The Pillar Edicts

The Pillar Edicts The pillar edicts of Asoka may be divided into two groups: major and minor.
There are seven major pillar edicts:
Pillar Edict I It mentions Asoka's principle to protect people through dhamma, to administer affairs according to dhamma, to please the people with dhamma, and to guard the empire with dhamma.

Pillar Edict II It defines dhamma as a minimum of sins, many virtues, compassion, liberality, truthfulness and pu­rity.

Pillar Edict III It exhorts people to consider that cruelty, harshness, anger, pride and envy are sins, the indulgence in which is ruinous.
Pillar Edict IV Engraved in the 26th year of Asoka's rule, this edict deals with the duties of rajukas.
Pillar Edict V It provides a list of animals and birds which should not be killed on some days and others which are not to be killed at all. It also mentions the release of 25 prisoners by Asoka.

Pillar Edict VI It mentions Asoka's engraving of dhamma policy after 12 years of his rule. Pillar Edict VII Inscribed in the twenty-eighth year of Asoka's rule, it describes at length the works done by Asoka for spreading dhamma policy.

Asoka's seven major pillar edicts have been found at the following places: Topra (Delhi), Meerut, Kausambi (Allahabad), Rampurva (Champaran), Lauriya- Nanrlangarh (Champaran), Lauriya Areraj (Champaran) ~d Mehrauli (Delhi).

The Minor Pillar Edicts have been found in Sanchi, Saranath, Rummindei and Nigalisagar. These edicts deal with Buddhist pilgrim centres, pilgrimage and solution of differences in the Buddhist religion.

Rummindei Pillar Inscription It mentions Asoka's visit to Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. Asoka exempted Lumbini from paying tax, and fixed its contribution of grain at one-eighth.

Nigalisagar Pillar Inscription It mentions Asoka's visit to Konakamana stupa in the fifteenth year of his rule. Schism Edict The pillar edicts at Sarnath and Sanchi are known as Schism edicts. These edicts are addressed to dharmamahamatras.

Language of the Asokan Inscriptions Asoka's inscrip­tions are written in four languages-Aramaic, Greek, Ira­nian, and Prakrit. Four scripts have been used in these inscriptions-Aramaic, Greek, Brahmi and Kharoshthi. The Mansehra and Shahbajgarhi inscriptions are in the Kharosthi script, while the Kandahar inscription is in Greek and Aramaic scripts. The remaining inscriptions are in the Brahmi script.