Candimasutta

also known as

Candrasūtra
In three languages
(Pali, Sanskrit and English)
 A Short Introduction

The Candimasutta is a Pali text that has been known as a protective chant (paritta) in south
and southeast Asia. It is included in the famous collection of protective chants entitled
“Catubhāṇavāra“, which is, actually, a compilation of twenty-seven texts extracted from the five
Nikāyas. The compilation is divided into four sections with the first one containing the largest
amount of texts.  The Candimasutta can be found in the first section as the 14th text. It is coupled
with the 15th text known as the Suriyaparitta.

The Sanskrit version of the Candimasutta is somewhat different . Its difference comes down to two
facts. Firstly, the town of Sāvatthi is not the place where the Buddha was staying at the time of the
event. Secondly, it does not look like a text that has served the purpose of being a protective
chant.

.
 

Saṃyutta Nikāya 2 Candrasūtra     SN 2.9

PTS: S i 50
1. Paṭhamavagga CDB i 144

9. Candimasutta Candima Sutta: The Moon Deity's Prayer

evaṃ mayā śrutam | ekasamayaṃ bhagavāṃ for Protection
Sāvatthinidānaṃ. Tena kho pana
translated by
caṃpāyāṃ viharati gargarapuṣkariṇyās tīre |
samayena candimā devaputto
tena khalu samayena rāhuṇā asurendreṇa sarvaṃ
Piyadassi Thera
rāhunā asurindena gahito hoti.
candramaṇḍalam āvṛtaṃ | atha yā devatā
Atha kho candimā devaputto Thus have I heard:
tasmiṃ candramaṇḍale sthitā bhītā trastā saṃvignā
bhagavantaṃ anussaramāno
hṛṣṭaromakūpā yena bhagavāṃs tenopajagāma On one occasion the Blessed One was living near
tāyaṃ velāyaṃ imaṃ gāthaṃ
| upetya bhagavatpādau śirasā vanditvaikānte Savatthi, at Jetavana at Anathpindika's monastery.
abhāsi: At that time Candima, the moon deity, was seized by
’sthāt | ekāntasthitā bhagavaṃtaṃ gāthayā Rahu, lord of Asura. Thereupon calling to mind the
babhāṣe | Blessed One, Candima, the moon deity, recited this
“Namo te buddha vīratthu,
stanza:
vippamuttosi sabbadhi;
namas te buddha vīrāstu vipramuktāya savataḥ |
Sambādhapaṭipannosmi, i. "O Buddha, the Hero, thou art wholly free from all
saṃbādhapratipanno ’smi tasya me śaraṇaṃ evil. My adoration to thee. I have fallen into distress.
tassa me saraṇaṃ bhavā”ti.
bhava || Be thou my refuge."
Atha kho bhagavā candimaṃ
loke sugatam arhantaṃ candramāḥ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ
devaputtaṃ ārabbha rāhuṃ Thereupon the Blessed One addressed a stanza to
| Rahu, Lord of Asuras, on behalf of Candima, thus:
asurindaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
rāhoś candramasaṃ muñca buddhā
“Tathāgataṃ arahantaṃ, ii. "O Rahu, Candima has gone for refuge to the
lokānukaṃpakāḥ ||
candimā saraṇaṃ gato; Tathagata, the Consummate One. Release Candima.
bhagavāṃ gāthayā pratyābhāṣīt | The Buddhas radiate compassion on the world (of
Rāhu candaṃ pamuñcassu,
 buddhā lokānukampakā”ti.
Atha kho rāhu asurindo
candimaṃ devaputtaṃ muñcitvā
taramānarūpo yena vepacitti
asurindo tenupasaṅkami;
upasaṅkamitvā saṃviggo
lomahaṭṭhajāto ekamantaṃ
aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṃ ṭhitaṃ kho
rāhuṃ asurindaṃ vepacitti
asurindo gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
“Kiṃ nu santaramānova,
rāhu candaṃ pamuñcasi;
Saṃviggarūpo āgamma,
kiṃ nu bhītova tiṭṭhasī”ti.
“Sattadhā me phale muddhā,
jīvanto na sukhaṃ labhe;
Buddhagāthābhigītomhi,
no ce muñceyya candiman”ti.
yo hy andhakāre nabhasi beings)."
prabhākaro vairocano … |
Thereupon Rahu, Lord of Asuras, released Candima,
the deity, and immediately came to the presence of
rāho śaśāṅkaṃ grasa māntarīkṣe
Vepacitta, Lord of Asuras, and stood beside him
prajāpradīpaṃ tvaritaṃ vimuñca || trembling with fear and with hair standing on end.
Then Vepacitta addressed Rahu in this stanza.
… | saṃsvinnagātro vyathitaḥ saṃbādhito yathā
naraḥ | saṃtvaramāṇo ’sau rāhuś
candramaṇḍalam utsṛṣṭaḥ ||
iii. "Rahu. Why did you suddenly release Candima?
tena samayena baḍir virocanapautra āsīd asuraḥ |
Why have you come trembling, and why are you
adrākṣīd baḍir virocanapautro rāhuṇā asurendreṇa standing here terrified?"
tvaritatvaritaṃ candramaṇḍalam utsṛṣṭam dṛṣṭvā ca
tasyāṃ velāyāṃ gāthāṃ babhāṣe ||
kiṃ nu saṃtvaramāṇas tvaṃ rāhuś "I have been spoken to by the Buddha in a stanza
candraṃ vimuñcasi | saṃsvinnagātro vyathitaḥ (requesting me to release Candima). If I had not
released Candima my head would have split into
saṃbādhito yathā naraḥ ||
seven pieces. While yet I live, I should have had no
rāhur avocat || saptadhā me sphalen mūrdhā jīvan happiness. (Therefore I released Candima)."
na sukham āpnuyāṃ tatra buddhābhigītena
muñceyaṃ śaśinaṃ na cet ||
baḍir virocanapautra gāthayā babhāṣe ||
… madarśinaḥ saṃbuddhāḥ … |
teṣāṃ gāthābhigītena rāhuś candraṃ vimuñcati ||
candrasūtraṃ samāptam ||
 

Sources: 

"Candima Sutta: The Moon Deity's Prayer for Protection" (SN 2.9), translated from the Pali by Piyadassi Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 15 June
2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn02/sn02.009.piya.html

Ernst Waldschmidt 1970 

http://ntireader.org/taisho/t0099_22.html [from 0155a07 right up to 0155b03]