Grammatical Analysis
Cūḷavagga: [m.] The Minor Chapter; the Lesser Division. Formed by cūḷa (small, minor) + vagga (chapter, division). TPR’s English renders it “the Minor Chapter” (Vin-iv 2820:1). The Mūla uses the name only for the book itself (heading Vin-iv 3 “Cūḷavaggapāḷi”, colophon Vin-iv 2820-2821); the commentary on it is the Cūḷavagga-aṭṭhakathā (Sp-iv 3).
Orthodox Definition
The Cūḷavagga is the second of the two volumes of the Khandhakas in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the first being the Mahāvagga. The Samantapāsādikā lists the Vinaya Piṭaka as both Pātimokkhas, the two Vibhaṅgas, the twenty-two Khandhakas and the sixteen Parivāras (Sp-i 131:3); the Sāratthadīpanī explains “twenty-two Khandhakas” as those “found in the Mahāvagga and Cūḷavagga” (Sp-t-i-a 250:3).
The Cūḷavagga has twelve chapters (khandhaka): 1. Kammakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 4), 2. Pārivāsikakkhandhaka (probationary monks, Vin-iv 480), 3. Samuccayakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 622), 4. Samathakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 951), 5. Khuddakavatthukkhandhaka (Vin-iv 1198), 6. Senāsanakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 1505), 7. Saṅghabhedakakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 1823), 8. Vattakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 1983), 9. Pātimokkhaṭṭhapanakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 2279), 10. Bhikkhunikkhandhaka (the nuns, Vin-iv 2419), 11. Pañcasatikakkhandhaka (the five hundred, Vin-iv 2676) and 12. Sattasatikakkhandhaka (the seven hundred, Vin-iv 2734).
In the Samathakkhandhaka the disputes (adhikaraṇa) are settled by the samathas; the last of the methods is the Tiṇavatthāraka, “7. Tiṇavatthārakaṃ” (Vin-iv 1050). The Bhikkhunikkhandhaka contains the eight heavy rules (Aṭṭhagarudhammā, Vin-iv 2426); the Saṅghabhedakakkhandhaka contains the Devadattavatthu (Vin-iv 1836) and the sending of the elephant Nāḷāgiri (Vin-iv 1889).
Quote (Mūla: Cūḷavagga)
Cūḷavaggo niṭṭhito. Cūḷavaggapāḷi niṭṭhitā.
The Minor Chapter is finished. The Text of the Minor Chapter is finished.— Vinaya Piṭaka (Cūḷavagga, colophon) · TPR
Quote (Aṭṭhakathā: Samantapāsādikā (Bāhiranidānakathā))
Sabbampi hetaṃ vinayapiṭakaṃ suttantapiṭakaṃ abhidhammapiṭakanti tippabhedameva hoti. Tattha paṭhamasaṅgītiyaṃ saṅgītañca asaṅgītañca sabbampi samodhānetvā ubhayāni pātimokkhāni, dve vibhaṅgāni, dvāvīsati khandhakāni, soḷasaparivārāti idaṃ vinayapiṭakaṃ nāma.
Indeed, all of this has a threefold division: the Vinaya Pitaka, the Suttanta Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma Pitaka. Therein, including everything that was recited or not recited at the First Council—namely both monastic codes (pātimokkhāni), the two Vibhaṅgas, the twenty-two Khandhakas, and the sixteen Parivāras—this is called the Vinaya Pitaka (vinayapiṭakaṃ).— Samantapāsādikā (Bāhiranidānakathā, Sp-i 131) · TPR
Quote (Aṭṭhakathā: Samantapāsādikā (Cūḷavagga-aṭṭhakathā))
Cūḷavaggassa paṭhame kammakkhandhake tāva paṇḍukalohitakāti paṇḍuko ceva lohitako cāti chabbaggiyesu dve janā;
- In the first chapter on formal acts of the Cūḷavagga, Paṇḍukalohitakā (the Pale-Red-Clad monks) refers to two individuals among the group of six, the Paṇḍuka and the Lohitaka.
— Samantapāsādikā (Cūḷavagga-aṭṭhakathā, Kammakkhandhakavaṇṇanā) · TPR
Quote (Ṭīkā: Sāratthadīpanī)
Ubhayāni pātimokkhānīti bhikkhubhikkhunīpātimokkhavasena. Dve vibhaṅgānīti bhikkhubhikkhunīvibhaṅgavaseneva dve vibhaṅgāni. Dvāvīsati khandhakānīti mahāvaggacūḷavaggesu āgatāni dvāvīsati khandhakāni.
“Both Pātimokkhas” means by way of the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhunī Pātimokkhas. “Two Vibhaṅgas” means precisely by way of the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅgas. “Twenty-two Khandhakas” means the twenty-two Khandhakas found in the Mahāvagga and Cūḷavagga.— Sāratthadīpanī (Sp-t-i-a, Vinaya-ṭīkā on the Bāhiranidānakathā) · TPR
Textual References
- Vinaya: Cūḷavagga – Vin-iv 3 (heading), the twelve chapters at Vin-iv 4-2734, colophon Vin-iv 2820-2821. The Pañcasatikakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 2676 “11. Pañcasatikakkhandhakaṃ”) and Sattasatikakkhandhaka (Vin-iv 2734 “12. Sattasatikakkhandhakaṃ”) are the chapters on the First and Second Councils.
- Commentary: Samantapāsādikā – Cūḷavagga-aṭṭhakathā (Sp-iv 3-669); Sp-i 131:3 for the place of the Khandhakas in the Vinaya Piṭaka.