The formal act by which the Sangha assigns the kathina cloth to one monk, put as a motion and carried by silence.
- When chanted
- Recited by the Sangha at the kathina ceremony, once a year at the end of the rains.
A note on this chant. The book prints this chant in Pali only, with no Thai translation. The English here is a working translation prepared for this edition — it is not the book's own, and has not yet been checked by a teacher.
Historical background
A กรรมวาจา is a formal act of the Sangha, and this is the only one printed in this part of the book. It is not devotional writing at all — it is procedure, and it reads like it.
The kathina cloth is offered to the community once a year and cannot be given to an individual by the donors. The Sangha has to assign it, and this is the form by which that is done.
Meaning and purpose
After the threefold homage the motion is put in the fixed form such acts take: let the Sangha hear me; this kathina cloth has come to the Sangha; if the Sangha is ready, then such-and-such is proposed. Nothing is decided until it has been stated aloud in those terms.
The decision itself is then taken by silence, and the text says so explicitly: it is acceptable to the Sangha, therefore it is silent. Consent is registered as an absence of objection rather than as agreement.
The last line is the one that makes it binding — เอวัมเมตัง ธาระยามิ, thus do I hold it. One person records what the silence meant, and the act is complete. Chanted rather than minuted, it is the oldest continuously used meeting procedure most people will ever hear.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 308 →
page 308นะโม ตัสสะ ภะคะวะโต อะระหะโต สัมมาสัมพุทธัสสะ.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One.
นะโม ตัสสะ ภะคะวะโต อะระหะโต สัมมาสัมพุทธัสสะ.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One.
นะโม ตัสสะ ภะคะวะโต อะระหะโต สัมมาสัมพุทธัสสะ.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One.
สุณาตุ เม ภันเต สังโฆ,
Suṇātu me bhante saṅgho,
Let the Saṅgha, venerable sirs, hear me.
อิทัง สังฆัสสะ กะฐินะทุสสัง อุปปันนัง,
Idaṃ saṅghassa kaṭhinadussaṃ uppannaṃ,
This kathina cloth has come to the Saṅgha.
ยะทิ สังฆัสสะ ปัตตะกัลลัง,
Yadi saṅghassa pattakallaṃ,
If the Saṅgha is ready,
สังโฆ อิมัง กะฐินะทุสสัง,
Saṅgho imaṃ kaṭhinadussaṃ,
let the Saṅgha give this kathina cloth
อายัส๎มะโต (อิตถันนามัสสะ) ทะเทยยะ,
Āyasmato (itthannāmassa) dadeyya,
to the venerable (name of the recipient),
กะฐินัง อัตถะริตุง,
Kaṭhinaṃ attharituṃ,
for the spreading of the kathina.
เอสา ญัตติ.
Esā ñatti.
This is the motion.
สุณาตุ เม ภันเต สังโฆ,
Suṇātu me bhante saṅgho,
Let the Saṅgha, venerable sirs, hear me.
อิทัง สังฆัสสะ กะฐินะทุสสัง อุปปันนัง,
Idaṃ saṅghassa kaṭhinadussaṃ uppannaṃ,
This kathina cloth has come to the Saṅgha.
สังโฆ อิมัง กะฐินะทุสสัง อายัส๎มะโต (อิตถันนามัสสะ) เทติ,
Saṅgho imaṃ kaṭhinadussaṃ āyasmato (itthannāmassa) deti,
The Saṅgha gives this kathina cloth to the venerable (name),
กะฐินัง อัตถะริตุง,
Kaṭhinaṃ attharituṃ,
for the spreading of the kathina.
ยัสสายัส๎มะโต ขะมะติ,
Yassāyasmato khamati,
To whichever venerable one it is acceptable —
อิมัสสะ กะฐินะทุสสัสสะ,
Imassa kaṭhinadussassa,
the giving of this kathina cloth
อายัส๎มะโต (อิตถันนามัสสะ.) ทานัง,
Āyasmato (itthannāmassa.) dānaṃ,
to the venerable (name) —
กะฐินัง อัตถะริตุง,
Kaṭhinaṃ attharituṃ,
for the spreading of the kathina,
โส ตุณ๎หัสสะ,
So tuṇhassa,
let that one remain silent.
ยัสสะ นะ ขะมะติ,
Yassa na khamati,
To whomever it is not acceptable,
โส ภาเสยยะ.
So bhāseyya.
let that one speak.
ทินนัง อิทัง สังเฆนะ,
Dinnaṃ idaṃ saṅghena,
This has been given by the Saṅgha,
กะฐินะทุสสัง,
Kaṭhinadussaṃ,
the kathina cloth,
อายัส๎มะโต (อิตถันนามัสสะ) กะฐินัง อัตถะริตุง,
Āyasmato (itthannāmassa) kaṭhinaṃ attharituṃ,
to the venerable (name), for the spreading of the kathina.
ขะมะติ สังฆัสสะ,
Khamati saṅghassa,
It is acceptable to the Saṅgha,
ตัส๎มา ตุณ๎หี,
Tasmā tuṇhī,
therefore it is silent.
เอวะเมตัง ธาระยามิ.
Evametaṃ dhārayāmi.
Thus do I hold it.