Uddissanādhiṭṭhāna Gāthā
Verses for Dedicating Merit
Iminā puñña-kammena
Upajjhāyā guṇ’uttarā
By this act of merit, may my highly virtuous preceptors;
Ācariyūpakārā ca
Mātā pitā ca ñātakā piyā mamaṁ
teachers, benefactors, mother, father, & (my dear) relatives;
Suriyo candimā rājā
Guṇavantā narā-pi ca
the sun, the moon, the king; virtuous people;
Brahma-Mārā ca Indā ca
Loka-pālā ca devatā
Brahmas, Māras, & Indras; devas who are protectors of the cosmos;
Yamo mittā manussā ca
Majjhattā verikā-pi ca:
Yama; human beings friendly, neutral, & hostile:
Sabbe sattā sukhī hontu
Puññāni pakatāni me
Sukhaṁ ca tividhaṁ dentu
Khippaṁ pāpetha vo mataṁ.
May all beings be happy. May the meritorious deeds done by me give threefold happiness (in this life, in future lives, & Liberation).
May you all quickly attain your wish.
Iminā puñña-kammena
Iminā uddisena ca
Through this act of merit, through this dedication,
Khippāhaṁ sulabhe c’eva
Taṇh’upādāna-chedanaṁ.
may I quickly & easily reach the cutting through of craving & clinging.
Ye santāne hinā dhammā
Yāva nibbānato mamaṁ
Nassantu sabbadā yeva
Yattha jāto bhave bhave.
As long as I am on the way to unbinding,
may any low qualities in my character be entirely destroyed,
wherever I am born in one state of becoming after another.
Uju-cittaṁ sati-paññā
Sallekkho viriyamhinā
May I have an upright mind, mindfulness, discernment, strictness, persistence,
Mārā labhantu n’okāsāṁ
Kātuñ-ca viriyesu me.
and through my efforts, may Māras have no chance to do anything to me.
Buddh’ādi-pavaro nātho
Dhammo nātho var’uttamo,
Nātho pacceka-buddho ca
Saṅgho nāthottaro mamaṁ.
The Buddha is my foremost mainstay,
the Dhamma my excellent, high mainstay,
a Private Buddha is my mainstay,
the Saṅgha my superior mainstay.
Tesottamānubhāvena
Mār’okāsaṁ labhantu mā.
Through their superior power, may Māras get no opportunity.
* * *
Ākāsaṭṭhā ca bhummaṭṭhā
Ākāsaṭṭhā ca bhummaṭṭhā
Deva-nāgā mahiddhikā
Puññan-taṁ anumodantu
Cīraṁ rakkhantu buddha-sāsanaṁ
May devas & nagas of great power, standing in space and on land rejoice in this merit.
May they long protect the Buddha’s teachings.
