Editing Dhammapada (section)

==Etymology==
The title "Dhammapada" is a compound term composed of ''[[dhamma]]'' and ''pada'', each word having a number of denotations and connotations.  Generally, ''dhamma'' can refer to the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]]'s "doctrine" or an "eternal truth" or "righteousness" or all "phenomena";<ref>See, e.g., Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), pp. 335-39, entry "Dhamma," retrieved 25 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [https://archive.today/20120708020151/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.1:1:2654.pali].</ref> at its root, ''pada'' means "foot"  and thus by extension, especially in this context, means either "path" or "verse" (cf. "[[foot (prosody)|prosodic foot]]") or both.<ref>See, e.g., Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 408, entry "Pada," retrieved 25 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at [https://archive.today/20120709085328/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:1516.pali].</ref>  English translations of this text's title have used various combinations of these and related words.<ref>See, for instance, C.A.F Rhys David's "Verses on Dhamma," Kalupahana's "The Path of Righteousness," Norman's "The Word of the Doctrine,"  Woodward's "The Buddha's Path of Virtue," and other titles identified below at [[#English translations|"English translations"]].</ref><ref>See also Fronsdal (2005), pp. xiii-xiv.  Fronsdal, p. xiv, further comments: "... If we translate the title based on how the term ''dhammapada'' is used in the verses [see Dhp verses 44, 45, 102], it should probably be translated 'Sayings of the Dharma,' 'Verses of the Dharma,' or 'Teachings of the Dharma.'  However, if we construe ''pada'' as 'path,' as in verse 21 ..., the title could be 'The Path of the Dharma.'  Ultimately, as many translators clearly concur, it may be best not to translate the title at all."</ref>