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Cosmic and Purificatory Rite
703
abjure my ātman [as regards all reprehensible action it has commited]23
4. Fourth āvaśyaka: pratikramaņa 24
The mangala-sūtra: sūtra of Happiness
"The four [are) mangala,25
the arhats [are) mangala,
23 icchāmi khamāsamano! vamdium javanijjäc nisihiyae (chaṁdeņaṁ) anujāņaha me miuggaham, [anujāņāmi] nisihi, ahokāyaḥ kāyasamphāsaḥ, khamaņijjo bhe kilāmo, appakilamtāņam bahusubheņa bhe divaso vaikkaṁto? (taha tti) jattă bhe? (tubbham pi vattai?) javanijjam ca bhe? (evam) khāmemi khamāsamaņo! devasiyaṁ vaikkamaṁ (aham api khāmemi] avassiyāe padikkamāmi khamāsamaņāņam devasiyāe asāyaṇāe tittis' aņņayarāe jam kimci micchãe maņadukkadae vayadukkaņāe kāyadukkade kohãe māņãe mayac lobhāc savvakäliyae savvamicchovayārãe savvadhammāikkamaņāc ăsāyaṇãe jo me aiyāro kao tassa khamāsamaņo! padikkamāmi nimdāmi garahāmi appāņam vosirāmi. AvaS 10.
There is a correspondence between the structure of the sūtra and the inner attitude and gestures: i) the vandana proper; ii) the brief dialogue in which the disciple enquires about the physical and spiritual condition of the ācārya (or guruņi) and vice versa, a dialogue in which, despite the underlying note of austerity, the body is not despised; iii) repentance, expressed by a request for pardon for all faults due to lack of proper regard for the acārya (the guruņi and the seniors). This sincere expression of penitence purifies the intention. The gestures vary from one community to another; cf. SramanS; pp. 274-301 for the details of this elaborate rite, which is simplified in our day; cf. also II P320 ff.
24 The 4th āvaśyaka is made up of a large number of sutras (cf. P 713); only the chief ones are given here.
25 Mangala: happiness, felicity, a blessing, a propitious sign, good omens.
ur constitute supreme mangala, they procure happiness in this sense, that they have taught the path to Liberation. To pronounce their Names has a beneficial effect.
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