The Bhagavati Sutra, also known as the Vyākhyāprajñapti, is arranged as a vast dialogue text, cast primarily in a question‑and‑answer format. It presents exchanges between Mahāvīra and his chief disciple Gautama, with questions typically addressed to the Teacher and followed by detailed expositions of doctrine and cosmology. This dialogical structure is not merely literary ornament; it functions as the principal organizing device, guiding the reader from basic definitions to increasingly subtle analyses. Each discrete question–answer unit forms a self‑contained doctrinal exposition, yet is also woven into a larger, interconnected tapestry of teachings.

In terms of macro‑structure, the text is divided into major sections that are described as śatakas or as śrutaskandhas, depending on the traditional enumeration. These large units are further subdivided into smaller sections or chapters, sometimes referred to as adhyayanas or uddheshas. Within each such unit, related topics are clustered together: discussions of cosmology, the nature of the soul, karma, ethical discipline, and narrative material illustrating these principles. Traditional accounts differ on the exact count and naming of these divisions, but they agree that the work is arranged in substantial, thematically coherent blocks that together form an encyclopedic whole.

A distinctive feature of its organization is the reliance on numerical and systematic classification. Teachings are frequently grouped according to one‑fold, two‑fold, three‑fold, and higher‑order divisions, and these numerical schemes are applied to a wide range of subjects: types of beings, forms of karma, realms of existence, and gradations of spiritual development. Earlier sections often introduce these classifications in a relatively simple form, while later portions return to the same categories with greater refinement and elaboration. In this way, the text builds layer upon layer, allowing cosmological, ontological, ethical, and logical dimensions of a topic to unfold progressively.

Throughout, the structure reflects a deliberate pedagogical strategy. Questions tend to move in a logical sequence: identification of a topic, enumeration of its kinds, determination of its location or range, exploration of its causal conditions, and clarification of its significance for spiritual practice. This methodical progression, combined with cross‑referencing and recurring themes, gives the Bhagavati Sutra its character as an encyclopedic Jain scripture. Its organization thus mirrors its purpose: to map, in a highly ordered fashion, the many facets of reality and the path by which the soul may come to understand and transcend them.