________________
Contribution of Śramanas to the Indian .....
: 81 of strata, which are named according to the group or time to which they belong. Thus Vibhanga, Niddesa, Veyjyākaraṇa, Vaṇṇana, Atthavanṇana, Atthasamvaṇṇana, Ṭīkā, Anuṭīkā etc. are the terms, which were coined by the commentators from time to time to name their respective works.
Veyyākaraṇa
From the Anga point of view, the entire Buddhavacana are of nine types. Veyyakaraṇa occupies the third place in this classification, the other two preceding it being Sutta and Geyya. As its spelling differs from Vaiyakaraṇa, the derivative of the word Vyakaraṇa, it should not mean grammarian or pertaining to grammar. It, however, seems difficult to arrive at the etymological meaning of the term, as Acarya Buddhaghosa too does not lay his finger on it. He only defines it as follows, "The entire Abhidhammapiṭaka, the suttas which are without verses and all remaining Buddhavacanas which are not included in any of the eight Angas should be regarded as Veyyākaraṇa'.16 It may be noted that Brahmajālasutta designates itself as Veyyākaraṇa at the end. 17 Dr. Law is inclined to include Cullavedalla and Mahavedalla Suttas of the Majjhimanikaya in the group and he points out two layers of Veyyakarana as Suttantabhajaniya and Abhidhammabhajanīya'1
Vinicchaya
There is one more term used in the sense of brief exposition. That term is Vinicchaya, which is appended by Buddhadatta to the title of his works on the Vinaya. It seems to have been formed by adding the prefix 'vi' to the term "nicchaya" (Skt. Niscaya). The term Vinicchaya is seen used in the Pali canon in various contexts, of which the following few may prove purposeful in so far as our attempt to ascertain its meaning is concerned. Firstly, it is used in the sense of 'thorough knowledge' as in 'Papakamma-vinicchaya' and secondly, in the sense of decision or ascertainment as in 'labham paticcavinicchayo, vinicchayam paticca chhandarago'1. As Buddhadatta's works, namely, Vinayavinicchaya and
