The Peacock's Prayer (for Protection)

This is the Theravadian version of the Peacock protection prayer. Not a mantra, rather it's a Paritta...nonetheless still for protection. And below is the story of the peacock. Indeed, the peacock is a symbol of protection aganist illness, poisons and many other negativities not only in Buddhism, but also in other cultures and religions, such as Hinduism. So, it goes back a long long time, not confined to Buddhism.

The Peacock's Protection Prayer (Mora Paritta)

The Great Being (the Buddha-to-be) was born as a peacock,
fufilling the necessary requirements for obtaining Enlightenment,
and having arranged protection for himself by means of this protective discourse.
Him, the Great Being, although the hunters

Strived for quite a long time, they were not able to capture.
This was prescribed by Lord Buddha as an Exalted Charm.
Oh thou! Let us recite this protective discourse.

"There he rises, the thousand-eyed king,
Making the world bright with his golden light.
Thee I worship, Oh glorious wing, with thy golden light, making the world bright.
Keep me safe, I pray, through the coming day.

"The saints, the righteous, wise in the entire holy lore,
They may protect me and to them I adore
Honour be to the wise, honour be to wisdom
To freedom, and to those who had achieved freedom.

Having made this protection
the peacock went about to seek food.

There he sets, the thousand-eyed king,
He that makes the world bright with
his golden light.
Thee I worship, On glorious wing,
With thy golden light making the world bright.
Through the night, till the next day; Keep me safe, I pray.

The saints, the righteous, wise in the entire holy lore,
They may protect me, and to them I adore.
Honour be to the wise, honour be to wisdom.
To freedom, and to those who had achieved freedom.
Having made this protection, that peacock rested happily at home,

Another version:
The One King, rising, with Vision,
Golden-hued, illumining the Earth:
I pay homage to you,
Golden-hued, illumining the Earth.
Guarded today by you, may I live through the day.

Those Brahmans who are knowers of all truths,
I pay homage to them; may they keep watch over me.
Homage to the Awakened Ones. Homage to Awakening.
Homage to the Released Ones. Homage to Release.

Having made this protection, the peacock sets out in search for food.

The One King, setting, with Vision,
Golden-hued, illumining the Earth:
I pay homage to you,
Golden-hued, illumining the Earth.
Guarded today by you, may I live through the night.

Those Brahmans who are knowers of all truths,
I pay homage to them; may they keep watch over me.
Homage to the Awakened Ones, Homage to Awakening.
Homage to the Released Ones, Homage to Release.

Having made this protection, the peacock arranges his nest.

MORA SUTTA (The Discourse on the Peacock's Prayer, the story)
The birth-story of the Buddha as a golden peacock was narrated by the Lord at Jetavana monastery when it was reported that a disciple monk had been enchanted by a woman.

Our Buddha-to-be was once born as a golden peacock, residing on the golden hill of Dandaka in the Himalaya mountains. When day dawned, the golden peacock used to sit upon the summit watching the rising sun, composed a prayer to protect himself safe in his feeding-pasture. He then recited worshipping the past Buddhas and all their virtuous glories. Uttering this charm to protect himself from dangers, he went a feeding.

In the evening when the sun went down, the bird came back to the hilltop on which he rested to watch the setting sun, and he meditated to utter another prayer to protect him from dangers during the night time. He then went to sleep.

There was then a hunter who had seen him and told the wonders of the bird to his son. At that time queen Khema of Benares had a dream which pushed her to demand the king to bring the golden peacock to the palace. She wanted to listen to the discourse of the bird. The king sent the hunter to catch the bird. But by the power of the prayer and charm the snare would not work to catch him. After seven years the unsuccessful hunter died followed by the demise of the queen.

There upon the old king was angry with the bird and left an inscription saying that whoever eats the flesh of the golden peacock shall ever be young and immortal. So six successive rulers of the kingdom attempted to capture the bird but all in vain.

The seventh successor king sent a clever hunter who had a charming peahen which could sing very sweetly. Early in the morning the hunter set up the snare with the peahen which sang very enchanting before the golden bird could recite his usual prayer and charm. The bird was tempted, and approached her; and was caught in the snare. The happy hunter caught hold of the golden bird and hurried back to the palace to present it to the king.

The king was delighted at the bird's golden beauty and placed the bird on a royal seat to exchange a dialogue with him.

The golden peacock related the story of his previous life as a pious king in the same kingdom and also explained the power of his prayer and charm to the king. He also advised the king to excavate the golden charriot from the royal lake to prove his narration. When all the truths were revealed, the bird was released to fly back to the golden hill of 'Dandaka. And the story ends happily.

Hence this Mora sutta has been chanted as a charm or wardrune to protect the subjects from snares or to be released safely if arrested by the enemies. It is usually "uttered by Burman Buddhist to keep the entire family safe and sound through out the entire day and night.

According to the Burmese version of the Mahaparitta pali text, this sutta is composed of six stanzas only.

End note: Remember to read my "experience" with the Mahamayuri mantra in the previous post.