Atthakatha

Aṭṭhakathā (Pali for explanation, commentary)[1] refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. These commentaries give the traditional interpretations of the scriptures. The major commentaries were based on earlier ones, now lost, in Pakrit, which were written down at the same time as the Canon, in the last century BCE. Some material in the commentaries is found in canonical texts of other schools of Buddhism, suggesting an early common source.

As with the Canon itself, the contents of collected editions of the Theravadin commentaries, compiled from the fourth century CE onwards, vary between editions. The minimal collection, found in the Thai edition (1992) includes the following (Skilling 2002).

In addition, the following are included in one or both of the other two editions: the Burmese Chatthasangayana edition (a list of contents can be found in Thein Han 1981) and the Sinhalese Simon Hewavitarne Bequest edition.

Buddhaghosa

Below is a listing of fourth- or fifth-century CE commentator Buddhaghosa's fourteen alleged commentaries (Pāli: atthakatha) on the Pāli Tipitaka (Norman 1983).

Pali Tipitaka Commentary
from the
Vinaya Pitaka		 Vinaya (general) Samantapasadika
Patimokkha Kankhavitarani
from the
Sutta Pitaka		 Digha Nikaya Sumangalavilasini
Majjhima Nikaya Papañcasūdani
Samyutta Nikaya Saratthappakasini
Anguttara Nikaya Manorathapurani
from the
Khuddaka
Nikaya		 Khuddakapatha Paramatthajotika (I)
Dhammapada Dhammapada-atthakatha
Sutta Nipata Paramatthajotika (II),[2]
Suttanipata-atthakatha
Jataka Jatakatthavannana,
or Jataka-atthakatha
from the
Abhidhamma
Pitaka		 Dhammasangani Atthasalini
Vibhanga Sammohavinodani
Dhatukatha Pancappakaranatthakatha
Puggalapannatti
Kathavatthu
Yamaka
Patthana

Only the Visuddhimagga and the commentaries on the first four nikayas are accepted by a consensus of scholars as Buddhaghosa's.[3]

Dhammapala

The commentator Dhammapala's date is uncertain. He wrote after Buddhaghosa, and probably no later than the 7th century.[4] His Khuddaka Nikaya commentaries are Paramatthadipani comprising

Other Khuddaka Nikaya commentaries

Other Khuddaka Nikaya commentaries are

Three books are included in some editions of the Khuddaka Nikaya: Nettipakarana, Petakopadesa and Milindapañha. Of these only the Nettipakarana has a commentary in any standard edition.

Translations

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), pp. 24-25, entry for Attha defines aṭṭhakathā as "exposition of the sense, explanation, commentary...."
  2. ↑ In fact this commentary did not originally have this title, but it has become traditionally known by it. Hinüber (1996/2000), p. 129 sec. 255, writes:
    Neither the author nor even a title is mentioned in Pj [Paramattha-jotika] II .... Thus, originally Pj II was anonymous, and moreover like Dhp-a [Dhammapada-atthakatha] and Ja [Jataka-atthavannana] was without an individual title: Pj might have been chosen at a later date because large parts overlapped with Pj I. [That is, because much of the Khuddakapatha is taken from the Sutta Nipata]. This connected this commentary to Pj I....
    On the whole, however, Pj I and Pj II are so different that it is difficult to imagine a common author.
  3. ↑ For instance, regarding the Khuddha Nikaya commentaries, Hinüber (1996/2000), pp. 130–1, sect. 259, 260, writes:
    Neither Pj [Paramattha-jotika] I nor Pj II can be dated, not even in relation to each other, except that both presuppose Buddhaghosa. In spite of the 'Buddhaghosa colophon' added to both commentaries ... no immediate relation to Buddhaghosa can be recognized.... Both Ja [Jataka-atthavannana] and Dhp-a [Dhammapada-atthakatha] are traditionally ascribed to Buddhaghosa, an assumption which has been rightly questioned by modern research....
  4. ↑ See Encyclopedia of Buddhism Vol.4, p. 502-503.
  5. ↑ Available on-line from "Access to Insight" (1994) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/wheel377.html.

Sources

External links

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