Khatha
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Khatha () ({{langx, th, คาถา), or "
Gatha ''Gāthā'' is a Sanskrit term for 'song' or 'verse', especially referring to any poetic metre which is used in legends or folklores, and is not part of the Vedas but peculiar to either Epic Sanskrit or to Prakrit. The word is originally derived ...
", as originally called in Pali Language), is the Khmer and Thai name used for Sacred
Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
prayers,
mantras A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...
and other magical
incantations An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rit ...
. Khatha are used in general by Thai people for a great many purposes; be it for protection, charm or business ventures, there is a Khatha which can be summoned. The word Khatha, or "Gatha" in Pali, means "
Speech Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...
", and thus the original meaning of the word implies that Khatha were used only as spoken language, and not written form. In spite of this fact, the word Khatha is used to refer to both that which is spoken, and also written.


Uses of Khatha

Khatha are used in
Buddhist chanting Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, by Thai
Ruesi In Indian religions, a ''rishi'' ( ) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "gr ...
practitioner for their magical spells, inscribed on
Thai Buddha amulet A Thai Buddha amulet (; ), often referred to academically as a "votive tablet", is a type of Thailand, Thai Buddhist blessed item. It is used to raise funds to help a temple's operations. A Thai Buddhist monk will give an amulet to Buddhists as ...
s and yantra cloths, as well as being the main body of content in Sak Yant tattooing; The sacred yantra tattoo designs are both filled with Pali Khatha, as well as being used to embellish the spaces between each of the designs too. Image to the right shows a sacred yantra used in
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
as amulets and
shamanistic Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
sak yant Yantra tattooing or Sak Yant is a form of tattooing using Indian yantra designs. It consists of sacred geometrical, animal and deity designs accompanied by Pali phrases that are said to offer power, protection, fortune, charisma and other benefits ...
.


Khatha inscriptions

When a Khatha is inscribed on paper, cloth, metal, skin, or any other surface for that matter, it is traditionally done using the Ancient
Khmer script Khmer script (, )Huffman, Franklin. 1970. ''Cambodian System of Writing and Beginning Reader''. Yale University Press. . is an abugida (alphasyllabary) script used to write the Khmer language, the official language of Cambodia. It is also use ...
(known as "
Khom KHOM (100.9 FM) is an American radio station licensed to serve Salem, the county seat of Fulton County, Arkansas. As of July 31, 2013, the station is owned by E-Communications, LLC. Programming KHOM broadcasts a classic hits format to the ...
" in Thailand). The ancient Khmer script is only permitted to be used for sacred or scriptural texts, and never for common speech or everyday matters. This alphabet is considered by some Thai people to be extremely sacred and to possess spiritual power within the letters. This is the lettering seen used in
Sak Yant Yantra tattooing or Sak Yant is a form of tattooing using Indian yantra designs. It consists of sacred geometrical, animal and deity designs accompanied by Pali phrases that are said to offer power, protection, fortune, charisma and other benefits ...
tattoos.


Related links


Kun Khmer WarriorBuddha Magic Ezine - The Importance of Chanting Pra Katha
Buddhism in Thailand