The word pirith refers to that from which protection or refuge is obtained. In the Sinhala Buddhist tradition the whole of the Tipitaka taught by the Buddha may be regarded in this way, but the compilation known as the Maha Pirith Potha gathers the particular sutta discourses given for the warding off of illness, of fear of non-human beings, and of famine.
This edition from M. D. Gunasena follows the form of the old palm-leaf manuscript tradition. Wooden boards are fitted above and below the text block, in the manner of a traditional pota, giving the volume the appearance of the manuscript books from which printed pirith texts descend. It is an object intended for use in the home shrine and for recitation, as much as for reading.
The text is in Sinhala and Pali. There is no English in it. Buyers outside Sri Lanka should order it on that basis: the suttas appear in Pali, set out in Sinhala script with Sinhala matter around them, and a reader without either language will be able to handle the book and recognise its form but not to read it. For Sri Lankan households abroad, for temples and for those who chant pirith and want a copy in the traditional binding, that will be exactly what is wanted.
M. D. Gunasena is a long-established Colombo publisher and bookseller issuing titles in Sinhala and English, with a steady list of Buddhist devotional and religious texts.
- Publisher: M. D. Gunasena & Co. (Pvt) Ltd
- Language: Sinhala/Pali
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