ASHOKAN ROCK EDICTS

Location : Junagadh, Gujarat.
Built By: Ashoka.
Contains: 14 Edicts Issued By Ashoka.

• Gujarat Guide

Ashoka's edicts, issued after his conversion to Buddhism, were designed to bring about large-scale acceptance of Buddhism. In pillar edict 6, he had mentioned that he started issuing these edicts 12 years after his coronation.

Fourteen such edicts have been found near the edge of the Sudarshan Lake, about half a mile to the east ofJunagadh. The inscriptions on these edicts are in the Prakrit dialect. The script used for these edicts used to vary with the need of the region, but was largely Brahmi or Kharoshthi.

The Junagadh rocks cover all the 14 edicts that Ashoka had issued. They are in a western dialect, with many Magadhi words resembling Pali.

EDICTS ORDERS
The edicts record the following orders:

Human beings shall not be sacrificed. Futile festivities and gatherings to be banned. Setting up of medical facilities for humans and animals Instructing government servants to perform their duties. Elaboration of edict 3. Dharma Mahamantris to enforce edicts. Unlimited access to the king for all subjects. All religions to live in harmony. No hunting or pleasure tours; tours being only for Dharma. Superstitious rituals being dismissed as trivial and meaningless. Saying no to corruption. Listing of the 'dharmic' (religi0ous) acts that produce great results; what one should do for friends, relatives, well-wishers. All sects to be honoured. Dharma is the most important thing in life. An epilogue of the preceding 13 edicts, it surveys their compositional features. These edicts, preserved in the Girnar hills, bear testimony to the benevolent attitude and activities of the emperor.