Oooooooh, aaaaaaaaaaaaah, what a beauty! What does the name mean?

Liz, You sure have a beauty there. Congratulations.
Bill

So gorgeous!

Ashoka (DevanÃÂgarë: à ¤Âà ¤¶à ¥Âà ¤Â, IAST: AÃÂoka, IPA: [aÃÂÃÂoÃÂkÃÂ], ca. 304�232 BC), also known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC.[1] One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan in the west, to the present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. He conquered the kingdom named Kalinga, which none of his ancestors had conquered starting from Chandragupta Maurya. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar). He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a devotee of ahimsa (nonviolence), love, truth, tolerance and vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history as a philanthropic administrator. In the history of India, Ashoka is referred to as Samraat Chakravartin Ashoka � the "Emperor of Emperors Ashoka".

His name "aÃÂoka" means "painless, without sorrow" in Sanskrit (the a privativum and ÃÂoka "pain, distress"). In his edicts, he is referred to as DevÃÂnÃÂmpriya (Pali DevÃÂnaá¹Âpiya or "The Beloved Of The Gods"), and PriyadarÃÂin (Pali Piyadasë or "He who regards everyone with affection").

Along with the Edicts of Ashoka, his legend is related in the later 2nd-century AÃÂokÃÂvadÃÂna ("Narrative of Asoka") and DivyÃÂvadÃÂna ("Divine narrative"), and in the Sri Lankan text Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle").

Ashoka played a critical role in helping make Buddhism a world religion.[2] As the peace-loving ruler of one of the world's largest, richest and most powerful multi-ethnic states, he is considered an exemplary ruler, who tried to put into practice a secular state ethic of non-violence. The emblem of the modern Republic of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

What a history; Asoka going from waging wars to a non-violent stance! b. Ashoka can certainly be described as "The Beloved of the Gods" for its beauty! Thanks.