454 Examination of the Inscription, [May, 



stood as the initiatory grade of the priesthood*, as well as self-mortifi- 

 cation for religion's sake. The word is frequently to be met with in 

 the Mahdwanso whence I extract the following passages, along with Mr. 

 Turnour's translation, in illustration of both meanings of nikhama. 



Purisdnan sahassancha, itthiyo cha tatodhikd 



Khattiydnan kuldyeva nikkhamitwdna pabbajun. 



• A thousand males and a still greater number of females, descendants exclusively 

 of Khattiya families, impelled by their religious ardor, entered into the priesthood :' — 



Jdtejdte rdjagehe' d&rake ruddrakkhasi 



Samuddato nikkhamitwd, bhakkhitwina gacchati. 

 ' la those days as soon as an infant was born, a marine monster emerging from 

 the ocean devoured it and disappeared.' Epitome Mahawanso, p. 81. 



Following the translator's first example, the passage Ujenyd kumdle 

 nikhdmayisati hidasam vatam, may be rendered, * The prince in 

 Ujjein shall enforce with devotional fervor the self same conduct.' 



Taking it for granted that the Devdnampiya of these two edicts is 

 still Piyadasi or Asoka, we may easily discover who was the ' prince at 

 Oujeiri to whom he alludes. He must be either Ujjenio or * the 

 profoundly sapient great Mahindo' (Mahendba) son of Dharma- 

 soka who entered the priesthood at an early age, and who was deputed 

 along with his sister Sangamitta to spread Buddhism in the Island 

 of Ceylon, in the year 306, B. C. (following Buddhist reckoning.) 

 Ujjenio and Mahindo were the twin offspring of a romantic attach- 

 ment of the young Asoka, with the daughter of a gentleman or Setthif 

 at a place called Chetiyagiri when he was on his way to assume the 

 viceroy ship of Avanti. Probably the elder son held this government 

 afterwards, and dwelt there with his mother, who was styled Queen and 

 resided in a rich palace : for we find Mahindo paying them a visit 

 previous to his departure for Ceylon. 



Tadantare n&tiganan datthun katw&na manasah, 



Upajjhdyancha sanghan cha wanditwd pucchi bhupatih, 



Ad&ya chatu.ro third Sanghamittdya utajah 



Sumanan samanerancha, jalabhinnan mahiddhikah. 



Ndtinan sanghan kdtun agama Dakkhinagirih ; 



Tathd tatthd charantassa chhammdsd samatikkamuh. 

 1 Having formed an earnest desire to visit his relations during this interval ; rever- 

 entially taking his leave of his preceptor and of the priesthood, and having also 

 obtained the consent of the king (his father Dhammasoko), taking with him four 

 theros and the Samanero Samano, the son of Sanghamitta, who was preter- 

 naturally gifted, and master of the six branches of religious knowledge departed for 

 Dakkhinagiri for the purpose of administering the comforts (of religion) to his (mater- 

 nal) relations. There this pilgrim passed six months in this avocation. 5 



* See the Amera kosha (Clough's Pali vocabulary, page 111) ; " nekkhamman— the 

 priestly state, renunciation of worldly pursuits for the purpose of devoting one's-self to 

 religious meditation, release from transmigration, mental abstraction or vision, &c." 



f One of the Seth family, or ijf%- the president, or foreman of an association. 



