Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/198

160 ASOKA MAURYA AND HIS SUCCESSORS their outward acts, and besought his congregation, the inhabitants of a vast empire, to cultivate the virtues of " compassion, liberality, truth, purity, gentleness, and saintliness." He hoped that the growth of piety would be promoted by the imperial regulations devised for that purpose; but, while enforcing those regulations with all the power of an autocrat, he relied more upon the meditations of individuals, stimulated by his teach- ing. " Of these two means," he says, " pious regula- tions are of small account, whereas meditation is of greater value." Notwithstanding his avowal of the comparative pow- erlessness of regulations, the emperor did not neglect to provide official machinery for the promulgation of his doctrine and the enforcement of his orders. All the officers of state, whom, in modern phraseology, we may call lieutenant-governors, commissioners, and dis- trict magistrates, were commanded to make use of op- portunities during their periodical tours for convoking assemblies of the lieges and instructing them in the whole duty of man. Certain days in the year were particularly set apart for this duty, and the officials were directed to perform it in addition to their ordinary work. A special agency of censors was also organized for the purpose of enforcing the regulations concerning the sanctity of animal life and the observance of filial piety, in the most extended sense. These officers were ex- pressly enjoined to concern themselves with all sects, and with every class of society, not excluding the royal