Verses placing the Buddha at the centre and eight great disciples in the eight directions, and asking a blessing by their power.
- When chanted
- Chanted for blessing and protection, where the arrangement of the eight directions is being invoked.
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
What these verses set out is an arrangement rather than a teaching. The Perfectly Awakened One is seated in the middle, and eight named disciples are placed at the eight points of the compass around him.
The eight are Koṇḍañña in the east, Kassapa in the south-east, Sāriputta in the south, Upāli in the south-west, Ānanda in the west, Gavampati in the north-west, Moggallāna in the north and Rāhula in the north-east. It is also the first chant in several pages that the book gives a printed title.
Meaning and purpose
The verses build a diagram in words. Each disciple is given a direction and nothing else — no quality, no story, not even an epithet — so what a reciter assembles while chanting is not a set of characters but a place: a centre, and a complete circle around it with no gap left open.
Then the claim that makes it a protection. These are all established here, revered by us and honoured with offerings, and by their power may every blessing be ours. The word doing the work is here. The arrangement is not being described at a distance; it is being asserted of the room the chanting is happening in.
The closing four lines step back from the circle to the Triple Gem, and end where a great deal of this book ends — with merit gained by the act of salutation, and obstacles asked to be destroyed by the power of it. It is protection by population: a space with the Buddha at its centre and eight of his disciples at its edges has, on this account, no room left for anything else.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 55 and page 56 →
สัมพุทโธ ทิปะทัง เสฏโฐ นิสินโน เจวะ มัชฌิเม,
Sambuddho dipadaṃ seṭṭho nisinno ceva majjhime,
The Perfectly Awakened One, best of those who go on two feet, is seated in the middle;
โกณฑัญโญ ปุพพะภาเค จะ อาคะเณยเย จะ กัสสะโป,
Koṇḍañño pubbabhāge ca āgaṇeyye ca kassapo,
Koṇḍañña in the eastern quarter, and Kassapa in the south-east,
สารีปุตโต จะ ทักขิเณ หะระติเย อุปาลี จะ,
Sāriputto ca dakkhiṇe haratiye upālī ca,
Sāriputta in the south, and Upāli in the south-west,
ปัจฉิเมปิ จะ อานันโท พายัพเพ จะ คะวัมปะติ.
Pacchimepi ca ānando pāyabbe ca gavampati.
Ānanda in the west also, and Gavampati in the north-west.
โมคคัลลาโน จะ อุตตะเร อีสาเนปิ จะ ราหุโล
Moggallāno ca uttare īsānepi ca rāhulo
Moggallāna in the north, and Rāhula in the north-east —
อิเม โข มังคะลา พุทธา สัพเพ อิธะ ปะติฏฐิตา,
Ime kho maṅgalā buddhā sabbe idha patiṭṭhitā,
these auspicious enlightened ones are all established here,
วันทิตา เต จะ อัมเหหิ สักกาเรหิ จะ ปูชิตา,
Vanditā te ca amhehi sakkārehi ca pūjitā,
and they are revered by us and honoured with offerings,
เอเตสัง อานุภาเวนะ สัพพะโสตถี ภะวันตุ โน.
Etesaṃ ānubhāvena sabbasotthī bhavantu no.
and by their power, may every blessing be ours.
อิจเจวะมัจจันตะนะมัสสะเนยยัง,
Iccevamaccantanamassaneyyaṃ,
Thus, that which is supremely worthy of salutation —
นะมัสสะมาโน ระตะนัตตะยัง ยัง,
Namassamāno ratanattayaṃ yaṃ,
saluting that Triple Gem,
ปุญญาภิสันทัง วิปุลัง อะลัตถัง,
Puññābhisandaṃ vipulaṃ alatthaṃ,
I have gained an abundant stream of merit;
ตัสสานุภาเวนะ หะตันตะราโย.
Tassānubhāvena hatantarāyo.
by the power of that, may my obstacles be destroyed.
พุทธะมังคะละคาถา นิฏฐิตา
Buddhamaṅgalagāthā niṭṭhitā
Here end the Auspicious Verses of the Buddha.