Discussions About The Patna Dharmapada

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In the year 1997 the Directorate of Museums, Bihar decided to organise a memorial lecture on Indology to commemorate Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayana's association with the Patna Museum and his great achievements in this field. Rahul Sankrityayana was a great explorer by nature. His desire to learn more and more about Buddhism, lead him to travel Tibet. He brought so many photocopies, xylographs and photographs of Buddhist manuscripts (now in the Bihar Research Society) and the Tibetan Thankas from Tibet and presented to the Patna Museum.

We invited Dr. Gustav Roth, a well-known German scholar and Indologist, to deliver the second Rahul Sankrityayana memorial lecture. Who has credit to edit the Bhiksuni Vinyl of Lokottaravadin, a sub- school of Mahasanghika and deciphered several Buddhist Sanskrit manuscripts brought to Patna by Rahulji. As a token of appreciation. He was conferred the honorary degree of 'Vidya Varidhi by Nava Nalanda Mahaviharan 1981.

It is heartening to note that at this advanced age (born on 22.01.1916) Dr. Roth had been kind enough to agree to our proposal. He came all over from Germany to Patna at his own expenses and delivered the memorial lecture on March 24, 1998 in the Patna Museum on the topic "Discussion about Patna Dharmapada" He also agreed to get the memorial lecture published and provided us the manuscript of the lecture. A biographical sketch of Dr. Roth has been added at the end of this book.

1. During my recent stay in Patna (Jan 3-26, 2000), where I usually five in the Guest House of the Bankıpore Club, Mujib the bearer in charge, regularly brought to me together with the morning tea the Patna issue of The Times of India.

I greatly enjoyed seeing on the front page of this newspaper, in the right corner a column with quotations "From the Dhammapada, a collection of verses. Translated from Pali by Max Müller."

On the top of this column, a wheel with eight spokes is represented, flanked by a label with the legend BUDDHA MAHAVIRA VACHAN This particular design appeared on all the copies of the January issues They included regularly quotations from Pali Dhammapada, but also from Pali Suttanipăta.

Here, the particular issue of The Times of India', Tuesday, January 4.2000 Late City, refers to quotations from Mettagumanavapukkha, and from Dhotakamanavapukkha. These two titles can be identified with Mettagü-mänava-pucchā in Päli Suttanipäta 59.11-12, and with Dhotaka- mänava-puccha in Sn 60. 1-2 (ref: Sn, Dharmaratna Ed., 1960. pp. 222- 224).