The subcommentaries (Pali: tika, ṭīkā) are primarily commentaries on the commentaries (Pali: atthakatha) on the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism, written in Sri Lanka. This literature continues the commentaries' development of the traditional interpretation of the scriptures. (Note that some commentaries are apparently also named with the term tika.) These subcommentaries were begun during the during the reign of Parakramabahu I (1123–1186) under prominent Sri Lankan scholars such as Sariputta Thera, Mahakassapa Thera of Dimbulagala Vihara and Moggallana Thera.
The official Burmese collected edition contains the following texts:
Paramatthamanjusa, tika by Dhammapala on Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga; scholars have not yet settled which Dhammapala this is
Three tikas on the Samantapasadika, commentary on the Vinaya Pitaka:
Tika by Vajirabuddhi
Saratthadipani by Sāriputta Thera (12th century)
Vimativinodani by Mahākassapa Thera (13th century)
Two tikas on the Kankhavitarani, commentary on the Patimokkha
Tikas by Dhammapala on Buddhaghosa's Sumangalavilasini, Papancasudani and Saratthapakasini, commentaries on the Digha, Majjhima and Samyutta Nikayas; it is generally considered by scholars that this is a different Dhammapala from the one who wrote commentaries.
Visuddha(jana)vilasini by Nanabhivamsa, head of the Burmese sangha, about 1800; a new partial tika on the Sumangalavilasini, covering only the first volume of the Digha Nikaya
Saratthamanjusa by Sāriputta Thera on Buddhaghosa's Manorathapurani on the Anguttara Nikaya
Nettitika'' on Dhammapala's commentary on the Netti
Nettivibhavini'' by a 16th-century Burmese author whose name is given in different manuscripts as Saddhamma-, Samanta- or Sambandha-pala; this is not a new tika on the Netti commentary, but a new commentary on the Netti itself
Mulatika by Ananda on the commentaries on the Abhidhamma Pitaka
Anutika on the Mulatika
There are other tikas without this official recognition, some printed, some surviving in manuscript, some apparently lost. The name tika is also applied to commentaries on all non-canonical works, such as the Mahavamsa. There are also some subcommentaries in vernacular languages.
Extracts from some of these works have been translated, usually along with translations of commentaries.
