Indian Antiquary Vol 48

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

Page 18

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ FEBRUARY, 1019
by Mr. Jayaswal can be cited in refutation of the meaning of nivi as suggested by him, for, the word there means that which remains as “net balance" after consideration of all items of receipts (dya) and payments (vyaya). If we accept the meaning proposed by him, we cannot explain the term in the following passage in the same Arthasástra (p. 65), where Kautilya prescribes the various forms of punishment for scraping off, eating up and destroying the nivi (nivim-aralikhito dvigunah, bhakshayato= shtagunah, nasayatah pañchabandhah pratidanan cha). A document cannot certainly be "eaten up." That nivi cannot mean "despatch " can also be shown by a reference to another passage in the Arthasastra
(p. 64), where we read of the samânayana (bringing together or verification) of receipt". . (ayah samânayet), of "expenditure" ( vyayari samânayet) and of "net balance" (niviin samânayêt). In one of the five copper-plate grants of the Gupta period discovered at Lamodarpur in North Bengal, I mean the Plate No. 1 (to be shortly published in the Epigraphia Indica) dated 124 G. E. (=443-44 A.D.) of the reign of Kumâragupta I.. it is found that the Brahmana Karppaţika applies to the local Government for permission to purchase fallow (khila) field (kshetra) at the usual rate prevalent in the locality and prays further that the field may be granted to him according to nivi-dharma (arhatha ....nivi-dharmêna datum=iti). With regard to such passages it may safely be stated that to make a gift of land or money according to nivi-dharna is to give it on condition that the endowment is to be maintained as perpetual, and that in cases of akshavanivi also, the grantee could not destroy the principal, land or money, but had to make use of the income accruing from it. There is also evidence of a reversal of this process when the former grantees perhaps transferred the gift to later grantees by nivi-dharma-kahaya (cf. l. 8 of the Dhanaidaha copper-plate grant of Kumâra Gupta I.'s reign, JASB., 1909, pp. 459-61). If the meaning attached by Mr. Jayaswal to the word nivi thus fails, we cannot accept his suggestion in the same article that Prof. Hultzsch's corrected reading nipista for di pista of the Asokan Edicts may be translated as nivistha in Sanskrit. meaning "reduced into document or recorded." It is also not clear why the Asokan Inscriptions beginning with the phrase "dévanarii piye Piyadasi lâja évain aha" are to be regarded as Proclamations" and not "Edicts" as has hitherto been done by all scholars. An "edict" is nothing but " an order proclaimed by authority"
Let us now take up the word vinita as used in Aboka's Rock Edict VI. Bühler translated the word by "carriage " and Senart by “retraite religieuse." Mr. Jayaswal refers to Chapter XX of the Arthaídstra on the “ Duties of a King" for finding out the meaning of the word vinitamhi or vinitasi or vinitaspi (all in the locative case form) as used in the Açoken Edict. He points out that according to the daily routine of duties prescribed for a king, it is found that during the seventh one-eighth division of a day,' i.e. towards afternoon, the king should inspect the elephants, horses, chariots and soldiers (saptamé hasty-asva-rathigudhiyan pasyêt, p. 38). But the other passage (p. 10) referred to by him, viz. púrvam- aharbhagan hastya=asva-ratha-praharana-vidyāsu vinayan gachchhêt refers not to a king but to a young prince "under training." I am afraid Mr. Javaswal has missed the plain meaning of the latter passage which clearly means—"during the first part of the day (he) should obtain (gachchhét) instruction or training (vinaya). in the arts concerning olephants (hasti-vidya), horses (asva-vidya), chariots (ratha-vidya) and weapons (praharana-vidya)." My point is that the word vinaya in this passage simply means biksha (training, or instruction). The two passages referred to abovu mention of inspection of military resources and training in military arts,-this is no reason why we