1837.] Further elucidation of I at or SUasthamba inscriptions. 793 



;ies, will be of essential use in expounding our new discovery, and my 

 )nly excuse for not having taken the epitome already published as my 

 piide before is, that the identity of Piyadassi was not then established. 



I think we shall be able to discover the actual names of many of 

 he Buddhist monasteries now visible by their ruins or by columns 

 till standing : thus the uncouth name read in the Bhilsd inscription 

 ^o. 2 (see p. 458), as Kokunada sphota, (or bodaj vihdra, may probably 

 urn out to be Kukkutarama vihdra of the following passage. 



Purisdnan dasadhehi satehi pariwdrito, gantwdna KuJckutdrdmdn sonakatthera 

 idddasun ; 



Samhpatti samdyannan nisinnan sanwutindriyan wanditi nalapantan tan natwd 

 anghama puchchhi tan. 



"Attended by a retinue of five hundred men, having repaired to KuJcJcutarama 

 ih&ra, they saw there the thero Sonako seated absorbed in the Samepatti 

 leditation, with the action of the senses suspended. Perceiving that he was 

 ilent while he bowed to him, he questioned the priests on this point." 



The Allahabad vihdra was called Walukaramo ; that of Rdjagriha, 

 Veluwana, the Sarun one probably Anuradhapura, that at the capital 

 \pphapura, Asokaramo, &c. In three years they were all completed 

 ; we may put faith in the following extract : — 



Wihdre te samdraddhe sabbe sabbapuresu pi sddhukan tihi vassehi nitthapesun 

 >,an6rame. 



Thirassa Indaguttassa Kammddhitthdyakassatu iddhlydchdsu nitthdsi Asokara- 

 ma whayo. 



Jinena paribhuttesic thanesucha, tahin, tahin, chttiydni akdresi ramaniydn 

 hupati. 



Purehi chaturdsiti sahassehi samantatd, lekhe ekdham dnesun w\hdr£ nitthitd 

 i, &fc. 



" All these individuals in different towns, commencing the construction of 

 >lendid wiharas completed them in three years. By the merit of the thero 

 sdagutto, and of that of the undertaker of the work, the wihara called Asoka- 

 xmo was also completed in that time. At the places at which the vanquisher of 

 ve five deadly sins had worked the works of his mission, the sovereign caused 

 >lendid dagobas to be constructed. From eighty-four cities (of which 

 upphapura) was the centre, despatches were brought on the same day, announc- 

 g that the wihdras were completed, &c." 



Whole pages of the Mahdwanso might be quoted bearing upon the 

 irious points of the inscription : — thus, the conversion from a sinful 

 fe to righteousness, with which the north tablet commences, may be 

 tplained either by the circumstances of Asoka's rise to the throne 

 v'er the bodies of his 99 murdered brethren ; or by his slaughter of 

 le priests at the chief temple, after the seven years surpension of 

 le uposatha ceremonies, when the faith was purged ; — but for all 

 iese I must refer to the work itself. The cause of the addition of 

 lharma to the Pauranic name of Asoka, by Buddhist writers, is 

 ^plained in a very satisfactory line : 

 5 H 



