572 Interpretation of the inscription [July, 



Of the twelve principal acts in Shakya's life described in the Gya* 

 cherrolpa (S. Lalitavistdra), the tenth is translated by Mr. Csoma 

 Korosi, " He turns the wheel of the law, or publishes his doctrine ;" 

 now it was possible that the Sanskrit of this expression might be found 

 ^W sfHf^fi'SJW or in the Pali, dhammavutti vavethayati, vutti signify- 

 ing explication or doctrine, as well as ' wheel.' 



Finding a copy of the Lalita Vistdra in Sanskrit amongst Mr. 

 Hodgson's valuable collection of Buddhist works transferred from the 

 College of Fort William to the Asiatic Society's library, I requested 

 my pandit Kamala'ka'nta to look into it for this expression ' wheel 

 of the law' adopted by the Tibetan translators ; and he was not long 

 in extracting an abundance of examples of its use : thus in the 299th 

 leaf, in the 25th adhydya, Tathagata {Buddha) is made to say : — 



' I will go to Benares: — having arrived at the city of Kdshi, I will turn the 

 wheel of the law, which is revolving amongst mankind, (i. e. I will run my 

 religious course.') 



The word dharmachakra is here distinct enough, and not to be 

 confounded with our dhammavadhi. The following example from the 

 213th leaf, I therefore add less to strengthen the evidence than as a 

 curious employment of many of the expressions met with in other 

 parts of our inscription, particularly in the eastern tablet. 



fawfessftnrai ^Tflcnreiwsj ^^rer spH^tto sra^g" ^amro 



" Having bowed the head in reverence : — Do thou, oh Bhagava'n, be pleased 

 to set about turning the wheel of the law of him that hath firmly embraced 

 Tatha'gata. Turn thou the wheel of the law oh Sugata ! For the benefit of 

 much people, for the delight of much people, for compassion to the world, for 

 the urgent reason of the necessities of man, — for the benefit, for the delight 

 alike of angels and men, — perform thou, oh Bhagava'n, the sacrifice of the law : 

 — pour down the plentiful shower of the law : — lift up on high the great banner 

 of the law : — blow forth the great conch of the law : —strike loud the great drum 

 of the law I" 



The multitude of metaphors employed in this example and through- 

 out the volume, in connection with dharma, prepares us for the dhamma 

 kdmatd, dhamma pekhd, dhamma vadhi of our inscription. Still a more 



