The Besnagar Inscription of Heliodoros
Summary
This note builds on earlier work connecting a couplet in the Mahābhārata with the well‑known Besnagar (Heliodoros) pillar inscription at Vidisha. The author points out that the inscription, erected by Heliodoros, a Greek ambassador, praises three virtues—self‑control (dama), liberality (tyāga) and faith (apranāda). He cites two verses from the Śānti‑parvan of the Mahābhārata that eulogise the same virtues and argues that the epigraph’s stanza may have been inspired by this passage. The note reproduces the Sanskrit verses and compares them with similar lines in the Dharmapada and Udyogaparvan. It suggests that the diffusion of these ethical maxims across Buddhist and Hindu literature indicates a common moral ideal transcending sectarian boundaries.
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Conclusion
The author concludes that the Heliodoros inscription exemplifies the syncretic ethical atmosphere of early India, where similar moral teachings circulated across religious communities. Identifying literary parallels enhances our understanding of the cultural context of the pillar and underscores the importance of comparative textual study for epigraphy.