Āṭānāṭiya Sutta

Āṭānāṭiya Sutta
TypeCanonical Text
ParentDigha Nikaya
AbbreviationDN 32

The Āṭānāṭiya Sutta ("Discourse on the Heavenly Town of Āṭānāṭa") is the 32nd Sutta in the Dīgha Nikāya ("Long Discourses of Buddha") of the Pāli Canon.

It is a poem of spiritual protection against evil spirits and was presented to the Buddha by one of the "Four Great Heavenly Kings", King Vessavana (Pali; Sanskrit: Vaiśravana). It also contains a description of the celestial kingdoms of the Four Heavenly Kings. This scripture, there titled The Mahāsūtra, the Sūtra of Āṭānāṭīya, can also be found in the Dīrgha Āgama of Chinese Buddhist canon and Kangyur of Tibetan Buddhist canon; in the latter, it appears both in the standard Sutra section, as well as among the section labeled Dhāraṇīsaṃgraha or Collection of Retention-Spells.