606 Interpretation of the inscriptions f July, 



let them find their way : — yea use your utmost endeavours among 

 these several classes, that the wise men, these men learned in the 

 religion, (or these doctrines of my religion) may penetrate among 

 these respectively, as well as among all other unbelievers. 



Thus spake king Devanampiya Piyadasi : — And let these (priests) 

 and others the most skilful in the sacred offices penetrating among the 

 charitably disposed of my queens and among all my secluded women dis- 



6. Ete cha arte cha bahu kdmakhd 24 ddnavisagasi 25 viydpatd se mama cheva de- 

 vinam 26 char, savasi cha' me nilo'dhanasi te bahu vidhena d (da) lena 27 tdni tdni tathd 



yatandni patita 28 hida cheva disdsu 29 cha ddlakdnam 30 pi cha me hate i ai)>~ 



ndndm cha devikumdrdnam 31 ime ddnavisagesu viydpata hohantiti, Dhammdpaddna 

 thdye dhammdnupatipatiye 32 : esahi dhammdpaddna 



24. Here the word -^j 3T*fl«RT. — i s substituted for ^^TffffT: — meaning 

 ' the finished practitioners in religious ceremonial' — for Kdmakhd read kdmakd, 

 or kdmathd, efi^grr. — but if mahamdtd be made ' doctrines' — kdmakd must be 

 rendered ceremonial. 



25. Z-T^rfwrnr ' among the free bestowers of charity,' in the Pdli the word 

 is used in the singular ddnavisagasi (asmin) for danavisage. 



26. Devinam S. jra ^^t«rf ^^Upsr, ' among the whole of my queens' in contra- 

 distinction to ni (?) rodhanasi, which may mean fiPS^T^J ' concubines ; sepa- 

 parated.' 



27. ^gsf^fcT ^rr^W, <w ith the utmost respect and reverence,' there is 

 evidently a letter wanting after &, which is supplied by a d. 



28. The pandit here also enables me to supply a hiatus of several letters :— 

 TfrfiT "t(\f*f "cTWT ^eJTf*T STcSF'tT or patita (yantu) let them (the priests) thus 

 discreetly or respectfully make their efforts (at conversion), — yatanam, exertion 

 pratita, respectful. 



2g. Hida cheva disdsucha, quasi g f ^r^ f^T? ( or f^JJTH ) * * n heart and 

 abroad, within and without ;' the application is dubious. I prefer ^"STT^J 

 1 with the eyes.' 



30. The pandit suggests ^j^p^f f rom ^JXJ w ^ e (whence may be formed 

 ^T^H^i" possessively) of inferior wives, women, but I find ^t^TT « a son' 

 in Wilson's dictionary and necessarily prefer a word exactly agreeing with the 

 text. 



31. 'S^jrqT^' ^^^ffiTTP!!*! ' °f other queens and princes :' ddnavisagesu is 

 here put in the plural, which makes it doubtful whether the former should not 

 also be so. (See note 25.) 



32. These two words in the 4th case must be connected with the preceding 

 sentence ^^T"qT^T«TRiT^r for the purpose of religious abstraction, dpdddnam, 

 * restraining the organs of sense,' has however tbe second a long . ^irar 

 (fern.) is a nazar or present, ^pj^rj a calamity ; ^T^T«raf?T^Tfi^ ' * or tne due 

 ascertainment of dharma,' for a regular religious instruction ? 



