Indian Epigraphy c8.s1.4

c8.s1.4

The pillar edicts of Aśoka and the same king's rock edicts at Dhauli, Jaugada and Erragudi are written in the so-called Magadha dialect, some of its main characteristics being the representation of *ra* by *la*, of all the three sibilants by *sa* and of reduplicated consonants by single letters as well as the avoidance of conjuncts to a considerable extent. But the language of Aśoka's inscriptions in the western half of Northern India, viz. at Girnar, Sopara, Shahbazgadhi and Mansehra, is characterised by the retention of *ra* and the occasional change of *la* to *ra*. The Shahbazgadhi and Mansehra edicts often exhibit especially the tendency of using conjuncts as in Sanskrit. The minor rock edicts of Aśoka discovered in South India and the rock edicts at Kalsi exhibit the influence of both of the dialects in a more or less conspicuous degree. The language of Aśoka's rock edicts found in North-Western Bhāratavarṣa is closer to Sanskrit in comparison with that of his other records.²