Editing Ashoka (section)

=== Symbols ===

{{multiple image
| perrow=2
| align    = right
| direction =horizontal
| header=Symbols of Ashoka
| total_width=300
| image1   = Sarnath capital.jpg
| caption1 = [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|Ashoka's pillar]] capital of [[Sarnath]]. This sculpture has been adopted as the [[State Emblem of India]].
| image2   = Ashoka_Chakra.svg
| caption2 = [[Ashoka Chakra]], ''"the wheel of Righteousness" (Dharma in [[Sanskrit]] or Dhamma in [[Pali]])"'', has been adopted in the [[National Flag of India]].
}}

Ashokan capitals were highly realistic and used a characteristic polished finish, [[Mauryan polish]], giving a shiny appearance to the stone surface.<ref name="Irwin 1973 706–720">{{Cite journal |last=Irwin |first=John |date=1973 |title='Aśokan' Pillars: A Reassessment of the Evidence |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/877526 |journal=The Burlington Magazine |volume=115 |issue=848 |pages=706–720 |jstor=877526 }}</ref> [[Lion Capital of Ashoka]], the capital of one of the pillars erected by Ashoka features a carving of a spoked wheel, known as the [[Ashoka Chakra]]. This wheel represents the wheel of Dhamma set in motion by the Gautama Buddha, and appears on the flag of modern India. This capital also features sculptures of lions, which appear on the seal of India.{{sfn|Gombrich|1995|p=1}}