Page:Asoka - the Buddhist Emperor of India.djvu/178

176 difficulties, but fails to suggest an alternative. Other suggestions have been made. which are not convincing. On the whole, the rendering by Mr. Thomas still seems to me to be the best.

Part of the 'commandment' is the duty of liberality, but obedience to that part may be dispensed with.

EDICT VIII PIOUS TOURS (Sh. text.)

In times past Their Sacred Majesties used to go out on so-called "tours of pleasure." In those tours hunting and other similar amusements used to be practised.

His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the present King, after he had been consecrated ten years went out to Bôdh Gaya or "towards supreme knowledge"). Thence arose "tours of piety." In them this is the practice—visiting ascetics and Brahmans, with liberality to them; visiting elders, with largess of gold; visiting the people of the country, with instruction in the Law of Piety, and discussion of that Law.

Consequently, since that time a different portion constitutes the pleasuring of His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the King.'

Comment

'Their Sacred Majesties' (devanaṁ priya), replaced by 'Kings' (râjâns) in G. and Dh. The passage is interesting as proving conclusively that the style devânâm priya was an established royal title borne by several of Asoka's predecessors. Gr. omits 'so-called' ('nama'). 'In those tours' seems to me to be the meaning of 'here' (atra; eta, G.; iha, M.; hidâ, K.) In the later sentence beginning 'In them' the word is atra, Sh. and M.; etayaṁ, G.; and hetâ, K. 'The present King,' so, Sh.