The Comparative Dhammapada - Ancient Buddhist Texts

A Study of the Dhammapada Collection - 44
connection to the main theme.
15 & 16 are a pair occurring in Patna and Udānavarga, and also in the commentary;
probably the reason they occur here is a connection to the previous sequence, as
both mention mūla (13d mūlaṁ khaṇati attano; 16b mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ)
though in ethically opposite senses.
17 mentions rāga, dosa, moha, and taṇhā, all of which are quintessential
defilements.
18 & 19 are not a pair, but both mention faults (vajja), which is the connection
here.
20 & 21 are a pair in the commentary, though they are not found in the parallels;
the connection is presumably the mention of obstacles (papañca) in 20c.
Although there is good collocation in the first half of this chapter, it continues
according to the theme of stains or defilements.
19. Dhammaṭṭhavagga: 1a; 2d; (3); (4); (5); (6); (7); (8); (9); (10); (11); (12); (13); (14;
(15); (16); (17).
1 & 2 are a pair in the commentary but are not found in the parallels. They are the
only verses to mention the righteous person (Dhammaṭṭha).
The other verses, however, describe the same thing under different names, which
we can enumerate here (pairs are grouped together according to the commentary. 7
& 8; 9 & 10; 11 & 12 also occur as pairs in one or more of the parallels): 3ad;
paṇḍita; 4ae Dhammadhara; 5a & 6d thera; 7c & 8d sādhurūpa; 9ad & 10d samaṇa;
11ad & 12d bhikkhu; 13a & 14bd muni; 15ad ariya.
16 & 17 are a pair in the commentary and in the parallels, concerned with the
proper course of practice for a bhikkhu who is mentioned at 17c.
The theme in this collection is very loose, and one can’t help thinking that a number of
the verses belong under different rubrics, as indeed they are found in the parallels,
which have no Dhammaṭṭhavagga.
20. Maggavagga: 1a; 2a; 3c; (4); 5d; 6d; 7d; 8d; 9d; (10); (11); (12); 13c; (14); (15); (16);
17c.
4 is part of the sequence 1 - 4, which is grouped by the commentary; they are not
found in sequence in any of the parallels.
10 mentions the road (patha), which is the connection to path (magga).
11 & 12, which are a pair in the commentary and in all the parallels, speak about
clearing away the (metaphorical) forest (vana), thereby presumably clearing a path
for oneself, which must be the connection here.
14 - 16 are a sequence in 2 of the parallels, but are separated by the commentary;
One can’t help feeling that 14 really belongs in the Bālavagga.
Neither 15 nor 16 mention a path, and are really concerned with death, and might
have been better placed in Jarāvagga through thematic considerations.
Although there appear to be a number of intrusive verses in this chapter, nevertheless
collocation on the keyword magga appears in 11 of the verses.