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Catubhàõavàrapàëã

 

Table of Contents (outline)

Introduction

Pañhamakabhàõavàraü

Dutiyakabhàõavàraü

Atirekàni Sattasuttàni

Tatiyakabhàõavàraü

Catutthakabhàõavàraü

The Prosody of Catubhàõavàrapàëi

Complete Word Index

  

Table of Contents (detailed)

Pañhamakabhàõavàraü

1: Saraõagamanaü

2: Dasasikkhàpadàni

3: Sàmaõerapa¤haü

4: Dvattiüsàkàraü

5: Paccavekkhaõà

6: Dasadhammasuttaü

7: Mahàmaïgalasuttaü

8. Ratanasuttaü

9: Karaõãyamettasuttaü

10. Khandhaparittaü

11: Mettànisaüsasuttaü

12: Mittànisaüsaü

13. Moraparittaü

14: Candaparittaü

15: Suriyaparittaü

16: Dhajaggaparittaü

Dutiyakabhàõavàraü

17: Mahàkassapattherabojjhaïgaü

18: Mahàmoggallànattherabojjhaïgaü

19: Mahàcundattherabojjhaïgaü

20: Girimànandasuttaü

21: Isigilisuttaü

Atirekàni Sattasuttàni

22. Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaü

23: Mahàsamayasuttaü

24: âlavakasuttaü

25. Kasãbhàradvàjasuttaü

26. Paràbhavasuttaü

27. Vasalasuttaü

28: Saccavibhaïgasuttaü

Tatiyakabhàõavàraü

29: âñànàñiyasuttaü (1)

Catutthakabhàõavàraü

âñànàñiyasuttaü (2)

The Prosody of Catubhàõavàrapàëi

Complete Word Index

 

Introduction

Note that a fuller introduction to this work is given in a text & translation of this collection, entitled Safeguard Recitals, which is available elsewhere on this website. What follows is an excerpt from that book. It may be noted here that Safeguard Recitals also contains the material from the Mahàparittaü and the Avasànaü, which have not been included here.

Undoubtedly the best known collection of Buddhist texts in Sri Lanka is the Catubhàõavàrapàëi, the Text of the Four Recitals. On any given day of the year you would not have to go very far to find a complete recital of these texts being made, usually by monks, in an allnight sitting, as the Buddhist community regards such a recital as being particularly auspicious, bringing safety, peace, and well-being in its wake.

Following the Autumnal Rains Retreat (Vassa) every temple in the land has such a recital to ensure the prosperity of the temple and the community it serves during the coming year; and every night in the temples up and down the land a selection of texts from this collection is recited to promote the safety and happiness of all those who attend such gatherings.

In times of adversity, when ill-health or disease are close at hand, certain discourses will be recited which are thought to be particularly effective in restoring confidence and good health. Other discourses are employed when invisible forces or spirits are behaving antagonistically towards people; and at times certain of these discourses are recited as a blessing upon those who hear them.

In terms of the media it would be hard to find any other book in Sri Lanka that has so many editions available, and most homes in the Buddhist community will possess and prize a copy. The Great Safeguard, or Maha Pirit, which opens the recital has been recorded many times and can be heard morning and evening played over loudspeakers from homes and temples alike.

Enough then should have been said to give an idea of the central role these texts play in the life of Sri Lankan Buddhism, but these recitals are also popular in other Theravàda countries like Myanmar and Thailand, and there is every reason to believe that their popularity is growing in those countries where the Buddhist community forms a small but significant minority like Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and in those Western countries where Buddhism has now taken root.

Whenever these texts are recited let it be for the safety, peace, and happiness of all living beings. Having secured their lives on a firm foundation, may all beings then take steps to develop themselves further, until such time as they arrive at the complete cessation of suffering!

Dukkhappattà ca niddukkhà, - bhayappattà ca nibbhayà,
sokappattà ca nissokà - hontu sabbe pi pàõino!
(
see pg 265)

 

ABOUT THE TEXT

1: Authorities

The text of Catubhàõavàrapàëi printed in the main section of this book has been established through a comparison of the following authorities, which are given here along with the abbreviations used in the variant readings:

CBhp: Catubhàõavàrapàëi, edited by Ven Siri Sumanatissa Nàyaka Thero. Simon Hewavitarane Bequest Pàëi Text Series Vol VII. 1956, reprinted Colombo, 1992.

MPP: Maha Pirit Pota, edited by âcaryà Devundara Sri Vàcissara Nàhimi, new edition by Makaladuve Sri Piyaratana Nàhimi. Colombo, 1995.

PPV: Piruvànà Pot Vahanse, edited by Attudàve Ràhula Sthavira. Taiwan. 1994.

The Commentary on Catubhàõavàrapàëi, Sàratthasamuccaya, published in the Simon Hewavitarane Bequest Aññhakathà Series Vol XXVII, 1929 (reprinted 1992), was also consulted.

2: Variant Readings

There are some variations in the text which, as they make little difference in recital have not been noted in the variant readings, but which may usefully be outlined here:

CBhp sometimes prints õ for the more usual n, as in nibbàõa, pahàõa; it also sometimes has ë for l, as in antaëikkha, piëakà.

MPP sometimes prints n where we normally find õ, as in utuparinàma, pisuna.

PPV quite often has ü for ¤, and occasionally in place of other nasals, which is simply an alternative way of representing these sounds.

None of the books are entirely consistent in their usage, which may not be the fault of the editors, but because this is a collection of texts that was originally passed down in different manuscript traditions. However, in this edition I have preferred to prepare a text which is consistent, as far as that is possible.

Printer's errors, like printing tã as the quotation marker, have also not normally been noted, though where they amount to the omission of a word or line they have been included.

Owing to the Sinhala typeface used in MPP & PPV it is impossible to tell the difference between u & å when in combination with certain letters, so that e.g. bhikkhu & bhikkhå are indistinguishable, except by context, and so it was not possible to note variants in this regard.

3: Comparison

Although Catubhàõavàrapàëi is a collection of material drawn from the 5 Nikàyas, there are some significant differences between the suttas and other material in the collection and in the source. Below is a synopsis of where these works are originally found, together with a brief outline of the differences that are found (whenever they exist) for reference. It should be noted that variant readings are not mentioned here, but only major differences affecting either the title or contents:

1.

Saraõagamanaü (Vinaya Mahàvagga 1; Khp 1)
Mahàvagga: no title; Khp: Saraõattaya

2.

Dasasikkhàpadàni (Vinaya Mahàvagga 1; Khp 2)
Mahàvagga: no title; Khp: Dasasikkhàpadaü, also has the word samàdiyàmi (I undertake) at the end of each precept

3.

Sàmaõerapa¤haü (Khp 4)
Khp: Kumàrapa¤haü

4.

Dvàttiüsàkàraü (Khp 3)

5.

Paccavekkhaõà (M2, passim)
M2: no title

6.

Dasadhammasuttaü (Aïg 10:48)
Aïg omits the nidàna (introduction) and the conclusion from Idam-avoca...onwards

7.

Mahàmaïgalasuttaü (Khp 5; Sn 2:8)
Khp: Maïgalasuttaü

8.

Ratanasuttaü (Khp 6; Sn 2:1)

9.

Karaõãyamettasuttaü (Khp 9; Sn 1:8)
Khp, Sn: Mettasuttaü

10.

Khandhaparittaü (Vinaya Cullavagga 5; Aïg 4:67)
Cullavagga: no title, has different opening upto Na ha nåna..., replaces Idam-avoca Bhagavà, idaü vatvà Sugato athàparaü etad-avoca Satthà, with Eva¤-ca pana bhikkhave kàtabbaü. Aïg omits Idam-avoca Bhagavà...Satthà

11.

Mettànisaüsasuttaü (Aïg 11:16)
Aïg omits nidàna, starts at Mettàya bhikkhave...; also omits Idam-avoca Bhagavà...to the end

12.

Mittànisamsaü (Jàtaka 538)
Jàtaka has no title

13.

Moraparittaü (Jàtaka 159)
Jàtaka has no title

14.

Candaparittaü (Devaputtasaüyuttaü 2:9)
Saüyuttaü has simply: Sàvatthiyaü viharati. Tena kho...etc

15.

Suriyaparittaü (Devaputtasaüyuttaü 2:10)
Saüyuttaü omits the nidàna entirely, begins with Tena kho...

16.

Dhajaggaparittaü (Sakkasaüyuttaü 11:3)
Saüyuttaü has simply: Sàvatthiyaü viharati, followed by Bhåtapubbaü...etc

17.

Mahàkassapattherabojjhaïgaü (Bojjhaïgasaüyuttaü 46:14)
Saüyuttaü title: Gilàna 1

18.

Mahàmoggallànattherabojjhaïgaü (Bojjhaïgasaüyuttaü 46:15)
Saüyuttaü title: Gilàna 2

19.

Mahàcundattherabojjhaïgaü (Bojjhaïgasaüyuttaü 46:16)
Saüyuttaü title: Gilàna 3
omits the line: sàyanhasamayaü pañisallànà vuññhito

20.

Girimànandasuttaü (Aïg 10:60)
Aïg omits Evaü me sutaü

21.

Isigilisuttaü (M 116)
M reads simply: Ariññho nàma bhikkhave Paccekabuddho, (as does PPV in the variant readings)

22.

Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaü (Vinaya Mahàvagga 1; Saccasaüyuttaü 46:11)
Saüyuttaü has title as: Tathàgatena vutta 1 (but section title is Dhammacakkappavattanavaggo); abbreviates the list of devas by reading Brahmakàyikà devà instead of the full list. Mahàvagga has no title,
and also abbreviates the list of devas by reading Brahmakàyikà devà instead of the full list.

23.

Mahàsamayasuttaü (D 20)

24.

âlavakasuttaü (Yakkhasaüyuttaü 10:12; Sn 1:10)
Saüyuttaü has the title âlaviü; omits the line beginning Atha kho... before the verses, includes an extra line Asmà lokà paraü lokaü Þ evaü pecca na socati at end of verse 7; omits the prose found after the verse.

25. 

Kasãbhàradvàjasuttaü (Bràhmaõasaüyuttaü 7:11; Sn 1:4)
Sn is the same as here, however Saüyuttaü has the title as Kasi; omits the first 3 prose lines after verse 5, replaces Kasãbhàradvàja's request for ordination, and subsequent attainment with a request to be accepted as a lay disciple.

26.

Paràbhavasuttaü (Sn 1:6)

27.

Vasalasuttaü (Sn 1:7)

28.

Saccavibhaïgasuttaü (M 141)

29.

âñànàñiyasuttaü, pt 1 (D: 32)
Dãgha has the title as -suttantaü

 

ânandajoti Bhikkhu
August 2002