South Indian Inscriptions

EPIGRAPHIA INDICA

(XI) In this way you should pass orders on the elephant-riders, the scribes and charioteers and (the teachers of) the Brāhmaṇa (community).^[1] (XII) Thus you should instruct your pupils in accordance with what is the ancient usage. (XIII) This (order) should be obeyed. (XIV) Whatever honour is (enjoyed) by the teacher (lies) really in this. (XV) Then again, this (principle underlying the order) should be propagated in the proper manner by teacher’s male relation among the female^[2] relation (he may have).^[3] (XVI) This should also be propagated (by the teacher’s relatives) in the proper manner among (his) pupils in accordance with what is the ancient usage. (XVII) You should thus guide and instruct your pupils in the proper way, so that this (principle underlying the order) grows (among them) abundantly.^[4] (XIII) Thus orders the Beloved of the Gods.

ROCK EDICTS I AND II^[5]

[BOULDER A (EASTERN FACE─LEFT HALF)]

Rock Edict I.

1 (I) iyaṁ dhaṁma-lipi Devānaṁpiyena Piyadasina la[ji]na [likhā]pi[tā] [|*] (II) [hida no] kiṁchi [jīve]
2 ālabhitu pajohitaviy[e] [|*] (III) n[o] pi cha samāje^[6] kaṭaviy[e] [|*] (IV) bahukaṁ [hi] Devā[naṁ]piye samāja[si]
3 do[sa]ṁ dakhati [|*] (V) athi eka[t]iy[ā]samājā sādhu-mātā Devānaṁ[piyasā] Piya[da]sine lājine] [|*]
4 (VI) pule mahānasi Devānaṁpi[ya]sa Piyadasine lājine anu-divasaṁ bahuni pāna-sata- sahasāni [āla]-

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^[1] Sahni : “Thus should you command the Kāruṇakas riding on elephants and the Brāhmaṇas driving in vehicles.” Barua : “Thus instruct the elephant-riders, the Kāruṇakas, the chariot-trainers, and the Brahmins” (Inscriptions of Aśoka, Part II, p. 200). At p. 345 of this work, Barua prefers to read kāranakāni and equates kāranaka with kāraṇika used in the Mahābhārata (II, V. 34) in the sense of ‘a teacher of the princes’. This meaning also suits the context. The sentence refers to several classes of people who used to initiate pupils in particular professions.
^[2] The Mysore versions have ‘relations’ instead of ‘female relations’.
^[3] Sahni : “Thus should you admonish the pupils : he (i.e. the teacher) should be obeyed according to the ancient rule and so also the relatives of the teacher by way of showing veneration to the teacher, they should also behave rule and suitable manner towards (their own) relatives.” Barua : “You should thus establish your pupils according to the good old rule : This is to be hearkened to : whatever is estimate (in me), all that is due to my teacher the acting properly as teacher. The neighbours are to propound it to the neighbours as far as practicable.”
^[4] Sahni : “Thus should you direct and admonish the pupils that he (i.e. the teacher) may enjoy three-fold comfort (it-r-oka).” Barua : “As it may remain unimpaired as far as practicable so should you instruct and establish the pupils.” “This is to be respectfully attended to indeed for the sake of the honour of the teacher. Or again, if (there be) relatives of the teacher, this should likewise be fittingly propounded to (his) relations, so also among the citizens should (it) be fittingly propounded, so that it may be excessively bright” (Inscriptions of Aśoka, op. cit., p. 200).
^[5] Many of the letters of these and the other edicts transcribed below are indistinct on the impressions.
^[6] At first ke had been written and it was then changed into je.