| Abstract: |
The two recent discussions of the chronology of Asoka's early missionary activities, as described in his first Minor Rock Edict, came to different conclusions. For the idea of a 256-day pilgrimage, which stems ultimately from mistranslation, Falk had sought to substitute a calculation involving 256 non-consecutive Uposatha nights. Without detailed refutation of Falk's arguments, Norman rejected this result and retained the assumption of a date counted in days from the beginning of a regnal year. Falk's Vedic material points, hoewver in the right direction. A description of Asoka as 256-ratra-vyusta 'having spent the rains season', but dating the activity in question to the first day of autmn. Late Vedic and epic use of vyusta and instances of calculation by binary, apprentlay solar, weeks of 8 days and months of 32 days (of which eight would yield 256), suggest that Asoka was seeking to his proselytizing campaign the status of a religious observance defined in Ksatriya terms. Arthasastra includes the proposition that a 32-day military month was used for administrative purposes in the field. Just as in rock edicts the phrase [devanampiyena]...abhisitena lekhite dates events to a regnal year, so [devanampiyena]...vivuthena savane dates Asoka's MRE proclomation, but with reference to his years of seniority. The additive chronology, more than two years plus more than one year, suggested by Norman and upheld by Falk, is supported by the syntax of the passage. it would tend to associate the MRE woth Asoka's 13th regnal year. Asoka's epigraphs imply that, inspired perhaps by early residence in ujjain, he was at first drawing on late Vedic and epic calendrical motifs, before starting to display a knowledge of Vinaya calendrical material in the pillar edicts.
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