(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus. (B) It is difficult to perform virtuous deeds. (C) He who starts performing virtuous deeds accomplishes something difficult. (D) Now, by me many virtuous deeds have been performed. (E) Therefore (among) my sons and grandsons, and (am…
Location
Major Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod, first visited Girnār in December 1822, at that time the inscription seems to have been intact. It probably had laid buried in dense forest and might never have come to light had not a local notable made a causeway through the jungle for the ben…, Gujarat, India
Date
c. 260–250 BCE
Script
Brahmi
Language
Prakrit
Type
Major Rock Edict
Coordinates
21.5167° N, 70.4667° E
Overview
Girnar Discovery Story
Major Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod, first visited Girnār in December 1822, at that time the inscription seems to have been intact. It probably had laid buried in dense forest and might never have come to light had not a local notable made a causeway through the jungle for the benefit of pilgrims to the hill, which is one of the most sacred places venerated by the Jains. He described it as a huge hemispherical mass of dark granite, which, like a wart upon the body, has protruded through the crust of mother earth, without fissure or inequality, and which, by the aid of the ‘iron pen,’ has been converted into a book. Tod was a famous Rajasthan annalist and army antiquarian of the East India Company. His reaction to Girnār was written before the Brahmi script had been deciphered. His account is arresting for the recognition that the edict is both monument and inscription, an ancient rock transformed to a monument by the writing on it. The measurement of its arc is nearly ninety feet; its surface is divided into compartments or parallelograms, within which are inscriptions in the usual antique character. The way in which the Girnār edicts were inscribed on a sin…
1 (A) D[e]vānaṁpriyo Piyadasi rājā evaṁ āha (B) kalāṇaṁ dukaraṁ (C) y[o ādikaro] kalāṇ[a]sa so dukaraṁ karoti
2 (D) ta mayā bahu kalāṇaṁ kataṁ (E) t[a] mama putā ca potā ca paraṁ ca tena y[a] me [a]pacaṁ āva saṁvaṭa-kapā anuvatisare tathā
3 so sukataṁ kāsati (F) yo tu eta desaṁ pi hāpesati so [du]kataṁ kāsati (G) sukaraṁ hi pāpa[ṁ] (H) atikātaṁ aṁtaraṁ
4 na bhūta-pruvaṁ dhaṁma-mahāmātā nāma (I) ta m[a]yā traidasa-vāsābhi[s]i[tena] dhaṁm[a]-mahāmātā katā (J) te sava-pāsaṁḍesu vyāpatā dhāmadhisṭānāya
5 ....... [dha]ṁma-yutasa ca Yoṇa-K[a]ṁbo[ja]-Gaṁdhārānaṁ Risṭika-P[e]teṇikānaṁ ye vā pi a[ṁ]ñ[e ā]parātā (K) bhatamayesu va
6 ....... [su]khā[ya dhaṁma]-yutānaṁ apar[i]godhāya vyāpatā te (L) ba[ṁ]dhana-badhasa paṭividhānāya
7 ....... [p]rajā katābhīkāresu vā thairesu vā vyāpatā te (M) Pāṭalipute ca bāhirasu ca
8 ....... [y]e vā pi me añe ñātikā sarvata vyāpatā te (N) yo ayaṁ dhaṁma-nisrito ti va
9 ....... [t]e [dha]ṁma-mahāmātā (O) etāya athāya ayaṁ dhaṁma-lipī likhitā
10 ……..
Translation
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus.
(B) It is difficult to perform virtuous deeds.
(C) He who starts performing virtuous deeds accomplishes something difficult.
(D) Now, by me many virtuous deeds have been performed.
(E) Therefore (among) my sons and grandsons, and (among) my descendants (who shall come) after them until the æon of destruction (of the world), those who will conform to this (duty) will perform good deeds.
(F) But he who will neglect even a portion of this (duty) will perform evil deeds.
(G) For sin is easily committed.
(H) In times past (officers) called Mahāmātras of morality (Dharma-mahāmātra) did not exist before.
(I) But Mahāmātras of morality were appointed by me (when I had been) anointed thirteen years.
(J) These are occupied with all sects in establishing morality . . . . . . . . . of those who are devoted to morality (even) among the Yoṇas, Kambojas, and Gandhāras, the Risṭikas and Peteṇikas, and whatever other western borderers (of mine there are).
(K) They are occupied with servants and masters . . . . . . . . . for the . . . . . . . . . happiness of those who are devoted to morality, (and) in freeing (them) from desire (for worldly life).
(L) They are occupied in supporting prisoners (with money) . . . . . . . . . (if one has) children, or with those who are bewitched (i. e. incurably ill ?), or with the aged.
(M) They are occupied everywhere, both in Pāṭaliputra and in the outlying . . . . . . . . and whatever other relatives of mine (there are).
(N) These Mahāmātras of morality . . . . . . . . . whether one is eager for morality . . . . . . . .
(O) For the following purpose has this rescript on morality been written . . . . . . . .
