1878.] Rajendralala Mitra— 0/^ the 'Early Life of AsoJca. 17 



testimony could not be of any use in settling the question. The most impor- 

 . tant of these symbols was the svastiha. It was unquestionably held in 

 great veneration by the Jains ; but, as shewn elsewhere (Proceedings for June 

 1877), it was held in equal esteem by the Hindus, and was well known to, 

 and used by, the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Assyrians and other nations of 

 antiquity. Mr. Thomas is of opinion that the Pali annalists of the 5th 

 century, living years after the event, could not be expected to afford the 

 best evidence on the subject. " Under any circumstances," he observes, 

 " their testimony would not carry much weight in the argument about other 

 lands and other times, and it is moreover, a crucial question as to how much 

 they knew about Brahmanism itself, and whether the use of the word 

 Brahmanism does not imply merely, in this sense, a non-Buddhist or any reli- 

 gion opposed to their own."* This assumption of the ignorance of the Sin- 

 halese annalists as to the true nature of Brahmanism is, however, gratuitous. 

 There is nothing to justify it : on the contrary much in their writings 

 to show that they were perfectly familiar with it. Their intercourse with 

 the people of the Coromandel Coast gave them ample op2)ortunities to know 

 the nature of Brahmanism ; and Brahmanism in the South did not, in the 

 6th century, differ much, if at all, from that of the North. 



As a collateral evidence of much weight in the case. Dr. Mitra read 

 from the Asoka Avaddna, an extract in which are described the means which 

 certain Tirthikas are said to have adopted for checking the progress of 

 Buddhism, and persuading Vitasoka, the younger brother of Asoka, not to 

 adopt the religion of Buddha which his brother was promulgating, and to 

 rise in rebellion against him. It runs thus— r 



" Beholding this (the attention paid by Asoka to the dissemination of 

 the Buddhist creed), these arrogant Tirthikas, oppressed by the fire of 

 envy, collected together, and said to each other : * Should this king 

 Asoka continue a worshipper of Buddha, all other persons, encouraged 

 by him, would likewise become followers of Buddha. None among the people 

 will be devout ; none of the good S'ravakas will listen to us with respect. 

 We should therefore, for the promotion of honor and fame, always adopt such 

 means as will make us fully trusted.' Excited by this speech, the arrogant 

 Tirthikas came to the resolution of adopting immediate action. Then these 

 Tirthis went from house to house of well-disposed people, and, blessing 

 them, thus addressed them : * Honorable sirs, listen to us if you wish for 

 your own good. Should you wish for a blessed hereafter, devote yourself 

 to the true religion. Ours is the true religion, and therefore attend to it 

 with all respect. The religion of the Bauddhas is not the true one, for it pro- 

 vides no salvation (mokslia)' Hearing these words some were convinced, 

 others vacillated, and some would not believe them at all. Thus those 

 * Journal Eoy. As. Soc. IX, p. 181. 



