The Girnar boulder carries Ashoka's fourteen Major Rock Edicts in Brahmi, one of the finest surviving corpora of Ashokan proclamations.
Gallery
Inscriptions at this site
Major Rock Edict II (Girnar Version)
(A) Everywhere in the dominions of king Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin, and likewise among (his) borderers, such as the Coḍas, the Pāṇḍyas, the Satiyaputa, the Ketalaputa, even Tāmraparṇī, the Yona king Antiyaka, and also the kings who are the neighbours of this Antiyaka, — everywhere …
Major Rock Edict III (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus. (B) (When I had been) anointed twelve years, the following was ordered by me. (C) Everywhere in my dominions the Yuktas, the Rājūka, and the Prādeśika shall set out on a complete tour (throughout their charges) every five years for t…
Major Rock Edict IV (Girnar Version)
(A) In times past, for many hundreds of years, there had ever been promoted the killing of animals and the hurting of living beings, discourtesy to relatives, (and) discourtesy to Brāhmaṇas and Śramaṇas. (B) But now, in consequence of the practice of morality on the part of king …
Major Rock Edict IX (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus. (B) Men are practising various ceremonies during illness, or at the marriage of a son or a daughter, or at the birth of a son, or when setting out on a journey; on these and other (occasions) men are practising various ceremonies. (C…
Major Rock Edict V (Girnar Version)
(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…
Major Rock Edict VI (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānāṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus. (B) In times past neither the disposal of affairs nor the submission of reports at any time did exist before. (C) But I have made the following (arrangement). (D) Reporters are posted everywhere, (with instructions) to report to me t…
Major Rock Edict VII (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin desires (that) all sects may reside everywhere. (B) (For) all these desire both self-control and purity of mind. (C) But men possess various desires (and) various passions. (D) Either they will fulfil the whole, or they will fulfil (only) a porti…
Major Rock Edict VIII (Girnar Version)
(A) In times past kings used to set out on pleasure-tours. (B) On these (tours) hunting and other such pleasures were (enjoyed) (C) But when king Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin had been anointed ten years, he went to Saṁbodhi. (D) Therefore these tours of morality (were undertaken). (E…
Major Rock Edict X (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin does not think that either glory or fame conveys much advantage, except (on account of his aim that) in the present time, and in the distant (future), men may (be induced) by him to practise obedience to morality, and that they may conform to the…
Major Rock Edict XI (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānampriya Priyadarśīn speaks thus. (B) There is no such gift as the gift of morality, or acquaintance through morality, or the distribution of morality, or kinship through morality. (C) Herein the following are (comprised), (viz.) proper courtesy to slaves and servant…
Major Rock Edict XII (Girnar Version)
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin is honouring all sects: both ascetics and householders; both with gifts and with honours of various kinds he is honouring them. (B) But Devānaṁpriya does not value either gifts or honours so (highly) as (this), (viz.) that a promotion of the esse…
Major Rock Edict XIII (Girnar Version)
(A) . . . . . . . . . the Kaliṅgas . . . . . . . . . (B) . . . . . . . . . one hundred thousand in number were those who were slain there, (and) many times as many those who died. (C) After that, now that (the country of) the Kaliṅgas has been taken, a zealous study of morality .…
Major Rock Edict XIV (Girnar Version)
(A) These rescripts on morality have been caused to be written by king Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin either in an abridged (form), or of middle (size), or at full length. (B) And the whole was not suitable everywhere. (C) For (my) dominions are wide, and much has been written, and I s…