how to convert Canonical references to Sutta numbers

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
Post Reply
User avatar
JMGinPDX
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:07 pm

how to convert Canonical references to Sutta numbers

Post by JMGinPDX »

I apologize in advance if this has been covered elsewhere or if there is a decent source I'm overlooking, but I'm wondering it there is a way to convert Canonical numbering (using Nikaya letter, Roman numeral and number) to the divisions in the Canon by Nikaya, Vagga, Sutta, etc.

I'm listening to Ajahn Amaro's podcast reading of Analayo's "Satipatthana" book, and also reading the PDF of the book itself, and I noticed that Analayo uses references in the footnotes like "S V 6" or "S IV 194" - during the talk, Amaro mentions this type of nomenclature as being difficult to track back to the sutta in question (and despite his breadth of knowledge of the suttas, Amaro himself seems to have difficulty with one particular reference :))

I'm wondering if it's a simple as tracking the numbers to the divisions within the Nikaya, or is it more involved?

Thanks in advance and apologies for any oversight on my behalf... :anjali:
Right now, it's like this...
User avatar
Bhikkhu Pesala
Posts: 4644
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:17 pm

Re: how to convert Canonical references to Sutta numbers

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

There is only one edition of the Pali text in Roman script, so references to volumes and page numbers are easy to trace. There are several different translations, so references to Chapters and Suttas or page numbers of translations can be hard to find if one has a different translation to that used by the person quoting the reference.

The Chattha Sangayana Tipitaka can be used to reliably track references to the Roman Edition of the Pali Text. So too, can the printed translations by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Horner, and others, where the reference is given near the spine of the book.

S.iv.194 is a couple of pages into the Kiṃsukopama Suttaṃ, of the Saḷāyatana Saṃyuttaṃ, Saḷāyatanavaggo, Saṃyutta Nikāya volume four.
S.iv.194.png
S.iv.194.png (15.97 KiB) Viewed 1397 times
BlogPāli FontsIn This Very LifeBuddhist ChroniclesSoftware (Upasampadā: 24th June, 1979)
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19932
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: how to convert Canonical references to Sutta numbers

Post by mikenz66 »

See also: https://suttacentral.net/sutta_numbering

For S V 6, for example, one approach is to look through the SN list on Sutta Central:
https://suttacentral.net/sn

That's volume 5 (V) out of 5, page 6 of the Pali PTS edition, so it's quite far down, in the 45th chapter: https://suttacentral.net/sn45
You can see the Vol/page numbers for the start of each sutta there.

It's probably in SN45.4 or SN45.5. If you open those suttas and turn on textual information on the control menu (top left) you'll see the PTS page numbers in the margins.

Then you'll see something like:
Then, when the Venerable Ānanda had walked for alms in Savatthī and returned from his alms round, after his meal he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: sn.v.5

https://suttacentral.net/en/sn45.4/2
:heart:
Mike
Post Reply