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Notes on Asoka Rescripts

By Sailendra Nath Mitra

Vol. 7 · No. 3September - 1931pp. 657English

Summary

In this note, the author comments on certain phrases appearing in the Aśokan edicts, focusing particularly on the term etad athi (or etad atra) and its translation in modern studies. He argues that earlier translators overlooked the grammatical nuance that the phrase introduces an explanatory clause, leading to misinterpretation of Aśoka’s instructions to his officials. By analysing the original Prakrit and comparing parallel passages, the author offers revised translations that better convey the emperor’s intent. He emphasises the need for philological precision when rendering the edicts into English because small misreadings can distort our understanding of Aśoka’s policies and ethical message.

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Conclusion

The note underscores how seemingly minor linguistic points can significantly alter the interpretation of ancient inscriptions. Careful analysis of terms like etad athi enhances the accuracy of translations and deepens our appreciation of Aśoka’s reforms.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “ETADATHR*—We have seen that although there is ૩ close rapproche- ment of form between efadathd of P, E, Vi1 and efadatsha at Ang. 1.”
  • “the construction of the P, E, passage becomes rather clumsy with efadatha as adjective, A better use of the word 15 at Mil, 31, in an adverbial sense”
  • “Thus it appears that sfudartha ઢા Mil, 31 15 a better parallel than eladaitha at Ang. 1, 198; and it 15 infinitely better than Hultzsch’s bhojanatthi, for the simple reason that besides being strikingly similar in form, it agrees with the P, પ. term 10 inner meaning, namely, ‘vadhi’, furtherance’, ‘increase of merit’,”

Works cited in this article

  1. Pali pirw-aitks, 1. iii, 518
  2. Hultzsch

Discussed in this article

People

Places

  • Ang

Texts & works

  • Mil
  • P, E, VIt

Dynasties, sects & groups

  • pabbajji

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Article order

In this issue

Vol. 7 · No. 3
435–457Finger-posts of Bengal HistoryBijoy Nath Sarkar458–463The Queen’s Donation EdictSailendra Nath Mitra464–474Studies in the KautiliyaNarendra Nath Law475–480The Economic Conditions of Bengal during the Years 1793 - 1858Gottlieb L. Schanzlin481–498The Frontier Problem of the MughalsH. N. Sinha499–514Usnisa-siraskata in early Buddha images of IndiaJitendra Nath Banerjee515–522Two Tantri StoriesA. Venkatasubbiah523–530The Samrajya of YudhisthiraChamupati530–536Gopala Deva I of BengalMuhammad Shahidullah537–627The Problem of the MahanatakaSushil Kumar De628–628VyosaKshitish Chandra Chatterjee629–629Date of the MudraraksasaJarl Charpentier629–632Surastra under the MauryasBankim Ch. Ray Chaudhuri632–632A Note on Surcsvaracarya and Mandana MisraAmar Nath Roy633–634Notes on the Nagarjunikonda Inscriptions635–643MADHUSHEDANA�S TEXT (Jivinanda's Ed,)Sushil Kumar De644–650Kulasekhara Alvar and his date651–653Notes On The Nagarjunikosda Inscriptions - IV - PasidakinamNalinaksha Dutt654–656The “Webbed Fingers” of BuddhaJitendra Nath Banerjee657Notes on Asoka RescriptsSailendra Nath MitraCurrent article658–663Some Notes on Ownership of the Soil in Ancient IndiaU. N. Ghoshal664Nalanda Stone Inscription of YasovarmadevaRamesh Chandra Majumdar665–668Sailodbhava Rulers of KongadaVinayak Misra669–673The hair and the usnisa on the head of the Buddhas and the JinasRamaprasad Chanda674–681Select Contents of Orlental Journals

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