The hymn answering the recollection of the Dhamma, built on the same pattern as the hymn to the Buddha before it.
- When chanted
- Chanted in the evening service immediately after the recollection of the Dhamma's qualities.
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 second of the three hymns. Its opening stanza is its own; from the fifth verse it follows the first hymn word for word, changing only its object. The three are meant to be recognisably one form, and the book prints each in full rather than abbreviating the repeats.
The opening divides the Dhamma four ways — into path, fruit, scripture and release — where the morning verses divided it into three. The extra term is scripture, the teaching as it has been handed down and can be studied.
Meaning and purpose
The image in the opening is of holding rather than of light, though it uses both: the Dhamma holds up those who hold to it and keeps them from falling into the wretched worlds, and it is saluted as the dispeller of darkness. What it does is described before what it is.
Then the shared template returns, and its force is different when the object is a teaching rather than a person. The second of the objects of recollection; I am the Dhamma's servant, the Dhamma is my lord and master; the Dhamma destroys suffering; to the Dhamma I surrender this body and this life. Calling oneself the servant of a teaching is a stranger thing than calling oneself the servant of a teacher, and the verses do not soften it.
Then the same prostration, the same lowering of the voice, and the same request for pardon with ธัมเม in place of พุทเธ. Whatever wrong has been done by body, speech or mind towards the Dhamma — which in practice means neglect of it — is brought into the open before the service goes on.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 53 and page 54 →
ส๎วากขาตะตาทิคุณะโยคะวะเสนะ เสยโย
Svākkhātatādiguṇayogavasena seyyo
Better than all else, by reason of its being well proclaimed and the other qualities that go with it,
โย มัคคะปากะปะริยัตติวิโมกขะเภโท
Yo maggapākapariyattivimokkhabhedo
divided into path, fruit, scripture and release,
ธัมโม กุโลกะปะตะนา ตะทะธาริธารี
Dhammo kulokapatanā tadadhāridhārī
the Dhamma, which holds up those who hold to it and keeps them from falling into the wretched worlds —
วันทามะหัง ตะมะหะรัง วะระธัมมะเมตัง.
Vandāmahaṃ tamaharaṃ varadhammametaṃ.
that excellent Dhamma, dispeller of darkness, I salute with my head.
ธัมโม โย สัพพะปาณีนัง สะระณัง เขมะมุตตะมัง
Dhammo yo sabbapāṇīnaṃ saraṇaṃ khemamuttamaṃ
The Dhamma, which is for all breathing things the refuge, safe and supreme,
ทุติยานุสสะติฏฐานัง วันทามิ ตัง สิเรนะหัง.
Dutiyānussatiṭṭhānaṃ vandāmi taṃ sirenahaṃ.
the second of the objects of recollection — it I revere with my head.
ธัมมัสสาหัส๎มิ ทาโส วะ ธัมโม เม สามิกิสสะโร
Dhammassāhasmi dāso va dhammo me sāmikissaro
I am the Dhamma's servant; the Dhamma is my lord and master.
ธัมโม ทุกขัสสะ ฆาตา จะ วิธาตา จะ หิตัสสะ เม.
Dhammo dukkhassa ghātā ca vidhātā ca hitassa me.
The Dhamma destroys suffering, and brings about what is for my welfare.
ธัมมัสสาหัง นิยยาเทมิ สะรีรัญชีวิตัญจิทัง
Dhammassāhaṃ niyyādemi sarīrañjīvitañcidaṃ
To the Dhamma I surrender this body and this life,
วันทันโตหัง จะริสสามิ ธัมมัสเสวะ สุธัมมะตัง
Vandantohaṃ carissāmi dhammasseva sudhammataṃ
Revering it, I shall walk on by the Dhamma's own true excellence.
นัตถิ เม สะระณัง อัญญัง ธัมโม เม สะระณัง วะรัง
Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ dhammo me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
For me there is no other refuge; the Dhamma is my refuge, the best of them.
เอเตนะ สัจจะวัชเชนะ วัฑเฒยยัง สัตถุสาสะเน.
Etena saccavajjena vaḍḍheyyaṃ satthusāsane.
By the speaking of this truth, may I grow in the Teacher's dispensation.
ธัมมัง เม วันทะมาเนนะ ยัง ปุญญัง ปะสุตัง อิธะ
Dhammaṃ me vandamānena yaṃ puññaṃ pasutaṃ idha
Whatever merit I have gained here in revering the Dhamma —
สัพเพปิ อันตะรายา เม มาเหสุง ตัสสะ เตชะสา.
Sabbepi antarāyā me māhesuṃ tassa tejasā.
by the power of it, may all obstacles for me come to nothing.
กาเยนะ วาจายะ วะ เจตะสา วา,
Kāyena vācāya va cetasā vā,
By body, by speech, or by mind,
ธัมเม กุกัมมัง ปะกะตัง มะยา ยัง,
Dhamme kukammaṃ pakataṃ mayā yaṃ,
whatever wrong has been done by me towards the Dhamma —
ธัมโม ปะฏิคคัณหะตุ อัจจะยันตัง,
Dhammo paṭiggaṇhatu accayantaṃ,
may the Dhamma accept that transgression,
กาลันตะเร สังวะริตุง วะ ธัมเม.
Kālantare saṃvarituṃ va dhamme.
that in time to come I may be restrained towards the Dhamma.