SN 17.10, KN Iti 81, KN Thag 17.2 how to translate and interpret the "always jhana" part of the verse?

 

(lightly modified B. Sujato trans. has):

Idha panāhaṃ, bhikkhave, ekaccaṃ puggalaṃ passāmi sakkārena ca asakkārena ca tadubhayena abhibhūtaṃ pariyādiṇṇacittaṃ, kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannaṃ.	And take another case where I see a certain person whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by both honor and lack of honor. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.
Evaṃ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko … pe …	So brutal are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”
evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.	That is what the Buddha said.
Idaṃ vatvāna sugato athāparaṃ etadavoca satthā:	Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“Yassa sakkariyamānassa,	“Whether they’re honored
asakkārena cūbhayaṃ;	or not honored, or both,
Samādhi na vikampati,	their undistractible-lucidity doesn’t waver
appamāṇavihārino.	as they live diligently.
Taṃ jhāyinaṃ sātatikaṃ,	They regularly practice jhāna
sukhumaṃ diṭṭhi-vipassakaṃ;	with subtle view and discernment.
Upādānakkhayārāmaṃ,	Rejoicing in the ending of grasping,
āhu sappuriso itī”ti.	they’re said to be a good person.”

B. Bodhi has:

3“Whether he is showered with honour,
Shown dishonour, or offered both,
His concentration does not vacillate
As he dwells in the measureless state.324

4When he meditates with perseverance,
An insight-seer of subtle view
Delighting in the destruction of clinging,
They call him truly a superior man.”325

What are the possible translations of SN 17.10 and interpretations of the highlighted lines?

B. Bodhi and B. Sujato seem to have different interpretations.

Taṃ jhāyinaṃ sātatikaṃ,	They regularly practice jhāna
sukhumaṃ diṭṭhi-vipassakaṃ;	with subtle view and discernment.

Is this interpretation possible:

They're always doing at least partial jhana, with subtle view and vipassana. Which is basically what suttas such as SN 47.4 suggest.

B. Bodhi seems to interpret those lines as "only WHEN they're doing jhana with perseverance" do they have subtle view and vipassana.

Also note that B. Bodhi in the previous line goes with 'appamana' (measureless mind)  instead of 'appamada' (assiduity/diligence/heedfulness), even though identical verse passages in KN show appamada.

That is an important decision (appamada or appamana), and also the single word translation for it fails to capture the real meaning of appamada.

Appamada means every moment, you give the Dhamma everything you got, with the urgency of someone who might die in the next breath, or the time it takes to chew one bite of food. If you're practicing with that kind of urgency, you can't afford not to be in jhana, or partially in jhana as your current moment allows.

When you read the whole verse with appamada and samadhi not wavering, it makes the jhana all the time (sāta) the more natural interpretation IMO.

Pali experts what do you say?

 

Note that KN Iti 81 verse section and theme of sutta is very similar to SN 17.10

(B. Thanissaro trans.)

Both when receiving offerings

& not,

his concentration

doesn’t waver;

he remains

heedful:

he–continually absorbed in jhāna,

subtle in view & clear-seeing,

enjoying the ending of clinging–

is called a man

of integrity.

KN Iti 81 With pali, and slightly modified trans. from lucid24.org

KN Iti 81 sakkāra: offerings: almsround in jhāna

♦ 2. sakkāra-suttaṃ (KN 4.81)	(derived from Thanissaro trans.)
♦ 81. vuttañh-etaṃ bhagavatā,	§81. This was said by the Blessed One,
Vuttam-arahatāti me sutaṃ --	said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
♦ “diṭṭhā mayā, bhikkhave,	“Monks, I have seen
sattā sakkārena abhibhūtā,	beings conquered by receiving offerings–
Pariyādinna-cittā,	their minds overwhelmed–
kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā.	at the break-up of the body, after death, reappearing in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.
♦ “diṭṭhā mayā, bhikkhave,	I have seen
sattā a-sakkārena abhibhūtā,	beings conquered by not receiving offerings–
Pariyādinna-cittā,	their minds overwhelmed–
kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā.	at the break-up of the body, after death, reappearing in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.
♦ “diṭṭhā mayā, bhikkhave,	I have seen
sattā sakkārena ca asakkārena ca tadubhayena abhibhūtā,	beings conquered both by receiving offerings & by not receiving offerings–
Pariyādinna-cittā,	their minds overwhelmed–
kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā.	at the break-up of the body, after death, reappearing in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.

(Buddha directly witnessed, not second hand info)

♦ “taṃ kho panāhaṃ, bhikkhave,	“It’s not through having heard it
nāññassa samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā sutvā vadāmi;	from another contemplative or brahman that I say,
api ca, bhikkhave, yadeva me	“Instead, it’s from having
sāmaṃ ñātaṃ	known it myself,
sāmaṃ diṭṭhaṃ	seen it myself,
sāmaṃ viditaṃ	observed it myself
tamevāhaṃ vadāmi.	that I say,

(repetition of 3 types of offerings)

♦ “diṭṭhā mayā, bhikkhave,	“Monks, I have seen
sattā sakkārena abhibhūtā,	beings conquered by receiving offerings–
Pariyādinna-cittā,	their minds overwhelmed–
kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā.	at the break-up of the body, after death, reappearing in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.
♦ “diṭṭhā mayā, bhikkhave,	I have seen
sattā a-sakkārena abhibhūtā,	beings conquered by not receiving offerings–
Pariyādinna-cittā,	their minds overwhelmed–
kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā.	at the break-up of the body, after death, reappearing in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.
♦ “diṭṭhā mayā, bhikkhave,	I have seen
sattā sakkārena ca asakkārena ca tadubhayena abhibhūtā,	beings conquered both by receiving offerings & by not receiving offerings–
Pariyādinna-cittā,	their minds overwhelmed–
kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā.	at the break-up of the body, after death, reappearing in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.
Etam-atthaṃ bhagavā avoca.	This-stuff the-blessed-one said,
tatthetaṃ iti vuccati —	then he said some more -

(verse)

♦ “yassa sakkariya-mānassa,	when offerings (or respect) [are received],
a-sakkārena c’-ūbhayaṃ.	(when) no-offerings [are received], in-both [cases],
♦ samādhi na vikampati,	Undistractable-lucidity [does] not waver;
appamāda-vihārino .	(he is an) Assiduous-practitioner.
♦ “taṃ jhāyinaṃ sātatikaṃ,	that Jhāna (he is) continually [absorbed in],
sukhumaṃ diṭṭhi-vi-passakaṃ .	subtle (in) view-&-clear-seeing,
♦ upādānak-khay’-ā-rāmaṃ,	Clinging-destroyed;--abundantly-relishing (that),
āhu sap-puriso itī”ti.	(that is) called (a) man-of-integrity.
♦ ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā,	(this was spoken (by) the-blessed-one,)
iti me sutanti.	(thus I heard.)

Comparison between KN Iti 81 and SN 17.10

Note that Iti 81 uses appamada (assiduity, heedfulness) instead of SN 17.10 (appamana). Both can work, but with appamada emphasizing moment to moment urgent Dhamma practice, and samadhi unwavering while going on almsround, it's pretty clear the 'always jhana' is not restricted to B. Sujato's 'regular jhana practice (jhana sāta)', but that one always tries to maintain at least partial jhana in all postures and activities. 

Sati and Samadhi is always active, and if samadhi is unwavering, then that indicates a high quality of samadhi worthy of being designated as first through fourth jhana, even while standing, walking, receiving alms.

KN Thag 17.2 also has the same verse of 'always jhana'

This is B. Thanissaro trans. matched up with cst6 pali, here he differs from his Iti 81 interpretation, making the "satatikam" a separate adjective and not a modifier of "always jhana".

♦ 1010.
♦ “yassa sakkariyamānassa,	The concentration of one
asakkārena cūbhayaṃ.	dwelling in heedfulness
♦ samādhi na vikampati,	doesn’t waver,
appamādavihārino.	whether he is honored or not.
♦ 1011.
♦ “taṃ jhāyinaṃ sātatikaṃ,	Doing jhāna, persevering,
sukhumadiṭṭhivipassakaṃ.	having subtle insight into subtle views,
♦ upādānakkhayārāmaṃ,	delighting in the ending of clinging:
āhu sappuriso iti.	He’s called a man of integrity.

Dictionary defn.

CPED

sātacca : [nt.] continuation; perseverance.

sātaccakārī : [m.] acting continuously.

sātaccakiriyā : [f.] perseverance.

sātatika : [adj.] acting continuously.

(don't know if sadā is a related word...)

sadā : [adv.] ever; always.

sadātana : [adj.] eternal.

From PED

: Sāta (adjective) [cf. Sanskrit śāta] pleasant, agreeable It 114; Nett 27. Often combined with piya, e.g. It 114; Vibh 103; Sv I 311. — opposite kaṭuka. — sāta (neuter) pleasure, joy M I 508; A I 81f.; S II 220; Ja I 410; Dhp 341 (°sita = sāta-nissita Dhp-a IV 49); Snp 867f.; Nidd I 30 (three, of bhava); Pv II 11³; IV 5⁴ (+ sukha); Dhs 3. asāta disagreeable, unpleasant Dhs 1343; Ja I 410; Ja I 288; II 105; Snp 867f.; sātabhakkha Pp 55, read haṭabhakkha. {703}

-odaka with pleasant water D II 129; M I 76; Vin III 108;
-kumbha gold Vv-a 13. See also v.l. under hāṭaka;
-putta a noble son Ja VI 238 (= amacca-putta commentary).

: Sātaka name of a kind of bird Ja VI 539 (koṭṭhapokkhara-°, cf. 540); Pj II 359 (the same).

: Sātacca (neuter) [from satata] perseverance M I 101; S II 132; A III 249f.; IV 460f.; V 17f.; Thag 585; Vism 4; Vibh-a 346. -kārin persevering S III 268, 271, 277f.; Dhp 293; -kiriyatā persevering performance Dhs 1367.

: Sātataṃ (adverb) [from satata] continually S I 17 = 57.

: Sātatā (feminine) [abstract from sāta] happiness S I 17.

: Sātatika (adjective) [from last] persevering Dhp 23; S II 232; It 74; Dhp-a I 230.

: Sataka (neuter) [cf. BHS śataka] a hundred, collection of 100 Ja I 74.

: Satakkhattuṃ (adverb) [cf. dvi-kkhattuṃ, ti-kkhattuṃ etc.] a hundred times.

: Satata (adjective) [with satrā "completely" and sadā "always" to sa° "one": see saṃ°; literally "in one (continuous) stretch"] continual, chronic. Only in neuter satataṃ (adverb) continually A IV 14; It 116; Snp 507; Miln 70; Pv II 8¹¹ (= nirantaraṃ Pv-a 110); III 7¹⁰ (= sabbakālaṃ Pv-a 207); Pv-a 177; and as °— in °vihāra a chronic state of life, i.e. a behaviour remaining even and the same A II 198 = D III 250, 281. Cf. sātacca.

: Satadhā (adverb) [sata + dhā, cf. ekadhā, dvidhā etc.] in 100 ways, into 100 pieces D II 341.