Within the Theravāda Buddhist canon, the Udāna stands as one of the texts gathered into the Khuddaka Nikāya, the “Minor Collection” that forms the fifth and final division of the Sutta Piṭaka. The Khuddaka Nikāya functions as a kind of anthology, bringing together a range of shorter works, poetry, and specialized teachings that do not fall neatly into the other four Nikāyas. Within this diverse collection, the Udāna is counted as one of its constituent books, alongside texts such as the Dhammapada, the Itivuttaka, and the Sutta Nipāta. In this way, the Udāna is not an isolated scripture, but part of a broader tapestry of early Buddhist literature preserved in the Pali tradition.

The distinctive character of the Udāna lies in its structure: it presents prose episodes from the Buddha’s life, each narrative culminating in a brief, inspired utterance. These utterances, or “udānas,” are preserved as verses that crystallize the spiritual insight arising in a particular situation. As one of the books of the Khuddaka Nikāya, the Udāna contributes a unique voice to the collection, combining story and verse to illuminate the Buddha’s awakening wisdom. Together with the other works in the Khuddaka Nikāya, it helps to show how the tradition has safeguarded not only systematic teachings, but also the more intimate, evocative moments of realization that continue to inspire contemplative practice.