A pillar set up in the Mauryan age
One of the oldest standing remains at Sarnath is not a stupa or a temple but a stone pillar. It is attributed to the emperor Ashoka, who ruled much of the Indian subcontinent in the third century BCE and, according to Buddhist tradition, became a patron of the Dharma. The pillar belongs to a series of such monuments that he is said to have erected at important places, some of them associated with the life of the Buddha.
The Sarnath pillar was made of fine sandstone and given the high polish characteristic of Mauryan stonework. Today the lower part still stands in its original place near the ruins of the main shrine, enclosed behind a low barrier. The shaft is broken, and the upper parts survive in fragments. The famous lion capital that once crowned it is now in the museum.
What the inscription says
The pillar carries an inscription in the Brahmi script, in a Prakrit language, which is the kind of language used in most Ashokan edicts. The text is often called the schism edict, because its subject is the unity of the monastic community.
In outline, the edict is addressed to officials and states that the Sangha should not be split. It indicates that a monk or nun who causes division is to be made to wear white robes, the clothing of laypeople, and to live outside the monastery. It also asks that copies of the order be kept both in the monasteries and with lay followers. The edict survives in damaged form, and readings of particular words vary, so scholars treat translations as approximate.
Similar texts appear on pillars at other sites, and the Sarnath version is one of the group. Historians use them to discuss how an emperor intervened in religious institutions, and to ask what disputes existed in the early community. They do not describe the Buddha’s teaching and do not name the particular disagreement involved.
Later additions
The pillar was reused as a place for later writing. At least one additional inscription of a later period was carved on it, and other inscriptions from the site help to show that the area remained active for a long time. Details about these later texts are specialised, and readers wanting precise readings should consult current scholarly sources.
The lost and found pillar
The Chinese traveller Xuanzang, in the seventh century, described a tall pillar of polished stone at Sarnath, with a bright surface said to reflect like a mirror. That description is generally taken to refer to this monument, though not every detail is certain.
When the site was destroyed and abandoned in later centuries, the pillar was toppled and broken. It lay buried among rubble until archaeologists reached it in the early twentieth century. The excavations in the years around 1905 recovered the capital and fragments of the shaft. The decline and rediscovery of Sarnath in the colonial period is a wider story, and the pillar is one of its best preserved results.
Why the pillar matters
The pillar is interesting for several reasons:
- It is physical evidence of royal patronage of Buddhism in the Mauryan period, supporting the traditional picture of Emperor Ashoka as a supporter of the Sangha, although historians debate how far he practised and promoted the teaching.
- Its inscription shows early concern with order and unity in the monastic community.
- Its capital, with four lions and a wheel, entered modern life when the lion image was adopted as the national emblem of India.
- Its position in the ruins helps visitors picture the layout of the ancient site.
Open questions
Several matters remain uncertain or disputed. Historians do not agree on the exact date of the inscription within Ashoka’s reign, on the precise dispute that prompted it, or on how closely the surviving text reflects the original. The shaft’s original height has also been estimated in different ways.
Rather than settle these points, it is safer to treat the pillar as a well-documented monument whose meaning is still discussed, and to read current site information, which may update interpretations.
Visiting
The pillar stands in the archaeological park, so access depends on park hours and ticket rules, which change. Stay behind the barriers and do not climb or touch the stone. Dress modestly, and follow local guidance and signs about conduct and photography. Northern India can be very hot, so check weather and health advice before travelling.