Tripitaka MCP
MCP server for the full Pāli Canon — search, cite, compare translations.
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MCP server for the full Pāli Canon — search, cite, compare translations. Offered as Dhamma Dāna.
Server tool list (14)
Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.
| search_by_keyword | Keyword search across the Pāli Tipiṭaka (trigram word-similarity). Searches the configured enabled language(s) on the server. Filterable by pitaka and translation edition. **Hints for the AI client:** The system's canonical reference is Romanised Pāli (from SuttaCentral). If the user asks in a disabled or unsupported language, translate the keyword to **Romanised Pāli (preferred) or English** before calling this tool — e.g. "suffering" → "dukkha", "mindfulness of breathing" → "ānāpānassati". See the server instructions for the enabled language set. ✅ **Diacritics do not matter.** `anapanassati` and `ānāpānassati` return the same thing; so do `nibbana` and `nibbāna`. Write the macrons if you know them, guess without them if you don't — neither costs you results. ⚠️ **A common Pāli noun is a poor query.** `samudda` (sea) matches ~700 segments and the top of that list is mostly section headings, not the passage that teaches anything. Two things to do instead: - Search the **rarest distinctive noun** in the passage, not its most obvious one. For the simile of the blind turtle, `turtle`/`kacchapa` gets there; `ocean`/`samudda` does not, in either language. - **Prefer English, or raise the limit.** `turtle` returns SN 56.47 and SN 56.48 inside the default window; `kacchapa` matches them too but ranks them past 30, so you need `limit=50` to see them. - A word inside a **compound** may be out of reach entirely: `samudda` scores 0.50 against `mahāsamudde` (compounded *and* inflected), under the 0.6 cutoff, so SN 56.47 is not ranked low — it is excluded. Trying more spellings will not recover it; search a different word instead. **Pick the right search tool for the question shape:** - **Term lookup (exact word appearances)** — e.g. "occurrences of `ānāpānassati`": this tool is best (trigram nails the exact word). - **Concept search ("discourses about X")** — e.g. "discourses about mindfulness of breathing": **use `search_hybrid` instead.** Canonical |
| survey_corpus | Exhaustively survey the WHOLE Tipiṭaka for a term — guaranteed complete. Use this (not `search_by_keyword`) when the question is about **coverage or counting** rather than "show me the best passages": - "How many times does Kusinārā appear in the canon?" - "Every place ānāpānassati is mentioned — don't miss any" - "Which pitakas/how many suttas mention this term?" Unlike `search_by_keyword` (ranked, capped at 50, no total), this returns an **exact count**, a **per-pitaka breakdown**, the **distinct surface forms** that matched (so you can audit and discard over-matches), and a paginated enumeration. The `lexical` result carries `complete: true` — a hard guarantee that nothing was dropped for the chosen `match_scope`. Two layers, two different promises: - **lexical** — the word and its forms. Deterministic + EXHAUSTIVE. - **semantic** (`mode="thorough"`, hosted only) — passages teaching the same concept with DIFFERENT vocabulary (e.g. ānāpānassati via `assasati`/`passasati`). Approximate, **NOT exhaustive** — it never claims completeness, it only boosts recall. |
| get_sutta | Fetch a sutta's content — OR its table of contents (`mode="outline"`). ⚡ **Decide which mode BEFORE calling — don't fetch the whole sutta and parse it yourself:** - The user wants the **structure / outline / table of contents**, or asks **"how many sections/parts"** / "what's in it" → call `get_sutta(sutta_id, mode="outline")`. It returns the section list (titles + segment counts + ids), NOT the full text — cheap and exact. - The user wants the **context around a search hit** → `around="<segment_id>"` (search tools hand you the id, e.g. `dn22:18.1`) + optional `window`. - The user wants a **specific part** you already located → `segment_range="A..B"` or `offset`+`limit`. - Only fetch the **whole** sutta (no mode/selector) when the user actually wants to read/quote a SHORT sutta in full. Long ones (DN, long Vinaya/Abhidhamma; > ~400 segments — e.g. `dn16` is 1,664) should almost always start with `mode="outline"`; pulling the entire text wastes the context window. Uses standard SuttaCentral IDs, e.g.: - `mn1` = Majjhima Nikāya sutta 1 (Mūlapariyāyasutta, 334 segments) - `dn22` = Dīgha Nikāya sutta 22 (Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta, 454 segments) - `dn16` = Dīgha Nikāya sutta 16 (Mahāparinibbānasutta — the longest sutta in the canon, 1,664 segments) - `sn56.11` = Saṃyutta 56.11 (Dhammacakkappavattana) - `mn62` = Majjhima Nikāya 62 (Mahārāhulovāda — advice to Rāhula) - `dhp1-20` = Dhammapada verses 1-20 (KN uses range format) - `mil3.1.1` = Milindapañha 3.1.1 (paracanonical, 3–4 level id) **Hints for the AI client:** - **Quote `text_pali` / `text_english` directly from the returned segments** — do not rely on training memory. The system is verifiable; AI recall is often wrong. - Short segments numbered `:0.n` are **headers**, not the teaching itself — actual content starts around `:1.1`. They run collection → book → chapter → sutta, so the **last** one is the sutta's own name (`sn35.245:0.3` = Kiṁsukopamasutta, while `:0.2` is its chapter). |
| search_semantic | Semantic search — match by meaning, not exact words. Uses vector similarity (cosine distance) over `text_pali` embedded with a multilingual MiniLM model. **In most cases you should use `search_hybrid` instead** — it combines this semantic search with keyword search and ranks better. Use this tool only when you need: - Pure semantic results (no keyword influence) - Fine-grained `threshold` tuning (hybrid uses RRF which is harder to tune) - To debug what semantic alone picks up vs keyword ⚠️ Known limitations: - The index is **Pāli only** (English/Thai queries pass through the multilingual embedding but the model isn't tuned on Pāli) - English queries usually embed better than Thai (model is EN-primary) - For specific Pāli terms (`appamāda`, `dukkha`), exact match is better — use `search_by_keyword` instead - Pāli stock phrases recur in many suttas → similarity scores cluster; read the top 10, don't trust rank 1 alone |
| search_hybrid | Hybrid search — combines keyword + semantic search via RRF. Uses Reciprocal Rank Fusion (RRF) to merge exact-word results with meaning-based results. **This is the recommended tool for "discourses about X" / concept queries**, because the semantic side catches suttas that discuss a concept using different vocabulary (e.g. some mindfulness-of-breathing suttas use `assasati/passasati/dīghaṁ` instead of `ānāpānassati`). ⚠️ **Send the question and nothing else. Do not pad the query.** The whole string becomes one vector, so every word you add moves it. Appending your own candidate terms — synonyms, Pāli equivalents, a keyword list — searches for the blend, not for the question. Measured on `Buddha flies in the sky`: asking it plainly put the right passage at **rank 1** (3 relevant suttas). Appending three guessed Pāli terms (`buddha, agga, sagga`) pushed it down to **rank 5** and left only 1 — because `agga` (supreme) and `sagga` (heaven) drag the vector toward their own meanings. Have candidate terms worth searching? Give them their own `search_by_keyword` call and merge the two result lists. One tool asks what a passage means, the other asks where a word occurs; combined into a single string they cancel out. Rewriting the question to sound more canonical does not help either — the same query phrased as `rose into the air and flew like a bird` scored **zero** relevant hits. **Hints for the AI client:** - English queries usually work best (e.g. `mindfulness of breathing`) because the embedding model is multilingual but EN-primary. - Thai stop-word handling is weak. If a Thai query underperforms, the AI client should translate to Pāli/English first (see server instructions). - The default `limit=5` is often too small for a topic survey — use `limit=15-20` (max 20) for good coverage. - `language` only chooses what comes back; it does not change what matches or how results are ranked. - Looking for a concrete thing rather than a concept (an animal, an ob |
| list_structure | Show the structure of all three pitakas with coverage statistics. **Use this tool when:** - The user asks for an overview of the Tipiṭaka (what's in it / which collections). - You need to check coverage before promising a search will find something — `segment_count > 0` is the active-loaded signal. - Verifying scope when compiling an artifact. **Current state (v1.1+, at parity with SuttaCentral bilara-data):** - **Sutta Piṭaka** complete: DN 37, MN 155, SN 1,829, AN 1,419, KN 2,351 sections (~284,702 segments) — Pāli + Sujato EN - **Vinaya Piṭaka** complete: Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga 222, Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga 127, Khandhaka 22, Parivāra 51 + Pātimokkha 2 (~71,557 segments) — Pāli + Brahmali EN - **Abhidhamma Piṭaka** complete: 7 books (ds, vb, dt, pp, kv, ya, patthana) ~88,414 segments — Pāli only (bilara has no English for any Abhidhamma book) - **Total ~444,673 segments** in the DB ⚠️ **Known quirks:** - The schema carries duplicate legacy + SC-modern codes side by side: - Vinaya: `vin-v/vin-m/vin-c/vin-p` (legacy, segment_count = 0) alongside `pli-tv-bu-vb/pli-tv-bi-vb/pli-tv-kd/pli-tv-pvr` (active, populated). - Abhidhamma: `ym/pt` (legacy = 0) alongside `ya/patthana` (active). - **Use the `active` flag** — each nikaya carries `active: true/false` (true ⇔ `segment_count > 0`). Pick `active` nikayas; the others are metadata placeholders from an older migration. **Languages:** Returns Pāli + Thai + English labels regardless of enabled set (these are metadata, not segment text). Text content follows ENABLED_LANGUAGES. Thai translations aren't loaded yet. Returns: Hierarchical structure: - pitakas{vinaya/sutta/abhidhamma} → nikayas[] - Each nikaya: code, name (3 languages), sutta_count, segment_count. |
| get_reference | Build a proper citation string for a sutta. **Use this tool when:** - The user wants a citation for academic work, an article, or a reference. - You need to know the canonical location of a sutta (pitaka / nikāya). - You want a ready-to-use formatted citation string. vs `get_sutta`: this tool returns metadata + citation only, no segments. Pair it with `get_sutta` when you want both the content and the citation. |
| list_editions | List the translation editions available, with coverage stats. **Use this tool when:** - Before calling `compare_translations` or `get_sutta(edition=...)`, so you know which edition values are valid and worth comparing. - The user asks which editions are loaded in the DB. **Filtering:** Filtered by the server's `TRIPITAKA_ENABLED_LANGUAGES` — when Thai is disabled the list is empty. Only enabled languages are returned. ⚠️ **Current state:** the DB mostly holds Pāli (default from SuttaCentral bilara) and English (Sujato). Thai editions (`dhiranandi`, `jayasaro`, `mbu`, `royal`) aren't indexed yet — the list returns empty until they're loaded. Returns: List of edition objects, each containing: - edition: edition code, e.g. "sujato", "dhiranandi", "mbu" - translator: translator's name - language: ISO code ("pi", "en", "th") - segment_count: how many segments have a translation in this edition - sutta_count: how many suttas have a translation. |
| compare_translations | Compare every available translation for a single segment. **Use this tool when:** - The user asks about the meaning/translation of a single Pāli line and wants to see multiple translators side-by-side. - Checking how different translators interpret the same line — technical terms like `dukkha`, `anattā`, `nibbāna` carry nuance that varies across translations. - Academic work that needs to quote multiple translations. **vs `get_sutta`:** this tool targets a **single segment** (line level); `get_sutta` returns the **whole sutta**. To compare a whole sutta you'd call `compare_translations` for each segment. **segment_id format:** `<sutta_id>:<paragraph>.<line>`, e.g. `mn1:171.4` (Mūlapariyāyasutta paragraph 171 line 4 — "Nandī dukkhassa mūlaṁ"). Find segment_ids via `get_sutta` or search results. ⚠️ **Current state:** the `translation` table is mostly empty (the DB only loads default Pāli + English from bilara). `total_editions` is usually 0; `text_pali` and `text_english` are always populated. Thai editions will be added later. |
| get_word_definition | Look up the dictionary meaning of a Pāli word, with sutta context. Serves as a Pāli Dictionary Bridge — pairs the "definition" with the "context where the Buddha actually used the word". **About the dictionary sources:** This tool draws from multiple primary dictionaries, including "พจนานุกรมพุทธศาสน์ ฉบับประมวลศัพท์" (Buddhist Dictionary — Concept-Glossary edition) by Somdet Phra Buddhaghosacariya (P. A. Payutto). The Thai-language entries are **original scholarly works** (not translations), so they are **always available** even when ENABLED_LANGUAGES has Thai disabled. The AI client should translate Thai entries into the user's language if needed. |
| verify_quote | Verify, check, or confirm a Buddha quote — does the canon really say it? Fact-check a quotation attributed to the Buddha. Catches fake, misquoted, misattributed and misremembered passages, and finds the true reading. Paste a line that has been quoted or half-remembered — Pāli or English — and this says whether the canon really contains it, cites where, and if not, shows the closest thing that is actually there. **When to use this:** - A quote is attributed to the Buddha and you are not certain it is real. A fabricated line that *sounds* canonical is the hardest error to catch by reading, because it reads correctly. Check it instead of trusting it. - Someone recalls a passage imperfectly, or a chanted form has drifted from the written one. The tool shows the received text beside theirs. - **Before repeating any Pāli you did not get from these tools**, verify it. This is cheap and it is the difference between citing and guessing. ⚠️ **Do not present an unverified passage as canonical.** If the verdict is `not_found`, say plainly that the line is not in the canon rather than quoting it with a hedge — a hedged fabrication still spreads. |
| define_from_suttas | Find how the **suttas and Vinaya define a Pāli term in their own words**. The canon defines its own terms with fixed formulas — "Katamañca … dukkhaṁ?" (what is X?) … "ayaṁ vuccati … dukkhaṁ" (this is called X), "X adhivacana" (X is a designation for …), or the Vinaya "X nāma". This tool locates those definitional passages and returns them **cited**, so the assistant can present the doctrinal essence straight from the source. **This tool vs `get_word_definition`:** - **`define_from_suttas`** → the *doctrinal* definition, how the term is defined **inside the canon**. Use for "how do the suttas define X", "what is the canonical definition of X", "define X from the suttas". Returns a few precise segments, not a lexicon essay. - **`get_word_definition`** → the *lexical* definition from dictionaries (Payutto / PTS / DPPN). Use for etymology and word meaning. They complement each other — offer both when the user wants the full picture (dictionary sense + how the Buddha defined it). **How to present the result:** Results are ranked; the top one is usually the canonical definition. **Quote the Pāli (and English where present) verbatim** and render each `cross_reference.tripitaka_mcp_reader.segment_url` as clickable markdown so the user can verify. Do NOT paraphrase into your own definition — the point is the canon's own words. Each result is tagged `kind` (direct / simile) and `detail` (descriptive / enumerative); a *descriptive* definition characterises the term, an *enumerative* one lists its types — prefer the descriptive when explaining the essence. ⚠️ A result tagged `context: true` **does not contain the term in its own line**. The canon's stock similes attach to a formula rather than to a word: the four jhāna similes (bath powder, deep lake, lotus pond, white cloth) never say *jhāna*, they illustrate the `vivicceva kāmehi …` formula that opens the paragraph. Such rows are found through that paragraph, so **say so when quoting one** — present it as the si |
| parse_pali_word | Strip Pāli inflectional suffixes to find the root form (basic stem). **Use this tool when:** - You find an inflected Pāli word (e.g. `dukkhassa`, `bhikkhūnaṁ`) and `get_word_definition` doesn't find it directly — Pāli inflects nouns across 7 cases × 2 numbers, ~16 forms per root. - You want to split a compound (`sammāsambuddhassa` → `sammā` + `sambuddha` + `-ssa` genitive). - You want to see possible stems before another `get_word_definition` lookup. **Recommended workflow:** `parse_pali_word(inflected_form)` → get `possible_stems[]` → call `get_word_definition(stem)` per stem until you find a definition. ⚠️ **Limitations:** - Rule-based first-pass — strips common suffixes (case endings, vowel shortening). Not a full morphological analyzer. - Compound words (samāsa) are NOT split — `dukkhanirodha` won't be broken into `dukkha` + `nirodha`. - Sandhi (sound junctions) like `tena ahaṁ → tenāhaṁ` aren't reversed. - Returns **possible** stems — verify each via `get_word_definition`. |
| open_sutta_viewer | Open an interactive sutta viewer inside the chat — Pāli + English, plus an optional third row in the user's own language translated BY YOU. Renders each segment as: Pāli on top (canonical), the Bhikkhu Sujato English below it (verification anchor), and — when you supply `translations` — your translation in the user's language, clearly badged as AI-generated. Prefer this over dumping raw segments when the user wants to *read* a sutta. - `sutta_id` — standard SuttaCentral id, e.g. `sn56.11`, `mn10`, `dn22`. - `around` — a segment_id (e.g. `dn22:18.1`, from a search hit) to centre on; that segment is highlighted and scrolled into view. Use this after a search so the reader lands on the exact cited line. - `offset` — 0-based segment index for paging long suttas (use `next_offset` from the previous result). Do NOT combine with `around`. - `window` — segments before/after `around` to include (default 12). **Translating for the user (important):** when the conversation language is neither English nor Pāli, you SHOULD translate the displayed segments and pass them via `translations` so the user reads in their own language while still seeing the originals: 1. Fetch the segments first (`get_sutta` with the same selector) so you have the exact Pāli + English text. (Already called this tool without translations? The result contains the segments — translate them and call this tool AGAIN with the same selector plus `translations` to upgrade the view.) Your translation must travel through the `translations` parameter to appear in the viewer — writing it as a normal chat message leaves the viewer bilingual and looks broken; the tool always accepts `translations`, so never report it as missing. 2. Translate **from the Pāli as the source, using the English as a semantic guide** — never relay-translate from English alone. Preserve untranslatable doctrinal terms (dukkha, jhāna, taṇhā…) as loanwords with a brief gloss instead of forcing equivalent |