How do we say “Thank you” in Pali? How would one say “Thank you for your guidance” or “Thank you for your great teachings, Elder”?
Normally, we say “Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!”
I was told early on that in Myanmar culture, “Thank you” means “I will pay you back,” and that monks do not pay back debts. So we say “Well done!” three times.
“Sādhu anumodāmi” means “Well done! I rejoice (in your merits).”
For Pāḷi texts… I will have to look it up. But often in the PTS, they translate the anumodana talk as “thanksgiving.”
However, in the Mahāmaṅgala Sutta we have “kataññutā”
Gāravo ca nivāto ca, santuṭṭhī ca kataññutā; Kālena dhammassavanaṃ, etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ.
(Respect, humility, contentment, gratitude, and hearing the Dhamma at the right time — this is the highest blessing.)
Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu! Thank you for answering, Venerable Sir. That’s interesting.
Perhaps you could say
Kataññū hi ahaṁ bhante katavedī
Or
Kataññū iti maṁ bhante jānātha