Gatha-Sataka

The Kalpatharu Research Academy, Bangalore is an Institution running with the benign blessings of his Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji under the auspices of Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, established in 1981. Kalpatharu Research Academy has strided across the horizon of Indological Research and Publications with giant steps, and today stands as an Institution known for its unique quality of Research work.

Kalpatharu Research Academy is dedicated to the cause of preservation of ancient heritage of India; it has encouraged Research in the fields of Agama, Veda, Tantra, Jyoutisha, Mantra-Sastra, Vastu, Yoga, Silpa, Ayurveda etc.

Among its prestigious publications (numbering more than seventy-five till now), are Six Volumes, of Pratima-Kosha, Twelve Volumes of Agama-Kosha, Three Volumes of the Art and Architecture of Indian Temples, and several Koshas like Ganesha-Kosha, Lalita-Kosha and Navagraha-Kosha, Oshadhi-Kosha, Salagrama-Kosha, Gita-Kosha, Hanumat-Kosha etc.

The Academy has plans of undertaking intensive Research in the field of Veda and Vedanga, and intends publishing “Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-Kosha” an encyclopaedic work in several volumes dealing with all aspects of Indian Tradition and Culture. It seeks to promote Education, Culture, Science, Art, and learning in all its branches. The approach will be broad-based and multi-disciplinary.

An extensive, comprehensive and specialist reference library has been built up to assist the Research Workers in the Indological disciplines. A valuable collection of Palm-Leaf manuscripts relating to Veda, Vedanta, Vedanga and allied subjects has already been made; the collection work is continuing.

Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham has been running a Guru-Kula type of Institution on traditional lines to impart Vedic Education at several places. Some of these Institutions are over 100 years old. It is the intention of Kalpatharu Research Academy to take an active part in continuing this age-old tradition and act as the Research & Publication wing for these Institutions.

Our ambition is to develop as a National Centre for higher learning in Veda, Vedanga and Shastras and facilitate the propagation of unique Sanskrit and Vedic Texts in the National and International arena.

This Publication is the Eighty-Eighth of its achievement in this field.

Kalpatharu Research Academy’s project Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-Kosha proposes to publish all significant Indological literature, Vedic, Tantrik, Bauddha and lain in Orientation. Its aim is to make available all important contributions to the totality of India’s cultural heritage. Accordingly, we are now bringing out a Buddhist poem in a Hundred Stanzas. It is a unique work, but is little known. We are grateful to Professor S.K. Ramachandra Rao for having kindly edited this poem, Gatha-Sataka, in Pali with his own translation in English. He has also prepared an elaborate introduction to the poem.

We are fortunate in being the recipients of the munificent blessings of the Chief Patron of the Academy, His Holiness the Jagadguru of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham and we offer our pranams to him. Likewise, we are lucky in having Shri V.R. Gowrishankar, the Administrator of Sri Sharada Peetham of Sringeri, our chairman, and we are intended to him for his keen interest in our activities.

We also thank the Authorities of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi and the Authorities of the Ministry of Education, Govt. of Karnataka for their interest and assistance to our publication work and also we thank M/s. Omkar Offset Printers, who have brought out this book neatly and expeditiously.

There are many beautiful literary works in Sanskrit and Pall, which unfortunately have not merited the attention they deserve. They are little known, and less studied. But they bring into bold relief the salient features of Indian culture. Gatha-Sataka is one such. It is a poetical work of great merit in Pali, consisting of hundred gathas, uttered by a Buddhist monk as he was dying in a cauldron of oil. The poem expatiates on the miseries of samsaara and the great need to obtain enlightenment and emancipation. The poem has been edited here, with translation in English. I have also equipped it with an introduction which discusses the role of the Buddha and his Dharma in Indian culture.

I am indebted to Sri Daivajna K.N. Somayaji, Chief Editor and Director of Kalpatharu Research Academy, for having included this work of mine in the Kalpatharu Research Academy series of publications. I am grateful of Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Tirtha Swamiji, the Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham and the chief patron of the Academy and to Shri V.R. Gowrishankar, the Administrator of the Sharada Peetham and Chairman of the Academy for their interest in this publication.

I sincerely thank the authorities of the Omkar Offset Printers for having printed this book in an excellent manner.