In this article, I look at the ways in which the Pāli Dhammapada of the Theravādins, and the related texts from other early Buddhist traditions, have been used and interpreted in the course of a long and complex history. I examine the relationships of the texts, both among themselves and with non-Buddhist works, and reflect on the ways in which the insights gained through this study must influence the work of the present-day translator of Dharmapada literature.
