11 The Edicts of Ashoka
(India, ca. 270 BCE)

Rock Edict XIII

The Kalinga country was conquered by King Ashoka, Beloved of the Gods, in the eighth year of his reign. One hundred and fifty thousand persons were carried away captive, one hundred thousand were slain, and many times that number died.

Immediately after the Kalingas had been conquered, King Ashoka became intensely devoted to the study of Dharma, to the love of Dharma, and to the inculcation of Dharma.

The Beloved of the Gods, conqueror of the Kalingas, is moved to remorse now. For he has felt profound sorrow and regret because the conquest of a people previously unconquered involves slaughter, death, and deportation.

But there is a more important reason for the King’s remorse. The Brahmanas and Sramanas [the priestly and ascetic orders] as well as the followers of other religions and the householders—who all practiced obedience to superiors, parents, and teachers, and proper courtesy and firm devotion to friends, acquaintances, companions, relatives, slaves, and servants—all suffer from the injury, slaughter, and deportation inflicted on their loved ones. Even those who escaped calamity themselves are deeply afflicted by the misfortunes suffered by those friends, acquaintances, companions, and relatives for whom they feel an undiminished affection. Thus all men share in the misfortune, and this weighs on King Ashoka’s mind.

[Moreover, there is no country except that of the Yonas (that is, the Greeks) where Brahmin and Buddhist ascetics do not exist] and there is no place where men are not attached to one faith or another.

Therefore, even if the number of people who were killed or who died or who were carried away in the Kalinga war had been only one one-hundredth or one one-thousandth of what it actually was, this would still have weighed on the King’s mind.

King Ashoka now thinks that even a person who wrongs him must be forgiven for wrongs that can be forgiven.

King Ashoka seeks to induce even the forest peoples who have come under his dominion [that is, primitive peoples in the remote sections of the conquered territory] to adopt this way of life and this ideal. He reminds them, however, that he exercises the power to punish, despite his repentance, in order to induce them to desist from their crimes and escape execution.

For King Ashoka desires security, self-control, impartiality, and cheerfulness for all living creatures.

King Ashoka considers moral conquest [that is, conquest by Dharma, Dharma-vijaya] the most important conquest. He has achieved this moral conquest repeatedly both here and among the peoples living beyond the borders of his kingdom…

Wherever conquest is achieved by Dharma, it produces satisfaction. Satisfaction is firmly established by conquest by Dharma [since it generates no opposition of conquered and conqueror]. Even satisfaction, however, is of little importance. King Ashoka attaches value ultimately only to consequences of action in the other world.

This edict on Dharma has been inscribed so that my sons and great-grandsons who may come after me should not think new conquests worth achieving. If they do conquer, let them take pleasure in moderation and mild punishments. Let them consider moral conquest the only true conquest. This is good, here and hereafter. Let their pleasure be pleasure in morality. For this alone is good, here and hereafter…

Rock Edict IV

For many hundreds of years in the past, slaughter of animals, cruelty to living creatures, discourtesy to relatives, and disrespect for priests and ascetics have been increasing.

But now, because of King Ashoka’s practice of Dharma [rather than to war], summoning the people to exhibitions of the chariots of the gods, elephants, fireworks, and other divine displays.

King Ashoka’s inculcation of Dharma has increased, beyond anything observed in many hundreds of years, abstention from killing animals and from cruelty to living beings, kindliness in human and family relations, respect for priests and ascetics and obedience to mother and father and elders…

Pillar Edict VII

…My highest officials, who have authority over large numbers of people, will expound and spread the precepts of Dharma. I have instructed the provincial governors, too, who are in charge of many hundred thousand people, concerning how to guide people devoted to Dharma.

King Ashoka says: Having come to this conclusion, therefore, I have erected pillars proclaiming Dharma. I have appointed officers charged with the spread of Dharma, called Dharma-mahamatras. I have issued proclamations on Dharma.

King Ashoka says: My officers charged with the spread of Dharma are occupied with various kinds of services beneficial to ascetics and householders, and they are empowered to concern themselves with all sects. I have ordered some of them to look after the affairs of the Samgha [the Buddhist religious orders], some to take care of the Brahmin and Ajivika ascetics, some to work among the Nirgranthas [the Jaina monks], and some among the various other religious sects. Different officials are thus assigned specifically to the affairs of difference religions, but my officers for spreading Dharma are occupied with all sects…

Rock Edict XI

King Ashoka says: There is no gift that can equal the gift of Dharma, the establishment of human relations on Dharma, the distribution of wealth through Dharma, or kinship in Dharma.

That gift consists in proper treatment of slaves and servants, obedience to mother and father, liberality to friends, acquaintances, relatives, priests and ascetics, and abstention from the slaughter of animals.

Father, son, brother, master, friend, acquaintance, or even neighbor ought to say, “This has merit. This ought to be done.”

If one act in this way, one achieves by the gift of Dharma happiness in this world and infinite merit in the world to come.

Rock Edict XII

The faiths of others all deserve to be honored for one reason or another. By honoring them, one exalts one’s own faith and at the same time performs a service to the faith of others. By acting otherwise, one injures one’s own faith and also does disservice to that of others. For if a man extols his own faith and disparages another because of devotion to his own and because he wants to glorify it, he seriously injures his own faith.

Therefore concord alone is commendable, for through concord men may learn and respect the conception of Dharma accepted by others. King Ashoka desires men of all faiths to know each other’s doctrines and to acquire sound doctrines. Those who are attached to their particular faiths should be told that King Ashoka does not value gifts or honors as much as growth in the qualities essential to religion in men of all faiths. . .

Rock Edict I

King Ashoka has commanded this edict on Dharma to be inscribed: No living creature shall be slaughtered here [at Pataliputra, Ashoka’s capital city], and no festive gatherings shall be held. King Ashoka sees a great many evils in festive gatherings. Yet he also approves of some kinds of festivals.

Many hundreds of thousand living creatures were formerly slaughtered every day for curries in the kitchens of the His Majesty. At present, when this edict on Dharma is inscribed, only three living creatures are killed daily, two peacocks and a deer, and the deer is not slaughtered regularly. In the future, not even these three animals shall be slaughtered.

King Ashoka says: Twenty-six years after my coronation I declared that the following animals were not to be killed: parrots, mynas, the aruna, ruddy geese, wild geese…tortoises and porcupines, squirrels, twelve-antler stags, bulls which have been set free, household animals and vermin, rhinoceroses, white pigeons, domestic pigeons, and all quadrupeds which are not useful or edible.

She-goats, ewes, sows which have young or are in milk, and also their young less than six months old, must not be killed. Cocks must not be made into capons. Husks which contain living creatures must not be burned. Forests must not be burned without reason or in order to kill living creatures.

Living animals must not be fed to other animals.

Fish must not be killed or sold on the day of the full moon which begins each of the three seasons, on the Tisya [Sirius] full moon, on the three days which end a fortnight and begin a new one, or on fast days [a total of fifty-six days during each years]…