..续本文上一页ikaya a recital of the Parayana-vagga by the female lay disciple, Nandamata. On at least five occasions the Buddha himself has given explanations of verses contained in these two parts of the Sutta Nipata. Apart from the high esteem in which they were evidently held, the fact that these two verse collections contain numerous archaic words and terse aphoristic sayings makes it understandable that in very early days a commentary on them was composed which was later included in the canonical scriptures. The traditional attribution of it to the Venerable Sariputta must be regarded as highly plausible.[31] It is quite in character with the great Elder”s concern with the methodical instruction of bhikkhus that the Niddesa contains not only word explanations, clarifications of the context and supporting quotations from the Buddha Word, but also material obviously meant for linguistic instruction, such as the addition of many synonyms of the word explained. On this subject, Prof. E.J. Thomas writes as follows:[32]

　　The most characteristic feature of the Niddesa... consists of a list of synonyms of the words commented on. Such lists are not used to explain the meaning of a word in a particular context. They are repeated in the same form wherever the word occurs and were evidently intended to be learned in the same way as the modern kosha (dictionary)... Much of this is also found in the Abhidhamma books, but in the Niddesa it is used as general matter applied to passages for which it was not immediately intended... This shows a system for learning the vocabulary of the Canon, and for explaining archaic forms, but no further grammatical teaching occurs apart from the description of certain terms as particles... in the Niddesa we thus have direct evidence of a general system of instruction applied to a definite work, consisting of interpretation, doctrinal teaching and the verbal expositions of the beginnings of grammar. The Abhidhamma books and related works like the Patisambhida Magga give other traces of its existence. It appears to be this system which is expressly referred to in the Niddesa (1, 234) and other places as the four kinds of analysis (patisambhida); the analysis of meanings (attha), of conditions (dhamma), of grammatical analysis (nirutti), and clearness of insight (patibhana). The Nirutti of the Niddesa is of the kind that we should expect to exist when Pali was a living language. All the grammatical analysis that was required was a knowledge of those words in the Scriptures that had become obsolete, and the explanation of unusual grammatical forms by means of current expressions... We can see from its different forms and readings that it underwent changes and received additions, and in the case of a work used continually for instruction this would be inevitable.

　　The Venerable Sariputta states that he attained to the four kinds of analytical knowledge (patisambhida) two weeks after his ordination, that is, on attaining Arahatship.[33] This fact, and the extensive application of nirutti-patisambhida, "grammatical analysis," in the Niddesa, make it quite probable that he was actually the author of both the Niddesa and the Patisambhida Magga.

　　The Maha Niddesa contains also the commentary on the Sariputta Sutta (also called the "Therapañha Sutta") which forms the last text of the Atthaka-vagga. The first part of this text, with verses in praise of the Master and questions put to him, is ascribed to Sariputta. The Maha Niddesa explains the opening stanza as referring to the Buddha”s return from Tavatimsa heaven after he had preached the Abhidhamma there. Apart from that it contains only his questions, the essential part of the text being the Buddha”s replies.

　　The Patisambhida Magga has the appearance of a manual of high…

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