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Buddhist and Pali Studiesin Honour of

The Venerable ProfessorKakkapalliye Anuruddha

(Off-print)

some observatio.ns on Exegetical Elaborationsof the PEli Canon in the Agghakathd_s

Aruna K. Gamage

Published [yCentre of Buddhiit Studies

The University of Hong Kong

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______

Some Observations on the ExegeticalElaborations.of the PAli Canon

in the AtthakathE-s

Aruna K. GAMAGE

Themainpurposeof Pali commentaries is forthe clarification of some obscurepnimts(arwuanapadavannarza) of discourses in the Pali canon. At the very outset,(6PAliAllhnkarha)thisifienthas been categorically emphasized(atthappakdsan'attham).Furfhermore "it explains the words and judgments of others as accurately andfaithfully as possible"t but it seems to be that strict academic methods have beenemployed by commentators in the process of supplying explications for theTipilalrn. However, asYen. Mahanama, the commentator of SaddhammappakasinlCfhe commentary of Patisambhidamagga) observes, it has been undertaken withoutdeviating from its own tradition (avokkamanto samaya sakafica) nor jumblingwith other religious teachings (anamasanto samoyaryt parafica).2

In fact, commentators can be recognized as exemplary scholars who wereendowed with intellectual (and as we assume sometimes spiritual) acumenwhen examining the nature of dhamma analysis in cites. They have acquiredan exffaordinary wisdom by critically studying the Pali canon. The role of Palicommentators, however, cannot be conceived as mere academic exercise thoughmodern western scholarship bears such a misconception. They had actual faith(saddha) in the Buddha, his doctrine and Buddhist community. Therefore if theyshould notice words, phrases or statements of the P dli canonthat are controversial,without any hesitation these would have been rectified or sometimes expansionmade in commentaries for the sake of protection of the s addhamma. For instance,Sabbhi Sutta of SN instructs that "sabbhir'e.va samasetha" which means oneshould associate only with the good.3 Here the verbal meaning of sam'asetha is"(you) should sit down together" [with noble persons (saha nisrdeyya iti attho)).Yen. Buddhaghosa rectifies the meaning of sam'asetha in his commentary ofSN, saying that sanlasetha means one should associate with noble people intheir every demeanor (desandsrsanfev'etam sabba-iriyapathe sabbhir'eva sahakappeyya iti attho).a

But neither exegeses nor definitions are provided for each and every wordof the Pali Canon in commentaries. Thus, the commentaries can be concededas exegesis for the concealed (anuttanapadavannana) and the unexplained(apubbapadavannana) terms of the Tipiyaka. some knotty words and key terms(i.e., words which bear philosophical and religious value) were explained withelaborations, especially key terms which underwent verboise explications though

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their meanings were without any obscudty,.especially when they. bear specific

;j;;d;.; iln gudAni.., serving as a remarkable reference for primary sources

such as Mahd-atthatcama, uahaiaccariya-atthakathd, Kurundi-a1lhakathdetc.,s

this function was accomplished as an autonomic activity' However' apparently

thesourcesemployedfortheabovepurposewerenotdemarcatedonlywithinBuddhist sources' Grammar, etymology' cosmology' anatomy are some features

used for this task. dfi;i;gy was i'ighly esteemed in Hinduism because it

was a part of six essential lirits of theii sacred book (vedanga). Elucidation of

the meanings of complex terms was made in accordance with etymology'

pdli commentators Aia'not employ each method prescribed in Hindu etymology

;hdh ih"y used it ;th" pro""r. of making commentarial exegesis. In many

cases they initiated ,"* "iy*otogies

where the vedic interpretations are not

pertinent to the Buddhist context. However, their innovations of new etymologies

are worthwhile in discerning the precise nuances of Buddhist terminologies

even if western ,.nofu., "o'Iid"' ii as a fanciful erymology'.On the other hand'

Hinduism is a theistic religion. The interpretations and etymologies dervied from

that tradition u." uu,o,,u,iZally connect"d *ith th"ittic concepts' Hence' accurate

meanings of Buddhism *t i.tt embodies atheistic teachings cannot be expressed

rhrough Hindu "ry-;i;;y. E;positiononA mbattha sutta of DA is unequivocal

in this regard *t "r" *J"o*" u".os both vedic and Buddhist etymologies of

the word brahmana.

brahmamanatttibrahmano,mantesajjhdyatftianho,idamevahijdtibrdhmananamniruttivac anam ariya pana bdhitapdpatdya brdhmaruati vucc anti6

(brdhmana is so called because he calls out to the creator of the world for the

participation of the sacrifice' This is -the

etymoloSy o{ b-ra\yana in terms of

birth. Nobles o,, 'o

catlid because they have discarded evil deeds')

Itisevidentthatetymologicalinterpretationssuppliedtosometermsbearsno ptritosophicat signincan""I V"n. Auidhaghosautllzedthese in his numerous

commentaries.Theetymotogyoftheword"kandara(acave)isanexampleofthe aforesaid.

Kandaranti kam vuc c ati udakam tena ddritam udakena bhinnam pabbatapp ade s an{

(kandarameanskamitdenoteswatermountainousregionsbrokenbl,water.)

It is clear that the extensive usage of etymology in the a.llhakatha-s has

contributed "*"""Jirgty to the development of commentarial literature as

a distinctive urO uuttroiitutive exegetical tiadition of Buddhism' Especially when

it has evolveO into u *u;* ,uppoi fo,. discerning subtle and profound meanings

of Buddhist teaching. "farticutarty, etymology aid; to uncover the literal or

verbal meaning of iords without laier embellishments and encrustations'

Nevertheless etymological explanations are not evident for all the special words of

the pdlicanon in citesl The meanings of some controversial Pdliterms were not

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furnished with etymological clarifications. In these cases, commentators provided

comprehensive explicaiion for those words, notwithstanding the literal meanings

in order to ensureihe non-contradictoriness of Theravada Buddhist standpoint.

The paramount intention of this project is to preserve the orthodox viewpoint

of Theravada Buddhism, eluding contentious dogmas of sophists. It is however

obvious that Theravddins have neither escaped nor spared from disputation

that arose over doctrinal facets of the canon. They could vanquish a mass of

heterodoxies by citing proofs from the Pali canon which were accepted by all

Buddhist sects as the most authentic source of early teachings of the Exalted

one. on some occasions, dogmatic misconceptions of sophists were at times

denounced rigorously by Theravadins with humor. In fact, the majority of the

sophistic arguments weie based on the phraseological diversities of lhe Pali

"unor. It should be remarked that illumining the real sense of Buddhism cannot

be absolutely achieved only through phraselogical or linguistic approach since it

is only instrumental for the aforesaid purpose. on the other hand, the Pdli canon

itself supplies substantiations for that. Yen. Upatissa says in Mahavaggapdli:,,Incleed, i only need the meaning and nothing to do with syntaxes (attheneva me

attho kim kahasi byafijanam bahum)."8 As observed tn the Kinti Saf/a of MN'

phraseology is not so e:ssentialfor comprehending the meaning.e The commentary

of this Suttapresents a historical narration in order to conform to the above fact'

AA vehemently states that meaning is the refuge not the phraseo_logyto (attho hi

patisaranam, nivyafijanarz). Furthermore, commentary of Nettippakarana observes'that

only tie meaning should indeecl be scrutinized atthoyev'ettha gavesitabbo)'11

With th; acquiescence of early Buddhism, commentators implemented numerous

anomalous m odus operendi-s ior the purpose of expounding on the aforementioned

terms. They had toihrewdly examine the Pdlicanon to accomplish this mission'

When they noticed that some phrases or terms of the canon are of contentious

nature, those were categorized under discrete classifications such as utterance

of common usage (vohaiavacanam), theme of sermon (desanastsam), primacy of

ittnrorr" (desanamukhamattaryt), adhesion of expressions (vacanasilitthata),

just a preaching (desanamattam) etc. Subsequently, philosophical explanations

were suppli."rrt"d to preserve the early Buddhist teachings. Commentators could

ou"..o-" many disputations utilizing these devices. Moreover, the expansion,

proliferation, (occaslonally) rectification of terms andphrases of thePdli canon,

iere undertaken by commentators. In this paper, attempts are made to investigate

such evidences which are scattered amid the Atthakatha-s'

Expansion of Meanings

Commentators actualized their mission when they encounter some canonical

terms of cryptic nature by furnishing expanded meanings to them. The usage

of desanasiia best illustrates this fact. Vyagghapaiia Suna of AN12 states that

the person endowed with actual faith in the enlightenment of the Exalted One

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is a noble being. In accordance with the literal meaning of this discourse,he should have actual faith only in Buddha. In other words, actual faith in theBuddha is sufficient for one to be a true lay Buddhist (saddho hoti saddahatitatagatassa bodhim).Yen. Buddhaghosa discems this expression from an unusualperspective. He interprets tathagatassa bodhim as a desanaslsa. As he haspointed out, the pertinent meaning of bodhi in this context was not only thefaith in Buddha, but the saddha in the Triple Gem (i.e., Buddha, Dhamma &sangha). His interpretation expanded the limited meaning of bodhi, thereforeit denotes the three kinds of noble objects. (bodhinti desanaslsam ,eva

ca etar.n,imina pana ttsu'pi ratanesu saddha adhippeta),3 This explanation protects thefoundation of the Theravada tradition because it avoids the possibiliiy of stirringup controversies among other sophists.

As another illustration: the literal meaning of parisificati is 'sprinkles' wateraround. It does not give any sense of having a bath. yet, we can see manyinstances in the Pdli canon where the expressi on gattani parisificati denotesbathing. But if we observe the grammatical meanin g of parisiiicati.It cannotbeused in the sense of any kind of bathing. The commentator of Manorathapuranrjustifies this word by means of the vohdravacana method: The Buddha as wellas his disciples are said to have bathed on many occasions in various placesin India described by the words gattdni parisificati.It is possible to arrive ata misconception that they did not take any baths. They cleansed their limbs withjust sprinkles of water. But this commentarial interpretation closed all doors tosuch a heresy (parisificinaTi voharavacanam, nahayitvaTi attho).la

Attanatiya sutta of DN states that GotamaBuddha should be saluted becausehe preaches the doctrine to the mankind out of compassion Qinam vandathagotamam Jinam vandama gotamam).,s yen. Buddhaghosa confined the usage ofGotama in such a way as if it can only be applied to the histori cal GotamnBuddhaof India in 6trl century B. c. as a result of excluding its development. It is a well-known fact that the concept of Buddha went through consideiable developmentwithin the period of commentarial literature. The Pdli canon itself also suppliesevidences to substantiate the aforesaid. The concept of seven Buddhas c* uefound in several sermons of the Tipitaka. They are designated namely as vipassl,sikhl, vessabhu, Kakusanda, Konagama, Kassapa and Gotama. etinougtr ttreirrespective names are enumerated, contents of the Annatiya sutta does not provideany instruction on the worship of the sevenBuddhas.The commentators thereforechanged the literal meaning of Gotamain order to advocate the veneration of theseven Buddhas by means of supplementing a specific method of interpretationunder the title of desanamukhamattam. (Gotamanti desanamukhamattam etam.ayampi pana sattannam yeva vasena vufiati veditabbd).16 The accurate meaningof vandatha gotamam in this context is "you respect seven Buddhas". Referent tothis description an attempt to preserve the orthodox interpretation in Theravadatradition is apparent.

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The Jhatva sal/a of SN expounds on the bad outcomes of anger. This discourseremarks that one can sleep free from any disturbance having eliminated anger(kodham jhatva sukham seti).17 The same theme can be found when we take a versefrom Dhammapada which states that one who experiences the zest that arose fromthe knowledge of the Doctrine sleeps well (dhammaplti sukham seti).ts When weexamine the subtle meaning of these quotations, it is evident that the word setishould not be merely conflned to the me aning of sleeps according to early Buddhismbecause instructions that occur inthe Pdli canon are always in accord. They canbe applicable to any land, any culture etc. In other words, all the teachings we see

in the Pali canon are of universal value. Therefore it is clear that the word setibears an extended connotation. The commentary of Dhammapada resolves theabove problem. According to the commentary, serl in this context encompasses themeaning pertaining to every aspect of the person who practices Buddhism (set'ltidesanastsanl etam. sabbhiriydpathesu sukham viharatlti attho).te The accuratemeaning of this instruction should therefore be understood as "the person whostrives for the elimination of anger lives happily in all the postures".

Alavaka sutta of SN instructs that mendicants should be offered with foodand drinks (annena panena upatthahassu).zo The commentary of this collectionremarks that it is a lakkhanayacana. The sub-commentary rectifles this usagestating that it should not be merely confined to food and drinks, but also applicableto all kinds of requisites. According to the description of the sub-commentary,it should be understood as the protection of ghee from crows. Crows are knownfor consuming up all the ghee. But other living creatures also consume ghee.

But speciflc reference is made to crows because they are the foremost in thisrespect. Similarly, religious mendicants should be offered with every kind ofrequisite even though the discourse mentions only food and drinks.

Brahmajala Sutta of DN points out that some religious mendicants havingconsumed offerings given by people engaged in commercial dealings and wronglivelihood such as buying and selling, earning money through illicit means. (ekacces amanab r ahmana s addhad eyy ani b hoj andni b hufij in a . . .).21 B uddhagho s a in hiscommentary explained that the correctmeaning of bhojandni should notbe merelyrendered asfood.It is also a de sanastsa and therefore bears the extended meaningwhich concurs contextually in this passage. His description runs as bhojananttide s anas ts amattamev' e tam. Atthato pana s addhadeyydni bhoj andni bufij inac warani pdrupin a s ena s anani s evamana gilanabhe s ajj am paribhufij amana Ti

s abb am e t am v utt ameva ho t i.22

Some passages of the Pali commentaries are of paramount importancebecause they serve to render the correct sense of early Buddhist teachings.When we examine the philosophical values of these teachings presented in thecommentaries, there seems to be the avoidance of controversial points found in

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the Pali canon. In the explanation on square of non-perception (Asafifiasatta) thisomission is evident. Five aggregates which explains the entire worldphenomenaare always automatically interconnected. The bondage to them as emphasizedin early Buddhism can not be severed until one ends his samsaric journey.If someone has the ability to destroy the grasping to these aggregates viz form(rupa),sensation (vedana),perception (s afifia),conditional activities (s aikhara)and consciousness (viniiana), he is near to liberation. Axabhava safifia is alsounderstood as a desanaslsa, thus it should be rendered as an extended meaningbeyond its literal nuance. There is no possibility for the emergence of a being inthat only with four aggregates with the exception of perception. (asaiifiasattdlidesanastsametam. acitt'uppadarupamatta - attabhava\i attho).23 This kind ofinstance conduces protection of the traditional foundation of Theravada Buddhism.

udanapdli states that if someone inflicts harm on man with a stick he willfall into a miserable state as a consequence of that evil deed. (sukhakamanibhutani yo dandena vihimsati.....).ro By simply relying on the literal approach,the correct sense of above statement can not be grasped. Someone may reachan erroneous conclusion that one reaps bad consequence if living creatures areattacked only with a staff. But the commentator does not leave room for suchpit falls. The commentator verifies that inflicting torture of any kind on livingbeings reaps bad consequences. As Yen. Dhammapala remarks that it is alsoadesanastsa. (dandenati desanamattam, dandenavdleddusatthapdnippahdradthiva\i attho)2s

The Buddha admonishes the Buddhist community not to go to the kambojacountry. Commentator renders this expression as being oblique. on the otherhand, there is no viability in that statement if a text is examined without givingdue considerations to the contemporary background of India. According to thecommentary, the Buddha prohibited Buddhist monks from journeys laden withdangers. $nm kifici tiro rattham na gacchatati attho)26

commentators were very eager in providing systematic interpretations totheir texts. Special methods of deflnitions were utilized for many phrases eventhough they may be of little philosophical importance. when they deflne the wordabbhamutta, its literal meaning was neglected (i.e., freed from the clouds). As thecommentators have recognized in many sources, the five kinds of obstacles can beconstrued as attenuating the shine of the moon viz cloud, mist, smoke, dust, a godcalled Rahu. The word abbhdmutta conveys the above meaning in accordancewith Pali commentaries. (Abbhamutto\i desanas[samatta' etam. Abbha-mahika-dhuma-mja-rahuli imehi pana upakkilesehi mutto candima idha adhippeto)21

II

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Aruna K. GAMAGE: Exegetical Elaborations of the Pali Canon in the Atthakathd-s

Rectiflcation Efforts in the Commentaries

commentaries themselves postulate that the pdli canon has undergoneconsiderable editing by the Buddhist councils. Some awkward phrases were editedby foremost venerable thera-s who participated for this purpose. DA remarksthat this activity was performed as a project of scrutiny There is no room forany kind of revision made to the Buddha's words. They never advocated for theomission of any particle from their Dhamma preaching. But some phrases inthe utterances of disciples or gods were omitted without any hesitation. Deviceslike omissions of interpolations were also incorporated for the preservation ofDhamma (Buddhassa bhagavato bhdsite apanetabbam nama n'atthi. na hi tathagatdekavyafijanampi niratthakam vadanti. savakanam va pana devatanam va bhisiteapanetabbam hoti. tam dhammasangahaka thera upanayimsu. pakkipitabbam panasubbattHapi atthi. tasmd yam yattha pakkhipitum yuttam, pakkhipimsuy'eva).28Therefore, the role of the commentators can be regarded to some extent asrectiflcation or augmentation. This task was accomplished in order to remainfaithful as well as to protect the authenticity of Buddhist teaching.

Kassapasthanada sutta of DN expounds on conferment of initiations andmonastic higher ordinations. It was accepted in the Buddha's time that if someformer religious ascetic aspires to receive initiations of the Buddhist dispensation,he must go through a probationary period for the purpose of furiher closeobservation of their behavior patterns . (afifiatitthiyapubbo imasmir.n dhammavinayeakankhati pabbajjam, akaikhati upasampadam, so cattaro mase parivasitabbo).2sIf we accept the authority of this system, the former religious ascetic should dwellwithin the compound of a Buddhist monastery until he is granted permissionto receive Buddhist initiation as a Buddhist laity. venerable Buddhaghosarectifies this statement explaining that it is a special device of easy preaching(vacanasilittham). And he remarks that the probationary period iJ essentiallyprescribed only for higher ordination (upasampatti) but not for the initiationi.Though the sutta conveys the above meaning it should not be understood asliterally. It is only a mere expression (pabbajjanti vacanasilitthatavasen, evavuttam. aparivasitva yeva hi pabbajjam labhati. upasampad'atthikena panana atidivakale gamappavesanadtni atthavattani purentena parivasitabbiml.roThis example highlighted the contributions of pali commentaries in pr"r".uirrgthe accurate interpretation of Buddhism.

In fact, without the help of the commentaries, some passages of the pali canoncannot be easily understood. when the canon expounds on the good qualities ofthe Liberated one (i.e., arahant),idiomatic phrases are employed in a systematicway. one of them is appicchata and its literal meaning conveyi the sense ,bf lesscraving" (literal meaning of this world appicchata canbe analyzed etymologicallyas consisting of appa"less" andicchatao'cravinp". Thus, literally it denotes aperson

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Buddhist & Pali Studies in Honour of Ven. Prof. K Anuruddha

of attenuated craving or attachment). If we accept that the arahant has attenuatedcraving, that would contradict with other statements attribute dto an arahant.Il canbe categorically observed in many places of the Pali canon where an arahant isdescribed to have completely destroyed all kinds of cravings. The actual meaningof this passage should therefore be grasped in this way. In other words, appicchatashould be understood as the entire destruction of craving or complete terminationof lust. There is no possibility for any remnants of gross or subtle stratum ofcraving in his consciousness because he is designat ed as khtnasaya. And VenerableBuddhaghosa states that it is a mere usage. (appiccho ti icchavirahito, niccho,nittanho. Ettha hi byafijanarp savasesam viya, attho pana niravaseso. Na hi tassaanto anumafiA pi appika iccha ndma atthi. Khtndsavo H esa sabbaso pahtnatanho)3|

The above quotation reveals the attempt of commentators in establishing thespiritual status of Liberated Ones. AN emphasis that the Liberated Ones are freedfrom rebirths in all kinds of woeful states as a result of the emergence of insightin his consciousness (vijjar.n upddayambhikkhu sabba duggatiyo.iahe).32If someone grasps only the literal or superficial meaning of this statement, then the wordduggatiyo may stir up a controversy. Arahanht-s are the noble enlightened beingswho have fully abandoned all kind of rebirths, it should not be confined onlyto the rebirths in woeful states. They propose the following logical and factualsolution "arahattamaggavijjary uppadetva tam va pana vijjary uppadento sabbaduggatiyo jahati, desanastsamev' etam. sugatiyo'pipanasokhtnasavo jahatiyeva."33

occurrence of desanamatta canbe found on many occasions pertaining to therectification of some cryptic passages in the canon. AN presents a descriptionon specific characteristics of the Emancipated one.3a It further emphasizes thatthe Arahant neither have any fear nor tremble at the moment of passing away.on the other hand, he no longer subject to a next rebirth. He has exhausted and.wiped out defllements (sampardyikassa maranassa bhayati).The actual meaningof samparaylka should be rendered in accordance with the desanamatta usage.Actually, a khtnasava does not have any fear about death, thtts a khrnaszzva is onewho has completely eradicated defllements. Support from the Pali commentariescan be drawn to conflrm that he is without fear even if a thunder should strikeupon his head. (Khtnasavassa pana asaniya' pi matthatake patamanaya bhayarytva chambhitattam lomahamso va na hoti) Commentary of AN therefore justiflesthe noble state of arahant. (samparayikassati desanamattametam. Khtnasavo panan'eva samparayikassa na dittadhammikassa maranassa bhayati. So idha adhippeto)3s

Buddha asks Pukkusamallaputta, a pious layman, in the parinibbana suttato assist the Buddha to don the robe that layman has offered.36 According toYen. Buddhaghosa. the word acchadehi employed to denote this meaning isunsuitable (i.e., especially if it refers to layman helping the Buddha to don therobe) and introduce that statement as a upacaravacanam. And it is only valid

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(ac&adehrti upacaravacanametam. ekam mayham dehtti attho)31 when the wordacdudehi is rendered as dehi (give me). We can find a similar incident in ANdepicting the alms giving ceremony arranged by a faithful Buddhist devoteenamedas Ugga.3sHealsoofferedBuddhaapreciousrobe (dussayugenaacchadesi).Again, this word is rectifled in the relevant commentary. In this context, acchadesiis recognized as common parlance, samudacaravacanam. Whatever phraseology isused, the meaning should be grasped with the special consideration of the relevantcontext. SN also supplies a same scenario. The commentary of SN classifiesit under the usage of the mundane world (bhagavantam acchddestti bhagavatoaddstti attho. lokavoharato pana ettha tdisam vacanam hot).3e This propensityhighlighted the immensity of the commentators' strength of faith in Buddh.Giving interpretations with augmentation, they successfully handed down theauthentic Theravlda tradition to next generation. The uniformity is thereforeessentially preserved in these valuable sources (i.e., Atthakatha)-

Offering of food to Noble Enlightened beings is regarded in early Buddhismas a powerful meritorious deed. Nevertheless, we also find some explanationson offerings that entailed demerits.4o The text mentions that offerings to personsof bad conduct and dogmas reap little results. The word that expresses abovemeaning is na mahapphala. The commentator opines that it is an unsuitablephrase because we may be lead to misconceive that a limited or insignificantresult ensues from the offerings given to unethical persons. Interpretation has beenutilized altering the literal meaning of mahapphaldinthe relevant commentary.This definition emphasized that there is neither any meritorious result fromthat kind of offerings, nor any meritorious result from unethical and impurecelibacies. (na mahapphaloti nipphalo, vyafijanameva hi ettha savasesam, atthopananiravaseso. evemupavuttassahiuposathassaappamattakampivipdkaphalami11hary kantam manapam nama natthi, tasma, nipphalotveva veditabbo)al

Udanapali speaks of the Buddha in spiritual trance or absorption on flfth weekafter the Buddha's enlightenment. There was a sudden down pour of rain duringthat week. Mucalinda Ndga appeared in the form of huge serpent and used itsbody as shelter for the Buddha in order to protect him from the rain. Its intentionwas to make safeguard the Exalted One from the weather. He thought thlusl. mabhagavantam sttam ma bhagavantam unham,a2 May the Buddha not be disturbedby the cold and temperature. But the problem with this statement is that it isredundant to protect the Buddha from the weather because it was the time ofthe year for cold climate. Yen. Dhammapalathe commentator of this text agreeswith this statement saying there is no heat at all because it was raining throughoutthe seven days. tattha kiiicdpi sattahavaddalikdya unhameva natthi. He proposesthat the meaning of ma bhagavantam unham should be the Naga intended forthe protection of Buddha from its bodily temperature. As Ven. Dhammapalaopines that it is justifiable if we render in this way (evam ... cintetum yuttam).

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Buddhist & Pali Studies in Honour of Ven. Prof. K Anuruddha

Thewordmdbhagavantam unhamistsed in the sense of elucidating the expansionof Naga's body (unhagaha1tam p an' ettha bho ga- p arikkhepa s s a vipulabhava-karanakittanam).a3Throlgh creative interpretations, commentators strive to protect

the Theravdda tradition by omitting contradistinctions within the Pdli canon.

Summary

It is clear from the foregoing observations that the commentarial literatureis an encyclopedic source where we can identify the scholastic approach of the

Theravada tradition. It remains evident that the uniformity of this literaturepertaining to the devices of interpretation were utilized in many occasions even

though some contradictions and problematic passages have hardly clept in the

texts. Commentators have successfully accomplished the mission of completingexegetical literature protecting the Theravf,da standpoint. The usage of desanastsa,

desanamatta, voharavacana, vacanasilitthatateptesent specific exegesis devices

utlized by the Atthakathdcariya-s in this literature. These peculiar interpretationmethods were of paramount importance in the process of preserving the uniformityand avoiding controversial points.

Verification about the role of commentators is worth exploring. The entiretyof the tremendous contribution cannot be fully recognized with such a concise

observation. It is hoped, however, that at least the research methodology employed

by the commentators can be acknowledged as an exemplary scholastic approachto the understanding of early Buddhism.

Abbreviations

A Aiguttara NikdyaAA Anguttara Nikdya AtthakafuaD Drgha NiknyaDA Dtgha Nikdya AtthakathdDh DhammapadaDhA Dhammapada AtthakathdM Majjhima NiknyaMA Majjhima NikdyaAtthakathaNetti NettippakaranaNetti A Nettippakarana AtthakathdP Patisambhida MaggaPA Patisambhidd Magga AtthakathdS Samyutta NikdyaSA Samyutta Nikdya AtthakathaU Uddna PdliUA UdanaAtthakathd

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, V Vinaya Pitaka

, tO Vinaya Atthakathd

' BibliograPhY

' Primary Sources

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', 2. AiguttaranikiyaAtthakathd(Manorathapilrary), ed. Max Walleser and Hermann

Kopp, 5 vols., PTS, 1979, London,1956; Reprint.

3. ApaddnaAtthakathd(visuddhajanavilasint), ed. c.E. Godakumbura, PTS, 1954,

London.

" 4. Buddhqvamsa Atthakathd (Madhuratthavilasin), ed. I.B. Horner, PTS, 1978,

, london.; tr. I.B. Horner,The Clarifier of the Sweet Meaning, PTS, 1978, London.

5. Cariydpi aka Atthakatha, ed.D.L. Barua, PTS, 1979 London.

6. Dhammapada, ed. & tr. Narada Thera, Eugene Watson Burlingame, Buddhist

Legends,3 Parts, PTS, 197q London.

7 . Dhammasaigant Atthakatha (AtthasdlinD, ed. Edward Muller, PTS, 1979, London,

tr. Pe MaungTin,The Expositer, PTS, 1976, London.

8. Dlghanikdya, ed. T W Rhys Davids and J.E. Carpenter. 3 vols.' 1991, London,

tr. T Vl & C.A.E Rhys Davids, Dialogues of the Buddha, 3 parts-, PTS, 195q

London.

9. Dtghanikdya Atthakathd (SumaigalavildsinD, ed. TW Rhys Davids and J.E.

Carpenter and W Stede., 3 parts, PTS, 1971, London.

lO. Dlghanikdya Atthakatha Tlka (Ltnatthavaltryana), ed. Lily de Silva, 3 vols., PTS,

1970, London.

ll. Itivuttaka, ed. E. Windish, PTS, 1889 London; tr. J.D. Ireland, The ltivuttaka,BPS, 1991, Kandy.

12. Itivunaka Atthakatha, ed. M.M. Bose, 2 Vols., PTS, 1977,London. Jataka, ed.

V Fausboll, 7 vols., 1962-1964; tr. E.B. Cowel, Jataka Stories,6 Vols., 1990,

Reprint, Delhi.

13. Jdtaka,ed. V Fausboll, 7 vols., 1962-1964; tr. E.B. Cowel, Jataka Stories, 6 vols.,

1990, Reprint. Delhi.

14. Kathdvatthu,ed.A.C.Taylo12Vols.,PTS,l894-189ZLondon;tr.SheZanAungand C. A.F Rhys Dawids, Points of Controversy, PTS, 197q London.

15. Kathdvatthu, ed. N.A. Jayawickrama, PTS, 197q Londons.

16. KhuddakapdhaandAtth(*atha,ed.Helmer Smith, PTS, 1978, London; tr. BhikkhuNanamoli, The lllustrater of Ultimate Meaning, PTS, 1978, London.

17. M ahanidde sa, ed. L. De la Valle Poussin and E. J. Thoman, 2 parts., PTS, 1 978,

London.

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Buddhist & Pali Studies in Honour of Ven. Prof. K Anuruddha

18. Majjhimanikaya, ed. V Trencner and C. Chalmers,3 Vols., London, 1951; tr.I.B.Homer, Middle Length Sayings,3 Vols., PTS,'1954-1959, London.

19. Majjhimanikdya Atthaketha (Papaficasfrdanf , ed. J.H. Woods, D. Kosambi andI.B. Horner,5 Vols., 1979, London.

20. Milindapafiha, ed. V Trencner, PTS, 1928, London; tr. TW Rhys Davids,The Questions offindMilinda,2parts.,Reprint, 1982, Delhi,;LB.Homer,MilindabQuestions,2 Vols., PTS, 1964, London,.

21. Nettippakarana, ed. E. Hardy, PTS, 1902, London ; tr. Bhikkhu Nanamoli,The Guide, PTS,1962, London.

22. Niddesa Atthahakatha (Saddhammapajjotikd), ed. A.P. Buddhadatta, 3 Vols.,PTS, 1980, London.

23. Patisambhidamagga, ed. Arnold C. Taylor,3 Vols., PTS, 197q London.

24. Patisambhiddmagga Attqkatha (Saddhammappakdsint), ed. C.V Joshi, 3 Vols.,PTS, 1979, London.

25. PetavaxhuAtthakathq, ed. E. Hardy, PTS, 1984, London;tr. UBaKyaw,Elucidationof the intrintrinsic Meanirug, PTS, 1980, London.

26. Puggalapafifiatti, ed. Richard Morris, PTS,1972, London.

21 . Puggalapafiiiatti Atthakathd, ed.George Landberg and C.A.E Rhys Davids, PTS,l972,London.

28. Samyuttanikaya,ed. L. Peer, 6 Vols., 1904, London; tr. C.A.E Rhys Davids andEL. Woodward, The Book of the Kindred Sayings,5 Vols., PTS, 1930, London.

29. Samyuttanikdya Atthakathd (Saratthappakdsint), ed. EL. Woodward, 3 Vols.,PTS, 1972 London.

30. Suttanipata,ed.D.Anderson and H. Smith, PTS, 1919, London; tr. H. Saddhatissa,The Suttanipata, PTS, 1985, London.

31. Suttanipdta Atthakatha, ed. Helmer Smith, 3 Vols., PTS,1972, London.

32. Thera-therigatha, ed. H. Oldenberg and R. Pischel, PTS, 1883, London.

33. Theragathd Atthakatha, ed.F.L. Woodward, 3 Vols., PTS, 1984, London.

34. Therigdtha Atthakathd, ed. E. Muller, PTS, 1893, London.

35. Uddna Atthakatha, ed. EL. Woodward. PTS,1977, London.

36. VinayaAtthakatha(Samantapasadika),ed.J.Takakusu,M.NagaiandK.Mizuno,7 Vols., PTS, 1981, London.

37. Vibhanga Atthakatha (sammohavinodan), ed. A.P. Buddhadatta, PTS, 1980,London; tr. Bhikkhu Nanamoli, The Dispeller of Delusion,2 parts, PTS, 1997London.

38. Vimanavatthu Atthakatha, ed. E. Hardy, PTS, 1901, London; tr. P. Masefield,Vimana Stories, 2 parts, PTS, 1989., Oxford.

39. Visuddhimagga, ed. C.A.E Rhys Davids, PTS, 1975, London \ tr. BhikkhuNanamoli, The Path of Purification, EPS, 1991, Kandy.

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Aruna K. GAMAGE: Exegetical Elaborations of the PEli Canon in the Atthakath[-s

Secondary Sources

40. Abeynayake, Oliver,y4 Tbxtual and Historical Analysis of Khuddakanikaya,1984, Colombo.

41. Adikaram, 8.W., Early History of Buddhism in Ceylon, Second Impression,1994, Dehiwala.

42. Bapat, P.V, VimuttimaggaandVisuddhimagga; AComparative Study,l931,Poona.Buddhadatta.A..P., Corrections of GiegerbMahavamsa, 1952 Ambalangoda.

43. Buddhism in Ceylon and Studies in Religious Syncretism in Buddhist Courties,1978., London.

44. Dube, S.N., Cross Currents in Early Buddhism, 1978, Delhi. Endo, Toshiichi,Buddha in The ravada Buddhism, 2002, Dehiwala.

45. Goonesekara,L.R.,Buddhist Commentarial Literature, The Wheel Publication,No. 113-4, BPS, Kandy.

46. Hare, E.M., ed. Pali Tipitaka Concordance, PTS, 1953, London. Hazra.K.L.Studies on Pali Commentators, 1962, Delhi. Hinuber, Oskar, A Handbook ofPdli Literature, 1996, New York. Horner, I.8., Early Buddhist Theory of ManPe rfected, 1979, New Delhi.

47. Inception of Discipline, Sacred Books of Buddhists, Vol iii (P.TS) (Translated

by) N.A.Jayawickrama, 1962, London.

48. Jayatillake, K.N., Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge, 1980, Delhi.

49. Kalupahana, D.L,A History of Buddhist Philosophy, l992,Delhi.50. Law, B.C., History of Pali Literature, (2 vols), 1933, London.

51. Law, B.C. The Lift and The work of Buddhaghosa, I991,Delhi.

52. Muller, Max, A History of Ancient Sanskrit-Literature, 1968, Varanasi.

53. Norman.K.R., History of Indian Literature, Vol. I1l, Otto Harrossowitz, 1998,

Wiesbaden.

54. Pande, G.C., Studies in the Orgin of Buddhism, 1983, Delhi. Rhys Dawids, T W,Buddhist India, 1981, Delhi.

55. Silva, Lily de ,The Buddha and Arahant Compared, Pratidana Manjari, MudiyarWE Gunawardhana Commemorative Volume, 1978, Colombo,

56. Cetovimutti, Pannavimutti and Ubhatobhagovimutti, Pali Buddhist Review, Vol.3, No. 3, 1978, Colombo.

57. Sumanapala, G-D., Reality and Expression, 1999, Kandy.

58. Sumanapala, G.D., (An introduction to) Theravada Abhidhammq, 1998, Singapore.

59. Updsakajandlaikdraya- A Critical Edition and Study (PTS) H.Saddhatissa,1965, London,.

60. Visuddhimagga of Buddhaghosacariya, Havard Oriental Series, (Edited by)Dhammananda Kosambi, 1989, Delhi.

61. Williams, Monier, Buddhism,1995, Delhi.

62. Wintemitz, M., History of Indian Buddhism, 1983, Delhi.

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Buddhist & Pali Studies in Honour of Ven' Prof' K Anuruddha

Notes

I A History of Pali Literature' vol'Il' B'C'Law' 1962 London p' 393'

z PA, vol.I, P. 2.

I g1rJ, yol.I, p. 17.

I 56, vsl.t, P. 55'

s VA, vol'I, P. 2.

o nA, ysl.t, p. 244.

t 16i4.,p.2O9.r y, ysl.t, p. 40.

e MN, vol.Il, p. 239.

ro Ar\, Y6I.II, P' 38'rr Nsdi, p. 16.

rz 6N, ysl.ttt, P.214.n 66, yst.ltt, p. 257.

n 16i7.,p.368.rs p, yol.III, p. 199.

re nA, vql.[I, P.463'rt 5Ni, ysl.l, p. 32.

ra p5. p. 26.re DhA. vo].II, p. 127.

zo 51r{, ysl.l, p. 186.

zr p, yol.I, p.08.

zz p6, yel.I, p. 81.

23 lbid.,vol.I, p. 118.

zt g,p. 12.x g6,p. 111.

zo fu\, y6l.[[, p. 311.

" lie' r"i.u' p' lzs''DhA' vol'Il' p' 116'

za IrA, y6l.I, p. 12.

zs p5, ysl.|, p. 223.

' il, ;;i.ii"o p' 362-63''Ivtd' volnl' pi 06"

3r MA, vo1.II, p. fAA. se"'ofto Mlq' vsl'[I p' 438'

:z 611, vqt.t, P.68':r 44, y6l.tt, p. 124.

:a 45{, yol.Il, p. 131.

:s 46, Y6t.tl, P' 88':o p5, y6l.tt, p. 218.r DA, yql.l, p. 568.

s AA, vol'III, P' 92're 56, y6l.t[, p. 44.

s AN, Vol.1,p.162.+r 66, yq1.t[, p.211.+z g, p. 10.+r g4, p. 101.

.t

.,1

616