Significance of Pali Language with a focus on its translation procedures into English: A Study

Abstract

Pali plays a vital role in the cultural history of India, like Sanskrit literature. Complete canonical early Buddhist literature is available in the Pali language. Pāli remains the factual basis for understanding Buddhism, though later teachers of Mahāyāna Buddhism have adopted Sanskrit for their philosophical and logical expositions. Being the very ancient language of India, Pali has occupied a prominent position in the history of Indian Buddhism. Vedic Chandas was the oldest language in India. Prakrit, Pali, and Sanskrit languages are developed with the similarities of the Chandas. Prakrit and Pali were either simultaneous or immediately grown-up languages. This is due to the similarity between the Chandas. Prakrit and Pali. In the later period, classical Sanskrit evolved from it. There is no doubt that Sanskrit was the tremendous and refined language in ancient India, and it is the source of all modern Indian languages. There are various words in Pali that often get translated into English but appear not to be much helpful. Translations of terms of this ancient language, Pali must help us to understand the real sense used by the Buddha.