The Dhammapada and the Udanavarga
Summary
The article compares the Dhammapada, a collection of 423 verses in Pali, and the Udanavarga, a similar anthology preserved in Sanskrit and Tibetan. It traces the history of the Dhammapada’s Pali recension and early translations, then surveys four Chinese translations, detailing their translators, dates, and contents. The Tibetan Udanavarga is introduced as an anthology attributed to the Sarvastivada school; its colophons credit Arhat Dharmatrata and note its status as an agama. The author analyses parallels between the Pali Dhammapada and the Sanskrit Udanavarga, citing examples where verses correspond or differ, and discusses how these differences shed light on the transmission of Buddhist teachings across linguistic and regional boundaries. He concludes that studying these recensions is vital for reconstructing the history of Buddhist scriptures and understanding how doctrinal themes were disseminated across Asia.
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Conclusion
By examining the multiple recensions of the Dhammapada and comparing them with the Udanavarga, the article highlights the fluid nature of Buddhist canonical collections. The discussion of Chinese translations, Tibetan compilations, and Pali originals demonstrates how Buddhist verse anthologies evolved as they spread across Asia. Studying these variants reveals textual relationships and offers insights into the transmission of Buddhist philosophy.