Chanting › Ratana Sutta — the jewel discourse
Ratana Sutta — the jewel discourse
Paritta (protective chants)

Ratana Sutta — the jewel discourse

Ratanasuttaṃ

A chant that names the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha one by one, each verse sealed with the words: by this truth, may there be well-being.

When it is chanted

Chanted at auspicious events and house blessings, usually right after the Maṅgala Sutta, and it is the central text when monks are invited to chant parittas after something difficult has happened to a house or a community.

Monks sometimes sprinkle blessed water during this chant. Chanting it at home needs no ceremony at all — just go slowly and keep the meaning in mind.

Background

The traditional story says that the city of Vesālī was struck by three troubles at once — famine, disease and unrest — so its people invited the Buddha, and Venerable Ānanda walked the city walls chanting this text. That story comes from the commentaries; the sutta itself is in the Khuddakapāṭha, volume 25.

The shape of the chant is simple: it raises one quality of the Triple Gem after another, and closes each verse with etena saccena suvatthi hotu — by this truth, may there be well-being. The truth here is not a plea; it is a statement of something that is actually so, on which a wish for others' welfare is then placed.

People in Thailand chant it for reassurance when a family or a community is going through something hard. What it actually does is settle the mind and give it something steady to rest on; it is not a guarantee that nothing bad will happen.

The Pali here is taken from the Pali Tipiṭaka in this site's database, volume 25 — all seventeen verses.

Pali

  1. Yānīdha bhūtāni samāgatāni Whatever beings are gathered here,
  2. Bhummāni vā yāniva antalikkhe whether of the earth or of the air,
  3. Sabbeva bhūtā sumanā bhavantu may all of them be glad at heart,
  4. Athopi sakkacca suṇantu bhāsitaṃ and may they listen carefully to what is said.
  5. Tasmā hi bhūtā nisāmetha sabbe So listen closely, all you beings:
  6. Mettaṃ karotha mānusiyā pajāya show goodwill to the human race,
  7. Divā ca ratto ca haranti ye baliṃ who bring you offerings by day and by night.
  8. Tasmā hi ne rakkhatha appamattā Be watchful, then, and look after them.
  9. Yaṃ kiñci vittaṃ idha vā huraṃ vā Whatever treasure there is in this world or the next,
  10. Saggesu vā yaṃ ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ whatever fine jewel there is in the heavens,
  11. Na no samaṃ atthi tathāgatena there is none to match the Tathāgata.
  12. Idampi buddhe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Buddha.
  13. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  14. Khayaṃ virāgaṃ amataṃ paṇītaṃ The ending, the fading, the deathless, the sublime,
  15. Yadajjhagā sakyamunī samāhito which the Sakyan sage reached with a settled mind —
  16. Na tena dhammena samatthi kiñci there is nothing equal to that Dhamma.
  17. Idampi dhamme ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Dhamma.
  18. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  19. Yambuddhaseṭṭho parivaṇṇayī suciṃ The purity of concentration praised by the greatest of Buddhas,
  20. Samādhimānantarikaññamāhu that which they call the concentration with immediate fruit —
  21. Samādhinā tena samo na vijjati there is no concentration equal to it.
  22. Idampi dhamme ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Dhamma.
  23. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  24. Ye puggalā aṭṭha sataṃ pasaṭṭhā The eight persons praised by the good,
  25. Cattāri etāni yugāni honti who make up four pairs,
  26. Te dakkhiṇeyyā sugatassa sāvakā these disciples of the Well-Gone One are worthy of offerings;
  27. Etesu dinnāni mahapphalāni what is given to them bears great fruit.
  28. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  29. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  30. Ye suppayuttā manasā daḷhena Those who apply themselves with a firm mind,
  31. Nikkāmino gotamasāsanamhi free of desire, in Gotama's teaching,
  32. Te pattipattā amataṃ vigayha have reached the goal, plunged into the deathless,
  33. Laddhā mudhā nibbutiṃ bhuñjamānā and freely enjoy the peace they have found.
  34. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  35. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  36. Yathindakhīlo paṭhaviṃ sito siyā Just as a post sunk deep into the earth
  37. Catubbhi vātebhi asampakampiyo cannot be shaken by winds from the four directions,
  38. Tathūpamaṃ sappurisaṃ vadāmi so, I say, is the true person
  39. Yo ariyasaccāni avecca passati who sees the noble truths clearly for himself.
  40. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  41. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  42. Ye ariyasaccāni vibhāvayanti Those who make the noble truths plain,
  43. Gambhīrapaññena sudesitāni well taught by the one of deep wisdom —
  44. Kiñcāpi te honti bhusappamattā even if they should grow very heedless,
  45. Na te bhavaṃ aṭṭhamamādiyanti they will not take up an eighth existence.
  46. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  47. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  48. Sahāvassa dassanasampadāya With the attainment of clear seeing,
  49. Tayassu dhammā jahitā bhavanti three things are given up:
  50. Sakkāyadiṭṭhi vicikicchitañca the view of a self in body and mind, doubt,
  51. Sīlabbataṃ vāpi yadatthi kiñci and any clinging to rules and observances that remains.
  52. Catūhapāyehi ca vippamutto Such a person is freed from the four bad destinations
  53. Cha cābhiṭhānāni abhabbo kātuṃ and is incapable of the six grave misdeeds.
  54. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  55. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  56. Kiñcāpi so kammaṃ karoti pāpakaṃ Even if such a person does something unskilful
  57. Kāyena vācāyuda cetasā vā by body, by speech or by mind,
  58. Abhabbo so tassa paṭicchadāya he is incapable of hiding it,
  59. Abhabbatā diṭṭhapadassa vuttā for it is said that one who has seen the path cannot conceal.
  60. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  61. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  62. Vanappagumbe yathā phussitagge As a thicket in the woods flowers at its crown
  63. Gimhānamāse paṭhamasmiṃ gimhe in the first month of the hot season,
  64. Tathūpamaṃ dhammavaraṃ adesayi so did he teach the excellent Dhamma,
  65. Nibbānagāmiṃ paramaṃ hitāya leading to Nibbāna, for the highest good.
  66. Idampi buddhe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Buddha.
  67. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  68. Varo varaññū varado varāharo The excellent one, knower of the excellent, giver and bringer of the excellent,
  69. Anuttaro dhammavaraṃ adesayi unsurpassed, taught the excellent Dhamma.
  70. Idampi buddhe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Buddha.
  71. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  72. Khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ navaṃ natthi sambhavaṃ The old is exhausted, no new becoming arises;
  73. Virattacittāyatike bhavasmiṃ their minds are detached from any future existence.
  74. Te khīṇabījā aviruḷhichandā With the seed destroyed and no wish for growth,
  75. Nibbanti dhīrā yathāyampadīpo those wise ones go out like this lamp.
  76. Idampi saṅghe ratanaṃ paṇītaṃ This too is a fine jewel in the Saṅgha.
  77. Etena saccena suvatthi hotu By this truth, may there be well-being.
  78. Yānīdha bhūtāni samāgatāni Whatever beings are gathered here,
  79. Bhummāni vā yāniva antalikkhe whether of the earth or of the air,
  80. Tathāgataṃ devamanussapūjitaṃ the Tathāgata, honoured by gods and humans —
  81. Buddhaṃ namassāma suvatthi hotu we bow to the Buddha; may there be well-being.
  82. Yānīdha bhūtāni samāgatāni Whatever beings are gathered here,
  83. Bhummāni vā yāniva antalikkhe whether of the earth or of the air,
  84. Tathāgataṃ devamanussapūjitaṃ the Dhamma of the Tathāgata, honoured by gods and humans —
  85. Dhammaṃ namassāma suvatthi hotu we bow to the Dhamma; may there be well-being.
  86. Yānīdha bhūtāni samāgatāni Whatever beings are gathered here,
  87. Bhummāni vā yāniva antalikkhe whether of the earth or of the air,
  88. Tathāgataṃ devamanussapūjitaṃ the Saṅgha of the Tathāgata, honoured by gods and humans —
  89. Saṅghaṃ namassāma suvatthi hotu we bow to the Saṅgha; may there be well-being.
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