ධම්මපදට්ඨකථා (Dhammapada Commentary — Sri Lankan Palm-Leaf MS)

Hail to the True Dhamma, sweet as the nectar of flowers, which is delightful, the teacher of the three worlds, the Tathagata an epithet for the Buddha. By granting the path to liberation to gods and humans, the True Dhamma Saddharma is the single essence of merit. This collection of stories, composed by teachers who were proficient in all sciences and born into the lineage of the Great Monastery Mahavihara... for the sake of merit for many gods and for their own sake of reaching heaven and liberation... with power and compassion for all beings... analyzing the deep meanings and teachings in the ocean of virtues of the True Dhamma... carried out for the happiness of gods and humans endowed with the gem of virtue... written and completed with great compassion.

As it exists for the benefit of gods in this life and the next, who are a treasury of compassion... thinking of all beings with loving-kindness and dispelling the suffering of existence... constantly accumulating merit in the dispensation of the Sambuddha... the Dhamma spoken by the Great Compassionate Buddha... remembering the virtues of the Buddha with great faith... having achieved merit, and at the end of divine and human happiness... striving to be freed from the suffering of existence and to see Nirvana... attaining wisdom and sharing in the merit...

Meditating with an undistracted mind... the Buddha who is free from existence... famous for virtues, shining with wisdom... the dispensation that leads toward Nirvana... especially accumulating merit and divine and human happiness... arriving at the immortal Great Nirvana... with great faith... may all beings be free from suffering...

A traditional Sinhala pagination symbol in the left margin of the lower leaf.

Being without the wealth of existence, in the ocean of Samsara... beings who are immersed in existence, hearing the Buddha Dhamma... accumulating great merit, in the cycle of existence... you who are meritorious, in the heavenly world... having gone and enjoyed happiness, and great happiness... having obtained, and for the sake of merit for all beings... may it be accomplished, to see Nirvana...

Hearing the Dhamma sermons that constantly accumulate merit... raising the cry of "Sadhu" and purifying the mind... the path to Nirvana shown with great compassion... the Sambuddha who preached... speaking the songs of praise, to see the immortal Great... may merit be accomplished... may all gods also rejoice...

By the power of great merit, may the dispensation... be protected always... maintaining good virtues... taking, and the virtues of the Buddha... thinking of the glory, for the sake of the bliss of Nirvana... we share the merit... May it be successful.