1838.] rocks of Girnar in Gujerat, and Dhauli in CuttacJc. 263 



Remarks, On the first edict. 



The understanding of the opening sentence of this edict baffled me 

 for a long time because of the separation of the word kanchi by the 

 termination of the first line — idhanakam chijivam was the obvious and 

 unintelligible reading ; for it must be remarked that throughout the 

 Girnar and Cuttack inscriptions the words are all run into one another, 

 Sanskrit fashion, and we are deprived of the material help afforded by 

 their separation on the Delhi pillars. 



There is also more uncertainty in the value of many of the letters 

 particularly the vowels, in this than in many of the following edicts ; 

 probably from its being at the top it was more exposed to the weather 

 and less accessible to the copyist. I cannot therefore be satisfied with 

 my translation until I get a facsimile. 



It seems to have been a common practice with Buddhist kings to 

 commence their reign by proclaiming a prohibition of the destruction 

 of animal life. Thus in the second taranga of the RCja Tarangini 

 the following account of the first act of Meghavahana*, a Buddhist 

 sovereign of Kashmir of the third or fourth century : 



c\ ■>■ 



" At the time of (Meghavahana's) coronation, his ministers by his com- 

 mand sounded the drum in all places for the prohibition of slaying. 



" The killing of living beings being restrained by the prosperous king, his 

 ministers obliged (the people) to resort to sinless occupations according to their 

 several means. 



" In his reign, who equalled Jina (Buddha) the successful opponent of Ka'ma 

 an animal for sacrifice was made (in effigy) of cakes and clarified butter." 



The expression ehdchd samoja sddhwmatd y might almost be inter- 

 preted, * the worship of one is wholesome for the congregation ;' but it 

 is remarkable that throughout the document there is no mention of the 

 deity, or any object of direct worship. The sacred dhamma, < virtue,' 



* This name reminds us forcibly of the epithet of Aira raja at Khandgiri ;— 

 I find no account given of its origin, but the pandit supposes it may have been 

 a title obtained from his invasion of Ceylon, to which island (being befriended by 

 Varuna) the Cashmir raja was conveyed without touching the water. 

 2 l 2 



