Papañcasūdanī

Papañcasūdanī is a commentary (Atthakathā) that explains the Majjhima Nikāya of the Sutta Pitaka. It was composed by Buddhaghosa around 1000 BE (457 CE) based on the Sinhalese-language commentaries that had been translated from the original Magadhan or Pali versions, which were later lost.^[1] Buddhaghosa traveled to Sri Lanka to retranslate these commentaries back into Pali. The title "Papañcasūdanī" means “the dispeller of mental proliferation” or “the elucidation of obstacles to spiritual progress.”^[2][3]

The work was composed by Buddhaghosa, also known as the Venerable Buddhaghosa, at the request of the elder Buddhamitta Thera.^[4] In the introduction, Buddhaghosa explains that the Papañcasūdanī is a translation of the original commentaries compiled by 500 Arahants in the First Buddhist Council, which were recited in Magadhi or Pali. Later generations of compilers expanded upon them for the Majjhima Nikāya.

The commentaries were then brought to Sri Lanka by Mahinda Thera, who translated them into Sinhalese for the benefit of the local population. When the original Magadhi texts were lost over time, Buddhaghosa traveled to Sri Lanka to retranslate these commentaries, including those explaining the Majjhima Nikāya, back into Pali. In doing so, he affirmed that his translations preserved the doctrinal integrity of the Mahāvihāra school, which faithfully upheld the Theravāda teachings.^[5]

The Papañcasūdanī follows the same structure as other commentaries: it begins by describing the background of each discourse, defines key terms, and provides detailed explanations of the doctrines taught by the Buddha in the corresponding suttas. The commentary is organized according to the three main divisions of the Majjhima Nikāya as follows:

• Papañcasūdanī Commentary on the Majjhima Nikāya, Section I (Mūlapaṇṇāsaka)
  • Commentary on the Mūlapariyāya-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Sīhanāda-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Opamma-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Mahāyamakavagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Cūḷayamakavagga (10 Suttas)

• Papañcasūdanī Commentary on the Majjhima Nikāya, Section II (Majjhimapaṇṇāsaka)
  • Commentary on the Gahapati-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Bhikkhu-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Paribbājaka-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Rāja-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Brāhmaṇa-vagga (10 Suttas)

• Papañcasūdanī Commentary on the Majjhima Nikāya, Section III (Upari-paṇṇāsaka)
  • Commentary on the Devadaha-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Anupada-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Suññata-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Vibhaṅga-vagga (10 Suttas)
  • Commentary on the Saḷāyatana-vagga (10 Suttas)

• Phra Brahmagunabhorn (P.A. Payutto). (2007). Dictionary of Buddhism. Bangkok.
• Jayarava Attwood. (2012). Proliferation: An exploration of the concept of papañca in the Pali Suttas with translations of relevant texts.
• Mahamakut Royal Institute Tipitaka. Papañcasūdanī: Commentary on the Majjhima Nikāya.
• Suchip Punnananupap. (2007). The People's Tipitaka. Bangkok: Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture.
• Phra Sripariyatmolī. (1999). Gems from the Tipitaka. Bangkok: Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Press, pp. 129–144.
• Bimala Charan Law. (1923). The Life and Work of Buddhaghosa. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co.

• English translation by N.A. Jayawickrama

• Papañcasūdanī I
• Papañcasūdanī II
• Papañcasūdanī III