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Mahàkhandhako 1-4
The Great Chapter sections 1-4

edited and translated by
ânandajoti Bhikkhu

(first published, August 2009)

Texts

The text of the Mahàkhandhako as presented here has been established through a comparison of the four standard editions:

BJT: Sri Lankan Edition from Mahàvaggapàëi, pp. 2-90. Buddha Jayanti Tripitika Series, volume III. 1957, reprinted Colombo, 2005 with corrections.

Thai: Thai edition, as found on Budsir for Windows CD-ROM (version 2.0, Bangkok, 1996).

ChS: Burmese edition, as found on the Chaññha Saïgàyana CD-ROM (version 3, Igatpuri, no date, but = 1999).

PTS: European edition, from Vinaya Piñakaü, Vol I, The Mahàvagga, edited by Hermann Oldenburg, Pali Text Society, 1879, reprinted London, 1969.

Other Texts

Comm: Mahàvagga-Aññhakathà, as found on the Chaññha Saïgàyana CD-ROM (version 3, Igatpuri, no date, but = 1999).

Jà Nid: Jàtakanidàna, as found on the Chaññha Saïgàyana CD-ROM (version 3, Igatpuri, no date, but = 1999).

Mvu: Mahavastu, Vol III, edited by E. Senart, Paris 1897.

Lal: Lalitavistara, edited by Lefman, Halle, 1902; also P.L. Vaidya, Darbhanga, 1958

Translations Consulted

BD: The Book of the Discipline, Vol I, I.B. Horner, London, 1938.

VT: Vinaya Texts, Part I, T.W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg, Oxford 1885, reprinted Delhi 1990

SGB: The Story of Gotama Buddha, N.A. Jayawickrama, PTS Oxford, 1990.

MT: The Mahavastu, J. J. Jones, London, 3 volumes 1949-1956.

LV: Lalitavistara, Bijoya Goswami, Kolkata, 2001.

Dictionaries:

PED: Pàëi-English Dictionary, T.W. Rhys Davids and William Stede, 1921-25, online edition.

CPD: Critical Pàli Dictionary, 1947- (unfinished), online edition.

CPED: Concise Pàli-English Dictionary, Ven. A.P. Buddhadatta, Colombo, 1958 reprinted 1968.

BHSD: Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary, Franklin Edgerton, New Haven 1953, reprinted Delhi 1998.

SED: Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Monier-Williams, 1899, online edition.

DPPN: Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G.P. Malalasekera, Pali Text Society, London 1937.

FF: Dictionary of the Flora and Fauna in the Pàëi Tipiñaka, Bhante S. Dhammika (pre-publication copy kindly given me by the Author).

Other Works:

SHB: Mahàvaggapàëi, edited by Ven. Paÿÿàsàra Nàyakatthera, Colombo, 1958.

AS: Ludwig Alsdorf: Die âryà-Strophen des Pali-Kanons (Wiesbaden, 1967).

Syntax: Syntax of the Cases in the Pali Nikayas, by O.H. de A. Wijesekera (Colombo 1993).

Preface

In preparing this text and translation for publication I have divided it into a number of versions. In the Buddhist Texts and Studies section will be found the Pàëi Text together with the variant readings. This is a more technical work dealing with the establishment of the text, and considers the text from the point of view of it's grammar, prosody, and how the material has been collected.

In the Texts and Translations section I present the full Text and Translation with annotations which help to explain matters that may not be clear from the text itself. I have therefore translated sections from the Commentary, and also added in information from parallels in the Jàtakanidàna, the Lalitavistara and the Mahàvastu.

In the English section there is the Translation Only, with somewhat less notes than in the Text and Translations section, which is intended for the casual reader who wants a reliable translation but is not interested in the technical matters concerning the original text itself.

ânandajoti Bhikkhu
August 2009