The verse assembling the devas at the opening of the Seven Tamnan.
- When chanted
- Chanted at the very start of a Seven Tamnan service, before the salutation.
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
The Seven Tamnan is the shorter of the two great paritta collections, and the book prints its opening block separately so that all three of its running orders can refer back to it.
The same function as the assembling verse that opens the Twelve Tamnan, printed again here because this collection is chanted on its own.
Meaning and purpose
It is addressed to two audiences at once. The monks are told how to chant — suffusing loving-kindness, with undistracted minds — and the devas are told to come and listen.
The invitation is 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.
What the devas are asked for is worth noticing, because it is not protection and not favour. They are asked to attend, and the summons — this is the time to hear the Dhamma — is repeated.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 164 →
page 164(สะรัชชัง สะเสนัง สะพันธุง นะรินทัง, ปะริตตานุภาโว สะทา รักขะตูติ)
(Sarajjaṃ sasenaṃ sabandhuṃ narindaṃ, parittānubhāvo sadā rakkhatūti)
(May the power of the paritta ever protect the ruler of men together with his realm, his forces and his kin.)
ผะริต๎วานะ เมตตัง สะเมตตา ภะทันตา
Pharitvāna mettaṃ samettā bhadantā
Venerable sirs, filled with loving-kindness, having suffused it abroad,
อะวิกขิตตะจิตตา ปะริตตัง ภะณันตุ.
Avikkhittacittā parittaṃ bhaṇantu.
with undistracted minds, let the paritta be recited.
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 slopes, in palaces in the sky,
ทีเป รัฏเฐ จะ คาเม ตะรุวะนะคะหะเน เคหะวัตถุมหิ เขตเต.
Dīpe raṭṭhe ca gāme taruvanagahane gehavatthumhi khette.
on islands, in kingdoms and villages, in groves and thickets of trees, in house-sites and 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 places,
ติฏฐันตา สันติเก ยัง มุนิวะระวะจะนัง สาธะโว เม สุณันตุ ฯ
Tiṭṭhantā santike yaṃ munivaravacanaṃ sādhavo me suṇantu.
standing near, let those good beings hear from me the word of the excellent Sage.
ธัมมัสสะวะนะกาโล อะยัมภะทันตา
Dhammassavanakālo ayambhadantā
This, venerable sirs, is the time for hearing the Dhamma.
ธัมมัสสะวะนะกาโล อะยัมภะทันตา
Dhammassavanakālo ayambhadantā
This, venerable sirs, is the time for hearing the Dhamma.
ธัมมัสสะวะนะกาโล อะยัมภะทันตา.
Dhammassavanakālo ayambhadantā.
This, venerable sirs, is the time for hearing the Dhamma.