Indian Antiquary Vol 49

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

Page 59

MARCH, 1920]
THE WORDS VACHA AND VINITA IN THE ASOKA EDICT
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word that describes the special kind of carriage meant by the speaker; as for instance, rathavinita, which means a ratha' chariot' drawn in the aforesaid manner. This view will be supported by a Pali passage which is quoted below from the Rathavinitasutta of the Majjhimanikaya, 24 (I, 3,4; P. T. S., Vol. I, pp. 148-149; Rajwade, Vol. I, pp. 106-107) :
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"Seyyathâpi âvuso rañño Pasenadissa Kosalassa Sâvathiyam pativasantassa Sâkete kifchid-eva achchâyikam karaniyam uppajjeyya, tassa antarâ cha Sâvatthim antarâ cha Sâketam satta ratha vinitâni upaṭṭhapeyyum. Atha kho âvuso râjâ Pasenadi Kosalo Sâvatthiya nikkhamitvâ antepuradvârâ pathamam rathavinîtam abhirüheyya, pathamena rathavinitena dutiyam rathavinitam pâpuneyya; pathamam rathavinitam vissajjeyya dutiyam rathavinitam abhirâheyya, dutiyena rathavinitena tatiyam rathavinitam pâpupeyya, sattamam rathavinitam abhirâheyya, sattamena rathavinîtena Sâketam anupapaṛeyya antepuradvArah."
In the above quotation it is stated that in case the king Pasenadi of Kosala owing to some urgent business had to go to Sâketa, there would be arranged for him seven rathavinitas between Sâvatthi and Sâketa. Here it is evident that the rathavinita, 'a viníta in the form of a ratha' is a paramparáváhana. It should be noted that the gender of the word is neuter. According to Amara (II, 8, 58) this word must be used either in masculine or neuter gender. And therefore the word vinita in rathavinita being used in neuter gender cannot mean anything else but a paramparáváhana.
Buddhaghosa explains the word rathavinitâni by vinita-assâjânîya-yutte rathe, 'the chariots to which are yoked the horses that are well trained and of good race.' But strictly speaking, this explanation does not seem to be quite accurate. For in that case the ratha vinita in the original text could not be employed in the neuter gender.
One thing deserves to be pointed out here, and it is this: It is clear from the use of the word in the Majjhimanikaya that the seven vehicles arranged for the king between Sâvatthi and Sâketa were separate and that each of them was drawn by a different set of horses. It, therefore, is not unlikely that either a succession of vehicles is meant by Amara in his describing vainitaka as paramparáváhana, or the same vehicle dragged in succession by a supply of fresh animals, or both, according to necessity or convenience. But such distinction is immaterial, the important point being the particular manner of conveyance.
We have clearly seen in the above extract of the Majjhimanikâya that the vehicle named vinita is employed in a long journey. And therefore Asoka's meaning is evident in the Edict whereby he proclaims that when travelling a long distance in a vehicle drawn by a relay of horses he will expect his men to report the people's business to him. This inter pretation will be strengthened by what I am going to say about the second word of the Edict, i.e., vacha, which has hitherto generally been taken to mean a 'latrine'.
It cannot be disputed that the Sanskrit equivalent of the word vacha in the Edict is nothing but vraja. For the Pali word vacca literally means excrement and not a 'latrine', and to denote the latter, the word vachchaku is constantly used in Pâli literature. Furthermore, as Mr. Jayaswal rightly observes, "No king in his senses would ask officers to announce the business of suiters in his latrine."
Through the influence of Paisachi Prakrit, according to Prakrit grammarian (Hem., VIII, 4. 325; Trivikrama, III, 2. 65) Skt. vraja, Pali or Pkt. vaja becomes vacha. But what is the meaning of it? Mr. Jayaswal takes it to mean "the royal stables for horses, mules,