Homage to the arahants of the eight directions: the Buddha at the centre and eight named disciples around him.
- When chanted
- Chanted for blessing and protection, where the arrangement of the eight directions is 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
The book's title for this printing names it differently from the earlier one — homage to the arahants of the eight directions rather than the auspicious verses of the Buddha — which is a plainer description of what it does.
What the verses build is an arrangement rather than a teaching.
Meaning and purpose
Each disciple is given a direction and nothing else: 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, Rāhula in the north-east.
No quality, no story, not even an epithet is attached to any of them. What a reciter assembles while chanting is not a set of characters but a place — a centre and a complete circle with no gap left open.
Then the claim that makes it protective: 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, and it means the room the chanting is happening in.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 236 →
หันทะ มะยัง สะระภัญเญนะ พุทธะมังคะละคาถาโย ภะณามะ เส.
Handa mayaṃ sarabhaññena buddhamaṅgalagāthāyo bhaṇāma se.
Now let us recite, in the chanting tone, the verses of the Buddha's blessing.
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 อาคะเนยเย จะ กัสสะโป
Koṇḍañño pubbabhāge ca āganeyye ca kassapo
Koṇḍañña in the eastern quarter, and Kassapa in the south-east,
สารีปุตโต จะ ทักขิเณ หะระติเย อุปาลี จะ
Sārīputto ca dakkhiṇe haratiye upālī ca
Sāriputta in the south, and Upāli in the south-west,
ปัจฉิเมปิ จะ อานันโท พายัพเพ จะ คะวัมปะติ
Pacchimepi ca ānando bāyabbe ca gavampati
Ānanda in the west also, and Gavampati in the north-west.
โมคคัลลาโน จะ อุตตะเร อิสาเณปิ จะ ราหุโล
Moggallāno ca uttare isāṇepi 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 ฯ
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 ฯ
Tassānubhāvena hatantarāyo
by the power of that, may my obstacles be destroyed.