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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.orgAcharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
( xxxvii)
that are common, it is natural to think that multiplication of the number passed through some intermediate stages, and it is clear from the arrangement of the Udāna varga that these stages were no less than four. Probably in the first two stages, the number tas multiplied by constructing some additional verses within the original group, and in the third stage some additional verses were constructed by the substitution of one or two synonyms of Nirvāṇa, while in the Udāpavarga a few more synonyms came to be substituted.
Turning to the Number-group (Sanasavaga) (p. 151-8.), we detect that it comprises some four sub-groups, typified by the following four catch-words indicated below by their Pāli forms :
(i) Sahassam api ce vācā, (ii) Mase māse sahassena,
(iii) Yo ca vassasataın jive, aud (iv) Yo ca vassasatanu jantu.
We have seen (p. xxiv.) that there is a complete agreement as regards the number of verses in the Number-group between the Poli Dhammapada and the Fa-kheu-king original, that the Prakrit chapter contains 17 verses, the Malāvastu Dhammapada 24 and the Udānavarga chapter 34. In the absence of a faithful translation of the Fa-kheu-kiug original, it is impossible to state as to what verses were really contained in its Number-group. Beal's translation of the Fa-kheu-pi-n shows that the chapter in the Chinese version contains a few verses of the second subgroup, specified above, of which the counterparts are met with in all the copies except the Pāli. The comparison of the Prakrit verses with those in the Mahāvastu Dhammapada reveals a very close agreement between them. Considering that some of the verses of this sub-group occur in one of the additional chapters of the Fa-khen-pi-ll, we canuot but suppose that they were derived from a text othor than its original. The Pāli text supplies & counterpart of the first line
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