The verse that opens paritta chanting by inviting the devas of every world-system to come and hear the Dhamma.
- When chanted
- Chanted at the very start of a paritta service, before the salutation, to summon those who are to listen.
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
ชุมนุมเทวดา, the assembling of the devas, opens every protective chanting. A paritta is a text chanted for safety, and the large collection that begins here is the one this book calls the Twelve Tamnan.
The verse is addressed to two audiences at once, which is unusual. It tells the monks how to chant, and it tells the devas to come and listen.
Meaning and purpose
The opening line is printed in parentheses and is a petition on behalf of the ruler: may the power of the paritta ever protect him, together with his realm, his forces and his kin. That the whole collection opens on a political request rather than a spiritual one is worth noticing before anything else.
Then the instruction to the reciters, which is a condition and not a courtesy. Suffusing loving-kindness, venerable sirs, full of loving-kindness and with undistracted minds, may you recite the paritta. The protective power is held to depend on the state of the people chanting, so the state is specified first.
The invitation is then cast as widely as the cosmology allows — from all around the world-systems, in the heavens of sense-desire and of form, on mountain peaks and crags, in mansions in the sky — and ends with a summons said three times: this is the time to hear the Dhamma. Note what the devas are asked for. Not protection, and not favour. Attention.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 77 →
page 77(สะรัชชัง สะเสนัง สะพันธุง นะรินทัง, ปะริตตานุภาโว สะทา รักขะตูติ)
(Sarajjaṃ sasenaṃ sabandhuṃ narindaṃ, parittānubhāvo sadā rakkhatū ti)
(May the power of the paritta ever protect the ruler, together with his realm, his forces and his kin.)
ผะริต๎วานะ เมตตัง สะเมตตา ภะทันตา, อะวิกขิตตะจิตตา ปะริตตัง ภะณันตุ.
Pharitvāna mettaṃ samettā bhadantā, avikkhittacittā parittaṃ bhaṇantu.
Suffusing loving-kindness, venerable sirs, full of loving-kindness and with undistracted minds, may you recite the paritta.
สะมันตา จักกะวาเฬสุ อัต๎ราคัจฉันตุ เทวะตา
Samantā cakkavāḷesu atrāgacchantu devatā
From all around the world-systems, may the devas come here,
สัทธัมมัง มุนิราชัสสะ สุณันตุ สัคคะโมกขะทัง
Saddhammaṃ munirājassa suṇantu saggamokkhadaṃ
and hear the True Dhamma of the King of Sages, which gives heaven and liberation.
สัคเค กาเม จะ รูเป คิริสิขะระตะเฏ จันตะลิกเข วิมาเน.
Sagge kāme ca rūpe girisikharataṭe cantalikkhe vimāne.
In the heavens of sense-desire and of form, on mountain peaks and crags, and in mansions in the sky;
ทีเป รัฏเฐ จะ คาเม ตะรุวะนะคะหะเน เคหะวัตถุมหิ เขตเต.
Dīpe raṭṭhe ca gāme taruvanagahane gehavatthumhi khette.
on islands, in countries and in villages, in trees and forest thickets, in house-sites and in fields;
ภุมมา จายันตุ เทวา ชะละถะละวิสะเม ยักขะคันธัพพะนาคา,
Bhummā cāyantu devā jalathalavisame yakkhagandhabbanāgā,
may the earth-dwelling devas come, and the yakkhas, gandhabbas and nāgas of water, land and rough country —
ติฏฐันตา สันติเก ยัง มุนิวะระวะจะนัง สาธะโว เม สุณันตุ ฯ
Tiṭṭhantā santike yaṃ munivaravacanaṃ sādhavo me suṇantu.
standing near, may these good beings hear the word of the excellent Sage that I recite.
ธัมมัสสะวะนะกาโล อะยัมภะทันตา
Dhammassavanakālo ayaṃ bhadantā
This is the time to hear the Dhamma, venerable sirs.
ธัมมัสสะวะนะกาโล อะยัมภะทันตา
Dhammassavanakālo ayaṃ bhadantā
This is the time to hear the Dhamma, venerable sirs.
ธัมมัสสะวะนะกาโล อะยัมภะทันตา.
Dhammassavanakālo ayaṃ bhadantā.
This is the time to hear the Dhamma, venerable sirs.