Vihāra-dāna Gāthā
Verses on Giving a Dwelling

taṁ uṇhaṁ paṭihanti

Tato vāḷamigāni ca

Siriṁsape ca makase

Sisire cāpi vuṭṭhiyo.

Tato vātātapo ghoro

Sañjāto paṭihaññati.

Len’atthañ-ca sukh’atthañ-ca

Jhāyituñ-ca vipassituṁ

Vira-dānaṁ saṅghassa

Aggaṁ buddhehi vaṇṇitaṁ.

Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso

Sampassaṁ attham-attano

Vire kāraye ramme

Vāsayettha bahussute.

Tesaṁ annañ-ca pānañ-ca

Vatthasenāsanāni ca

Dadeyya ujubhūtesu

Vippasannena ceta.

Te tassa dhammaṁ desenti

Sabba-dukkhāpanūdanaṁ

Yaṁ so dhammam-idh’aññāya

Parinibbātyanāsavoti.

They ward off from there

cold & heat & beasts & prey

& creeping things & mosquitoes & showers in the cold season.

When the terrifying hot wind has arisen,

it’s warded off from there.

For the sake of shelter, for the sake of ease

to do jhāna and to see insightfully,

the gift of a dwelling is praised as foremost

by the awakened ones.

So a wise person, envisioning his own benefit,

should have delightful dwellings built

so that the learned may stay there.

He should, with an awareness clear & bright,

give them—those who’ve become straightforward—

food & drink, clothing & accouterments.

They will teach him the Dhamma dispelling all stress

so that he—knowing the Dhamma right there—

totally unbinds, effluent-free.

Note: These verses from Cullavagga VI.1.5 are chanted when a donor has made a gift of a dwelling for the Saṅgha.