S&S sampajāno def, comparing AN 4.41, AN 9.14, MN 18

Note where in the food chain Vitakka sits, in comparison to lower level functions like viññana, sañña, and higher level functions like papanca/proliferation.


https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2019/01/an-914-shows-relationship-between.html

in AN 9.14, vitakka/thinking originates from nama-rupa, which is defined to be:

(from SN 12.2)

(4. Name-and-form)

♦ “katamañca, bhikkhave, nāma-rūpaṃ?	"And-what, monks, (is) name-and-form?
vedanā, saññā,	feelings, perceptions,
cetanā, phasso,	intentions, contacts,
manasi-kāro —	mental-activities -
idaṃ vuccati nāmaṃ.	This (is) called name.
cattāro ca mahā-bhūtā,	{And the} four ** great-elements,
catunnañca mahā-bhūtānaṃ upādāya-rūpaṃ.	{and the} four great-elements derived-forms,
idaṃ vuccati rūpaṃ.	that (is) called form.
iti idañ-ca nāmaṃ, idañ-ca rūpaṃ.	Thus (is) this name, and-that form.
idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, nāma-rūpaṃ.	This (is) called, *********, name-and-form.

so you can see feelings and perceptions precede vitakka, just like it does in MN 18:

(1. Dependent origination of proliferation sequence)

(6aya. Eye base 👁)

Cakkhuñc-āvuso, paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhu-viññāṇaṃ,	Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights.
tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso,	The meeting of the three is contact.
phassa-paccayā vedanā,	Contact is a condition for feeling.
yaṃ vedeti taṃ sañjānāti,	What you feel, you perceive.
yaṃ sañjānāti taṃ vitakketi,	What you perceive, you think about.
yaṃ vitakketi taṃ papañceti,	What you think about, you proliferate.
yaṃ papañceti tato-nidānaṃ	What you proliferate about is the source
purisaṃ papañca-saññā-saṅkhā samudācaranti	from which a person is beset by concepts of identity that emerge from the proliferation of perceptions.
atīt-ānāgata-paccuppannesu cakkhu-viññeyyesu rūpesu.	This occurs with respect to sights known by the eye in the past, future, and present.

(same pattern for remaining 6aya. 👁 👂 👃 👅 👆 💭)

And the same for S&S's sampajano (S&S are present in all 4 jhanas):

(AN 4.41)

(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.

again, it's not accident vitakka follows vedana and sañña. Vitakka, as a vaci-sankhara (vocalized-speech fabrication), as thinking, as directed-thought in first jhana, is a higher order function than paying attention to perceptions (manasi karoti & sañña). 

B. Analayo and B. Sujato, who believe the four jhanas are of the VRJ type (vism. redefinition of jhana) , go out of their way to not address these key sutta passages cited here. Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, if you don't see the evidence, maybe it will go away on its own?