Vol. 16 · pages 11–15

EDITORIAL The present volume of the writings and speeches of Dr. Ambedkar contains his compilation of the Pali grammar and Pali dictionary. Dr. Ambedkar had profound fascination for Buddha and his teachings. The origin and the growth of Buddhist thought is a memorable chapter in Indian history. Buddhist texts are in Sanskrit and Pali. It was therefore the effort of Dr. Ambedkar to make this literature accessible to Indians in general and to admirers of Buddhism in particular. Compiliation of a dictionary of words and phrases of a language, no longer a spoken language, is an enterprise fraught with difficulties. Dr. Ambedkar was past 50 when he started the compilation of the Dictionary. It was an effort comparable to the effort of Dr. Samuel Johnson who attempted his dictionary of English language in 1755. Dr. Johnson had compiled the dictionary on the threshold of becoming the world language. Pali, though the lingua franca of the Buddhist world, is a dead language. In support of a living language, authority for correct sense and words, is always at our elbow, in the chat of our domestics or in the converse of the passengers at our street door, in colleges of learned and in stables of menials; in lanes of a city and in remote hamlets. Therefore phrases and idoms of people are easily available. That is not the case in respect of a dead language which has many pitfalls. Words and phrases of a dead language, are exercises in reconstruction of history, they are passages to times past and pathways to the sociology and culture of the ages gone by. The Dictionary of the Pali language taken up by Dr. Ambedkar for compilation when he was past 50, shows his indomitable spirit to look into the past, in order to know the present and to see the light for the future.

It is relevant to note that literature on Buddhism is a part of the heritage of Indian culture. It would be interesting to sum up the history of the Pali Language. According to Buddhist tradition, Pali was the dialect of Magadha and that it was the language in which Gautam Buddha preached. Originally, a mere provincial idiom, the Magadhi language was raised to the dignity of a classical language and is regarded by Buddhists of the whole world with the feeling of veneration, like the Roman language. R. C. Childers pointed out that the existing Pali literature is of great importance; it is valuable alike to the philologists, the historians, to the students of folkore and the students of comparitive religion. The Buddhist scriptures are called “Tripitaka” and are divided into Sutta, Vinay and Abhidhamma. The three baskets form a canon of the holy writ. According to Childers, this canon of holy writ are invested with all the sanctity of a canon by Buddhists. They are revered as containing the word of Buddha and are the ultimate appeal on all questions of belief and conduct. These baskets are estimated to be about eleven times that of the Bible, and three times of the size of the Mahabharat and are able to treat in great detail of all the relations of human life. According to Childers, the author of the first Pail - English Dictionary, the doctrine they contain is consistent throughout and set forth with logical accuracy. When the great missionary Mahindra went to Ceylon in B.C. 307, he carried with him, not only the Tripitaka but the Arthakatka which had grown up around the Tripitaka during two and a half centuries that had passed since Buddha’s death. Mahindra tried to translate these commentaries from Pali into

Sinhalese, the latter of which continued to exist in Ceylon for many centuries while the Pali version disappeared. In the fifth century, Mahindra’s Sinhales commentaries were retranslated by the famous Buddhaghosa, ‘one of the most extraordinary men that Buddhism has produced,’ as Childeres rates him. The Sinhalese translation in the meantime disappeared. It is recorded by Childers that the Sinhalese commentaries disappeared in the twelth century during the invasion of Ceylon by the Malabar princess. The princess who invaded Ceylon, one after another, temporarily obtained sovereignty over the island. They were the determind foes of Buddhism and are stated to have systematically effected the destruction of all the sacred books of Buddhism they could lay hands on. Among this Buddhist Literature, there were the Tripitakas, the Pali commentaries of Buddhaghosa and the Sinhalese commentaries of Mahendra. Tripitakas and Buddhaghosa’s commentaries were first replaced from Burmah while Sinhalese commentaries existed only in Ceylon; and once destroyed could not be replaced. Buddhaghosa’s commentaries contain much of the matter ‘as old as Tripitaka itself’ and are ‘rich in history and folklore and abound in varied information which throws abundant light on the social and moral conditions of ancient India (Childers). Besides the Pali literature mentioned above, few titles more noteworthy deserve mention. Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa are first in importance. Next in importance is Milind Panha, the Questions of King Milind who is identified with certainty with Bactrian King (Minander). This work records familiarity with Greek names and places and records a religious discussion between venerable Nagasena and King Milind. Next in imporatnce is Visuddhi

Magga which is fairly called as an Encyclopadia of Buddhist doctrine. The Pali grammatical work is very extensive and centres around the famous Grammarian Kachayana, which is admittedly the oldest Pali Grammar. It is said, there are 60 or 70 grammatical works in Pali. In Abhidhammappadipika, a vocabulary of nouns on the model of Sanskrit Amarkosha by a Sinhalese Buddhist of 12th Century, is found. The discovery of Sanskrit literature in Nepal is due to the great poineering work of Brian H. Hodgson. His notices of the language, literature and religion of Nepal and Tibet, first appeared in 1828, and his essays began to appear in 1837. Besides, many western scholars including Bournouf, Fousball, Lassen, Spiegel, Clough, not to forget Weber, Senart, Kuhn and others have enormously contributed to the scholarship of Buddhist literature. It would not be out of place to mention the services of those great masters including Max Muller, Mr. and Mrs. Rhys Davids, Dr. Fleet and several others who dedicated their lives to the scholarship of Buddhist studies. It should not be forgotten that it is due to the lifelong endeavour of these geniuses that the present generation is indebted to the scholarship of the Pali Language. It is in the light of the writings of those towering scholars that we have to search the gems of Pali scholarship; and Dr. Ambedkar’s efforts for illuminating the light of Buddhist studies should be viewed accordingly. The justification for bringing out the dictionary of Pali language lies in the fact that Dr. Ambedkar had his roots in the Indian soil, and the Pali

language is an indispensable key to unlock the secrets of Buddhist India. This volume includes Dr. Ambedkar’s compilation of Pali grammar. In examining a dead language like Latin or Sanskrit, grammer of that language is to know syntax and style. Grammar throws light on words and phrases, it unfolds thought processes and shows the social mind in evolution. To the lovers of Pali language and to those who are interested in the history of Buddhism, this volume will prove to be of interest and inspiration. The work of editing of this volume has been made possible by the ready help, support and co-operation I have received : -- from Professor Manohar Joshi, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra whose encouragement has made this work possible; -- from Shri. Dattatraya Rane, the Hon’ble Minister for Education and Shri Anil Deshmukh, the Hon’ble State Minister for Education both of Maharashtra State, who showed keen urge in expediting the project for being completed speedily; -- from Shri. P. P. Mahana, the Principal Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, whose help enabled the Editor to solve various administrative hurdles; -- from Shri. B. M. Ambhaikar, Retired Additional Municipal Commissioner, Mumbai Mahanagar Palika, and Shri K. N. Kadam, Retired Director of Social Welfare Maharashtra State whose personal involvement and guidance has been of immense help to the Editor in editing this volume, and