The last of the three hymns, answering the recollection of the Sangha and closing the central movement of the evening service.
- When chanted
- Chanted in the evening service immediately after the recollection of the Sangha'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 third hymn, completing the set. Its opening stanza calls the Sangha born of the true Dhamma, of eight kinds, whose body and mind are the dwelling place of virtue and the other excellent qualities, and salutes that wholly pure company.
From the fifth verse it repeats the shared template for the third time. Anyone who has chanted the evening service through has by this point said the same fourteen lines three times over, changing one word in each.
Meaning and purpose
By now the template is familiar, and its familiarity is the point rather than a weakness. The third of the objects of recollection; I am the Sangha's servant; the Sangha destroys suffering and brings about what is for my welfare; to the Sangha I surrender this body and this life; there is no other refuge.
Read across all three hymns the effect is cumulative. The same complete devotion, in identical words, is offered three times to three different objects, with nothing ranked above anything else. A tradition that wanted to place the Buddha above the other two had an obvious opportunity here and did not take it.
Then the last prostration and the last lowering of the voice, and the request for pardon with สังเฆ. The evening service reaches its quietest point here, and what is said in that quiet is not praise at all but an apology — which is how a day, in this tradition, is properly put down.
The chant
As the book prints it: page 54 and page 55 →
สัทธัมมะโช สุปะฏิปัตติคุณาทิยุตโต
Saddhammajo supaṭipattiguṇādiyutto
Born of the true Dhamma, endowed with the quality of practising well and the rest,
โยฏฐัพพิโธ อะริยะปุคคะละสังฆะเสฏโฐ
Yoṭṭhabbidho ariyapuggalasaṅghaseṭṭho
the supreme Sangha of noble persons, which is of eight kinds,
สีลาทิธัมมะปะวะราสะยะกายะจิตโต
Sīlādidhammapavarāsayakāyacitto
whose body and mind are the dwelling place of virtue and the other excellent qualities —
วันทามะหัง ตะมะริยานะคะณัง สุสุทธัง.
Vandāmahaṃ tamariyānagaṇaṃ susuddhaṃ.
that wholly pure company of the noble ones I salute with my head.
สังโฆ โย สัพพะปาณีนัง สะระณัง เขมะมุตตะมัง
Saṅgho yo sabbapāṇīnaṃ saraṇaṃ khemamuttamaṃ
The Sangha, which is for all breathing things the refuge, safe and supreme,
ตะติยานุสสะติฏฐานัง วันทามิ ตัง สิเรนะหัง.
Tatiyānussatiṭṭhānaṃ vandāmi taṃ sirenahaṃ.
the third of the objects of recollection — it I revere with my head.
สังฆัสสาหัสมิ ทาโส วะ สังโฆ เม สามิกิสสะโร
Saṅghassāhasmi dāso va saṅgho me sāmikissaro
I am the Sangha's servant; the Sangha is my lord and master.
สังโฆ ทุกขัสสะ ฆาตา จะ วิธาตา จะ หิตัสสะ เม.
Saṅgho dukkhassa ghātā ca vidhātā ca hitassa me.
The Sangha destroys suffering, and brings about what is for my welfare.
สังฆัสสาหัง นิยยาเทมิ สะรีรัญชีวิตัญจิทัง
Saṅghassāhaṃ niyyādemi sarīrañjīvitañcidaṃ
To the Sangha I surrender this body and this life,
วันทันโตหัง จะริสสามิ สังฆัสโสปะฏิปันนะตัง.
Vandantohaṃ carissāmi saṅghassopaṭipannataṃ.
Revering it, I shall walk on by the Sangha's own good practice.
นัตถิ เม สะระณัง อัญญัง สังโฆ เม สะระณัง วะรัง
Natthi me saraṇaṃ aññaṃ saṅgho me saraṇaṃ varaṃ
For me there is no other refuge; the Sangha 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.
สังฆัง เม วันทะมาเนนะ ยัง ปุญญัง ปะสุตัง อิธะ
Saṅghaṃ me vandamānena yaṃ puññaṃ pasutaṃ idha
Whatever merit I have gained here in revering the Sangha —
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,
สังเฆ กุกัมมัง ปะกะตัง มะยา ยัง,
Saṅghe kukammaṃ pakataṃ mayā yaṃ,
whatever wrong has been done by me towards the Sangha —
สังโฆ ปะฏิคคัณหะตุ อัจจะยันตัง.
Saṅgho paṭiggaṇhatu accayantaṃ.
may the Sangha accept that transgression,
กาลันตะเร สังวะริตุง วะ สังเฆ.
Kālantare saṃvarituṃ va saṅghe.
that in time to come I may be restrained towards the Sangha.