Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath - അശോക പിള്ളര് അറ്റ് സാര്ണത്
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Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath is one of the most famous and most visited tourist spot in India. Emperor Ashoka erected this pillar like several others in other parts of his kingdom. The date of erection and commissioner of this pillar is also confirmed by the edicts of Ashoka that is engraved on it. The pillar also records the visit of Ashoka to Sarnath. The year of his visit is said to be around mid 3rd century BC. It is interesting to note that at one time, the Ashoka Pillar of Sarnath stood over 17 meters in height. Its capital with the four lions back to back that has been adopted as the official emblem of modern India can be seen in the museum at Sarnath.
The pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath is famous for its edict. It bears one of the edicts of Ashoka. The edict has an inscription that is said to target schism within the Buddhist community. It reads, "No one shall cause division in the order of monks". The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath is actually a column surmounted by a capital. Among others, it consists of a canopy representing an inverted bell-shaped lotus flower. A short cylindrical abacus assists it where four 24-spoked Dharma wheels with four animals (an elephant, a bull, a horse, a lion in this order), and four lions face the four cardinal directions. The four animals are believed to symbolize different steps of the Gautam Buddha's life.
The Dhauli monument is seen in this photo. Its sculpted elephant faces east. Ashoka's inscription is cut into the north face of the rock, below the sculpture. The hill temples in the background are modern: a white "peace" stupa built by the Japanese, and a reconstructed Shiva temple.
Ashoka had engraved his Dharma, i.e., the 'Law of Piety' on the rocks and pillars in order to spread Buddhism. It contained the fundamental principles of mastery of the sense, purity of thought, gratitude, steadfastness of devotion, kindness, charity, purity, truthfulness, service, support and reverence.
The Ashoka's edicts carved on the rocks have been discovered at Kalsi. Sopara, Girnar, Dhauli, Jaugada, Maski and Yeraguddi in India and at Shahbaz Garha and Mansehra in the NWFP. Ashoka's edicts are mainly concerned with the reforms he instituted and the moral principles he recommended in his attempt to build a fair and humane society. They are unable to give us much information about his life. The inscriptions on rocks reveal the steps taken by Ashoka for the propagation of his "Law of Piety".
In 1837 AD, James Princep succeeded in deciphering an ancient inscription on a large stone pillar in Delhi. The 14 edicts enunciate the leading principles of the Buddhism but fail to mention about the life of the Buddha nor of his teachings in particular. Even the name of Ashoka is not mentioned on a single edict. The name Ashoka occurs in the minor rock edicts at Maski and Gujarat in India. The titles of the emperor, Devanampriya meaning 'Beloved of the Gods' and Priyadarsin meaning 'One of the Amiable Look' appear again and again in the edicts at Shahbaz Garha and other places in India. Gradually the scholars realized that the King Priyadasi of the edicts might be the King Ashoka so often praised in Buddhist legends. However, it was not until 1915 that the identification was confirmed, when another edict actually mentioning the name Ashoka was discovered.
Ashoka's edicts are found scattered in more than thirty places throughout India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most of them are written in Brahmi script. The Magadhi language is used in the edicts in the eastern part of the sub-continent, which is probably the official language of Ashoka's court. The language in the edicts found in the western part of India is nearer to Sanskrit. One bilingual edict in Afghanistan is written in Aramaic and Greek. Ashoka's edicts have survived over the period of centuries is because they are written on the rocks and stone pillars. There is every possibility that there must have been many more edicts, although only ten with inscriptions survive today.Ashoka Pillar The average height of these edicts is between 40 and 50 ft and weighs up to fifty tons each. All the pillars were quarried at Chunar, just south of Varanasi and were dragged to the places where they were erected. Each pillar was originally capped by a capital, of a roaring lion, a noble bull or a spirited horse, and the few capitals that survive are widely recognized as masterpieces of Indian art. Both the pillars and the capitals exhibit a remarkable mirror-like polish that was the unique feature of the Mauryan art and has survived despite centuries of exposure to the elements.
The location of the rock edicts is governed by the availability of suitable rocks. but the edicts on pillars are found in places, which have significant association with the life of Buddha or are en route to major pilgrimage centers so that as many people as possible can read these edicts. The Lumbini pillar marks the Buddha's birthplace, while inscriptions on it commemorate Ashoka's pilgrimage to that place. Others are to be found in or near important population centers.
The pillar of Ashoka at Sarnath is famous for its edict. It bears one of the edicts of Ashoka. The edict has an inscription that is said to target schism within the Buddhist community. It reads, "No one shall cause division in the order of monks". The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath is actually a column surmounted by a capital. Among others, it consists of a canopy representing an inverted bell-shaped lotus flower. A short cylindrical abacus assists it where four 24-spoked Dharma wheels with four animals (an elephant, a bull, a horse, a lion in this order), and four lions face the four cardinal directions. The four animals are believed to symbolize different steps of the Gautam Buddha's life.
Rock Edict of Ashoka
Dhauli is located in the ancient territory of Kalinga, now the state of Orissa, which the emperor Ashoka (reigned 272-231 BC) conquered with appalling loss of life in about 260 BC. Thereafter the emperor repented of the violence which he had done, and converted to Buddhism. He expressed his remorse, and his intention to govern the kingdom according to the principles of his new faith, in a series of rock-cut edicts which were inscribed on over 100 monuments throughout his vast kingdom.The Dhauli monument is seen in this photo. Its sculpted elephant faces east. Ashoka's inscription is cut into the north face of the rock, below the sculpture. The hill temples in the background are modern: a white "peace" stupa built by the Japanese, and a reconstructed Shiva temple.
Ashokan Inscriptions
Ashoka (d.273-236BC) was the most successful and powerful kings of the Mauryan Empire. In the 19th century AD, a large number of Ashokan edicts came into light from in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. These edicts are inscribed on the rocks and the pillars. These edicts proclaim about the reforms in Ashoka's policies and promulgation of his advice to his subjects. After committing frightful atrocities in the Kalinga war, Ashoka later repented of the blood bath and converted his religion. He openly declared his faith in the Three Jewels' of Buddhism in the 'Bhabru Edict'. He also went on a pilgrimage of the holy places associated with the Buddha.Ashoka had engraved his Dharma, i.e., the 'Law of Piety' on the rocks and pillars in order to spread Buddhism. It contained the fundamental principles of mastery of the sense, purity of thought, gratitude, steadfastness of devotion, kindness, charity, purity, truthfulness, service, support and reverence.
The Ashoka's edicts carved on the rocks have been discovered at Kalsi. Sopara, Girnar, Dhauli, Jaugada, Maski and Yeraguddi in India and at Shahbaz Garha and Mansehra in the NWFP. Ashoka's edicts are mainly concerned with the reforms he instituted and the moral principles he recommended in his attempt to build a fair and humane society. They are unable to give us much information about his life. The inscriptions on rocks reveal the steps taken by Ashoka for the propagation of his "Law of Piety".
In 1837 AD, James Princep succeeded in deciphering an ancient inscription on a large stone pillar in Delhi. The 14 edicts enunciate the leading principles of the Buddhism but fail to mention about the life of the Buddha nor of his teachings in particular. Even the name of Ashoka is not mentioned on a single edict. The name Ashoka occurs in the minor rock edicts at Maski and Gujarat in India. The titles of the emperor, Devanampriya meaning 'Beloved of the Gods' and Priyadarsin meaning 'One of the Amiable Look' appear again and again in the edicts at Shahbaz Garha and other places in India. Gradually the scholars realized that the King Priyadasi of the edicts might be the King Ashoka so often praised in Buddhist legends. However, it was not until 1915 that the identification was confirmed, when another edict actually mentioning the name Ashoka was discovered.
Ashoka's edicts are found scattered in more than thirty places throughout India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most of them are written in Brahmi script. The Magadhi language is used in the edicts in the eastern part of the sub-continent, which is probably the official language of Ashoka's court. The language in the edicts found in the western part of India is nearer to Sanskrit. One bilingual edict in Afghanistan is written in Aramaic and Greek. Ashoka's edicts have survived over the period of centuries is because they are written on the rocks and stone pillars. There is every possibility that there must have been many more edicts, although only ten with inscriptions survive today.Ashoka Pillar The average height of these edicts is between 40 and 50 ft and weighs up to fifty tons each. All the pillars were quarried at Chunar, just south of Varanasi and were dragged to the places where they were erected. Each pillar was originally capped by a capital, of a roaring lion, a noble bull or a spirited horse, and the few capitals that survive are widely recognized as masterpieces of Indian art. Both the pillars and the capitals exhibit a remarkable mirror-like polish that was the unique feature of the Mauryan art and has survived despite centuries of exposure to the elements.
The location of the rock edicts is governed by the availability of suitable rocks. but the edicts on pillars are found in places, which have significant association with the life of Buddha or are en route to major pilgrimage centers so that as many people as possible can read these edicts. The Lumbini pillar marks the Buddha's birthplace, while inscriptions on it commemorate Ashoka's pilgrimage to that place. Others are to be found in or near important population centers.
 Photo by : emptyness0 in Flickr |
 Photo by : designldg in Flickr |
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