584 Interpretation cf the inscriptions [July* 



Thus spake king Deva'nampiya Piyadasi : — Whatever appeareth to 

 me to be virtuous and good, that is so held to be good and virtuous by 

 me, and not the less if it have evil tendency, is it accounted for evil by 

 me or is it named among the asinave (the nine offences ?). Eyes are 

 given (to man) to distinguish between the two qualities (between 

 right and wrong) : according to the capacity of the eyes so may they 

 behold. The following are accounted among the nine minor trans- 

 gressions : — mischief, hard-heartedness, anger, pride, envy. These 

 evil deeds of nine kinds shall on no account be mentioned. They 

 should be regarded as opposite (or prohibited). Let this (ordinance) 

 be impressed on my heart, let it be cherished with all my soul. 



17 Devdnam piya piya dasi Ldja hevam dhd. Kaydnammeva dekhati iyam me 



18 kaydnekateti. Nomina pdpam dekhati, iyam me pdpekateti : iyamvd asinave 



19 ndmdti 16. Dupatavekha chukho esa hevam chukho esa dekhiye 17. Imdni 



20 asinava gaminindma (ti) 18 ; atha chandiye nith&riye kodhd mdne isyd : 



21 karananavahakam 19 mdpalibhasoyisanti : esa bddha dekhiye 20 iyam me 



22 hidatikdye iyam mana me p&liti kdye (ti) 21. 



15. By the pandit ^^TWHT T^Tfa T^ * *S"®m Sr^firT literally '(what- 

 ever) may direct or tend to the happiness of me — this for my happiness is done.* 

 Again %Tfa*T (by iteration for) «TWTJ t^fa T^ 'hrnrSrSfa' (whatever) 

 may exhibit the sinlessness of me — this for my sinlessness is done, (me'-apbpe.) In 

 the translation I have suppo sed iyam to be ay am, in the neuter, and have taken 

 dekhati, as allied to the -vernacular dekhna, which in Sanskrit changes in 

 this tense to drishyate or^WfT is seen. 



16. T*f ^T ^fo'r'^crT^f'T — or this is called Asinava— & word of unknown 

 meaning. The pandits would read adlnava, transgressions — but the word is repeat- 

 ed more than once with the same spelling, and must therefore be retained. 



17. An obscure passage, chakho (written chukho) being neuter does not agree 

 with esa m. — overruling this as an error, we may make, ^nT«rtf%$f '^^r.ricT 

 f*f ^'^fTrnnifrJ' — dekhiya, is precisely the modern Hindi subjunctive, ' may 

 or shall it see.' — See note 15. 



18. The ti does not exist on the Feroz $&t though it is retained on the others. 

 — Asinava ghmini is the former unknown term — which seems here to mean the 

 nineasa or petty offences. JIT*?1fi ; WH (are) ' included amongst, or called :' — 



19. ^m ^<^p*, *rtfS3. ISTO, WT, X^T, 3nT<!f 7R«fr— Some of these agree 

 with the nine kinds of subordinate crimes enumerated in Sanscrit works : — 

 which are as follows :— *TT^ ^TOT ^Ttf ?T^ STW ^*W "%? #T*T *?^T ignorance, 

 deceit, envy, inebriety, lust, hypocrisy, hate, covetousness, and avarice. These 

 several vices iTTirfcW^f^if'rT shall not even be named. 



20. ^*^Pf T ^SSP ' count these forbidden' (making esa agree with bddha as in 

 Latin) and for bddha reading bddha, opposition — hindrance. 



21. T^« 1"f^rajr, T** *5Tfa$ ^rf^rn^T?8fw» 'This is established in 

 my heart — this is cherished in my mind.' 



