Abstract:
By way of presenting this thesis, a new edition has been done in
relation to the Pāṭikavagga ‘a segment coming under the Dīghanikāya of the
Tipiṭaka. What is special of this edition is to do it as a critical edition done
giving priority to the primary and secondary sources according to the
reliable principles.
In this context, the manuscripts used in the process of Pāṭikavagga
edition are considered while referring to the related commentaries and sub
commentaries couple with the discussing the feature of the editions printed
at present. In this attempt of making of this thesis, what is expected is to do
a critical study while discarding errors found in the contemporary editions
so as to present an edition with a critical approach. The new edition is based
on a greater number and range of witnesses than those used in previous
editions of Pāṭikavagga. The new edition has been edited according to
stemmatic principles, using a careful selection of eight palm leaf
manuscripts (in Burmese, Sinhalese, Khom, Tham and Mon scripts) and five
printed editions (in Burmese, Sinhalese, Pāli Text Society, Cambodian and
Thai)
It is attempted here to present a new edition with an innovative bend,
make using a greater number of manuscripts when compared to the former
editions. More generally this thesis demonstrates the indispensability of
manuscripts for the historical study of pāli language and literature.
