Atthasālinī

Atthasālinī
TypeCommentarial text
ParentAṭṭhakathā
Commentary onDhammasaṅgaṇī
Compositionc. 5th century
AttributionBuddhaghosa
AbbreviationAs

Atthasālinī (Pali; lit. "Expositor of Meaning"), also known as the Dhammasaṅgaṇī-aṭṭhakathā, is one of the Theravadin Buddhist commentaries (Atthakatha) on the Dhammasangani, the first book of the Abhidhamma Pitaka. It was composed by Buddhaghosa, based on a Sinhalese commentary known as the Mahāpaccarī. The title has been translated as "The Expositor" or "Providing the Meaning".

In addition to explaining technical terminology of Buddhist psychology—such as cetasika (mental factors), rūpa (matter), and nibbāna—the Atthasālinī also preserves information on history, geography, and doctrinal interpretation. It is widely studied among Abhidhamma students and is one of Buddhaghosa’s most well-known works.