Bangkok, April 3 (IANS) In a special gesture that spotlights the shared civilizational bonds underpinned by cultural, linguistic, and religious ties between India and Thailand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with the holy scriptures 'The World Tipitaka: Sajjhaya Phonetic Edition' by Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra following their bilateral discussions in Bangkok on Thursday. The Tipitaka (in Pali) or Tripitaka (in Sanskrit) is a revered compilation of Lord Buddha's teachings, consisting of 108 volumes and regarded as the principal Buddhist scripture. The edition presented to PM Modi is a meticulously crafted version written in Pali and Thai scripts, ensuring the accurate pronunciation of over nine million syllables and highlights a significant moment of cultural and spiritual diplomacy.

This special edition was published in 2016 as part of the World Tipitaka Project by the Thai government to commemorate the 70-year reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit. "PM Shinawatra just gifted me the Tipitaka and I accepted it with folded hands on behalf of Bharat, the Land of Lord Buddha. Last year, India had sent the holy relics of Lord Buddha and two of his main disciples to Thailand. It is so heartwarming to know that around four million people paid their obeisance to the relics," said PM Modi. Analysts believe that the presentation of the Tipitaka to PM Modi is a testament to India's spiritual leadership and its enduring bond with Buddhist nations.

According to the Thai authorities, with the Kings as upholders of Buddhism, Thailand has played long standing role in disseminating the Tipiṭaka to various countries. In 1893, the Chulachomklao of Syam-Paḷi Tipiṭaka Bangkok Era 112 Edition with Paḷi-Syam script was published as the first printed version of Tipiṭaka in book form. King Chulalongkorn presented the Paḷi-Syam Script Tipiṭaka as Royal Gifts to more than 250 institutions in 25 countries. Later on, in 2005, the World Tipiṭaka in Roman script edition, the first complete set in the Roman-script transliteration, was published and presented as Gifts of Dhamma to over 150 major international institutions worldwide.

The King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit Commemorative 2016 editions was published as the world's first Tipiṭaka specifically designed for Sajjha-ya recitation ensuring accurate pronunciation of the Tipiṭaka, maintaining the original Paḷi pronunciation in the era of the Lord Buddha. In 2016, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's accession to the throne, King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, then the Crown Prince, graciously accepted to be the Chairperson of the Publication and the foundation was bestowed to disseminate the set of 80 volumes of the World Tipitaka. The project to disseminate the World Tipiṭaka Sajjhaya Phonetic Recitation 2016 editions to international community to commemorate the 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua on 28th July 2024 is the collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the World Tipiṭaka Foundation.

/IANS