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82: Śramaņa, Vol 62, No. 3, July-September 2011 Uttaravinicchaya explain, though briefly, but in a convincing manner, the rules of the Vinaya, specially the rules of the Pātimokkha, the term Vinicchaya seems to denote a special type of commentarial literature written in verse. In this way though Buddhadatta introduced writing commentaries in verse successfully, it could not be popular so far as Pali literature is concerned. Vibhanga The term Vibhanga, which is, very likely peculiar to the Buddhists alone, seems to have been coined by adding Vito the term Bhanja, Bhang or Bhaja meaning to break up or divide.20 Accordingly, the term Vibhanga may be said to stand for a detailed exposition of a promulgation or statement of the Buddha by breaking up or dividing its component parts fully. In order to substantiate this meaning, a brief mention of the Vibhanga literature of the Pali Tripitaka would be most desirable. It may be noted that the Vibhanga type of literature is more or less seen in all the three Pitakas. Vibhanga or Sutta-vibhanga is name of one of the three main divisions of the Vinayapitaka. Similarly, the fourteenth Vagga of the Majjhimanikāya'?' consisting of twelve suttas (131-142) and six Suttas of the Samyuttanikāya?? are named as Vibhanga and Vibhanga sutta respectively. So also the second book of the Abhidhammapițaka is entitled Vibhangappakaraṇa. When examined, one would find that the former is exegetical literature in the true sense of the term, while the rest appear to be simply interpretatory literature. Accordingly, one would be constrained to be satisfied with the observations of G. P. Malalasekera with regards to both Vibhanga as exegetical literature and Vibhanga as interpretatory literature. “Vibhanga” remarks Mr. Malalasekera.23 “The collective name for two closely connected works of the Vinayapitaka, which, in manuscripts, are generally called Parajika and Pacittiya. The collection is considered to be an extensive treatise on the Pātimokkha rules, giving the occasion for the formulation of each rule, with some explanation or illustration of various terms
