1840.] Inscription found near Bhabr a. 617 



The whole credit of the interpretation, and of the editing of this inter- 

 esting inscription rests with Capt. Kittoe ; and I will only state, T have ad- 

 dressed Capt. Burt, in hopes of obtaining from him traces of further Boodhist 

 relics, as it would be likely that such should exist in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of the site in which an inscription so remarkable was discovered. 



ffl 



Note. — By Captain M. Kittoe. 



The above mentioned inscription is evidently one of Asoka's edicts, 

 differing somewhat in style and language from those of the pillars and 

 rocks, the character is however the same as No. J. 



The subject is the Budhist commandment, forbidding the sacrifice 

 of four footed animals, and appears to have been addressed to offenders 

 either of the Budhist faith, or perhaps to those who had not yet 

 become converts, but still followed the laws of the Munis, i. e., 

 the Vedas, which books are here condemned as " mean and false 

 in their doctrine, and not to be obeyed ;" in this point the inscription 

 is curiously interesting ; it is the only one yet discovered in which the 

 Vedas are condemned by name. 



With the aid of the learned Pundit Kamala Kanta, I have been 

 enabled to offer what I trust will be found a tolerably correct version. 

 I first transcribed the whole in Deva Nagri, supplying by guess 

 the letters represented as doubtful or obliterated, when after reading it 

 several times to the Pundit, he had no difficulty in rendering the 

 whole in pure Sanscrit, from which language that of the inscription 

 differs but very slightly. 



From the style of the first sentence, I should be inclined to 

 think that the chapter, (though in itself complete) may have been 

 connected with others; for upon comparing it with the Lat,h and 

 rock tablets, it will be found that all the leading chapters in those 

 commence with the titles of Asoka in full ; thus, " Devanum Piya 

 Piya-Dasa Raja Evam aha," " the beloved of the gods, the much 

 beloved Raja — thus spake," and it is only in the intermediate ones 

 that " Piyadasi Raja" alone occurs ; it would be therefore worthy of in- 

 quiry, whether any other fragments are to be found, also whether from 

 appearances the spot indicates the former existence of any Stuppa 

 or Deogope, or otherwise, that it may be presumed that the inscribed 



