AN 3.101 a more nuanced interpretation of Dhamma vitakka in the first jhāna section of gold washer

 

AN 3.101 doesn't explicitly label this state as first jhāna, but we can deduce it from surveying other suttas.

3.101.15.4 (first jhāna has Dhamma thoughts → gold dust)

Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate athāparaṃ dhamma-vitakk-āvasissanti.	When they’ve been given up and eliminated, only thoughts about the ☸Dharma are left.
So hoti samādhi na ceva santo na ca paṇīto nap-paṭip-passaddha-laddho na ekodi-bhāv-ādhigato sa-saṅkhāra-niggayhavāritagato.	That undistractible-lucidity is not peaceful, not sublime, not [sufficiently] pacified, not [sufficiently] singular in focus, but is held in place by forceful suppression [of first jhāna’s vitakka thoughts focusing on the Dharma].
	[Internal settling, singular focus, and undistractible ludicity are the explicit terms that first appear in second jhāna’s formula, and are absent from the first jhāna.]

AN 4.169 explains what type of meditations sa-sankhāra are referring to.

AN 4.169 Sa-saṅkhāra: Extra Effort

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo diṭṭheva dhamme sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti?

And how does a person become fully nirvana'd in the present life by making extra effort?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu	It’s when a monk
a-subh-ānu-passī kāye viharati,	lives continuously-seeing the un-attractiveness of the body,
āhāre paṭikūla-saññī,	perceives the repulsiveness of food,
sabba-loke an-abhi-rati-saññī,	perceives dis-satisfaction with the whole world,
sabba-saṅkhāresu anicc-ānu-passī;	continuously-sees the impermanence of all co-activities,
maraṇa-saññā kho panassa ajjhattaṃ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti.	and has well established the perception of their own death.

Incorporating information from Vimuttimagga

We get a more nuanced answer on what vitakka is doing in AN 3.101,

whether that samādhi qualifies as first jhāna

https://lucid24.org/tped/v/vimtn/index.html#7

Q. Which ten meditation subjects are connected to the threshold jhāna?

A. Except for mindfulness of breathing and mindfulness of the body, the other eight recollections, the defining of the four elements, and the perception of the repulsiveness of food — these are the “ten [meditation subjects connected to the] threshold [jhāna]”.
9

Q. Which of the eleven meditation subjects are connected to the first jhāna?

A. The ten perceptions of the foul and mindfulness of body are connected to the first jhāna.

We arrive at more nuanced view of what vitakka is doing in AN 3.101 and whether it's first jhāna

EBT defines asubha practice as 31 body parts,
but Vimuttimagga and Vism. classify kāyagata-sati ("mindfulness of the body")  as 31 body parts.
Interestingly, Vimt. and Vism. restrict the 31 body parts to first jhāna, not all four jhānas.
Whereas the contemplation of repulsiveness of food is limited to access concentration, not qualified for first jhāna.

Conclusion

So to be more precise on whether the Dhamma vitakka of AN 3.101 is first jhāna, or lower samādhi, it varies for each of the 5 meditations:

a-subh-ānu-passī kāye viharati,	1. lives continuously-seeing the un-attractiveness of the body, (31 body parts, first jhāna YES)
āhāre paṭikūla-saññī,	perceives the repulsiveness of food, (limited to access concentration)
sabba-loke an-abhi-rati-saññī,	perceives dis-satisfaction with the whole world,(limited to access concentration)
sabba-saṅkhāresu anicc-ānu-passī;	continuously-sees the impermanence of all co-activities, (all 4 jhānas possible, see AN 9.36)
maraṇa-saññā kho panassa ajjhattaṃ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti.	and has well established the perception of their own death.     (all 4 jhānas possible, since one can pay attention to any perception that is in accordance with Dhamma)