The Mauryan Polity c8.s1.t6.6

c8.s1.t6.6

The true position becomes intelligible in the light of the *Arthaśāstra*. What Aśoka aimed at was to make known to the conquered states, as well as to neighbouring states through ambassadors or special messengers (dūtas) that the king had given up lobhavijaya and asuravijaya in which he had indulged in the early part of his rule, and had taken his stand at the pedestal of dharmavijaya. In other words, the emperor informed his subjects and the kings of other states that he would be satisfied with mere obeisance from them and he expected them at the same time to follow the śāstraic injunctions without recourse to any rebellion or war.¹ Any other meaning will have no legs to stand on. No wonder the Buddhist tradition has utilised this material for its own purpose when it mentions the conversion of Caṇḍāśoka to Dharmāśoka, furnishing the occasion for untenable theories. This then forms an unimpeachable evidence to demolish the theory that Aśoka was a Buddhist. For, this term dharmavijaya has been a convenient peg with scholars to hang the Buddhist theory on.