The Eight Verses of the Buddha's Auspicious Victory
Eight Pali verses recalling the Buddha's victories over Mara, Alavaka, the elephant Nalagiri, Angulimala and others, chanted as a protective paritta.
Verses
Let a person recite that verse of victory blessings, by which the sage, whose wealth is patience and pure wisdom, conquered the thousand-armed Mara, who manifested with weapons, terrifying as Mount Girimekhala, and delighting in the Nandana grove.
Verse 1
The sage, whose wealth is patience and pure wisdom, conquered the thousand-armed Mara, who manifested with weapons, terrifying as Mount Girimekhala, and delighting in the Nandana grove. That sage, that man, achieved the great victory, magnificent as the sun.
Verse 2
The sage, with patience and pure wisdom, conquered the thousand-armed Mara, who manifested with weapons, terrifying as Mount Girimekhala, and delighting in the Nandana grove. That is the verse of victory blessings of the lord of men, the conqueror.
Verse 3
The king, having fought with the superior Mara all night, and having subdued the terrifying yakkha Āḷavaka, also subdued the great elephant Nāḷagiri, which was extremely fierce and massive, like a wheel of forest fire. That is the verse of victory blessings.
Verse 4
The bandit Aṅgulimāla, with uplifted sword and hand, stood for a yojana, like a wheel of forest fire. The sage, with mind made by psychic powers, saw him running and subdued him. That is the verse of victory blessings.
Verse 5
The sage, the man, conquered the wicked Ciñcā, who had tied a piece of wood to her belly like a pregnant woman and spoke abusive words in the midst of the assembly, by the peaceful and gentle method. That is the verse of victory blessings, which is uttered by the man.
Verse 6
The sage, the man, blazing with the lamp of wisdom, conquered Saccaka, who abandoned truth, was intelligent, had the banner of debate, his mind mounted on arguments, and became extremely blind. That is the verse of victory blessings, blazing with the lamp of wisdom.
Verse 7
The sage, the man, having caused the great serpent Nandopananda to be tamed by his son, the elder serpent, conquered him by the method of psychic powers. That is the verse of victory blessings, the subduing of that serpent's psychic power.
Verse 8
The sage, the man, conquered the cruel serpent Brahmadatta, who had a left eye, crooked mouth, and endless deeds, by means of the medicine of knowledge. That is the verse of victory blessings, blazing with the lamp of wisdom.
Verse 9
These eight verses of the Buddha's victory blessings, whoever recites them daily and remembers them with mindfulness, abandoning various kinds of dangers, that wise person will attain liberation and happiness.
Verse 10
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
The Jayamangala Atthagatha is a set of eight Pali verses recalling the Buddha's victories over Mara, the yakkha Alavaka, the elephant Nalagiri, the bandit Angulimala, the false accuser Cinca, the debater Saccaka, the serpent Nandopananda and Brahma Baka. It is not part of the Pali Canon: it is a later Theravada devotional composition from Sri Lanka whose author is not known, and the verses have been transmitted in several recensions. They are chanted as a protective paritta at blessings, weddings and openings of new ventures in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
About this Text
Composed by: Anonymous (traditional Sri Lankan Pali composition)
Did You Know?
Eight victories, one chant
The Jayamangala Atthagatha, the 'Eight Verses of Auspicious Victory', gives one verse to each of eight trials of the Buddha, from Mara's assault to the debate with Saccaka.
The refrain of Mara's army
The first stanza (Verse 1) describes Mara conjuring a thousand arms, each bearing a weapon, and riding the elephant Girimekhala. The Buddha defeats this host with the strength of his generosity and other perfections, patience above all.
The elephant and the bandit
The verses recall how the Buddha's loving-kindness calmed the maddened elephant Nalagiri, and how he turned the bandit Angulimala from violence to the monastic life.
Slander and debate
Cinca tied a bundle of cloth under her robe to accuse the Buddha falsely, and the debater Saccaka was won over by gentle questioning. In both cases the verses praise calm, truthful patience.
Powers over serpents and pride
The last victories include the serpent king Nandopananda, tamed through Moggallana's psychic power, and the pride of Brahma Baka.
Concluding promise
The final verse says that the wise person who recites these verses daily and recollects them with mindfulness is freed from many dangers and attains liberation and happiness.
Buddha
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