(10) Khandhaparitta Sutta

The next sutta is Khandhaparitta,^[1] one of the Parittas included in the collection of Parittas. Protection of the Aggregates Paritta is given in the Anguttara Nikaya as Ahinda Sutta.

This Khandha paritta is a Buddhist spell. According to the vinaya cullavagga text, this is allegedly preached by the Lord Buddha when a certain monk in Savatthi died of snake bite. The Buddha declared that this would not have happened had that monk let his love radiate over the four royal breeds of serpents. And all the monks were advised to protect themselves from snakes by means of love through the reciting of “Khandha Paritta” which the Lord then preached for them.

The same Paritta is mentioned also in the Jataka stories, the Khandha vatta Jataka. According to the story, the Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) was an asthetic in a previous birth who heard his friend asthetics complaining about the dangers they encountered from snakes. He therefore instructed them to recite the spell or wardrune in pali, known as Khandha paritta.

¹⁷ Dictionary of Pali proper names. G. P. Malalasekera. Page-711 cullavagga, ii. 110; also in the Anguttara under the title Ahi (metta) sutta, ii. 72; khandha-vatta Jataka, 203.

This Paritta is nowadays recited for protection not only against dangerous snakes, for which it was originally composed, but even from other frightful creatures as well, including reptiles, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, lizards, rats and mice.

The peculiar phenomenon of this discourse is that Lord Buddha declared openly the power of reciting for personal safety, for personal preservation, and for personal protection (Parittam).

This story is also found in Khandavatta Jataka. The Bodhisatta was once born in Kasi and later became an asthetic. On it being reported to him that many asthetics died of snake-bite, he gathered them together and taught them how by cultivating love for the four royal races of snakes–the Virupakkhas, the Erapattas, the Chabbyaputtas and the Kannhgotamas-they could prevent themselves from ever being bitten by any creature. The story was told in reference to a monk who died of snake-bite.^[2]

Summary of the Khandhaparitta Sutta:

There may be love with virupakkha snakes, erapatha snakes, chavyaputta snakes and kanhagotamaka snakes.

There may be love with footless creatures, bipeds, quadrupeds and multipeds.

They may not hurt one.

All the sentient creatures and all breathing ones, all being without exception, all may not befall into any sin.

The Buddha is infinites. Infinite is the Dhamma; the sangha is infinite; finite and measurable are creeping things like snakes, scorpions centipeds, spiders lizards and rats.

Reciting this sutta one has been guarded and protected and all evil beings, should be receded. So we should solute to the glorious one as well as to the seven Buddhas.

The end of the khandha sutta.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Dictionary of Pali proper names. G. P. Malalasekera. Page-711 cullavagga, ii. 110; also in the Anguttara under the title Ahi (metta) sutta, ii. 72; khandha-vatta Jataka, 203.

[2]:

see Dictionary of Pali proper names. G. P. Malalasekera.