2 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [January, 1907. 



9 Yati etameva sasanam visvariisayitave Ajanitave ca 



avatake ca tupliakam ahale . 



10 Savata vivasayatha tuphe etena viyaifijaiiena hemeva 



savesu kotavisavesu etena 



11 Viyariijanena vivasapayatha 



TRANSLATION. 



His Majesty 



• • • _ - « » 



in 



The Church is not to be divided. But whoever will break up 

 the Church, be it monk or nun, must be made to put on white 

 dress and live in a phice which is not a formal residence. Thus 

 must this edict be announced to the Order of Monks and to the 

 Order of Nuns. 



Thus His Majesty commands. One such writing was inscribed 

 for you at the place-of-assembly, that there it should remain. 

 And just such another writing you must inscribe for the laity. 

 The laity also should come on the Posathadays to be inspired with 

 confidence in this edict. And on the Posatha days in all months, 

 every officer is to come for the Posatha service to be inspired with 



confidence in this edict and to learn it. 



And throughout your district you must everywhere make 

 known the edict according to the letter of it. So, too, in all quar- 

 ters where strongholds are, you must cause it to be made known 

 according to the letter of it. 



REMARKS 



Short as it is, our inscription may be conveniently dividej 



paragra 

 paragrap 



Church must be 



dress 



of convent or monastery. Temporary suspension, if not expul- 

 sion, from the Order is to be the penalty for schism. A similar 

 injunction in almost the same words is found in the so-called 

 Kosambi Edict at Allahabad and again at Sanchi (Biihler's 

 Papers, Indian Antiquary, Vol. XIX and E.I., pp. 'S66 — 67). 

 Unfortunately, the opening portion of each of the three 

 tions is too badly injured to admit of certain restoration. Some 

 remarks on this point will be made below. We must wait for 

 more light epigraphical to know the special circumstances that 



called forth this edict aerainst RchisTnatina. 



inscr 



traditio 



it certainly confirms 

 -h heretical practices 

 in some churches of his time. ^And all the collateral evidence 



author of this edict 



points to Asoka and to no other as the 



speaking with the undisputed authority of the Head of the Bud- 

 dhist Church. 



Paragi^ph 2 conveys instructions to the King's ofl&cers. They 

 are informed that a Upi, or writing, to the tenor of the cited 



