Dhammacakka Research CenterThe Library

The Library / Treatise / VINAYA TRADITION

Vinayavinicchayaṭīkā

Subcommentaries on Both Digests

VINAYA TRADITION · volume 8 of 10

The subcommentary on Buddhadatta's Vinayavinicchaya, the Vinayatthasārasandīpanī (CST4 paragraphs 1–4268), and after it the subcommentary on his Uttaravinicchaya, the Līnatthapakāsanī (4269–5124) — written in Ceylon under Parakkamabāhu I, 1153–1186 CE.

Its author is identified only as a pupil of Sāriputta, and the introduction explains why that is enough for the tradition: it spends its opening praising Sāriputta's learning, listing his subcommentaries on the Samantapāsādikā and the Manorathapūraṇī and a jotisattha, a work on astronomy, besides.

Two things make it worth reading on its own account. It names five initiators — and for the first time in this literature, laymen are among them: the Thera Sumaṅgala Araññavāsin, the Thera Buddhamitta Coḷa, the Thera Mahākassapasīha Coḷa, the Upāsaka Dhammakitti Paṇḍita, and the merchant Bhānu. And it is this book that expressly calls Buddhaghosa and Buddhadatta contemporaries and preserves the story of their meeting — evidence not of what happened, but of what the tradition assumed: that Buddhaghosa's work came slightly before the Vinayavinicchaya.

The two subcommentaries are closed together. The colophon names both as finished — Iti vinayatthasārasandīpanī nāma vinayavinicchayavaṇṇanā, Līnatthapakāsanī nāma uttaravinicchayavaṇṇanā ca samattā — which suggests one author for the pair, though it names none. Verses set after the colophon add how the book reached Burma: the Thera Sīvali brought it in Sinhalese script to Arimaddana (Pagan), where the Thera Revata transcribed it — Esā saṃvaṇṇanā sīhaḷakkharena sulikkhitā. Hinüber reports the same verses as concerning a copy of the Uttaravinicchaya itself (Hinüber 1996, p. 155, §327); as printed here they speak of the commentary.

The volume holds two works: the Vinayavinicchaya-ṭīkā (Vinayatthasārasandīpanī, CST4 paragraphs 1–4268) and the Uttaravinicchaya-ṭīkā (Līnatthapakāsanī, 4269–5124). Corrected 7 October 2026: the second work and the closing colophon were not mentioned.

How it ends

Vinayavinicchaya-ṭīkā samattā.

Uttaravinicchayaṭīkā niṭṭhitā.

SourcesHinüber 1996, pp. 154–157, §§324, 327, 330–331.

Layer
Treatise — treatise
Collection
VINAYA TRADITION · volume 8 of 10
On
Subcommentaries on Both Digests
Written by
a pupil of SāriputtaHinüber 1996, p. 156, §330
When
1153–1186 CEHinüber 1996, p. 156, §330
Pali text
Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana (CST4)
English
Complete in draft, not yet reviewed · 5,124 paragraphs over 129 pages
§ 1–4,268
Vinayavinicchaya-ṭīkāpakaraṇavisesa · translated
§ 4,269–5,124
Uttaravinicchaya-ṭīkāpakaraṇavisesa · translated

NumberingParagraph numbers of the Pali source file (CST4), as held in the translation database.

  1. (Part One)(Paṭhamo bhāgo)
  2. The Analysis for BhikkhusBhikkhuvibhaṅgo
  3. The Account of PārājikaPārājikakathā
  4. Explanation of the Account of SaṅghādisesaSaṅghādisesakathāvaṇṇanā
  5. Explanation of the Account of the Undetermined OffencesAniyatakathāvaṇṇanā
  6. Explanation of the Account of Offences Entailing ForfeitureNissaggiyakathāvaṇṇanā
  7. The Explanation of the Account of the PācittiyasPācittiyakathāvaṇṇanā
  8. The Explanation of the Account of the PāṭidesanīyasPāṭidesanīyakathāvaṇṇanā
  9. The Explanation of the Account of the SekhiyasSekhiyakathāvaṇṇanā
  10. The Bhikkhunī VibhaṅgaBhikkhunivibhaṅgo
  11. The Explanation of the Account of the PārājikasPārājikakathāvaṇṇanā
  12. The Explanation of the Account of the SaṅghādisesasSaṅghādisesakathāvaṇṇanā
  13. The Explanation of the Account of the NissaggiyasNissaggiyakathāvaṇṇanā
  14. The Explanation of the Account of the PācittiyasPācittiyakathāvaṇṇanā
  15. The Explanation of the Account of the PāṭidesanīyasPāṭidesanīyakathāvaṇṇanā
  16. The Explanation of the Account of the Rules to Be Trained InSikkhākaraṇīyakathāvaṇṇanā
  17. The Account of the KhandhakasKhandhakakathā
  18. The MahāvaggaMahāvaggo
  19. The Account of the Great KhandhakaMahākhandhakakathā
  20. The Explanation of the Account of Going ForthPabbajjākathāvaṇṇanā
  21. The Explanation of the Account of the Uposatha KhandhakaUposathakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  22. The Explanation of the Account of the Rains-Entry KhandhakaVassūpanāyikakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  23. The Explanation of the Account of the Pavāraṇā KhandhakaPavāraṇakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  24. The Explanation of the Account of the Leather KhandhakaCammakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  25. The Explanation of the Account of the Medicine KhandhakaBhesajjakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  26. The Explanation of the Account of the Kathina KhandhakaKathinakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  27. The Explanation of the Account of the Robe KhandhakaCīvarakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  28. The CūḷavaggaCūḷavaggo
  29. The Explanation of the Account of the Pārivāsika KhandhakaPārivāsikakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  30. The Explanation of the Account of the Samatha KhandhakaSamathakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  31. The Explanation of the Account of the Khuddakavatthu KhandhakaKhuddakavatthukkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  32. The Explanation of the Account of the Senāsana KhandhakaSenāsanakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  33. The Explanation of the Account of the Vatta KhandhakaVattakkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  34. The Explanation of the Account of the Bhikkhunī KhandhakaBhikkhunikkhandhakakathāvaṇṇanā
  35. The Explanation of the Account of the Four Kinds of ActCatubbidhakammakathāvaṇṇanā
  36. The Explanation of the Account of the Failure of ActsKammavipattikathāvaṇṇanā
  37. The Explanation of the Account of Miscellaneous AscertainmentPakiṇṇakavinicchayakathāvaṇṇanā
  38. The Explanation of the Account of the Procedure for Explaining Meditation SubjectsKammaṭṭhānavibhāvanāvidhānakathāvaṇṇanā
  39. The Uttaravinicchaya-ṭīkāUttaravinicchaya-ṭīkā
  40. The Explanation of the Account of the Compendium of the MahāvibhaṅgaMahāvibhaṅgasaṅgahakathāvaṇṇanā
  41. The BhikkhunīvibhaṅgaBhikkhunivibhaṅgo
  42. The Explanation of the Account of the Four FailuresCatuvipattikathāvaṇṇanā
  43. The Explanation of the Account of Legal Issues as ConditionsAdhikaraṇapaccayakathāvaṇṇanā
  44. The Explanation of the Account of Questions on the KhandhakasKhandhakapucchākathāvaṇṇanā
  45. The Explanation of the Account of the Heads of OriginationSamuṭṭhānasīsakathāvaṇṇanā
  46. The Explanation of the Account of the Origination of OffencesĀpattisamuṭṭhānakathāvaṇṇanā
  47. The Explanation of the Account of the Numerical MethodEkuttaranayakathāvaṇṇanā
  48. The Explanation of the Account of the Sweat-Releasing RiddlesSedamocanakathāvaṇṇanā
  49. The Explanation of the Account of the Common and the UncommonSādhāraṇāsādhāraṇakathāvaṇṇanā
  50. The Explanation of the Account of CharacteristicsLakkhaṇakathāvaṇṇanā
  51. The Explanation of the Account of the Method of Complete SummationSabbasaṅkalananayakathāvaṇṇanā