Nang Gwak is revered by Merchants in both India and Thailand, by Brahmins and Buddhists
Lan Na Version
The above version is of the Lan Na tradition (Lan meaning a million, and Na meaning fields, so a million fields is the meaning of the name of this region in the far north of Thailand
Nang Gwak is the helper of all shop-owners and merchants
She is normally places on a shelf in the place of business and offered "nam daeng", Incence, and flower garlands to bring customers and make sales.
Kata Nang Gwak is used when paying devotional merits to Nang Gwak, who is used in the place of business to increase the amount of customers and sales you may ingress.Nang Gwak is a very popular magic cloth yantra used in most business establishments in Thailand. You can also see nang Gwak worshipped as a statue .
Kata nang Gwak คาถานางกวัก (Thai)
โอมศรีวิชัยกังเวียน ปู่เจ้าเขาเขียวมีลูกคนเดี่ยว ชื่อนางกวัก ชายเห็นชายรัก หญิงเห็นหญิงทักทุกถ้วนหน้า พวกพาณิชชาพากูไปค้าถึงเมืองแมน กูจะไปค้าหัวแหวน ก็ได้วันละแสนทะนาน กูจะค้าสารพัดการก็ได้โดยคล่อง กูจะค้าทองๆก็ได้มเต็มหาบเพียงวันนี้เป็นร้อย สามหาบมาเรือน สามเดือนเป็นเศรษฐี สามปีเป็นพ่อค้าสำเภา พระฤาษีผู้เป็นเจ้า ประสิทธิ์ให้แก่ลูกคนเดี่ยว สวาหะ
Kata (Phonetic)
- Om Sriwichay Gangwian
- Phu Jao Khao Khiaw Mii Luuk Kon Diaw Cheu Naang Gwak
- Chaay Hen Chaay rak Hying hen Hying tak
- Tak Tuan Naa Puak Paanichaa Paa Guu bpai kaa terng Mueang Maen
- Guu ja bpai kaa hua whaen gor dai wan la Saen Tanaan
- Guu ja kaa saarapadgarn gor dai doey klong
- Guu ja kaa tong mv' dor dai dtem haab piang wan nii bpen rooy
- Saam haab ma ruean saam duean bpen saedtii saam bpii bpen Por Kaa Sampao
- Pra Rasii Puu bpen Jao bprasit hai gae luuk kon diaw swaaha.
Use this kata when you are going to sell things, or in your place of business in the morning
How to make offerings?
One should use 5 incense sticks and offer flowers, red syrup drink (sala flavour, knows ans "nam daeng" in Thai), water, and some sweets and sice as offerings.
Light the incense candle and offer the flowers and drinks. Then Say "namoe Dtassa Phakawadtoe Arahadtoe Sammaa Samputtassa 3 times, and bow three times to Buddha before you begin chanting Kata nang Gwak.
Change the water sweetmeats and flowers every morning when you open shop, and light new incense too each time.
If you do this daily, you should begin to notice a great increase in your custom and sales. Remember though the real catalyst to Buddha magic is that any magic you make should be assisted by regular offering of alms to the monnastics in the mornings, and by making acts of good deeds and generosity to others. This is what Thais call "baramee" (making merit).
ho was Nang Gwak?
The legend of nang Gwak, is something that occurred a long time ago, before or during the time when Buddhism was beginning to spread, about 2500 years ago. The legen tells that, in the Indian province of Sawadtii in the small town of Michigaasandhanakara (มิจฉิกาสันฑนคร)There was a married couple whose names were Mr. Sujidtaprahma (สุจิตตพราหมณ์ ) and Mrs. Sumanta (สุมณฑา), who had a daughter named Supawadii (สุภาวดี).They were merchants who sold small amounts of wares on the markets, only earning just enough to maintain their small family from day to day.
One day, they were discussing their hopes and dreams for the future, and decided that they should try to expand their business to make more profit and begin to think of being able to save something for their old age; as a result of this conversation, they decided to try to afford to buy a "gwian" (cart) in order to use to travel with and sell their wares to other towns and villages, also then bringing wares from the other towns to sell in Sawadtii and Michigaasandhanakara when they returned.
Sometimes, Supawadii their daughter, would aske to tag along for the ride, and help them. One day, as Supawadii was helping her parents to sell wares in a distant town, she was lucky to be able to hear a sermon by Phra Gumarn Gasabatera (พระกุมารกัสสปเถร); she was som conviced and moved by his sermon, that she took refuge in the Triple Gem.
When Gasabatera saw her faith and devotion, he collected all his powers of thought and concentration of an Arahant* (for indeed Phra gasabatera was and Arahant*), and bestowed blessings of good fortune and luck in salesmanship on Nang Supawadii and her Family. In addition, Phra Gasabatera increased the power fo the blessing to make the magic stronger every time that nang Supawadii would attend and listen to Dharma teachings with such devotion as she had this time.
In the next town they went to to sell wares, nang Supawadii recieved the opportunity to listen to the preachings of Phra Siwaliitera (พระศิวลีเถร), who was also in the business of wandering around preaching the Dharma as taught by Lord Buddha Sakyamuni. Nang Supawadii received teachings from this master, and thus became extremely well versed and knowledgeable in Dhamma. Phra Siwalii bestowed blessings of Metta upon her for her diligent efforts to follow and understand the practise of Dharma.Phra Siwalii tera was different from normal beings and had a strange event marking his birth; namely that, he remained in his mother's womb for a period of 7 years 7 months and 7 days before being born in the world.This cause Phra Siwalii to be endowed with extremely strong mind powers, which, when he concentrated all his mental power and effort to bestow the Metta blessing upon the young Supawadii, the result was an especially strong effect to the blessing he gave.
Due to thiese blessings gained from the two saints, it came to notice that every time Nang Supawadii came along for the rinde on her parents' cart, sales were fantastic and all the goods were always sold in no time at all! As the when Nang Supawadii did not accompany them on their market sounds; sales were pretty meager in comparison.Her parents decided that their fortine would be best if they had their daughter Supawadii accompany them always on their sales rounds because they believed that the good fortune was to do with the blessings and meritshe had with her.Thsi broght such great fortune upon the family, that in a short time they became extremely wealthy merchants.
Once they had already become pretty wealthy, Mr. Sujidtaprahma received the opportunity to hear some Dharma teachings from the Lord Buddha himself; he was filled with faith and reverence, and as a result of this, began to practise Dharma practise and reached the attainment of Sotapanna ( โสดาบัณ- Soedaaban, in Thai) which is otherwise known as "Stream Enterer".Supawadii's father then donated a park called "Ampatagawan" (อัมพาฎกวัน), for the Bhikkhus to rest and take shelter in, as well as building a Vihara (shrine and salon) for the Monastics, as a temple withing the grounds.The temple was named "Wat Machigaasandharaam" ( วัดมัจฉิกาสัณฑาราม), Phra Sutamma Tera was invited to be Abbot of the temple.
Mr.Sujidtaprahma, who was very well knowt for being a person whou would g out of his way to help others, and a good hearted generous fellow, would ask people on his sellig rounds if anyone was going the same way and wished to hitch a ride with him. Sometimes there would be as many as a thousand people wishing to accompany him, which he never refused, always fulfilling their wishes, regardless of if they were foillowers of the Buddha like himself or not.The many people who got to ride with him noticed the amazing power of Metta Mahaniyom of his daughter nang Supawadii, whose blessings had caused her parents to become wealthy merchant moguls, and thus began to worship her as a cause of good fortune in selling and business matters.
After many years, Sujidtaprahma and his wife Mrs Sumanta became old and passed away - their blessed daughter Supawadii also became old and eventually had to pass on to the next life, and left her body behind.
But her legend clived on in the hearts for all the people who had adopted her as the patron saint and magical deva of all merchants, praying to her and making offerings to increase merit and receive great fortune in business dealings.Anyone wishing to have good luck in ther sales would seek oout an image or statue of nang Supawadii and make Pojja offerings to her, inviting her spirit to come and reside in the statue or image, and bring them luck, as Supawadii had always done whilst riding on her father's cart.All of 4 different castes of the Indian Hindu caste system adopted the Practise; Brahmins, Royalty, Medics, and even Sudhras were seen to worship and respect Nang Gwak.
The practise of making Poojah to Nang Gwak became ever more widespread du to tales of many merchants practising Poojah Nang Gwak, and becoming extremely wealthy; this caused people in all four directions of the compass to adopt the practise. The practise of praying to Nang Gwak was adopted by the Thais as Buddhism and the Brahmin faith came to Thailand, and is as proliferant today as it ever was in ancient times! The Brahmins, who are practioners of kata in a very big way, brought the statues of Nang Gwak here with them, changing the posture of the statue from that of a lady sitting on a cart, to that of a lady sitting in a shop waving to beckon customers.First of all the Brahmins used it for their own business, but when they saw that people in Thailand believed in the powers of Nang Gwak, they began to make the statues to, chanting and invoking the kata and blessing the statues to sell to other Thai Merchants for making Poojah to.Nang Supawadii then received her new and more commonly know name, due to her sitting and waving position in the new statue form "Nang Gwak" (waving lady - gwak means to wave and beckon with the hand).
You can see Nang Gwak waving and beckoning to you to come and buy wares in almost every business establishment in Thailand, so now when you see her as a statue or a Yant Cloth (Pha Yant), you will know what it represents.
Notes;
* Arahant - Enlightened saint
