8 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [January, 1908. 
10. Vasanto tattha sattaham rajuyyane manorame 
Sikkhanto so mahipalo sa sambuddhasamayam subham 
11. Tasmim yeva ca sattahe dve ca yakkhe mahipati 
Pesetva mahiyam bhikkh@ asese sannipatayi. 
12. Sattame divase gantva sakaramam manoramam 
Karesi bhikkhusamghassa sannipatam asesato. 
13, Te micchaditthike sabbe pucchitva afifiatitthiye 
Natva satthi sahassani uppabbajesi bhupati. 
Karotu bhante ’ iccevam vatva therassa bhiipati 
15. Samghassa rakkham datvaéna nagaram aaa subham 
amgho samaggo hutvana tadakasi uposathan ti 
Tasmim samagame Moggaliputtatissatthero parappavadam 
maddamano Kathavatthapakaranam abhasi. ‘“ In the 228th year 
after the Parinibbana of the Perfectly Enlightened One all the 
heretics, sixty thousand in number, having lost their gain and 
yee at last getting not even food and clothing, became desirous 
of gain and honour and so, of themselves, they shaved their heads 
and po on the orange- -coloured robe and, living in monasteries, 
even entered upon the performance of the Uposatha and other 
cants did not hold the Uposatha = six years. Then Asoka, the 
king of righteousness, was in the 15th year of his consecration. 
The king being desirous of pu mer ying the religion caused the 
Order of mendicants to be convened at the Asokarama. When 
questions, and, finding out that they were not mendicants (bhik- 
khus) but heretics, gave them white garments and cast them out 
of the Order. Then said the king: ‘ Now, sirs, is the religion 
purified ; let the Order of mendicants perform the Uposatha,’ and, 
having given the Order his protection, he entered the city. The 
whole of the assembly having met together performed the Upo- 
satha. And so those of old have said: ‘ Two hundred and twenty- 
eight years after the Parinibbana of the Perfectly Hnlightened, 
the king Asoka, the lord of earth, dwelling there for seven days 
in the pleasant royal pleasure- garden, le earnt the excellent religion 
of the Perfectly Enlightened, and during those same seven days 
the king sent two Yakkhos and caused all the bhikkhus in the 
land to be assembled. On the seventh day he went to his 
own pleasant temple! and caused the whole priesthood without 
Seaton to assemble. Then he questioned all the false-believing 
heretics, and, having found them out, he, the king, 6 sixty 
thousand from the Order. Then the king said to the elder: ‘ As 
the Order has been purified, reverend sir, let the Order perform the 
Uposatha,’ and having given the Order his protection he entered 
! The Asokarama which he had caused to be built. 


