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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.orgAcharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
verses
text
like the
Dhammapada. This is ascribed to Bhadanta Dharmatrata and is mentioned in Abhidharmakosa Bhasya Vasubandu (cf. Abhidharma-Kosa-Bhasya, ed.D.D.Shastri, Varanasi, 1970, p. 15).
of
Dharmapada has been quoted in many texts both in Pali and Sanskrit, but number of verses has always been a subject of controersy. It ranges from more than 300 to 1000. Samuel Beal's Chinese translation (London, 1878) has added further uncertainty as to the exact number in the original (or archetype) of the text. Introduction (p.xiii) also informs that the Chinese translators not only tampered with the number 6 and ditributions of the verses in the original but added 13 new chapters in Chinese, making up a total of 39 chapters and 752 verses. Even otherwise there have been many recensions of this most popular text. The Chinese and translations are based on one the other recension.
had
Tibetan
or
For Private And Personal
us
The present text is composed in a Prakrit dialect and its chief importance lies in it because generally Buddhist literature is hardly found in Prakrit although the Buddha gave instructions to monks to recite his words (buddhavacana) in their respective vernaculars, not in any particular sacred language. It is on the whole an original compilation having verses and ideas in common with Dhammapada texts found in Pali, Sanskrit, and Mixed Sanskrit. Lately John Brough edited the Prakrit Dhammapada with Introduction and critical notes and published it under the title"The Gandhari Dharmapada (London, Oxford University Press, 1962) bringing before the world of
