Major Rock Edict

Dhauli

Major Rock Edict - XI (Dhauli)

Location: A first reading of some initial words was published by Prinsep 1837a: 471. Kittoe gave his report in 1838a: 435: “I had the good fortune to discover by the merest accident: a byragí priest, native of Mirzapoor near Benares having described it to me; such, however, is the aversion…, Odisha, India
Date: c. 260–250 BCE
Script: Brahmi
Language: Prakrit
Type: Major Rock Edict
Coordinates: 20.1833° N, 85.8333° E

Overview

Discovery of Dhauli 1. Asokan Sites and Artefacts - Harry Falk Page-113-114 Discovery: A first reading of some initial words was published by Prinsep 1837a: 471. Kittoe gave his report in 1838a: 435: “I had the good fortune to discover by the merest accident: a byragí priest, native of Mirzapoor near Benares having described it to me; such, however, is the aversion the Ooriyahs have, to our going near their places of worship, that I was actually decoyed away from the spot, when within a few yards of it, being assured that there was no such place,and had returned for a mile or more, when I met with a man who led me back to the spot by torch-light. I set fire to the jangal and perceived the inscription which was completely hidden by it.” Later, Kittoe went to the rock “before day-break and had to wait till it was light; for the two bear cubs which escaped me there last year,when I killed the old bear, were now full grown and disputed the ground” (1838b: 684). Today, all memory of bears once living in this area is gone. Kittoe (1838a: 451) reported an old name asvastama for the rocks with the inscriptions, but today nothing similar to asvastama has any meaning to the local population…

Location

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The Inscription

Original Text

1 (A) Devānaṁpiye Piyadasī lājā hevaṁ āhā (B) [athi ja]ne ucāvuchaṁ maṁgalaṁ kal[e]ti [āb]ādha . . . . . . . [v]i[vaha] . . . [ju]padāye pavās[a]si
2 etāye aṁnāye c[a] hedisāye j[a]n[e] bahukaṁ maṁgalaṁ k[a] . . . (C) . . [cu] ithī b[a]hukaṁ ca [ba]hu[v]idh[aṁ] c[a kh]ud[aṁ ca nilaṭhi]yaṁ ca maṁgalaṁ kaleti
3 (D) se kaṭ[a]viye ce[va kh]o m[a]ṁgale (E) [a]pa-phale cu kho esa h[e]dise maṁ[ga] . (F) . [ya]ṁ [c]u kho mah[ā]-ph[a]le e [dha]ṁma-maṁgale (G) [ta]te[sa d]ā[sa-bhaṭakas]i saṁmyā-paṭipat[i]
4 [gulu]naṁ a[pa] . . . . . . . [me] samana-bābhan[ā]naṁ dāne esa aṁne c[a] . . . . [dhaṁma]-maṁga[le nāma] (H) [se] vata[viye p]it[inā pi pute]na pi bhātinā pi
5 suvāmike[na p]i . . . . . . [l]e [ā]va tasa aṭhas[a] niphatiy[ā] (I) [a]thi [ca heva]ṁ v[u]te dāne s[a]dh[u] ti (J) [s]e [na]thi . . . . . . [anu]ga[h]e v[ā]
6 [ād]ise dha[ṁma-dāne dham[mānugahe] . . (K) . . . [m]i . . . . [t]i[k]ena sahāyen[na p]i viyovaditā . . . . . [tasi] pak[alana]si [iya]ṁ . .
7 . . . . . . [l]ādhayatave (L) . . . . . ṭa[v] . . . . [svagasa] āl[adh]ī

Translation

(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus.
(B) Men are practising various ceremonies during illness . . . . . . . . . at the marriage of a daughter, at the birth of a child, (and) when setting out on a journey; on these and other such (occasions) men [are practising] many ceremonies.
(C) But . . . . . women are practising many and various vulgar and useless ceremonies.
(D) Now ceremonies should certainly be practised.
(E) But such ceremonies as these bear little fruit indeed.
(F) But the following bears much fruit indeed, viz. the practice of morality.
(G) Herein the following (are comprised), (viz.) proper courtesy to slaves and servants, reverence to elders, gentleness to animals, (and) liberality to Śramaṇas and Brāhmaṇas; these and other [such] (virtues) are called the practice of morality.
(H) Therefore a father, or a son, or a brother, or a master ought to say :— ‘This is meritorious. This [practice] should be observed until the (desired) object is attained.’
(I) And it has been said thus :— ‘Gifts are meritorious.’
(J) But there is no [such] gift or benefit as the gift of morality and the benefit of morality.
(K) Therefore a friend . . . . . . . . . [a relative], and a companion should indeed admonish (another) on such and such an occasion :— ‘This . . . . . . . . . this is meritorious. By this (practice) it is possible to attain heaven.’
(L) For what is more desirable than this, [viz.] the attainment of heaven?

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