Maṅgala Sutta – Trilinear Analysis
[Grammatical references are to Gair and Karunatillake]
evaṃ me sutaṃ.
Thus / by me / heard
[pers pron enclitic V.1.3 p.68 / past participial VI.9 p.88]
Thus I have heard.
ekaṃ samayaṃ Bhagavā Sāvatthiyaṃ viharati Jetavane Anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
one/ time / Blessed One / at Sāvatthī / is living / in Jeta-grove / of Anāthapiṇḍika / in Park
[acc of time II.10 p.25]
At one time the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park in Jeta’s Grove.
atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṃ
Jetavanaṃ obhāsetvā yena Bhagavā ten’ upasaṃkami.
(abhikkanta-vaṇṇā)
then /indeed / certain / deity / by advanced / by night / astounding-beauty / whole / Jeta-
grove / having lit up / where / Blessed One / there / approached
[yena … tena … VI.10 p.89 / -is aorist VI.7 p.87]
Then, late in the night, a certain deity of astounding beauty, lighting up the whole of Jeta’s
Grove, approached the Blessed One.
upasaṃkamitvā Bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekam-antaṃ aṭṭhāsi.
[-s aorist IX.2.1 p.125]
having approached / Blessed one / having bowed down / one side / stood
Having drawn near, she bowed down to him and stood to one side.
ekamantaṃ ṭhitā kho sā devatā Bhagavantaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi.
(ekam-antaṃ)
one side / stood / indeed / this / deity / Blessed One / by verse / addressed
Standing there this deity addressed the Blessed One in verse:
bahū devā manussā ca
many / devas / humans / and
Many deities and humans,
maṅgalāni acintayuṃ
[-a aorist VI.7.1 p.86]
blessings / pondered
Have pondered upon blessings,
ākaṅkhamāna sotthānaṃ
[pres part IV.4.1 p.52]
longing for / well-being
Longing for well-being.
brūhi maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(maṅgalam-uttamaṃ)
[imper III.5 p.36]
tell / blessing / greatest
Tell us what the greatest blessing is.
asevanā ca bālānaṃ
non-association / and / of fools
Not associating with fools,
paṇḍitānañca sevanā
(paṇḍitānaṃ ca)
of wise ones / and / association
Associating with the wise,
pūjā ca pūjanīyānaṃ
[fpp VII.2 p.101]
honour /and / for ones worthy of honour
Honouring those worthy of honour;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(maṅgalam-uttamaṃ)
this / blessing / greatest
This is the greatest blessing.
patirūpadesavāso ca
(patirūpa-desa-vāso)
suitable-location-residing
Residing in a suitable location,
pubbe ca katapuññatā
(kata-puñña-tā )
in the past / and / having made merit
Good deeds performed in the past,
attasammāpaṇidhi ca
(atta-sammā-paṇidhi)
self-correct-aspiration
Setting oneself in the right direction;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
bāhusaccañca sippañca
(bāhu-saccaṃ ca sippaṃ ca)
great-learning / and / craft / and
Great learning and craft,
vinayo ca susikkhito
discipline / and / well-trained
Well-trained in discipline,
subhāsitā ca yā vācā
well-spoken / and / which / speech
With every utterance well-spoken;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
mātāpitu upaṭṭhānaṃ
(mātā-pitu)
of mother-father / support
The support of mother and father,
puttadārassa saṅgaho
(putta-dārassa)
of spouse-child / maintenance,
The looking after of one’s spouse and children,
anākulā ca kammantā
unconflicted / and / livelihood
Engaging in unconflicted livelihood;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
dānañca dhammacariyā ca
(dānaṃ ca) (dhamma-cariyā)
giving / and / Dhamma-living / and
Generosity and living by the Dhamma,
ñātakānañca saṅgaho
(ñātakānaṃ ca)
of relatives / maintenance,
Looking after relatives
anavajjāni kammāni
blameless / actions
And blameless actions;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
ārati virati pāpā
ceasing / restraint / from evil
Ceasing and restraint from the unwholesome,
majjapānā ca saññamo
(majja-pānā)
from intoxicant-drink / abstinence
Abstinence from intoxicants,
appamādo ca dhammesu
heedful / and / concerning things
Heedfulness in all things;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
gāravo ca nivāto ca
reverence / and / humility / and
Reverence and humility,
santuṭṭhi ca kataññutā
contentment / and / gratitude,
Contentment and gratitude,
kālena dhammasavanaṃ
(dhamma-savanaṃ)
timely / Dhamma-hearing
Timely hearing of the Dhamma;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
khantī ca sovacassatā
patience / and / open to correction
Patience and being amenable to correction,
samaṇānañca dassanaṃ
(samaṇānaṃ ca)
of recluses / seeing
The seeing of monks and nuns,
kālena dhammasākacchā
(dhamma-sākacchā)
timely / Dhamma-conversation
Timely discussion of the Dhamma;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
tapo ca brahmacariyañca
[-as stem nouns VI.5 p.85]
(brahma-cariyaṃ ca)
austerity / and / spiritual life
Austerity and the spiritual life,
ariyasaccānadassanaṃ
(ariya-saccānaṃ dassanaṃ)
of noble-truths / seeing
Insight into the Noble Truths,
nibbānasacchikiriyā ca
(nibbāna-sacchikiriyā)
Nibbāna-realization / and
The realization of Nibbāna;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
phuṭṭhassa lokadhammehi
(loka-dhammehi)
of one touched / by world-conditions
cittaṃ yassa na kampati
mind / of whom / not / shakes
With a mind unshaken,
When touched by worldly conditions,
asokaṃ virajaṃ khemaṃ
sorrowless / stainless / secure
Sorrowless, stainless, and secure;
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ
(as above)
This is the greatest blessing.
etādisāni katvāna
[abs (ger) IV.3.1 p.51]
things like this / having done
Those who have fulfilled all these
sabbatthamaparājitā
(sabbattha-m-aparājitā)
everywhere / invincible
Are everywhere invincible,
sabbattha sotthiṃ gacchanti
everywhere / well-being / they go
And they find well-being in all places;
taṃ tesaṃ maṅgalamuttamanti
(maṅgalam uttamaṃ ti)
that / for them / blessing / greatest / (end-quote)
This is their greatest blessing.
