The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c16.s2.98

v2.c16.s2.98

Adverting to the salutation James Prinsep is of opinion that it "evidently betokens a more matured and priestly style of composition" than that of the edicts of Aśoka, which begin abruptly with the name of the king. It is undeniable that a salutation at the beginning is an indication of a priestly style, but it does not follow that a record which has a salutation must necessarily be later than one which has it not. Such a canon of criticism would mislead at every step, and needs no argument to show how worthless it is. Buddhism had flourished, at the lowest computation, for two hundred and fifty years before it was adopted by Aśoka, and during that period, two very large and important convocations had been held to settle the doctrines of the faith, and its followers had multiplied by millions, and it would be absurd to suppose that during all that time no settled form of salutation had been adopted and brought into use. Before the Buddhists, the Hindus had universally used well-established forms of salutation and mantras, and when the same Hindus became Buddhists it would follow that they should adopt modified forms of salutation and mantras suited to their new faith; and that they did so, there is abundant evidence to show. I cannot, therefore, for a moment believe that the salutation in question is indicative of a later date for Aira than that of As'oka. The abrupt style of As'oka's edicts, I fancy, is due to his intimate connexion with Western nations, and a desire to imitate the style of Darius, who in his cuneiform inscriptions always began with "I Darius, the great king, the king of kings, the king of Persia and of the provinces, says," &c., &c. Such style is well suited to the spirit of an ambitious and great monarch, and requires only to be known to be at once adopted.