Prajnalok Mahasthavir

Prajnalok Mahasthavir (1879-1971) was a prominent scholar, writer and orator of Pali and a preacher, educationist and writer of Buddhism. In 1954, the Burmese government awarded him the title of "Agga Mahapandit" for his religious work and social services, . In 1933, Burma's most venerable group of vikkhus organised a grand assembly ("mahasanghadan") to award him the title of "Buddha Shasan Birzasthambha Shasan Dhwaj" on his birthday. [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0252.htm Prajnalok Mahasthavir] , Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, "Retrieved: 2007-11-22"] [http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/P_0045.htm Pali] , Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka, "Retrieved: 2007-11-22"]

Life

Born on 31 December 1879 as Dharmaraj Barua in the village of Vaidyapara in Boalkhali, Chittagong, he came in contact with Acharya Punnachar Mahasthavir at the age of 21. He received from the acharya "shramanya" and "upasampada" at Shakyamuni Vihara and in 1909 he studied Dharma and Vinaya at Naikhaine.

Prajnalok went to Sri Lanka to study the "Tripitaka" under Upasen Mahasthavir, principal of Saddharmodaya Mahavidyalaya in 1913. Returning to Bengal, he formed an association called "Zinshasan Samagam" with his young vikkhu student friends to propagate Buddhism. In 1922 he established Vidarshanaram Vihara in the village of Kanaimadari in Patiya and Sudarshan Vihara in the village of Mayani in Sitakunda. He then left for Akyab.

In Akyab, he established the "Bangiya Bauddha Samity" and a vihara with support from Bengali Buddhists, and was made principal of Dharmadut Vihara. In 1928, Prajnalok and Sudhanshu Bimal Barua, along with a number of Buddhists of Bengali origin, established the Buddhist Mission Press in Rangoon. The Press, which was destroyed in bombing during the Second World War, initiated the study of the Tripitaka in Bengali and, in 1930, started to publish the periodical "Sanghashakti". When the Press was destroyed, Prajnalok walked back home through northern Burma and Assam.

During the famine and epidemics of 1945, Prajnalok organised a relief body with headquarters in the village of Tekota in Patiya. He died in Chittagong on 12 May 1971.

Work

He wrote and edited more than thirty books, including "Mahavagga" (1937), a translation of "Vinayapitaka" published by the "Tripitaka Publication Fund" in Chittagong. While in Sitakunda, he translated Vikkhu Patimokhka's writings with commentaries and wrote textbooks "Pali Patham Sikkha"and "Vikkhu Kartavya O Grhi Kartavya". While in Akyab, Prajnalok compiled and wrote "Danamanjari", "Kathin Chivardananisangsa" and "Ratnamala Bishodhan". He also translated, compiled and edited "Milinda Prashna" (2 volumes), "Theragatha, Lokaniti", "Telaktaha Gatha", "Pali Tripitaka" (pamphlet), "Prabas Suhrd", "Grhiniti", "Namrup", "Buddher Yoganiti", "Bidarshan Bhavana", "Aryasatya", "Dhammapada", "Sutta Vibhanga" and "Buddher Dharma Parichaya".

References