[2] The Edicts are inscriptions on monumental pillars and rocks throughout the Indian subcontinent that cover Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism and espouse Buddhist principles (e.g. upholding dhamma and ahimsa).

The Ashokan Prakrit dialects reflected local forms of the Early Middle-Indo-Aryan language.

The Central dialect of Indo-Aryan is exceptionally not represented; instead, inscriptions of that area use the Eastern forms.

[3]: 50 [2] Ashokan Prakrit is descended from an Old Indo-Aryan dialect closely related to Vedic Sanskrit, on occasion diverging by preserving archaisms from Proto-Indo-Aryan.

'iyaṃthisdhaṃma-lipimorality-rescriptDevānaṃpiyenaDevānāṁpriya.INSPiyadas[i]nāPriyadarśin.INS[lekhit]āwrite.PTCiyaṃ dhaṃma-lipi Devānaṃpiyena Piyadas[i]nā [lekhit]āthis morality-rescript Devānāṁpriya.INS Priyadarśin.INS write.PTC[aya]thisdhrama-dipimorality-rescriptDevanapriasaDevānāṁpriya.GENrañoking.GENlikhapituwrite.CAUS.PTC[aya] dhrama-dipi Devanapriasa raño likhapituthis morality-rescript Devānāṁpriya.GEN king.GEN write.CAUS.PTCayithisdhra[ma]dip[i]morality-rescriptDevanaṃ[priye]naDevānāṁpriya.INSPriya[draśinaPriyadarśin.INSrajinaking.INSli]khapitawrite.CAUS.PTCayi dhra[ma]dip[i] Devanaṃ[priye]na Priya[draśina rajina li]khapitathis morality-rescript Devānāṁpriya.INS Priyadarśin.INS king.INS write.CAUS.PTC......[siLOCpava]tasimountain.LOC[D]e[v]ā[na]ṃp[iy]Devānāṁpriya.INS......[nāINSlājinaking.INSl]i[kha]write.PTC......... [si pava]tasi [D]e[v]ā[na]ṃp[iy] ... [nā lājina l]i[kha] ...... LOC mountain.LOC Devānāṁpriya.INS ... INS king.INS write.PTC ...iyaṃthisdhaṃma-lipimorality-rescriptKhepi[ṃ]galasiKhepiṅgala.LOCpavatasimountain.LOCDevānaṃpiyenaDevānāṁpriya.INSPiyadasināPriyadarśin.INSlājināking.INSlikhāpitāwrite.CAUS.PTCiyaṃ dhaṃma-lipi Khepi[ṃ]galasi pavatasi Devānaṃpiyena Piyadasinā lājinā likhāpitāthis morality-rescript Khepiṅgala.LOC mountain.LOC Devānāṁpriya.INS Priyadarśin.INS king.INS write.CAUS.PTCThe dialect groups and their differences are apparent: the Northwest retains clusters but does metathesis on liquids (dhrama vs. other dhaṃma) and retains an earlier form dipi "writing" borrowed from Iranian.