Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c24.283

v1.c24.283

8. Dhammapāla.—A celebrated author, generally referred to as Ācariya. Various works are attributed to him, but as there seem to have been several authors of the same name,¹ it is difficult to assign their works separately. The best known, distinguished by the name of Ācariya, is said² to have written fourteen books. The Sāsanavamsa³ records that he lived at Badaratittha in South India. His works show that he was a native of Kāñcipura. His period is uncertain, though it is generally agreed that he is posterior to Buddhaghosa. He seems to have studied in the Mahāvihāra, because he mentions this fact in the introduction to his books (e.g., the Petavatthu Commentary). It is quite likely that he studied the Tamil Commentaries as well and that he wrote at Badaratittha.⁴ The Khuddaka Nikāya was his chief study, and seven of his works are commentaries on the books of poetry preserved in the Canon—the Thera- and Therī-Gāthā, Udāna, Vimāna- and Peta-vatthu, Itivuttaka and Cariyāpiṭaka. His other works are a commentary on the Netti, and on the Visuddhimagga (called the Paramatthamañjūsā), ṭīkās (called Līnatthavaṇṇanā) on Buddhaghosa's Commentaries to the Four Nikāyas and another on the Jātakaṭṭhakathā. He is also credited with having written a ṭīkā on the Buddhavamsa Commentary and on the Abhidhammatthakathā.