Lineage of Aśoka: Brāhmi, Dhamma and Edicts

Pratna Samiksha, 2019

The present article deals with the Separate Edicts of Asoka which have been discovered at Dhauli and Jaugada in Odisha and Sannati in Karnataka. Though several scholars in the past have discussed these edicts yet this is a fresh attempt at analyzing the work-pattern of the scribes and engravers which was a desideratum. At the same time we have also carried out extensive field survey and this exploration has brought to light several intricacies which help in a better understanding of the inscriptions in the natural landscapes and proper context of each text. This article explores the Kalioga-Karnataka connect which helps us to indicate that Kalioga in its broader sense or extended territorial sense included Sannati. The presence of the Separate Rock Edicts and their engraving pattern has led us to designate them as locality specific imperial orders vis-à-vis the general imperial orders which is a term coined here for the first time for designating the common versions of edicts, i.e. the Major Rock Edicts. We have also suggested here that the Separate Rock Edicts were not in the scheme of Major Rock Edicts and were specific orders to local administrators. The omission and inclusion of certain edicts mainly Rock Edicts XI, XII, and XIII have been dealt here at length. We have shown through work pattern analysis that at Dhauli and Jaugada two different set of artisans were working who probably belonged to the same school of engraving. Among the administrators addressed in edicts at these localities we have the kumara at Dhauli mahamatras at Dhauli, Jaugada, and Sannati and nagaravyavaharakas at Dhauli and Jaugada and also the rajavacanika at Jaugada. The SREs were never a part of the Asokan generic communication, i.e. general imperial orders which were engraved with a scheme in mind to encircle his empire and give an idea to his borderers and neighbours about the ruler. These two orders (SRE) were locality specific ones which could make their entry into the prime space of general royal imperial order domain. The administrators of the localities of Dhauli, Jaugada, and Sannati were thus successful in displaying their closeness to the apex political power through the inclusion of SREs in the Major Rock Edict scheme.

2018

This article emphasis on evaluating the idea of Emperor Aśoka especially from Pillar Edict Seven. The comparison is made on the basis of the context, ideas and emotions that are depicted on the pillar. An emphasis is also made on comparing the edict line by line in order to understand different dimensions plotted by the Emperor depending on situation, place and society. It is very clear that inscriptions of Aśoka play a vital role in illuminating ancient history. This paper is primary aimed to provide a concise but comprehensive manner of understanding about the ideas of Emperor Aśoka in erecting pillar edict seven. Nevertheless, this paper is supposed to be a descriptive analysis and also my own understanding of pillar edict seven.

Heritage of Indian History, Culture and Archeology (Festschrift to Dr. M.D. Sampath), 2020

Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2018

It is commonly held among scholars that Aśoka's Minor Rock Edicts were the king's first attempts at engraving his messages on stone, and as such, they represent the earliest evidence for writing in India. While this may be true, it has not been duly emphasised that the text of the Minor Rock Edicts, in several versions as we have it, shows considerable traces of influence by the Major Rock Edicts and Pillar Edicts. Particular instances for such an influence in the text are the intrusion of the key term dhaṃma or the use of a general formulaic language characteristic of the later edicts. In our discussion , we wish to bring out some of these "Major" trends in the Minor Rock Edicts, making proposals for new interpretations and reading in Minor Rock Edicts I and II. On a similar basis, we will propose placing the Greco-Aramaic edict from Kandahar in the context of the Minor Rock Edicts, and try to account for the elements which may be derived from the Major Rock Edicts by the same scribal procedure as can be supposed to have been at work in formulating the text of the Minor Rock Edicts.

A New Interpretation of the Edicts of Aśoka from Kandahar, 2018

From Alexandria of Arachosia, present-day Kandahar, we have two edicts in Greek, issued by the sovereign Maurya Aśoka (c. 270-230 BC). Arachosia, the ancient Eastern satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire – corresponding to present-day southeastern Afghanistan – had long seen the meeting of the Iranian world to the west and the Indian world to the east. As from the end of the fourth century BC, after the conquest by Alexander the Great and the occupation of the eastern dominions of the Empire by Seleucus Nicator, it was to see a conspicuous Greek presence, strikingly attested by the epigraphs of Aśoka. The first edict – discovered in 1957 – is in two languages, Greek and Aramaic, while the second – discovered in 1963 – is in Greek alone. On the basis of texts from the court of Maurya of Pāṭaliputra, both of them constitute summaries of and propaganda for the conversion and moral principles inspiring Aśoka, subsequent to his bloody conquest of Kaliṅga. Our aim here is to take stock of certain issues, proposing a new completion for the opening lacuna in the Greek section of the bilingual epigraph, and casting doubt anew on the originality of the Greek texts, considering the attribution of the region to Indian, rather than Seleucid rule after the pact between Seleucus Nicator and Candragupta Maurya, Aśoka’s grandfather (c. 305 BC).

This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding on the Asoka's inscriptions, examining the contents, languages and objectives of the inscriptions. This research is a qualitative research carried out with library approach, in which the data are gathered from sources like books, journals, articles and relevant researches by scholars. The Buddhist literatures including Sri Lankan chronicles are also used to provide the information about the figure of King Asoka and his contributions to Buddhism. This research proves that the King Asoka was a significant figure in the Indian history, who was recognized for his impactful reign and advocacy for Buddhism. The archaeological discoveries, including inscriptions scattered across India, offer substantial historical insights into Asoka's reign and his endeavors. In his reign, the king utilized inscriptions as a means to disseminate his message of peace and harmony. The purpose of those inscriptions was to establish the Dhamma or righteousness teachings to the society.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate to what extent ideologically motivated translations influence our understanding of Asoka's policies, as expressed in his Edicts. In his monumental work on Asoka's biography, Guruge notes: 'Some translators have taken liberties with the text to such an extent, especially by the insertion of explanatory notes in parenthesis, that ideas not found or even remotely hinted at in inscriptions are being introduced. Theories built on such imported additions tend to distort the data'. This is an important remark, if one seeks an explanation of the ease with which Asoka is being removed from the realities of power and made to serve as a paragon of all possible virtues. There exists, however, a less transparent technique to reach that very goal, that is, when translators have the freedom to select a desirable meaning from among available synonyms; its characteristic trace can be found, among others, in the Rock Edict VIII. In this paper, it is argued that the translators' shift from a specific to a general meaning of two terms (dasane and thaira) deprives the text of the Edict of its status as a historical artifact.

This is in English, the introduction to a series of visits I was able make to Ashoka's rock edicts in 2010, 2012 and 2013 in Karnataka and in Andhra Pradesh. All the Minor Rock Edicts I et II in this series are found in Karnataka, and two at Erragudi (Yerragudi) in Andhra Pradesh. These visits will bring surprises, some good, some less good. Yet the sun will remain implacable. This introduction will bring you far in space and time.