In short: The Khandha Paritta is a short protection chant of loving-kindness for snakes and every kind of creature. It comes from a discourse in which the Buddha taught monks to spread love to the families of snakes "for your own safety, security, and protection".
Pāli and translation from AN 4.67, by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral. New to protection chants? Start with paritta, the Buddhist protection chants.
The story
A monk near Sāvatthī died of a snake bite. When the monks told the Buddha, he said that monk had not spread a mind of love to the four royal snake families, and that if he had, he would not have died that way. Then he gave them these verses.
Read the full guide
The chant, in Pāli and English
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Virūpakkhehi me mettaṁ, Mettaṁ erāpathehi me; Chabyāputtehi me mettaṁ, Mettaṁ kaṇhāgotamakehi ca. | I love the Virūpakkhas, the Erāpathas I love, I love the Chabyāputtas, the Kaṇhāgotamakas I love. |
| Apādakehi me mettaṁ, mettaṁ dvipādakehi me; Catuppadehi me mettaṁ, mettaṁ bahuppadehi me. | I love the footless creatures, the two-footed I love, I love the four-footed, the many-footed I love. |
| Mā maṁ apādako hiṁsi, mā maṁ hiṁsi dvipādako; Mā maṁ catuppado hiṁsi, mā maṁ hiṁsi bahuppado. | May the footless not harm me! May I not be harmed by the two-footed! May the four-footed not harm me! May I not be harmed by the many-footed! |
| Sabbe sattā sabbe pāṇā, sabbe bhūtā ca kevalā; Sabbe bhadrāni passantu, mā kañci pāpamāgamā. | All sentient beings, all living things, all creatures, every one: may they see only nice things, may bad not come to anyone. |
| Appamāṇo buddho, Appamāṇo dhammo; Appamāṇo saṅgho, Pamāṇavantāni sarīsapāni. | The Buddha is immeasurable, the teaching is immeasurable, the Saṅgha is immeasurable. But limited are reptiles, |
| Ahivicchikā satapadī, Uṇṇanābhī sarabū mūsikā; Katā me rakkhā katā me parittā, Paṭikkamantu bhūtāni; Sohaṁ namo bhagavato, Namo sattannaṁ sammāsambuddhānaṁ. | snakes and scorpions, centipedes, spiders and lizards and mice. I've made this safeguard, I've made this protection: go away, creatures! And so I revere the Blessed One, I revere the seven perfectly awakened Buddhas. |
What it means
The chant moves in a circle that is easy to remember. It begins with love for particular beings, widens to every kind of creature, wishes that all beings "see only nice things", and only then asks for safety. Protection here comes through goodwill, not instead of it. The closing lines contrast the limitless qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha with the limited power of creatures that might harm us.
How to chant it
- Begin with Namo tassa three times.
- Chant the verses slowly, picturing each kind of creature with real goodwill.
- End with a wish of kindness for any animal you share your home or garden with.
Pair it with the Karaniya Metta Sutta, the best known chant of loving-kindness.
More: Buddhism and animals.
Try it
Practice the feeling behind the words with the guided kindness practice.
Questions people ask
What is the Khandha Paritta?
A short protection chant from the early texts (AN 4.67) in which you spread loving-kindness to snakes and all creatures. It is one of the traditional paritta, Buddhist protection chants.
Why is it called Khandha Paritta?
In chanting books it is linked to the Khandhavatta Jātaka, where the same verses appear. In the discourses it is taught in AN 4.67, The Snake King.
When is the Khandha Paritta chanted?
Traditionally for safety from harm by animals, before travel or in the countryside, and more broadly as a wish of goodwill for every kind of creature.