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Note on the Bhânavâras
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Note on the Bhânavâras

NOTE ON THE BHÂNAVÂRAS.

As the division into Bhânavâras or Portions for Recitation is of some value in the history of the way in which the books were handed down, and is now overshadowed by the more practical division for modern purposes adopted in this translation into chapters and sections, the following table may be of use:--

MAHÂVAGGA.

Present division.

Pali title.

Page in text.

Extent in text.

KHANDHAKA

I.

Chapter

6.

Pathama-bhânavâram

14

14

14.

Dutiyaka-bhânavâram

24

10

21.

Uruvela-pâtihâriyam tatiyaka-bhânavâram nitthitam

35

11

24.

Katutthaka-bh. nitthitam

44

9

30.

Upagghâya-vatta-bh. nitthitam pañkamam

58

14

33.

Khattham bhânavâram

61

3

38.

Sattamam bhânavâram

71

10

53.

Abhayûvara-bh. nitthitam

81

10

79.

98

? 17

KHANDHAKA

II.

Chapter

16.

Añña-titthiya-bh. nitthitam

115

16

27.

Kodanâ-vatthu-bh. nitthitam

128

13

36.

Uposatha-khandhake tatiyam bhânavâram

136

8

KHANDHAKA

III.

Chapter

8.

Vassâvâsa-bh. nitthitam

148

11

14.

155

7

KHANDHAKA

IV.

Chapter

6.

Pathama-bh. nitthitam

164

9

18.

178

14

KHANDHAKA

V

has no Bhânavâras, and ends in the text on page

198

20

p. 416

KHANDHAKA

VI.

Chapter

15.

Bhesagga-anuññâta-bh. pathamam

209

10

30.

Likkhavi-bh. nitthitam

233

24

33.

Katu-vîsati-bh. nitthitam

240

7

40.

251

11

KHANDHAKA

VII.

Chapter

7.

Adâya-bh. nitthitam

259

7

13.

265

6

KHANDHAKA

VIII.

Chapter

1.

Pathamaka-bh. nitthitam

281

14

15.

Visâkhâ-bhânavâram

294

13

32.

310

16

KHANDHAKA

IX.

Chapter

4.

Vâsabha-gâma-bhânavâram pathamam

322

11

6.

Upâli-pukkhâ-bhânavâram dutiyam

328

6

7.

333

5

KHANDHAKA

X.

Chapter

2.

Dighâvu-bhânavâram pathamam

349

13

6.

359

10

KULLAVAGGA.

KHANDHAKA

I-IV.

None.

KHANDHAKA

V.

Chapter

21.

Dutiya-bhânavâram

129

25

37.

143

14

KHANDHAKA

VI.

Chapter

3.

Bhânavâram nitthitam pathamam

154

9

11.

Dutiya-bhânavâram

167

13

21.

177

10

KHANDHAKA

VII.

Chapter

2.

Pathamaka-bhânavâram nitthitam

188

9

3.

Bhânavâram nitthitam dutiyam

198

10

5.

Bhânavâram nitthitam tatiyam

206

8

KHANDHAKA

VIII.

Chapter

4.

Bhânavâram pathamam

215

8

12.

Dutiya-bhânavâram

231

16

14.

231

---

p. 417

KHANDHAKA

IX.

Chapter

3.

Pathamo bhânavâro 1

247

12

5.

251

4

KHANDHAKA

X.

Chapter

8.

Pathama-bhânavâram

261

9

16.

Dutiya-bhânavâram

271

10

27.

Tatiya-bhânavâram

281

10

KHANDHAKA

XI.

has none

292

9

KHANDHAKA

XII.

Chapter

1.

Pathama-bhânavâram

301

8

2.

307

6

On this it may be observed--

1. The last Bhânavâra in each Khandhaka is not referred to either by name or by number, except in Mahâvagga II, and in Kullavagga VII and X. In the Mahâvagga fourteen of the Bhânavâras have special titles, independent of their number in the particular Khandhaka.

2. Probably two Bhânavâras in Mahâvagga V, all the Bhânavâras in Kullavagga I-IV, and the first in Kullavagga V, are not noticed in the printed text.

3. Making allowance for these we have in the Mahâvagga 31 (? 32) Bhânavâras, occupying about 350 pages of Pâli text, and about 610 pages in our translation. In books V-XII of the Kullavagga we have 20 Bhânavâras, occupying about 200 pages of Pâli text, and about 350 pages in our translation. Total 51 (? 52) Bhânavâras, occupying about 550 pages of Pâli, and about 960 pages of translation.

4. As in the printed text repetitions have been avoided by a mode of reference to former passages which was impossible in the MSS., the average length of the matter contained in a Bhânavâra, as written much more in full in the MSS., would be somewhat greater than its average length as actually printed. It would probably amount to what, if printed verbatim, would occupy in space not much less than a sheet of the size and type used in the edition of the text. Thus the three Bhânavâras in Mahâvagga VIII, which owing to the subject-matter are printed with only a few such contractions, occupy respectively 14, 13, and 16 pages of the text.

p. 418

5. The recital in the usual sara-bhañña (or intonation, see Kullavagga V, 3) of such a 'portion for recitation' would occupy in time about half-an-hour.

6. Spence Hardy informs us in his 'Eastern Monachism' (p. 168) that the Dîgha Nikâya contains 64, the Magghima Nikâya 80, the Samyutta Nikâya 100, and the Aṅguttara Nikâya 120 Bhânavâras. In fact it is only a few of the longer Suttas in the first two collections which are actually divided into Bhânavâras in the MSS.; and only the longer Nipâtas in the Aṅguttara. There are no Bhânavâras in the Eka- and Duka-Nipâtas of that collection; and there are also none in the Samyutta Nikâya, and none in any of the books of the later literature contained in the Abhidhamma Pitaka (including all those in the Khuddaka Nikâya) as yet published.


Footnotes

  1. 417:1

    Sic. This is the only instance in the Vinaya of a masculine use of the word.

  2. 7

    7. The division into Bhânavâras is not made use of in many books of the Pitakas themselves, or in the fifth-century commentaries of Buddhaghosa and others. In the Sutta-vibhaṅga it is only used in Pârâgikas I-III, and in the Parivâra not at all. When Spence Hardy says therefore (loc. cit. p. 172) that the Pitakas and commentaries combined contain 5347 Bhânavâras, he must be referring to a mere calculation and not to the actual use of the MSS. On the other hand, the fact of Bhânavâras being used in the Dîpavamsa and the Khudda-sikkhâ may possibly afford some clue to the age in which those works were composed.

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