Ashokabadan

This book is about the life of Emperor Ashoka. Among the stories in the book, one of the most famous ones is called “Divyavadan,” which contains thirty-eight stories. In “Ashokavadana,” there are twenty-six stories from “Divyavadan,” adding up to a total of ninety-nine stories about Ashoka’s life. The book starts with Ashoka as a prince and his visit to Taxila. It tells us about his life and how he became a significant ruler. Throughout the book, there are descriptions of nature and the different people and their occupations in various regions. This gives us a sense of the time’s literature and society.  The book covers various aspects of Ashoka’s life, including his birth, his transformation into Chandashoka (the fierce ruler), his conversion to Dharmashoka (the righteous ruler), and his later life. It also mentions important events like the Bodhi tree, bathing festival and Kunal’s story as well as Ashoka’s final days. Towards the end of the book, there’s a mention of Pushyamitra’s cruel actions, which is believed to mark the end of the Mauryan dynasty. This marks the conclusion of the Ashokavadana. The original language of Ashokavadana is sophisticated Sanskrit. The contributor of the book is Acharya Dayanidhi.