308 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XVI, 
In the Divyavadana Asoka is styled as a Kshatriya who con- 
siders it derogatory to take onions. 
—. referre d to the prohibition of animal sacrifices 
Pandit Sastri says: ‘This was followed by another edict in 
which ‘isthe boasted that those who were — as gods on 
earth have been reduced by him into false gods. If it means 
anything it means that the Brahmanas who were at as 
Bhidevas or gods on earth had been shown up by him 
The orginal passage referred to above runs thus 
Y (i)-tmaya kalaya Jambudipasi amisa deva ae te dant 
m (1)s- kata 
M.M, ‘Sastri followed the interpretation of Senart. But 
pera Sylvain Lévi has shown that the word amisa cannot 
stand for Sanskrit amrisha, for in the Bhabru edict we find 
musa and not misa for Sanskrit mrisha. The recently dis- 
covered Maski version reads misibhita for misam-kata showing 
that the original form was misribhita. It will be grammatically 
incorrect to form misibhaia from Sanskrit mrisha. The wo 
misra means mixed. And misribhita means “made to mix.’ 
There is thus no question of “ showing up” any body. The 
true import of the passage has been pointed out by . Prof. 
Bhandarkar, in Ind. Ant., 1912, p. 170. 
M.M. Sastriadds that the appointment by Asoka of Dharma 
mahamatras, i.e. of superintendents of morals, was a direct 
establishment of piety (which included liberality to Brahmanas) 
the promotion of the welfare of the Yavanas, Kambojas, 
Gandharas, Brahmanas and others, the prevention of wrongful 
ra atone ys or chastisement, the deliverance of men smitten 
ala 
hman 
astri next refers to the passage kan Asoka 
insists upon his officers strictly observing the principles of 
Dandasamata and Vyavaharasamata. He takes the expressions 
to mean equality of punishment and equality in law suits 
irrespective of caste, colour and creed, and adds that this order 
e passage containing the words Dandasamaia and 
Vyavaharasamata should not be divorced from its context and 
interpreted as if it were an isolated ukase. We quote the 
passage with the context below 
My Rajukas have been granted independence in the award 
