Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c15.s1.t5.8

c15.s1.t5.8

¹ According to one view Aśoka sent special missionaries styled *Vyuṭha* to expound his teaching. The interpretation of *Vyuṭha* as missionary was suggested by Senart and accepted by Smith (*Aśoka*, Third Ed., p. 153 Dr. Bhandarkar takes *Vyuṭha* or *Vivutha* to mean “officials on tour.” Hultzsch thinks that *Vyuṭha* refers to Aśoka himself while he was on tour (p. 169, note 8). The word has also the sense of dawn, day-break, day, in other words, it has a chronological significance. Other interpretations are also suggested by scholars. The least plausible is the one offered by Dr. Barua (*D. R. Bhandarkar* volume, 369.) who finds in the expression reference to the copies of the particular proclamation sent forth from the capital.