Nettivibhāvinī

The Nettivibhāvinī — and the distinction it turns on is worth stating first. Dhammapāla's Līnatthavaṇṇanā explains the commentary on the Nettippakaraṇa. This book explains the Netti itself, directly, going back past the commentary to the text.

It was finished in 1564 CE, at the request of the minister Anantasuti, under a king called Mahādhammarāja.

Its author is otherwise unknown, and even his name is unstable: the colophon has been read as Saddhammapāla, as Sambandhapāla and as Samantapāla. What he tells us is his standing rather than his history — a Mahāthera, and a Mahādhammarājaguru. Going back to the root text does not mean ignoring what came between: he leans on the Nettiaṭṭhakathā constantly, and quotes Dhammapāla's subcommentary as well.