From end of Kevaṭṭasutta DN 11
Tatra veyyākaraṇaṁ bhavati:
‘Viññāṇaṁ anidassanaṁ,anantaṁ sabbatopabhaṁ; Variant: sabbatopabhaṁ → (?)
Ettha āpo ca pathavī,tejo vāyo na gādhati.Ettha dīghañca rassañca,aṇuṁ thūlaṁ subhāsubhaṁ;
Ettha nāmañca rūpañca,asesaṁ uparujjhati;**Viññāṇassa nirodhena,**etthetaṁ uparujjhatī’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano kevaṭṭo gahapatiputto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Source: Sumaṅgalavilāsinī (Dīgha Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā)
Section: Commentary to DN 11 — Kevaṭṭasuttavaṇṇanā
Tattha viññātabbanti viññāṇaṃ. Nibbānassetaṃ nāmaṃ.
Translation:
Here, “to be known” (viññātabbaṁ) is “viññāṇaṁ” (consciousness). This is a name (nāma) for Nibbāna.
Tadetaṃ nidassanābhāvato anidassanaṃ.
Translation:
This (Nibbāna), due to the absence of distinguishing features, is called anidassana — non-manifest, not displaying marks or signs.
Uppādanto vā vayanto vā ṭhitassa aññathattanto vā etassa natthīti anantaṃ.
Translation:
It is called anantaṁ (endless, infinite) because it has no arising (uppāda), no ceasing (vaya), nor any alteration in its state (aññathatta) while existing.
This defines Nibbāna as the unconditioned (asaṅkhata), transcending all marks of impermanence.
Pabhanti panetaṃ kira titthassa nāmaṃ. Tañhi papanti etthāti papaṃ. Pakārassa pana bhakāro kato.
Translation:
The word “pabha” here is said to be the name for a ford (tittha) — a crossing place.
Why? Because beings “descend into it” (papanti), hence it’s called papa.
The “bha” in pabha is a transformation of “pa” due to grammatical structure.
Sabbatopabhamassāti sabbatopabhaṃ.
Translation:
“Sabbatopabhaṁ” means that it shines or radiates from all directions, or is accessible from every direction.
Nibbānassa kira yathā mahāsamuddassa yato yato otaritukāmā honti, taṃ tadeva titthaṃ, atitthaṃ nāma natthi.
Translation:
Just as with the great ocean, wherever one wishes to descend, that very place is a ford (tittha); there is no place that is not a ford (atittha).
Evameva aṭṭhatiṃsāya kammaṭṭhānesu yena yena mukhena nibbānaṃ otaritukāmā honti, taṃ tadeva titthaṃ, nibbānassa atitthaṃ nāma natthi.
Translation:
So too, among the thirty-eight meditation subjects (kammaṭṭhānas), by whatever method one wishes to approach Nibbāna, that itself is a ford.
There is no method of approach to Nibbāna that is not a ford.
Tena vuttaṃ "sabbatopabha"nti.
Translation:
Therefore, it is said: “sabbatopabha” — accessible or luminous in every direction.
Ettha āpo cāti…
Translation (abridged continuation):
Here, “āpo ca” (water, etc.) refers to the phrase in the sutta, where on coming to Nibbāna, all conditioned phenomena — such as the four great elements (earth, water, fire, air) — cease, following the logic of “sabbe upādinnakā dhammā nirujjhanti” (all appropriated phenomena cease).
Idānissa nirujjhanūpāyaṃ dassento "viññāṇassa nirodhena etthetaṃ uparujjhatī"ti āha.
Translation:
Now, showing the way in which cessation occurs, the sutta says:
“With the cessation of consciousness, all this ceases here.”
Tattha viññāṇanti carimakaviññāṇampi abhisaṅkhāraviññāṇampi.
Translation:
Here, viññāṇa refers both to:
Carimakaviññāṇassāpi hi nirodhena etthetaṃ uparujjhati.
Translation:
Even with the cessation of the final consciousness, all this (i.e., the conditioned world) ceases right here.
Vijjhātadīpasikhā viya apaṇṇattikabhāvaṃ yāti.
Translation:
Like a lamp flame that has been blown out, it reaches the state of non-establishment (apaṇṇatti-bhāva) — no more designation, no basis of becoming.
Abhisaṅkhāraviññāṇassāpi anuppādanirodhena anuppādavasena uparujjhati.
Translation:
And even the constructive (kamma-based) consciousness ceases by way of non-arising, through its non-production.
Yathāha "sotāpattimaggañāṇena abhisaṅkhāraviññāṇassa nirodhena ṭhapetvā sattabhave anamatagge saṃsāre ye uppajjeyyuṃ nāmañca rūpañca etthete nirujjhantī"ti
Translation:
As is stated:
“Through the path-knowledge of a stream-enterer, with the cessation of volitional consciousness, the name and form that would otherwise arise in the boundless round of rebirth in the seven existences — these all cease here.”
Sabbaṃ Cūḷaniddese vuttanayeneva veditabbaṃ.
Translation:
All of this should be understood according to the explanations given in the Cūḷaniddesa.
Sesaṃ sabbattha uttānamevāti.
Translation:
The rest is clear throughout and needs no further explanation.
Iti Sumaṅgalavilāsiniyā Dīghanikāyaṭṭhakathāyaṃ Kevaṭṭasuttavaṇṇanā niṭṭhitā.
Translation:
Thus ends the commentary (exposition) on the Kevaṭṭa Sutta from the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, the commentary on the Dīgha Nikāya
Section: Ṭīkā to the phrase “Viññātabbaṁ…” (viññāṇaṁ anidassanaṁ)
499. Viññātabbanti visiṭṭhena ñātabbaṁ, ñāṇuttamena ariyamaggañāṇena paccakkhato jānitabbaṁti attho.
Translation:
“Viññātabbaṁ” means “to be specially known”, that is, it should be directly known by the supreme knowledge — namely, the noble path knowledge (ariyamagga-ñāṇa).
Tenāha "nibbānassetaṁ nāma"nti.
Translation:
Therefore it is said: “This is a name for Nibbāna.”
Note: This confirms that viññāṇa in this context refers to Nibbāna as the object of realization — not as consciousness (citta).
Nidissatīti nidassanaṁ, cakkhuviññeyyaṁ.
Translation:
“Nidassana” means something that can be seen — something visible to the eye-consciousness (cakkhuviññeyya).
Na nidassanaṁ anidassanaṁ, acakkhuviññeyyanti etamatthaṁ vadanti.
Translation:
“Not visible” (anidassana) means: not visible to the eye-consciousness. This is what is meant here.
Nidassanaṁ vā upamā, taṁ etassa natthīti anidassanaṁ.
Translation:
Or, “nidassana” may mean a simile or likeness; and since such a likeness does not exist for it (Nibbāna), it is called anidassana — without comparison.
Na hi nibbānassa niccassa ekassa accantasantapaṇītasabhāvassa sadisaṁ nidassanaṁ kutoci labbhatīti.
Translation:
Indeed, for Nibbāna, which is permanent, singular, supremely peaceful, and sublime in nature, no comparable example or likeness can be found anywhere.
Yaṁ ahutvā sambhoti, hutvā paṭiveti, taṁ saṅkhataṁ.
Translation:
That which arises after not having been, and ceases after having arisen, is called conditioned (saṅkhata).
Udayavayantehi sa-antaṁ. Asaṅkhatassa pana nibbānassa niccassa te ubhopi antā na santi.
Translation:
That which has arising and ceasing has “ends” (anta).
But in the case of Nibbāna, which is unconditioned and permanent, neither end (arising nor ceasing) is present.
Tato eva navabhāvāpagamasaṅkhāto jarantopi tassa natthīti āha "uppādanto…pe… ananta"nti.
Translation:
Therefore, decay or change due to new arising (navabhāva-apagama) is also absent for it.
Hence it is said: “no arising, no ceasing… it is endless (ananta)”.
"Titthassa nāma"nti vatvā tattha nibbacanaṁ dassetuṁ "papanti etthāti papa"nti vuttaṁ.
Translation:
After stating “tittha is its name” (a ford or crossing place), the etymology is given as:
“They descend into it, therefore it is called ‘papa’” (ford).
Ettha hi papanti pānatitthaṁ. Bha-kāro kato niruttinayena.
Translation:
Here, beings descend into it, like at a drinking ford (pāna-tittha).
The change from “pa” to “bha” is made according to etymological rules (nirutti-naya).
Visuddhaṭṭhena vā sabbatopabhaṁ, kenaci anupakkiliṭṭhatāya samantato pabhassaranti attho.
Translation:
Alternatively, “sabbatopabhaṁ” can mean: radiant in all directions due to its purity — because it is untainted by anything, it shines all around.
Yena nibbānaṁ adhigataṁ, taṁ santatipariyāpannānaṁyeva idha anuppādanirodho adhippeto ti vuttaṁ "upādinnakadhammajātaṁ nirujjhati, appavattaṁ hotī"ti.
Translation:
By whatever path Nibbāna is realized, the cessation spoken of here refers specifically to the non-arising (anuppāda) and cessation of all conditioned phenomena (upādinnaka-dhamma-jātaṁ) that belong to the continuum (santati).
Tatthāti "viññāṇassa nirodhena"ti yaṁ padaṁ vuttaṁ, tasmiṁ.
Translation:
“Here” (ettha) refers to the phrase “with the cessation of consciousness” (viññāṇassa nirodhena), mentioned above.
"Viññāṇa"nti viññāṇaṁ uddharati vibhattabbattā.
Translation:
“Viññāṇaṁ” is extracted (highlighted) because it is to be analyzed or distinguished.
Etthetaṁ uparujjhatīti etasmiṁ nibbāne etaṁ nāmarūpaṁ carimakaviññāṇanirodhena anuppādavasena nirujjhati anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyā.
Translation:
“Here it ceases” means: in this Nibbāna, name-and-form (nāma-rūpa) ceases through the cessation of the final consciousness (carimaka-viññāṇa), by non-arising (anuppāda), in the Nibbāna-element without remainder (anupādisesa-nibbānadhātu).
Tenāha "vijjhāta-dīpa-sikhā viya apaṇṇattikabhāvaṁ yāti"ti.
Translation:
Therefore it is said: “Like the flame of a lamp that has been extinguished, it reaches a state of non-designation (apaṇṇatti-bhāva).”
"Carimakaviññāṇa"nti hi arahato cuticittaṁ adhippetaṁ.
Translation:
The term “carimaka-viññāṇa” (final consciousness) here refers to the death-consciousness (cuti-citta) of an Arahant.
"Abhisaṅkhāraviññāṇassāpī"tiādināpi saupādisesanibbānamukhena anupādisesanibbānameva vadati, nāmarūpassa anavasesato uparujjhanassa adhippetattā.
Translation:
Even by the phrase “and also of the constructed consciousness (abhisaṅkhāra-viññāṇa)”, the text is ultimately referring to final Nibbāna (without remainder), though approached via Nibbāna with remainder (saupādisesa-nibbāna), because the complete cessation of name-and-form is what is being referred to.
Tenāha "anuppādavasena uparujjhatī"ti.
Translation:
Therefore it is said: “It ceases by way of non-arising (anuppāda).”
Sotāpattimaggañāṇenāti kattari, karaṇe vā karaṇavacanaṁ.
Translation:
“By stream-entry path knowledge (sotāpatti-magga-ñāṇa)” is either agentive (the doer) or instrumental (the means).
Nirodhenāti pana hetumhi.
Translation:
“Nirodhena” (by cessation) is to be understood as expressing the cause or reason.
Etthāti etasmiṁ nibbāne.
Translation:
“Here” (ettha) means in this Nibbāna.
Sesamettha yaṁ atthato na vibhattaṁ, taṁ suviññeyyameva.
Translation:
As for the rest, what has not been explicitly analyzed in meaning is easily understood.
SummaryThe Ṭīkā provides a definitive explanation of the controversial phrase “viññāṇaṁ anidassanaṁ” as: