Indian Antiquary Vol 48

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

Page 28

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(FERUARY, 1919
MISCELLANEA.
• SATIYAPUTA' IN THE ROCK EDICT 111 We may compare the data of the Aboka ediet OF ASOKA.
with those found in Patañjali's Mahabhashya which Scholars have been much exercised as to the
is admitted on all hands to belong to the middle identification of the Satiyaputa (Satyaputra) king
of the second century B.C.-.c., less than a century dom, Sir R. G. Bhandarkar would place it near
after Aboka. Patañjali 5 mentions Pandya, Chola,
and Chera kingdoms along with Köchipurs. Poona on the strength of the existence of Satpule families in that district. Bühler? identifies the
Satyaputra is conspicuous by omissinn, as Katchf. Satyaputras with the Satvats. Mr. V. A. Smith
puram is in the Aboka edict. One may be inclined would look for them in the Tuluva country or in
to ask whether the one name oruld be identified
with the other. Satyamangalam in the Western Ghats.
On the Buddhist side there are traditions of Kan. The various versions of the Edict may now be
chipura having been a flourishing city in Aboka's examined:
time. Yuan Chwang 6 mentions these traditions (1) Choda Pada Satiyaputo Ketalaputo a Tamba- as current in his day. He says that Aboka built pamni Attiyako Yona râja.-(Gimar).
at pas there, one of them being 100 feet in height, (2) (Chola Pandiya Satiyaputra Keralaputra
and that the city was the birth place of Bodhisatva Tatabaparni Amtiyoko nama Yona raja.-(Shah.
Dharmapala. Even to-day we find unmistakeable bdsgarhs).
evidence of ancient Baudhha vestiges in Kanchf
puram. (3) Choda) Paludiya Satiya (putr.) Kerala.
There is very strong evidence that the country putr (]... bapaņi ...tiyoke name
round Kanchipuram was known as Satyavrata Yona.-(Mangshra).
Kshetram. In the Melupaka grant 8 of Mah. (4) Choda Pari[di]yâ Såtiyaputo Kelalaputo dova Sarasvati we read Satyavrata ndmankita Tarbapamni [Ar tiyoke nåma Yonaldja.-(Khalsi). Kanchi Divya Kshetra (line 6). The same term It is clear from the above, that the correct form
is used in the Guruparam para of the Bankara. of the name is Batyaputra and that the kingdom or
charya Matha as well as in that of Pimpalagiya
Pillai, three generations from the great Ramapeople who went by that name must have had its seat somewhere in South India. Aboka says that
nujacharya. The statement of Yuan Chwang that
the country round Katchi was the Drávida among the nations and princes mentioned above,
country, as distinct from the Chola, may be taken who were his neighbours, he founded two kinds of
along with the tradition embodied in the Bhagahospitals hospitals for men as well as for animals.
vata Purana that Satyavrata was the lord of DraNo evidence has been adduced for the view that
vida. Satyaputra may be the Tuluva country. It is therefore satisfactory to note that Mr. Smith has
It may thus be established that the Pandya, abandoned this view. To his new identification
Chola, Keralaputra and Satyaputra kingdoms of of the place with Satyamangalam the objection
the Atoka Rock Edict II correspond respectively is that there is no evidence of that place having
to the Pandya, Chola, Kerala, and KAñchi of
Pata jali. Satyaputra was the name of the counbeon the seat of a kingdom or people in Atoka's time or far later. Nor is there any evidence to
try or people having Kanchipuram for its capital. connect Asoka with the Satvats.
S. V. VENKATESWARA.
1 Indian Revine, 1909. Ep. Ind., II, 466. Early History, 1914, p. 163, 185 n., 459. Ep. Ind., II, 449, 450.
5 Mahdbhdshya, IV, 2.2 • Boal, Buddhist Records, II, 229, 230.
* Ante, 1915. Cited by me in Ep. Ind., XIII, 122, see fa. 5. The grant is being edited in the Ep. Ind. by my brother Mr. S. V. Viswanatha.