International Buddhist College

ME 6204 – Pāli Literature

Lectured by

Professor T. Endo

Essay’s Topic

Discuss critically the value of the Pāli commentaries for the study of
Buddhism.

Submitted by

Unaleeye Sirinanda Thero

M.A. (Buddhist Studies)

Student ID: 1112013

E-mail: unaleeyesirinanda@yahoo.com

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The table of contents

The commentaries and how they arise? 03

Philological studies and translations. 04

Doctrinal and philosophical studies. 05

Linguistic studies. 06

Historical, geographical, social and cultural studies. 07

Comparative studies between the Northern and

Southern Buddhist traditions 08

Mahāyāna Elements in Theravāda Buddhism. 08

Conclusion 10

Bibliography 11

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 Discuss critically the value of the Pāli commentaries for the study of
Buddhism.
The commentaries and how they arise?
The aṭṭhakathā means the “explanation of the meaning” or “commentary”.
According to Indian tradition a commentary means reading new meanings back into old
texts according to one’s own education and outlook . The Pāli commentaries can be
treated as exegetical treatises of the Pāli canon. The main object of commentaries is to
explain difficult words and abstruse points of doctrine that occur in the texts and also to
give additional explanatory information wherever it was deemed necessary. The process
of giving explanations to the utterances of the Buddha can be seen even the time of the
Buddha. Venerable Mahākaccāyana, Sāriputta, Mahākoṭṭhita were such great disciples
who had that skill and did some discourses familiar to system of commentaries for the
word of the Buddha. The Dīgha and Majjhima nikāyās contain many illuminating
expositions of Buddha as mahākammavibhanga sutta and saḷāyatanavibhanga sutta etc.
And we can see sacca vibhanga sutta which expressed by the thera Sariputta the chief
disciple of the Buddha, a body of expositions of the four āryan truths. After the passing
away of the Buddha there were commentaries created in Pāli language and those were
transmitted to Sri Lanka with the canon in 3rd century B.C. by Arahant Mahinda.
All of them were transmitted by orally and In Sri Lanka some portions of
commentaries were translated into old Sinhalese language. Those are called
Sīhalaṭṭhakathā. This oral system of holding canon and commentaries were changed to
written system by 1st century B.C. and after became of the great commentator Ven.
Buddhaghosa in 5th century A.D. started a new commentary series in Pāli language by
translating those old Sīhalaṭṭhakathā. Today we call Pāli commentaries for those thesis or
re-arrangements which compiled by commentators like Ven. Buddhaghosa, Buddhadatta,
Dhammapāla etc., beginning from the 5th century A.C.
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 When concerning about the commentaries we can see there are much value of
commentaries for the study of Buddhism. It can be stated here under these topics.

Philological studies and translations.

The main function of a commentary is to give the better understanding to the reader
about difficult words and phrases which are coming on the canon. The Visuddhimagga is
the first work of Ven. Buddhaghosa is really an encyclopedia of Buddhism, a good abstract
of Buddhist doctrines and metaphysics and a vast treasure house of Buddhist lore. It has
earned for its author and everlasting fame. And the sumangalavilāsinī serves as a glossary
of important terms, such as adinnādānā, musāvādā, pharusāvācā, pisunāvācā etc. To give
an interpretation to word sometimes it is connected to another account as an example,
the very interesting word Nibbuta is explained in Suttanipāta commentary connection
with the account of Dhaniya, the cowherd.

When commentators were commenting if there was a word or phrase which is

considered as doubtful explained it philologically and exegetically. In
dhammapadaṭṭhakathā and the jātakaṭṭhakathā the exegesis of the words of the text is
restricted to only a few paragraphs while the introduction is very long and forms the bulk
of the commentary. In the explanation of a word, the various interpretations as also the
various derivations are given. A striking example is the eight-fold derivation of the word
Tathāgata found repeated in many commentaries.

Commentaries can be regarded as the commented texts or “text critique” of the

Tipitaka. When looking on the commentaries related to relevant canon texts sometimes
can be seen lack comments for some parts. In Buddhawaṃsa aṭṭhakathā there are only
28 chapters but in Buddhawaṃsa text can be seen 29 chapters. And meanwhile in
Mahāvagga of Suttanipāta states 22 verses of Kokāliya sutta, but on commentary has

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included only 20 verses. It arises some doubt whether those canon texts were completed
after the Sīhala aṭṭhakathā of that relevant Pāli aṭṭhakathā or were there any other
reasons to lack of comments for those parts.
The importance of the commentaries for the translations is commentaries were
those written between 3rd century B.C. and 2nd or 3rd century A.C. The Sinhalese
commentaries were translated into Pāli from 5th century A.C. onwards. Therefore the
interpretations found in them are much closer to the time of the Buddha and
interpretations are much familiar to the canonical texts. It is essential that usage of
commentaries for composing the exegetical composition to canonical text. K.R.Norman’s
translation of Theragāthā and Therigāthā (Elder’s Verses I & II) can be given as a good
example.

Doctrinal and philosophical studies.

The doctrinal study is the main field of commentaries. When someone cannot find
out the meaning of some word or phrase in the canon, commentaries help to get the
meaning exegetically and sometimes with examples also. A different classification about
Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma pitaka is detailed in Samantapāsādikā. Papañcasūdanī
refers about the two kinds of Buddhā desanā as sammuti and paramattha.
Dhammasanginī commentary (Atthasālinī) says that the abhidhamma is intended for
those only who think that there am I; this is mine, and who fail to understand that the
ultimate self is merely a collection of things. In petavatthu and vimānavatthu
commentary each story has a lesson, if it is believable or not the purpose is guide to the
correct path.

Those teachings embodied in the commentaries are basically those of the Theravada
School that means Mahāvihāra fraternity. Because the commentaries we use today were
prepared in Mahāvihāra under the license of Mahāvihāra monks. But the commentators

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often refer to views of other schools: keci, apare, eke, aññe, ekacce, ye…te…, pare, etc.
and also the Vitandavādins (Sophists), paravāda, etc. Abhayagiri (Uttaravihāra),
Dakkhinagiri, Mahāsānghika, Andhaka, Viññānavāda etc. There are more than 600 such
cases can be found in commentaries. Those are very useful to study about the various
philosophies which were in that time and earlier. But when comparing with Mahāyāna
tradition they never refer any other traditional names on their texts because they
consume they are the higher vehicle (Mahāyāna).
When we compare the canon and the commentaries sometimes we can see the
points which have exaggerated too much in the commentary. The narratives in
connection with the conception and birth of sakyamuni contained In the Mahāpadāna
sutta of the dīgha nikāya and the accariyabbhūta sutta of the majjhima nikāya appear in
their respective commentaries in a greatly detailed and exaggerated four. The four
guardian gods who in the canonical accounts protect the bodhisattva at conception are
increased to 40,000 in the commentary. In such cases we should be careful to conclude
the real idea.

Linguistic studies.
Pāli is a one kind of Prākrit language and it has a history of more than two thousand
years since it was adopted as the language for the Buddhist scriptures in the Southern
Theravāda School. It has several stages of linguistically developed when regarding the
time such as;
1. Pāli in verses of the Canon: until 3rd c. B.C.
2. Pāli in prose of the Canon: until 100 years B.C.
3. Pāli in the Aṭṭhakathā literature, etc.: several hundred years before and after 5-6
centuries A.C. respectively.
4. Pāli in later texts: 10th C. onwards.

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We can see some differences between the Pāli commentaries and the Tipitaka. Language
of early Tipitaka Pāli is short. And some later pāli compositions has not so much polish
language, as an e.g. Language of Dīpavaṃsa and Sīhalavatthuppakarana, etc; less flowing
and are non refined. Even the style of writing among the commentators can be a subject
of research. Because the writing styles of individual commentators such as Buddhaghosa,
Dhammapāla, Mahānāma, Buddhadatta, Upasena are different from each others.
Commentaries are more important for compilation of dictionaries which have been
compiled by Pāli scholars such as A Critical Pāli Dictionary by Copenhagen, Pāli
Concordance, PTS Pāli-English Dictionary by Rhys Davids and Steed; New one by M. Corn.
As a study in this field K.R. Norman had been reading for linguistic of Pāli language using
commentary.

Historical, geographical, social and cultural studies.

There have been many works in this field of research. Very popular and many
historian use this. As historical records of India and Sri Lanka, commentaries have a great
value. Sumangalavilāsinī is most valuable for find information about historical and
folklore, social, political, philosophical and religious history of India at time of the Buddha.
Vivid pictures of sports and past times as well as valuable geographical and other data of
ancient days are carefully provided in it. The sumangalavilāsinī contains some more
interesting historical materials. It speaks of the origin of the Sākyās which is traced back
to king Okkāka. That story is quite different from other historical stories about Indian
cultural system of marriage of sisters and brothers. It relates to Pharaohs of Egypt. The
origins of the name Sāvatthi contains in Papañcasūdanī. Tree worship and the occupation
of people contains in Papañcasūdanī. The khuddakapāṭha commentary furnishes us with
many new and important materials concerning religious and political history of ancient
India. Dhammapada aṭṭhakathā abounds in many references to kings, cities, mountains,
principal Buddhist women, heaven, forests and tanks, rivers, ancient Indian tribes.

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Suttanipāta commentary also has been written is a mine of various sorts of valuable
information regarding to geographical, historical, religious and otherwise. Some
uncommon details also can be found relevant to Buddhist history. In Dhammasanginī
commentary (Atthasālinī) Ven. Buddhaghosa says that the commentary on the
abhidhamma was sung in the First council and was rehearsed in the succeeding councils.

This field is much interesting for studies today also, as an example in past W. Geiger
studied about the Culture of Ceylon in Mediaeval Times, ed. H. Bechert, 1960. And there
are so many studies in various languages by various scholars.

Comparative studies between the Northern and Southern Buddhist traditions.

Apart from Nikāya there is a āgama tradition belongs to Sarvāstivāda, Mahāsānghika
and Chinese. Usually each āgama has composed according to relevant Nikāya. But some
elements in āgamas cannot be seen in Pāli Nikāya but in commentaries. In one hand it
may be shown that āgamas are composed with their commentary elements all together,
but Nikāya have been composed separately canon and commentaries. On the other hand
it may be in later period some portions of canon have been separated as commentaries
from itself. However, when we study the Pāli commentaries we can find out some
instances, elements which contain in āgamas. It should be found out why is it; those
elements are not in Nikāya but only in commentaries. In such a comparative study about
the northern and southern Buddhist traditions Pāli commentaries more useful.

Mahāyāna Elements in Theravāda Buddhism.

We can see many details in commentaries which show the influence of Mahāyāna. In
Ven. Dhammapāla’s commentaries interpretation of Mahākaruṇā is more close to
bodhisattva ideal in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Though Theravāda tradition did not give much
attention for Bodhisatta concept as much as Mahāyāna, but we can see in Theragāthā

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aṭṭhakathā Ven. Dhammapāla mentions there are three kinds of Bodhisattva, and sāvaka
Bodhisattva is one of them. So anyone can be called as Bodhisattva because according to
Theravāda usually people aim to be an arahant.
Theravāda Buddhism accepts ten pāramitās and Mahāyāna accepts six pāramitās,
but Ven. Dhammapāla says those ten pāramitās can be reduced to basic six. And the
order of the pāramitās is also same to Mahāyāna. The term mahāsatta is also more
familiar to Mahāyāna which can be seen in commentary. The pāramitā of jhāna is not so
familiar to Theravāda Buddhism only it has cited in patisambhidāmagga pāli, but Ven.
Dhammapāla has included and recommended it on cariyāpitaka aṭṭhakathā. By many
hands cariyāpitaka aṭṭhakathā is familiar to Vijñānavāda Yogācārabhūmi.

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Conclusion
The all details and information mentioned above show what are the commentaries
and what is the value of them. When study the commentaries can find out more details as
well as an exaggerations about the words, phrases and some conceptions. So if we want
to study about Theravāda or Early Buddhism we should study the commentaries carefully.
Some portions may be filtered but after that we can get clear and comprehensive
knowledge about early Buddhism or Theravāda. Not only it relates to Theravāda or Early
Buddhism, as mentioned above there is many researchable aspects in commentaries
relating to Northern traditions also. Even apart from doctrines or those philosophies Pāli
commentaries can be treated as a literature with high value.

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Bibliography

 Lectures by Proff. T.Endo, ‘Pāli Literature’, International Buddhist College, 2011

 Hazra, Kanai Lal, ‘Pāli language and literature, Vol. III’, D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd, New
Delhi, 1998
 Hazra, Kanai Lal, ‘Studies on Pāli commentaries’, B.R. Publication Corporation, New
Delhi, 2000
 Winternitz, Maurice, ‘History of Indian Literature, Vol. III’, Munshiram Manoharlal
Publishers, New Delhi, 1991
 Geiger, Wilhelm, ‘Pāli literature and language’, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers,
New Delhi, 2004
 Malalasekara, G.P, ‘The Pāli literature of Ceylon’, Buddhist Publication Society,
Kandy, Srilanka, 1994
 Law, Bimala, Churn, ‘A History of Pāli Literature’, Indological Book House, New
Delhi, 1983

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