1837J on the Columns of Delhi, Allahabad, Betiah, fyc. bIZ 



direct illustration by the actual employment of the term dharma vriddhi 

 was wanting ; and, although on further search the precise expression 

 was not found; the pandit met with many instances of the word 

 vrlidhi occurring in connection with bodhi, which as applied to the 

 Buddhist faith was nearly synonymous with dharma : Bodhi vriddhi, 

 the growth of knowledge, or metaphorically the growth of the bodhi 

 or sacred fig tree — the tree of knowledge, being as applicable to Bud- 

 dhism, as dharma vriddhi, the growth of grace. Thus in the 181st 

 leaf : 



t^ttot ^<*reTfM1ii wrsft^rei: w^THresf sjwer: *9kifA Wv 

 *r*5r fw wi famr h 



'The bhikshus (priests) at that time (said there were) eight goddesses of bodhi 

 vriddhi; that is to say: — Sri vriddhi, day 6, sreyasl, chit, idavald, satyavddini ; 

 samaguni, chayd* • — these (eight divine personifications) from doing service 

 to the great saint, by the practice of asceticism, as well as by the grace of the 

 great saint, (the said priests) have magnified.' 



This passage is corrupt and consequently obscure, but it teaches 

 plainly that dharmavriddhi of our inscription may always be under- 

 stood, like bodhivridhi, in the general acceptation of ' the Buddhist 

 religion.' 



Proselytism, turning the wheel, or publishing the doctrines, which- 

 ever is preferred, was evidently a main object of the Buddhist system, 

 and it is pointed at continually in the pillar inscription. Not content 

 with injunctions to spread the tenets among the rich, the poor, the 

 householder, and the ascetic ; — brahmans, the arch- opponents of the 

 faith, are also named, under the disguise of the corrupt spelling bdbhana ; 

 even the court and the zenanah (if the term is allowable for a period an- 

 terior to the seclusion of the fair sex) — are specifically recommended 

 to the discreet and respectful endeavours of the missionary. 



I have said that the founder of the faith is not named. Neither is 

 the ordinary title of the priesthood, bhikhu or bhichhu to be found, 

 though the word is so frequently met with among the Bhilsa ddnams. 

 The words mahdmatd, (written sometimes mdtd) and dhamma mahdmatd 

 aeem used for priests c the wise men, the very learned in religion.' — 



* Grace, increase, mercy, happiness, genius, praise-giving, truth-speaking, 

 equality. — Dayd is written tayA : idavald, aj&vald, and samaguni, samagini : in 

 fact the whole volume is so full of errors of transcription that it was with diffi- 

 culty Kamala'ka'nta could manage to restore the correct reading. 

 4 B 



