Paritta - Sutta Chants
in Pali with English Translation
Chants by Venerable Master Chhan Aun, Venerable Khouen
Pang & Acha Rong Be
Table of Contents
1. Meaning of Pali Languange
2. Namassakara –Namo: Preliminary Homage to the Lord Buddha
3. Maha Jayamangala Gatha: Stanzas of Great Victory Recital for Blessing and
Protection.
4. Devatā-uyyojana-gāthā : Farewell to the Devas
MEANING OF PALI LANGUAGE
Pali is the language used to preserve the Buddhist canon of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which
is regarded as the oldest complete collection of Buddhist texts surviving in an Indian language. Pali is
closely related to Sanskrit, but its grammar and structure are simpler. Traditional Theravadas regard
Pali as the language spoken by the Buddha himself, but in the opinion of leading linguistic scholars,
Pali was probably a synthetic language created from several vernaculars to make the Buddhist texts
comprehensible to Buddhist monks living in different parts of northern India. It is rooted in the
Prakrits, the vernacular languages, used in northern India during the Middle period of Indian linguistic
evolution. As Theravada Buddhism spread to other parts of southern Asia, the use of Pali as the
language of the texts spread along with it, and thus Pali became a sacred language in Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, China, and Japan. Pali has been used almost exclusively for
Buddhist teachings, although many religious and literary works related to Buddhism were written in
Pali at a time when it was already forgotten in India.
When the teachings were written down, around three or four hundred years after the death of the
Buddha, they already existed in several different, carefully memorized, versions - one of which, the
Pali version (a South-West Indian dialect), became the scriptural canon of the Theravada school, later
spreading from Sri Lanka; and several other versions of the same teachings, originally written down in
Sanskrit and different North Indian colloquial versions of Sanskrit or other North Indian dialects
Many Theravada sources refer to the Pāli language as "Magadhan" or the "language of Magadha".
This identification first appears in the commentaries, and may have been an attempt by Buddhists to
associate themselves more closely with the Mauryans. The Buddha taught in Magadha, but the four
most important places in his life are all outside of it. It is likely that he taught in several closely related
dialects of Middle Indo-Aryan, which had a high degree of mutual intelligibility. There is no attested
dialect of Middle Indo-Aryan with all the features of Pāli. Pāli has some commonalities with both the
Ashokan inscriptions at Girnar in the West of India, and at Hathigumpha, Bhubaneswar, Orissa in the
East. Similarities to the Western inscription may be misleading, because the inscription suggests that
the Ashokan scribe may not have translated the material he received from Magadha into the
vernacular of the people there. Whatever the relationship of the Buddha's speech to Pāli, the Canon
was eventually transcribed and preserved entirely in it, while the commentarial tradition that
accompanied it (according to the information provided by Buddhaghosa) was translated into
Sinhalese and preserved in local languages for several generations.
In Sri Lanka, Pāli is thought to have entered into a period of decline ending around the 4th or 5th
century (as Sanskrit rose in prominence, and simultaneously, as Buddhism's adherents became a
smaller portion of the subcontinent), but ultimately survived. The work of Buddhaghosa was largely
responsible for its reemergence as an important scholarly language in Buddhist thought. The
Visuddhimagga, and the other commentaries that Buddhaghosa compiled, codified and condensed
the Sinhalese commentarial tradition that had been preserved and expanded in Sri Lanka since the
3rd century BCE.
Paritta – Sutta Chants
in Pali with English Translation
1. Namassakāra (Namo): Preliminary Homage to the Buddha
Namassakāra (Namo) Preliminary Homage to the Buddha
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato Homage to the Blessed One, Free from
sammāsambuddhassa. Defilements, the Rightly Self-Awakened One.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato Homage to the Blessed One, Free from
sammāsambuddhassa. Defilements, the Rightly Self-Awakened One.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato Homage to the Blessed One, Free from
sammāsambuddhassa. Defilements, the Rightly Self-Awakened One.
2. Maha Jayamangala Gatha
Stanzas of Great Victory Recital for Blessing and Protection.
Jaya-parittam The Victory Protection
Mahākāruṇiko nātho The Buddha who is a refuge to all beings,
Hitāya sabbapāṇinaṃ attained great compassion, perfected and fulfilled
Pūretvā pāramī sabbā all the paramis for the benefit of all beings,
Patto sambodhimuttamaṃ attained the highest self-awakening. By the
Etena saccavajjena utterance of this truth, may victorious blessings
Hotu te jayamaṅgalaṃ be yours.
Jayanto bodhiyā mūle The Buddha defeated Mara at the base of the
Sakyānaṃ nandivaḍḍhano Bodhi tree, achieving the supreme state of being,
Evaṃtvam vijayo hohi taking pleasure in the glory of all Buddhas, and
Jayassu jayamaṅgale bringing joy to the Sakyan people.
Aparājitapallaṅke On that undefeatable seat, which is the victorious
Sīse paṭhavipokkhare blessing, rising above the earth as the lotus leaves
Abhiseke sabbabuddhānaṃ rise above water, all the Buddhas defeated Mara.
Aggappatto pamodati May you also share in this victorious blessing.
Sunakkhattaṃ sumaṅgalaṃ For any beings who practice honestly, at any
Supabhātaṃ suhuṭṭhitaṃ time; that time is the lucky time, the good
Sukhaṇo sumuhutto ca blessing, an auspicious fortune, a shining dawn, a
Suyiṭṭhaṃ brahmacārisu good moment, a good act of worship. For those
Padakkhiṇam kāyakammaṃ who have such excellent practice, their physical
Vācākammaṃ padakkhiṇaṃ actions are a rightful religious offering, their
Padakkhiṇaṃ manokammaṃ words are a rightful religious offering, and their
Paṇidhī te padakkhiṇā intentions are a rightful religious offering. May
Padakkhiṇāni katvāna your wishes be so rightful: all beings who have
Labhantatthe, padakkhiṇe such rightful actions will receive their rightful
benefits.
3. Devata Uyyojana Gatha: Farewell to the Devas
Devatā -uyyojana-gā thā Farewell to the Devas
Dukkhappattā ca niddukkhā May all beings that have fallen into suffering, be
Bhayappattā ca nibbhayā without suffering; that have fallen into danger, be
Sokappattā ca nissokā without danger; that have fallen into sorrow, be
Hontu sabbepi pāṇino. without sorrow
Ettāvatā ca amhehi May all heavenly beings anumodana—rejoice in the
Sambhataṃ puññasampadaṃ well-being that is the merit that we have accumulated
Sabbe devānumodantu for the sake of attaining prosperity and success.
Sabbasampattisiddhiyā.
Dānaṃ dadantu saddhāya May all humankind faithfully practice generosity –
Sīlaṃ rakkhantu sabbadā dana, keep the precepts–sila at all times, and delight in
Bhāvanābhiratā hontu developing meditation—bhavana. May the heavenly
Gacchantu devatāgatā. beings who have joined us in rejoicing now take their
leave.
Sabbe buddhā balappattā All of the Buddhas with all the great powers, together
Paccekānañca yaṃbalaṃ with the power of all the paccekabuddhas and the
Arahantānañca tejena power of the noble arahants: I bind this protection all
Rakkhaṃ bandhāmi sabbaso. around with the strength and might of their power.
Reference “Tripitaka and Pali Canon”
