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Art. XXI.—Buddhist Inscription of King Priyadarsí—Translation and Observations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2011

Wilson
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Extract

When laying before the Society the results of my examination of the Girnár, Dhauli and Kapur di giri inscriptions of Raja Priyadarsí I expressed an opinion, that, although the tenor of the inscriptions was not incompatible with a leaning to the religion of Buddha, yet the total absence of any positive indication of the usual epithets of Buddha, or any reference to the peculiarities of the Buddhist system, left some uncertainty; with regard to the actual creed of the Raja, and his intimate connection with the followers of Buddha.

Type
Original Communications
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 16 , January 1856 , pp. 357 - 367
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1856

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References

1 The following is one of the fourteen declarations in the Jain work referred to, and will convey a notion of the language employed:— “Aham bhante apachchhimá maranantiyá sankhaná dhúsaná tasa vayassa ime pancha aïyára tam jahá ihaloga sahassa paüge jíviyá sahassa paüge maraná sahassa paüge káma bhogasahassa paüge mábhanum mujh maranantiya e chyár nánasavisayedansanasavisaye pancha-anuvayamsavisaye tinnayunavayamsavisaye chattarasishávayamsavisaye bárah vratám mánhi gyán ke bích man kari vachan kari káya kari jo köí dúshan lagá höi Bítrágjí tumari sákhi gurudebji tumari sákhi kari dúshaa lágá höi tassam ichliámi dukkadam.” The last words are good Hindi, and may be rendered, “if there should occur any fault of mind, speech, or body in respect of knowledge with regard to the twelve obligations, should such fault occur in your conviction, passionless sage, or in your conviction, spiritual teacher, then I wish or consent (to perform) its difficult (expiation).” In what precedes we have a series of technical terms for which an interpreter is needed. For the only published work of the Jainas, the Kalpa Sutra, we are indebted to the Rev. Dr. Stevenson. According to him, Parikammane, or Parikramana, is going to confess to a Guru; vaya is used for vrta, and aïyára for áchára. Sanskrit equivalents for several of the terms may be readily suggested, but ttie sense of the special denominations is peculiar to the Jainas.