Thomas William Rhys Davids

“ These works show great learning, exegetical skill and sound judgment. But as Dhammapāla confines himself rigidly either to questions of the meaning of words, or to discussions of the ethical import of his texts, very little can be gathered from his writings of value for the social history of his time. For the right interpretation of the difficult texts on which he comments, they are indispensable. ”

“ Hsüan Tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, tells a quaint story of a Dhammapdāla of Kdānchipura (the modern Konjevaram) . He was a son of a high official, and betrothed to a daughter of the king, but escaped on the eve of the wedding feast, entered the order, and attained to reverence and distinction. It is most likely that this story, whether legendary or not (and Hsüan Tsang heard the story at Kdānchipura nearly two centuries after the date of Dhammapdāla) , referred to this author. But it may also refer, as Hsüan Tsang refers it, to another author of the same name. ”