MINGORA: Deep in a small vale at Shakhorai village, there are three ancient rock inscriptions of the Buddhist times. However, the local people are unaware of the importance of the inscriptions.

According to Dr Luca Maria Olivieri, head of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Swat, the script of the inscriptions is Nagari or North Western Gupta character and the language is Sanskrit.

“The tracing of the three third century CE Buddhist Sutra rock inscriptions had been sent by local people in 1896 to the first Political Agent of Malakand, Major Harold Deane, who then sent them to G. Bühler for translation. They were published by the latter in 1896-1897 in the journal Epigraphia Indica, vol. IV,” said Dr Luca.

“The lines are full of wisdom and still valid guidelines to anyone, believer or non-believer. There is nothing offensive in it,” Dr Luca added.

The local people say that they do not know meaning of the inscriptions but understand that these are from the ancient times when Buddhist or Hindus lived in Swat.

“There was a time before militancy that many Japanese and Chinese used to visit this place to see the inscriptions. They seemed to worship these inscriptions,” said Akbar Ali, a local resident. He added that the area was full of Buddhist sites but most of the relics vanished with passing of time.

Swat valley, known as Uddiyana kingdom in the ancient time, was a flourished Buddhist state. Thousands of Buddhist ruins can still be seen in the valley.

The inscriptions were translated by Bühler.

“Alas! Transient are the aggregate constituents (of being) whose nature is birth and decay! For - being produced they are dissolved! - their complete cessation is bliss,” says the first inscription. It is said that these are the words pronounced by Indra at the death of Buddha

“Not to commit any sin, to acquire merit, to purify one’s mind, - that is the teaching of Buddha,” says the second inscription.

“(Let him be one) who guards his speech, is well restrained in mind, and commits no evil with his body. Keeping these three roads of action clear, one may gain the path taught by the Sages,” says the third inscription.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2016