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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
NOTES
183
10. THE SLOKAS CONCERNING KING AIRA OF UTKALA
Mr. Jayaswal's search for light from literature on the history of Khāravela has proved a success, at least, in so far as it has enabled him to obtain a few Sanskrit slokas from an Oriyā Ms., which is lying unedited in the archives of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. These are seven in number, and the MS. itself, though described as “old,” may, in the opinion of experts, be safely assigned to the 16th century A.D., and can by no means be dated earlier than the 14th century. The slokas, as cited by him in JBORS, 1917, p. 482, and reproduced by Dr. Sten Konow in Acta Orientalia, Vol. 1, read as follows :
MS. LEAF B (OBVERSE)
1. Abiro nāma rājábhūt côtkale vidyate purā
abiņsā-dharmamāśệtya Buddha dharına-parāyaṇaḥ # 2. Nandarāja suvikhyātaḥ Magadhe vidyate tadā
sakāra-pāśako Nandaḥ Veda-dharma-parāyaṇaḥ || 3. Nandasya sahito yuddbe Airo jitavän bhavet,
Airo jayam āpnoti mabāhsstena mänasaḥ 1 4. Svadharma côtkale khyātiḥ Veda-dharma-vināśakaḥ
Asokasya mahāmittrah Airaḥ Utkaleśvaraḥ # 5. Eka-prastara-khande tu purāṇaḥ parvatôttamaḥ |
Khandagirîti nāmåsan pavitra côtkale bhuvi 6. Nivāsa-karaṇårthāya daiva-bāņi tu prāptavān
“Asmin nivasatu rājan yāvat tişthati medini #
tāvat kālasu paryyantaḥ tava kirittiḥ virājate " ! 7. Daiva-bāní srute Airaḥ harsa-nirbhara-mānasaḥ |
Kosalā-nagaram tyaktyā Khandaśailā-samipatu ! The substance of the verses, as made out by Mr. Jayaswal, is as follows:
"(a) That Kalinga had been conquered by the kings of Magadha,
and that it was liberated by one Aira (king) who defeated a
Nanda king of Magadha. (6) That the Nandas were Vedic, orthodox Hindus ; and the Aira
was heterodox (Jaina or Buddhist). (c) That the Aira was a great enemy of Asoka.
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