taxonomy question

[Artur Karp]

Dear All,

To denote living beings, Aśoka's Edicts use three terms:

jiva-, jIva- (skt.jIva-)

pAna- (skt. prANa-)

pasu-, pazu- (skt. pazu-)

The distinction between pAna- and pasu-/pazu- is oftentimes blurred in
translations which tend to render both of them simply as "animals".
Which, in turn, helps making Aśoka into a Buddhist Super-Hero, so
intent on improving the lot of animals that he decided to plant trees
and dig wells on the roads - for their and men's use.

Girnar Rock Edict II: PaMthesU kUpA ca khAnApita, vrachA ca ropApitA
paribhogAya pasu-manusAnaM.

E. Hultzsch (1925, p. 4): "On the roads wells were caused to be dug ,
and trees were caused to be planted for the use of cattle and men."

Jules Bloch (1950, p. 95) reverses the order, for him men must go
first : "[...] à l'usage des hommes et des bêtes".

Other authors go for unspecified animals:

Amulyachandra Sen (1956, p. 66): "[...] for the use of animals and men".

D.C. Sircar (1957, p. 40): "[...] for the enjoyment of animals and men".

J. Makowiecka (Polish translation of 1964, p. 5): "[...] ku pożytkowi
zwierząt i ludzi" (for the benefit of animals and men").

J. Filipský, J. Vacek (Czech translation of 1970, p. 194): "[...] pro
užitek zvířat i lidí" (for the use of animals and men).

And so on. Exit "cattle", as the object of state economic interest.
Enter "animals".

A sixties issue of the Polish Great Encyclopedia presented Aśoka,
quite consistently, as a builder of the hospitals for animals. But not
only. In this famous entry he was also a builder of the hospitals for
plants.


Regards,

Artur Karp

Poland