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Protective Recitations

Jaya-Maṅgala-Aṭṭha-Gāthā

bāhuṃ sahassam'abhinimmita sāvudhan'taṃ, grīmekhalaṃ udita-ghora-sasena-māraṃ, dān'ādi-dhamma-vidhinā jitavā mun'indo, tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni

Pāli POS Grammar English
[trad]
bāhuṃ noun masc.acc.sg arm
sahassam- adj one thousand (1000)
abhinimmita pp created, produced, made (by magic)
sāvudhan' adj masc.acc.sg equipped with a weapon
taṃ pron masc.acc.sg that
grīmekhalaṃ noun masc.acc.sg Elephant Girimekhala
udita- pp spoken, proclaimed, uttered
ghora- adj terrible, awful, dreadful, lit. screaming!
sasena- adj accompanied by an army.
māraṃ noun masc.acc.sg death, Death personified, evil one
dāna- noun liberality, generosity
ādi- noun etc, and so on, lit. beginning with
dhamma- noun quality
vidhinā ind in due method.
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.
tan' pron masc.acc.sg that
tejasā noun masc.ins.sg by radiance, glory, splendor, power
bhavatu verb imp.3.sg may it be
te pron 2.dat.sg for you
jaya- noun victory, conquest, winning
maṅgalāni noun nt.nom.pl what is auspicious, blessings, good omens prosperity

With thousand created arms, equipped with a weapon, on the elephant Girimekhala, uttered a frightening roar, accompanied by an army, the Evil One. The Great Sage defeated him by means of such qualities as generosity. By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

mār'ātirekam'abhiyujjhita-sabba-rattiṃ, ghoram'pan'āḷavakam'akkhama-thaddha-yakkhaṃ, khantī-sudanta-vidhinā jitavā mun'indo.

Pāli POS Grammar English
māra- noun masc.acc.sg death, Death personified, evil one
atirekam- adj masc.acc.sg more (than); superior, higher
abhiyujjhita- pp fought; battled; made war
sabba- adj all
rattiṃ noun fem.acc.sg night
ghoram' adj terrible, awful, dreadful
pana' ind moreover, and now, but
āḷavakam' noun masc.acc.sg the yakkha of Āḷavī, Āḷavaka
akkhama- adj impatient (with), intolerant (of), not able to endure
thaddha- adj proud, arrogant, lit. stiff
yakkhaṃ noun masc.acc.sg supernatural being, spirit, demon, yakkha
khantī- noun patience, endurance, tolerance
sudanta- adj well tamed, well trained, well controlled
vidhinā ind in due method.
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

Even more frightful than Mara making war all night was Āḷavaka, the arrogant impatient demon, the Great Sage defeated him by means of well-trained endurance.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

nāḷāgiriṃ gaja-varaṃ atimatta-bhūtaṃ, dāv'aggi-cakkam'asanī'va, sudāruṇan'taṃ, mett'ambu-seka-vidhinā jitavā mun'indo.

Pāli POS Grammar English
nāḷāgiriṃ noun masc.acc.sg Nāḷāgiri
gaja- noun elephant
varaṃ adj masc.acc.sg excellent, best, lit. select
atimatta- adj maddened, over deluded
bhūtaṃ pp masc.acc.sg become
dāv'aggi- noun forest-fire
cakkam- noun a circular missile, a discus
asanī'va noun like thunderbolt; a lightning flash.
sudāruṇan' adj very brutal, savage, vicious, cruel
taṃ pron masc.acc.sg that
metta' noun goodwill, friendliness, benevolence
ambu- noun water
seka- noun sprinkling
vidhinā ind in due method.
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

Nāḷāgiri, the excellent elephant, when maddened, was very cruel, like a forest fire, a flaming discus, a lightning bolt. The lord of sages defeated him by sprinkling the water of good will.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

ukkhitta-khaggam’atihattha-sudāruṇan'taṃ, dhāvan'ti-yojana-path'aṅguli-mālavantaṃ. iddhī'bhisaṅkhata-mano jitavā mun'indo.

Pāli POS Grammar English
ukkhitta- pp lifted up, drawn up, raised, lit. thrown up
khaggam- noun masc.acc.sg sword
atihattha- adj over-hand, expert hand
sudāruṇan' adj very brutal, savage, vicious, cruel
taṃ pron masc.acc.sg that
dhāvaṃ- prp masc.nom.sg running; racing; sprinting
ti- adj three (3)
yojana- noun measure of length; approximately twenty kilometres
patha- noun way, path
aṅguli- noun finger
mālavantaṃ adj masc.acc.sg garlanded-with
iddhī' noun psychic power
abhisaṅkhata- adj prepared, fixed, made up, arranged, done
mano noun masc.nom.sg mind
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

Very cruel, with a sword upraised in his expert hand, Garlanded-With-Fingers ran three yojanas along the path. The lord of sages defeated him with mind-made psychic powers.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

katvāna kaṭṭham'udaraṃ iva gabbhinīyā, ciñcāya duṭṭha-vacanaṃ janakāya-majjhe, santena soma-vidhinā jitavā mun'indo

Pāli POS Grammar English
katvāna verb abs having done, having made
kaṭṭham' noun stick, plank, log, wood, timber
udaraṃ noun nt.acc.sg stomach, belly
iva ind like, as
gabbhiniyā adj fem.gen.sg of pregnant
ciñcāya noun fem.inst.sg by Ciñca (tamarind tree)
duṭṭha- adj wicked, evil, bad, corrupt
vacanaṃ noun nt word, utterance, talk, statement
janakāya- noun masc crowd of people, lit. people body
majjhe ind in the middle, in the midst (of)
santena adj masc.ins.sg still, calm, at peace, tranquil
soma- noun ? (nectar)
vidhinā ind in due method.
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

Having made a wooden belly like of pregnant, Ciñca made an evil statement in the midst of the crowd of people. The lord of sages defeated her with peaceful, gracious means.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

saccaṃ vihāya mati-saccaka-vāda-ketuṃ, vād’ābhiropita-manaṃ ati-andha-bhūtaṃ, paññā-padīpa-jalito jitavā mun'indo

Pāli POS Grammar English
saccaṃ noun nt.acc.sg truth
vihāya verb ger abandoning, forsaking, leaving; giving up
mati- noun fem intelligence; mind
saccaka- noun Saccaka
vāda- noun speech, statement, assertion, what is said
ketuṃ noun pride, arrogance. (or)
wisdom; discernment
vāda- noun debate, argument, disputation
abhiropita- adj put on top, placed, (of an argument) refuted debunked, disproved
manaṃ noun mind, mental faculty, intellect
atiandha adj thoroughly blind; absolutely sightless
bhūtaṃ pp masc.acc.sg become, born
paññā- noun wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, intellect understanding, insight
padīpa- noun lamp, light, lighting
jalito adj masc.nom.sg bright, shining, blazing
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

Saccaka, whose provocative views had abandoned the truth, delighting in argument, had become thoroughly blind. The lord of sages defeated him with the shining light of wisdom.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

nandopananda-bhujagaṃ vibudhaṃ mah'iddhiṃ, puttena thera-bhujagena dam'āpayanto, iddh'ūpadesa-vidhinā jitavā mun'indo

Pāli POS Grammar English
nandopananda- noun Nandopananda
bhujagaṃ noun masc.acc.sg snake
vibudhaṃ noun with distorted wisdom
mah'iddhiṃ adj of great supernatural power, magically powerful
puttena noun masc.ins.sg by son
thera- adj old, elderly, senior
bhujagena noun masc.ins.sg by snake
dama- noun taming, restraint, self-control
apayanto prp masc.nom.sg going away; is retreating.
iddhi- noun psychic power
upadesa- noun pointing out, indication, instruction, advice
vidhinā ind in due method.
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

Nandopananda was a serpent with great power but wrong views. The Lord of Sages defeated him by means of a display of marvels, sending his son, the serpent-elder, to tame him.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

duggāha-diṭṭhi-bhujagena sudaṭṭha-hatthaṃ, brahmaṃ visuddhi-jutim'iddhi-bak'ābhidhānaṃ, ñāṇā-gadena vidhinā jitavā mun'indo

Pāli POS Grammar English
duggāha- adj taking hold of wrongly; a bad seizing
diṭṭhi- noun view, belief, opinion
bhujagena noun masc.ins.sg by snake
sudaṭṭha- adj well bitten
hatthaṃ noun masc.acc.sg hand
brahmaṃ noun masc.acc.sg God, creator god, Brahma
visuddhi- noun purity (of), purification (of), holiness
jutim- noun effulgence; brightness; splendor.
iddhi- noun psychic power
baka- noun Baka
abhidhānaṃ noun nt.acc.sg name; appellation
ñāṇā- noun knowledge, understanding, insight
gadena noun masc.ins.sg by speech, sentence
vidhinā ind in due method.
jitavā verb abs having conquered; having subdued.
mun'indo noun masc.nom.sg the great sage.

His hands were strongly bitten by the serpent of wrongly held views, the Brahma, by name Baka, (thought himself) pure in his radiance & power. The Lord of Sages defeated him by means of his words of knowledge.

tan'tejasā bhavatu te jaya-maṅgalāni.

By the power of that, may the victory and blessings be for you.

etā pi buddha-jaya-maṅgala-aṭṭha-gāthā, yo vācano dina-dine sarate'm'atandī, hitvān'aneka-vividhāni c'upaddavāni, mokkhaṃ sukhaṃ adhigameyya naro sapañño

Pāli POS Grammar English
etā pron fem.nom.pl these
pi ind also, and also
buddha- noun the Buddha
jaya- noun victory, conquest, winning
maṅgala- adj auspicious, sacred, blessed
aṭṭha- adj eight (8)
gāthā noun fem.nom.pl verses, poems, stanzas
yo pron masc.nom.sg whoever
vācano noun masc.nom.sg recitation, reading
dina- noun day
dine noun masc.acc.pl days
sarate-m' verb opt.3.sg could remember
atandī adj not lazy; active.
hitvāna verb abs having left, having left behind, having abandoned
aneka- adj many, various, countless, lit. not one
vividhāni adj nt.acc.pl various kinds of
c'upaddavāni noun nt.acc.pl and accidents, misfortunes
mokkhaṃ noun masc.acc.sg release, freedom
sukhaṃ noun nt.acc.sg ease, comfort, happiness, pleasure
adhigameyya verb opt.3.sg could attain
naro noun masc.nom.sg man
sapañño adj masc.nom.sg wise, intelligent, lit. with wisdom

These eight verses of the Buddha's auspicious victory. Whoever recites or remember them day after day not lazy, destroying all kinds of obstacles, will attain emancipation & happiness, the man with wisdom.

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