Dr. Radhakrishnan offers this translation of The Dhammapada, the most popular and influential book of the Buddhist canonical literature, as 'a small contribution to world understanding'. Prefixing the actual text (which consists of the Pali original, an English translation and notes) is the Essay on Gautama The Buddha which Dr. Radhakrishnan gave before the British Academy in 1938. In his preface to the first edition, published in 1950, the author notes that the central thesis of the book, that human conduct, righteous behaviour, reflection and meditation are more important than vain speculations about the transcendent has relevance and appeal to the modern mind.