Indian Antiquary Vol 49

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

Page 57

MARCH, 1920]
THE WORDS VACHA AND VINITA IN THE ASOKA EDICT
53
6 January 1718-19. Answer read, and Petition read.
Doctor Manuch produces Certificates under Sevrall Persons hands declaring that Cojee Bauba desired them to send for the said Doctor Manuch to make up the matter between them on Account of what he was indebted by playing at Back Gammon.
The said Manuch likewise produces two Witnesses that declare they severall times carried Physick to Cojee Bauba from Doctor Manuch.
Ordered that Doctor Manuch give in next Court day a particular Account of what money he won of Cojee Bauba, and likewise of what physick he gave him and that he take his oath to the same if the Bench require it..
20 January. Doctor Manuch delivers in an Account of what Cojee Bauba is indebted to him at Gaming, but it not proving satisfactory, and it being difficult to get a true light into the matter,
Agreed that the affair of the Gaming be thrown out of Court.
Doctor Manuch likewise gives in his bill for what Physick he gave Cojee Bauba, which the Bench are of opinion ought to be wrote in a more ample manner and do not approve of the same.
Order'd that Doctor Manuch deliver in next Court day an Account of what Physick he gave Cojee Bauba drawn up in a proper form when the Bench will consider of the reasonableness of his demand.
30 January. Doctor Manuch delivers in a reply to Bauba['s] answer to the Petition.
The bench having thorowly Examind this affair, do give Judgment for the Defendant to pay the plaintiff 50 pagodas as likewise the Cost of suit.
The second of the above references confirms Mr. Irvine's supposition that, on receipt of the news of the death of Shâh 'Alam, Manucci gave up the idea of going to Lâhor, and it shows, moreover, that he returned to Madras as a resident.
The third reference finds him still at Madras, six years later, and proves, as Mr. H. D. Dodwell remarks in his Preface to the Minutes of the Mayor's Court Proceedings, that the period of Manucci's death must be later than 1717, the date tentatively assigned to it by Mr. Irvine (op. cit., vol. I, p. lxvii).
THE WORDS VACHA AND VINITA IN THE ASOKA EDICT. BY VIDHUSHEKHARA BHATTACHARYA SASTRI; SANTINIKETAN.
IN Aśoka's Rock Edict VI there are two words, vacha and vinita, about the true meaning of which 'some controversy has been started. Mr. Jayaswal (Ante, Vol. XLVII, February, 1918, pp. 53-54) has attempted to interpret them in the light of Arthasâstra, but as regards the second word, i.e., vinita, Prof. Radha Govinda Basak has satisfactorily proved (ibid, Vol. XLVIII, February, 1919) that the interpretation suggested by Mr, Jayaswal is not correct. I have also a few remarks to offer in this connection which I believe deserve attention.
I am afraid, Mr. Jayaswal has laid too much stress on the Royal Time Table given in the Arthasâstra (pp. 37-39) assuming that it was strictly followed by Aśoka. It is quite true, as he says, the chapter of the Arthasâstra in which the Time Table is given emphasises utthana, the quality of energy' and also in the Aśoka Edict VI it finds prominence. But