Maurya and Shunga Art c11.6

c11.6

Since Maurya art is the product of the imperial court and personal will of Maurya monarchs, it may be worthwhile to turn to what Aśoka says in his remarkable royal edicts in respect of the social outlook and attitude of the people over which he ruled, for therein may be found the key to Maurya art-ideology. In Rock edict One the mighty monarch commands: "Here (i. e. in the locality of the edict) no sacrifice shall be performed by immolating a living thing whatsoever and no festive gathering held. King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the gods, sees many faults in (such) a gathering. There are, however, certain festive gatherings approved as good by king Priyadarsin..."⁷⁵ In Rock Edict Four he continues: "To-day by the practice of piety on the part of King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the gods, the sound of the drum has become the sound of the doctrine; such as could not be (increased) in the past, during many hundred years, by exhibiting to the people the sight of (celestial) mansions, the sight of (celestial) elephants, and host of fiery and similar other celestial forms, has been increased to-day by imparting of instructions in the Law of Piety by King Priyadarsin..."⁷⁶ In Rock Edict Nine the king discourses: "There are people who perform various auspicious rites in times of illness, or on occasions of marriage of sons and daughters, or on those of birth of sons, or in setting out on a journey to a distant place,—on this and on (similar) other occasions the people perform various auspicious rites. Here particularly the womenfolk perform many and diverse, minor and meaningless rites. If the auspicious rite is to be performed (it should be noted that) such a rite produces small fruit..."⁷⁷