Original Text
1 (A) Devanapriye Priyadraśi raja evaṁ aha (B) jane ucavuca[ṁ ma]gala[ṁ] karoti 2 abadhasi a[va]hasi vi[va]hasi prajopadaye pravasaspi etaye añaye [ca ed]iśa[ye jane] 3 bahu maṁga[laṁ ka]ro[t]i (C) atra tu abaka-janika bahu ca bahuvidha ca khuda ca nirathriya ca magalaṁ karoti (D) se ka[ṭaviye c]eva kho 4 magale (E) apa-phale cu [kho e]ṣe (F) iyaṁ cu kho maha-phale ye dhrama-magale (G) atra iyaṁ dasa-bhațakasi samya-paṭipati guruna a[pacit]i 5 pra[ṇa]na [sa]yame śramaṇa-bramaṇana [dane] eṣe aṇe ca ediśe dhrama-magale nama (H) se vataviye pi[tu]na pi putrena pi bhratuna pi spamikena pi 6 mitra-sa[ṁ]stutena [a]va paṭiveśiyena pi iyaṁ sadhu iyaṁ kaṭaviye magale ava tasa athrasa nivuṭiya nivuṭasi va puna ima [ka]ṣmi ti (I) e hi [i]tare maga[le] 7 śa śa yike se (J) s[i]ya va taṁ athraṁ nivaṭeya s[i]ya pana no (K) hidal[o]kike ceva se (L) iyaṁ puna dhrama-magale akalike (M) [ha]ce pi taṁ athram no nivațeti [hi]da a[tha] paratra 8 anata puṇa prasavati (N) hace puna ta[ṁ] athraṁ nivaṭ[e]ti hida tato ubhayesaṁ [ara]dhe hoti hida ca se athre paratra ca anata puṇaṁ prasavati tena dhramagalena Translation (A) King Devanapriye Priyadraśi speaks thus. (B) Men are practicing various ceremonies during illness, at the marriage of a son or a daughter, at the birth of a child, (and) when setting out on a journey; on these and other such (occasions) men are practicing many ceremonies. (C) But in such (case) women are practising many and various offensive and useless ceremonies. (D) Now, ceremonies should certainly be practised. (E) But these (ceremonies) bear little be practised. (F) But the following bears much fruit indeed, viz. the practice of morality. (G) Herin the following (are ceremonies), (viz.) proper courtesy to slave and servants, reverence to elders, gentleness to animals, (and) liberality to Śramaṇas and Brāhmaṇas; these and older (virtues) are called the practice of morality. (H) Therefore a father, or a son, or a brother, or a master, (or) a friend or an acquaintances, (or) even a (mere) neighbour ought to say: ‘This is meritorious. This practice should be observed until the (desired) object is attained, (thinking): After it is actually attained, I shall observe this again’. (I) For such ceremonies are doubtful (effect). (J) One may attain his object (by them), but he may not (do so). (K) And they (bear fruit) in this world only. (L) But that practice of morality is not restricted to time. (M) But if one does not attain (by it) his object in this (world), then endless merit is produced in the other (world). (N) But if one attains (by it) his object (in this world), the gain of both (rsults) arises from it; (viz.) the (desired) object (is attained) in this (world), and endless merit is produced in the other (world) by that practice of morality.