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201 EDICT III SELF-EXAMINATION

Thus saith His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the King:—

'A man sees only his good deed and says, "This good deed has been done by me." In no wise does he see his ill deed (or "sin") and say, "This ill deed have I done, this act called impiety."

Difficult, however, is self-examination of this kind.

Nevertheless, a man should see to this that brutality, cruelty, anger, pride, jealousy, are the things leading to impiety, [and should say], "By reason of these may I not fall."

This is chiefly to be seen to—"The one course avails me for the present world, the other course avails me also for the world to come.

Comment

This document is easily understood. The word 'impiety,' âsinave, connects it closely with the preceding edict.

'Brutality' is Rhys Davids's rendering of chaṁdiye.

'Self-examination,' paṭivekhe, seems to mean nearly the same thing as parîkshâ in P. E. II. 'Also,' mana, is Michelson's translation.

EDICT IV THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF GOVERNORS

Thus saith His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the King:—

'When I had been consecrated twenty-six years I caused this scripture of the Law of Piety to be written.

To my Governors set over many hundred thousands of people I have granted independence in the award of honours and penalties in order that the Governors