Dear Nina,

I am sure you have more experience translating Pali commentaries than I do,
but I thought it might be interesting if I also attempted to produce a
version based on my understanding of "nimitta" etc. I have done it on the
fly so there may be some infelicities but overall I think my version is also
coherent and plausible. Of course, this is not to say that you are wrong,
just a different approach -- though if the glossing construction using
"naaman" works the same in Pali as Sanskrit, then I think that one need not
simply assume that the various glosses are intended as synonyms but rather
the function denoted by a term. Also, if they were actually synonyms in
each context, then one might perhaps expect them to be recognized as
meanings of eg nimitta in dictionaries, which is not the case for each and
every gloss.

************

> Paccaya, Condition:
> ****************
> > subhanimittanti raaga.t.thaaniya.m aaramma.na.m.
> The feature of beauty is the object causing desire.

"A pleasurable perceptual image" is the referential object conducive to
attachment.

> ``sanimittaa, bhikkhave, uppajjanti paapakaa akusalaa dhammaa, no

animittaa''ti ettha

> nimittanti paccayassa naama.m.
> <By a condition, monks, arise evil, unwholesome dhammas, not without
> condition. Here, nimitta is a name for condition.

"Evil, unwholesome dharmas arise with peceptual images and not without
perceptual images": here "perceptual image" denotes the condition [for the
arising of evil dharmas].

> Kaara.na, Cause.
> **************
> ``adhicittamanuyuttena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunaa pa~nca nimittaani kaalena
> kaala.m manasikaatabbaanii''ti (ma. ni. 1.216) ettha kaara.nassa.
> <With reference to the application of the higher thought, monks, five

causes

> must be taken into consideration by the monk from time to time. Here it
> means cause.

"When applying himself to superior concentration, there are five kinds of
perceptual images upon which a monk should focus from time to time": here
denotes the cause [of successful application to superior concentration].

> Samaadhi.
> ********
> ``so ta.m nimitta.m aasevati bhaavetii''ti (a. ni. 3.9.35) ettha

samaadhissa.

> <He pursues and develops this meditation subject of samatha>. Here it

means

> samaadhi.

"He pursues and cultivates that perceptual image": here it denotes the
samaadhi [which is cultivated].

> Vipassanaa.
> **********
> ``ya.m nimitta.m aagamma ya.m nimitta.m manasikaroto anantaraa
> aasavaana.m khayo hotii''ti (a0 ni0 2.6.27) ettha vipassanaaya.
> <When he is depending on insight, by applying insight, there is

immediately

> after that the destruction of the cankers> Here it means insight.

"When, having attained some such perceptual image, he attends to that
perceptual image, the aasavas are eliminated": here it denotes the insight
[which he has attained and attends to].

> *****
> idha pana raaga.t.thaaniyo i.t.thaaramma.nadhammo ``subhanimitta''nti

adhippeto.

> Here however, the feature of beauty means a desirable object that is the
> condition for desire.

Here, however, the referential object conducive to attachment.is what
"pleasurable perceptual image" denotes.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge