Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c14.236

v1.c14.236

It is often stated that the Gandhabbas preside over conception; this is due to an erroneous translation of the word gandhabba in passages¹¹ dealing with the circumstances necessary for conception (mātāpitaro ca sannipatitā honti, mātā ca utuññ hoti, gandhabbo ca paccupaṭṭhito hoti). The Commentaries¹² explain that here gandhabba means tatrūpakasatta—tasmim okāse nibbattanako satto—meaning a being fit and ready to be born to the parents concerned. The Ṭīkā says that the word stands for gantabba. See also Gandhabbarājā.