The Udāna is composed of 80 suttas, arranged with a clear structural elegance into 8 chapters, or vaggas, each containing 10 suttas. This numerical symmetry reflects a deliberate ordering, suggesting that the collection was shaped as a coherent whole rather than as a random anthology. Within this framework, each discourse serves as a distinct doorway into the Buddha’s inspired utterances, yet all are held together by this shared architecture.

Each of these 80 suttas culminates in an inspired verse, an udāna, spoken by the Buddha. Thus, there are 80 such verses, each paired with its corresponding sutta. The prose narrative sets the scene—often depicting a particular situation, question, or spiritual turning point—while the concluding verse distills the heart of the teaching into a concise, luminous statement. In this way, the collection unites narrative context and poetic insight, allowing the verses to be heard not as abstract maxims, but as living responses to specific moments on the path.