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Asoka was a versatile genius and one of the most remarkable personalities in the History of the world. He was at the same time a great conqueror and builder, statesman and administrator, religious and social reformer and philosopher and saint. King Asoka, an adherent of the common Indian religion for about nine years after his coronation, devoted himself in the pursuit and spread of the Buddhistic duties after his conversion into Buddhism in the tenth Regnal year. Besides, Buddhist traditions also represent Asoka as converted to Buddhism as an Up saka, i.e. follower of Lord Buddha and as a patron of Buddhism.

According to Aoka, Dharma included avoidance of sins, ample goodness, kindness, charity, truthfulness and cleanness; sin included fierceness, harshness, anger, arrogance, envy and slanderous habit. King Asoka understood a number of virtues to constitute his Dharma. These included the least amount of sin and the greatest amount of good done to others as well as compassion, liberality, truthfulness, purity, gentleness and goodness. Good conduct, self-control, purity of thought, gratitude and firm devotion are extolled as also the absence of violence, cruelty, anger, vanity and jealousy. In addition to these, King Asoka recommended compassion, reverence, sympathy and truthfulness and condemned cruelty, irreverence, intolerance and falsehood. The virtue on which he laid the greatest emphasis is the regard for the sanctity of life.

The present edition contains ten Chapters and five Appendices. In addition to these, Select Bibliography and General Index are also appended for the benefit of Researchers as well as general readers. However, the present work will definitely help the students of Ancient Indian History, Archaeology, Epigraphy and Sanskrit.