Pārāyaṇavagga. untranslated

Pārāyaṇavagga. The fifth and last division of the Suttanipāta (Snp.vs.976ff). It consists of sixteen Suttas preceded by an introduction of fifty-six vatthugāthā. The vatthugāthā describe how Bāvarī first heard of the coming of the Buddha from a devotee and sent sixteen of his pupils to visit the Buddha and find out if his claims to Awakening were true. A description of the route taken by them is also given. The sixteen Suttas give the questions asked by Bāvarī’s disciples and the answers given by the Buddha. The Cūḷa Niddesa comments on the sixteen Suttas, but makes no mention of the vatthugāthā. Perhaps, at one time, the Khaggavisāṇasutta was attached to the Pārāyaṇavagga.

The Pārāyaṇavagga is mentioned in the Aṅguttaranikāya (AN.i.133, 134; ii.45; iv.63) and in the Saṁyuttanikāya (SN.ii.49), which is evidence of its having been one of the oldest collections. The Pārāyaṇaka Samiti is among the incidents represented in the Mahā Thūpa (Mhv.xxx.84). It is said (e.g., AN­a.i.57) that at the end of the discourses contained in the Pārāyaṇavagga, fourteen crores of beings realized Nibbāna.

Buddhaghosa says (AN­a.ii.717) that the Pārāyaṇa was so-called because it leads to Nibbāna (Nibbānasaṅkhātaṁ pāraṁ ayanato Pārāyaṇā ti laddhavohāraṁ dhammaṁ).