sam-pajāno:
If you want to know what it does, study what the verb form of that is doing “pajānāti” in the suttas. the commentaries, early and modern day, are someone else’s concise abstract summary. Hard to digest. It’s best to go into the wild and observe the animal in its native habitat doing its thing, then you’ll get a good feel for it.
pajānati happens all over the place in MN 10
some other prime examples:
superpower of mind reading, is the same exact passage as MN 10 satipatthana citta-anupassasna
STED 6ab #3: cetasā cetoparicca pajānāti.
para-sattānaṃ para-puggalānaṃ |
other-beings, other-people, |
cetasā ceto |
their-minds, with-his-mind, |
paricca pajānāti. |
(he) distinguishes (and) understands. |
Sa-rāgaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sa-rāgaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
with-passion ** (in their) mind, 'with-passion (in their) mind' (he) understands. |
vīta-rāgaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vīta-rāgaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
without-passion ** (in their) mind, 'without-passion (in their) mind' (he) understands. |
sa-dosaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sa-dosaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
with-aversion ** (in their) mind, 'with-aversion (in their) mind' (he) understands. |
vīta-dosaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vīta-dosaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
without-aversion ** (in their) mind, 'without-aversion (in their) mind' (he) understands. |
sa-mohaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sa-mohaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
with-delusion ** (in their) mind, 'with-delusion (in their) mind' (he) understands. |
vīta-mohaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vīta-mohaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
without-delusion ** (in their) mind, 'without-delusion (in their) mind' (he) understands. |
saṃkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘saṃkhittaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
restricted ** mind, 'restricted mind' (he) understands. |
vikkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vikkhittaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
scattered ** mind, 'scattered mind' (he) understands. |
mahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ ‘mahaggataṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
enlarged ** mind, 'enlarged mind' (he) understands. |
a-mahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ ‘a-mahaggataṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
un-enlarged ** mind, 'un-enlarged mind' (he) understands. |
sa-uttaraṃ vā cittaṃ ‘sa-uttaraṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
with-superior [but surpassable] ** mind, 'with-superior mind' (he) understands. |
an-uttaraṃ vā cittaṃ ‘an-uttaraṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
un-surpassable [nothing-higher] ** mind, 'un-surpassable mind' (he) understands. |
samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘samāhitaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
concentrated ** mind, 'concentrated mind' (he) understands. |
a-samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘a-samāhitaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
un-concentrated ** mind, 'un-concentrated mind' (he) understands. |
vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘vimuttaṃ citta’nti pajānāti; |
released ** mind, 'released mind' (he) understands. |
a-vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ ‘a-vimuttaṃ citta’nti pajānāti’’. |
un-released ** mind, 'un-released mind' (he) understands. |
AN 4.41 vidita synonymous with pajānati in this context
(3. For sati and sampajaññāya)
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samādhi-bhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā |
{and} what, *********, concentration-development, when developed (and) pursued, |
Sati-sampajañ-ñāya saṃvattati? |
(to) mindfulness-(and)-clear-comprehension (it) leads? |
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno |
Here, monks, a-monk: |
viditā vedanā uppajjanti, |
known (are) feelings (as they) arise, |
viditā upaṭṭhahanti, |
known (as they are) attended-upon, |
viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti. |
known (as they) go to} disappear. |
viditā saññā uppajjanti, |
known (are) perceptions (as they) arise, |
viditā upaṭṭhahanti, |
known (as they are) attended-upon, |
viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti. |
known (as they) go to} disappear. |
viditā vitakkā uppajjanti, |
known (are) thoughts (as they) arise, |
viditā upaṭṭhahanti, |
known (as they are) attended-upon, |
viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti. |
known (as they) go to} disappear. |
Ayaṃ, bhikkhave, samādhi-bhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā |
This, *********, concentration-development, when developed (and) pursued, |
Sati-sampajañ-ñāya saṃvattati. |
mindfulness-(and)-clear-comprehension (it) leads-to. |