Grammatical Analysis
Cullavagga: [m.] The Minor Division; The Lesser Chapter. Formed by culla (small, minor, lesser) + vagga (chapter, division).
Orthodox Definition
The Cullavagga is the second volume of the Khandhaka section of the Vinaya Piṭaka, containing 12 chapters. Despite being named the “minor” division, it is just as legally critical as the Mahāvagga.
It deals heavily with the internal discipline, architecture, and historical crises of the Saṅgha. It outlines the grueling procedures for placing monks on probation (parivāsa) for severe offenses, the rules for building and furnishing monasteries (senāsana), and the seven legal methods for settling disputes (adhikaraṇasamatha).
Historically, the Cullavagga contains three defining narratives of the Theravāda tradition: the founding of the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha (and the Eight Heavy Rules), the schism caused by Devadatta’s assassination attempts, and the detailed accounts of the First and Second Buddhist Councils, cementing the textual authority of the Piṭakas.
Textual References
- Vinaya: Cullavagga – The final two chapters are the primary canonical source for the history of the First Council at Rājagaha and the Second Council at Vesālī.
- Commentary: Samantapāsādikā – Providing the orthodox interpretation of how schisms and disputes are to be legally extinguished.