King Asoka and Buddhism - Urban Dharma

y dint of his military power. This ambiguity, moreover,may be historically based, for in his edicts Aśoka himselftells us of the terrible destruction he wrought during theconquest of Kalinga, and, despite his renunciation of warthereafter and his advocacy of Dharma, he still makesit clear that he will not hesitate to enforce law and ordershould he need to.25. It mentions just in passing Aśoka’s slaying of his brothersin gaining the throne, an episode that is much developedin the Aśokāvadāna.26. Strong, p. 210.27. Ibid., p. 235.28. Ibid., p. 288. In the Mahāvaṃsa (Geiger, p. 46) as well, itmight be pointed out, the king’s ministers play a similarrole, as may be seen in the case of Aśoka’s minister who,when told to resolve the dispute that has arisen withinthe Saṅgha, does so by indiscriminately executing allthose theras who refuse to celebrate the Pātimokkha.29. Tiṣyarakṣitā (Pali: Tissarakkhā) is, of course, notunknown in the Pali tradition. As we shall see, in theMahāvaṃsa, she appears as Aśoka’s second queen whomhe marries four years after Asaṃdhimittā dies.30. Strong, pp. 268 – 75.31. Ibid., p. 284.32. Ibid., pp. 257 – 58.33. Geiger, p. 33.177