Page:Asoka - the Buddhist Emperor of India.djvu/191

Rh ''E. II. I.'', latest ed. The term Pulinda was used vaguely to denote wild hill-tribes. Here it probably refers to people like the Bhîls in the Vindhya and Sâtpura hills.

The next sentence shows that Asoka's envoys or missioners, dûta, carried on his propaganda among all the peoples named.

'Scripture of the Law,' dhramamipi, or dhaṁmalipi, K., as in other passages. Nipi, not dipi, is the correct reading (Hultzsch).

'If, perchance, a conquest should please them.' The translation has been suggested by Hultzsch, but the meaning is uncertain. Senart and Bühler took sara as 'by arrows,' or 'by arms,' a forced interpretation not likely to be right. 'Patience' seems to be the best rendering of kshânti (châtiṁ), but 'mercy' and 'forbearance' are alternatives. Asoka, as elsewhere, proclaims that his teaching results in 'delight,' 'joy,' or 'joyousness,' and insists on the superior claims of the next world.

The supplementaiy imperfect inscription appended only at G. seems to refer to the lost ﬁgure of an elephant, such as is incised on the rock at K. with the legend Gaj [o]tame (gajottama), 'the most excellent elephant.' At Dh. an elephant carved in relief looks down upon the inscriptions (E. H. I. frontispiece). The elephant was a familiar symbol of Buddha.

EDICT XIV EPILOGUE (G. text, which is slightly fuller than Sh.; all three, K. being the third, are well preserved.)

'This scripture of the Law of Piety has been written by command of His Sacred Majesty the King, [in a form] sometimes condensed, sometimes of medium length, and sometimes expanded; and everything is not brought together everywhere. For great is my dominion, and much has been written, and much shall I cause to be written.