Sasanadhibuira or the Department of Royal Correspondence (pp. 70-75) gives ancient rules "
*** art y " (p. 75). He quotes verses which by their very style prove themselves to be ancient.
"A r easur" are the royal communications which stand in the first pâda of the first verse, others being Pari-hara, Nisrishli, Pravrittika. Pati-lekha and Sarvatraga. We are not here concerned with the sisanas other than the first two-Prajia pana and Aina. Prainipandis described in these words: अनेन विज्ञापितमेवमाह सहीयतां चेयदि तत्त्वमस्ति । Trata TECATE Targar forreer II (p. 73). The verse is difficult and the meaning obscure, but this much is clear and certain that the Prajápaná gave various advices or informations (fearrrrezi) and that it began with “ Anena vijñapitai," "It is notified hereby," or "evam áha," "Thus saith.”8
Thus the inscriptions of Asoka beginning with evam dha are all Prajñápanás : Proclamations, alvising or informing the people. It is wrong to call them edicts."
These Public Proclamations sometimes quote an ajña-lekha. Let us first discuss the characteristics of an ajña-lekha.
भर्नुराज्ञा भवेयर निसहानुपही प्रति । Att ta de-
ar |(p. 73). « An order of the Master (Sovereign- an order restraining or approving, issued especially to Government servants-bears the characteristics of an ajña-lekha."
An ajña-lekha is quoted in the Rock series, section III. It is addressed to the bhritys rajúkus', Prådesikas' and 'the council's (Parisa, the Council of Ministers'). Another ajña-lekha in cited in sec. VI of the Rock Series. It is issued to the Council of Ministers (Parisa). Both are marked by the style "evam mayd ajña pitam."
These ajña-lekhas are included in the evam-aha documents of Asoka; they have no separate existence there. They contain one more class of writs, called by Kautilya a Prati lekha, where a document is drafted in the king's own words (
HUT) p. 74). A good example of this is the Jaugad, Separate Record II, beginning with "Thus saith" but giving the laja-vachanika text.
It would be, therefore, proper to call these inscriptions Prajñapanâs or Public Proclamations.' "Eliots" are not correct. European scholars take "lipi" of dharma-lipi standing at the head of the series as denoting the character of these documents and they translate it by "edicts." But it can be demonstrated that lipi does not mean "edicts." In the Saranath inscription Asoka says that two lipis of the same áâsana were sent there. Lipi therefore means a despatch.'10
Sinana does not there invariably mean "orders." Foreign correspondence was also called tinanas. T T T 1, 617 faqat: (p. 7C.)
. The other styles of conimen:ement are obscure. They probably are "addiyatached-yudi fattpam =asti" or "addiyatam chet" (you may give if'(?)) and “ yadi tattramasti" (If it is true" (?)) and Raiñas-samipe Parakiram = dha ( meaning obseure ) Enemy's document (litu, p. 73) come to the king says thus" (?)
As it is an ajna-lekha it must have been addressed to the Royal Parind('servants'), and not to the clergy as supposed by scholars. Cf. also my interpretation of the Parisk in sec. VI (ante, 1913, 282.84.)
10 Cf. also the lipi addressed to the Government of Kalinga,