This sūtra recounts an event that took place in the buddha realm of Sukhāvatī. The discourse commences with the Buddha Śākyamuni relating to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara the benefits of reciting the various names of Śrī Mahādevī. The Buddha describes how Śrī Mahādevī acquired virtue and other spiritual accomplishments through the practice of venerating numerous tathāgatas and gives an account of the prophecy in which her future enlightenment was foretold by all the buddhas she venerated. The Buddha then lists the one hundred and eight blessed names of Śrī Mahādevī to be recited by the faithful. The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni giving a dhāraṇī and a brief explanation on the benefits of reciting the names of Śrī Mahādevī, namely the eradication of all negative circumstances and the accumulation of merit and happiness.
This sūtra was translated from Tibetan into English, under the supervision of Khenpo Ngawang Jorden, by the monks Jamyang Choesang and Kunsang Choepel, and the lay people Boyce Teoh and Solvej Nielsen, members of the Sakya Pandita Translation Group (International Buddhist Academy Division), Kathmandu.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
This text extols the virtues and benefits of devotional practices, such as the recitation of sacred names and formulae or mantras. It can thus be said to be related to the bhakti or devotional movement in the religious life of the Indian subcontinent, a form of religious expression found in all major religions of the world. Faith (śraddhā; dad pa) is an essential factor of the path to awakening. It is listed among the five spiritual faculties (indriya; dbang po) and the eleven wholesome mental states.1
In this sūtra, Śrī Mahādevī cultivated her faith by venerating and chanting names of the enlightened ones, thus accomplishing the roots of virtue that become the cause of her future awakening. The narrative takes place in the buddha realm Sukhāvatī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni explains to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara the benefits of reciting Śrī Mahādevī’s names. He further explains how Śrī Mahādevī herself gained the roots of virtue by venerating numerous tathāgatas, whom the Buddha lists. He then relates the prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī’s future enlightenment, bestowed upon her by those buddhas, and lists her one hundred and eight names. The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni giving a dhāraṇī and a brief explanation on how to practice the recitation of Śrī Mahādevī’s names.
Most Kangyurs include two copies of the text, one (Toh 193) in the General Sūtra (mdo sde) section and one (Toh 739) among the Collected Tantras (rgyud ’bum), classified under Kriyātantra.2 As neither copy of the Tibetan version has a colophon, there is no information regarding the translators. However, it must have been translated in the early period, since it is listed in the early ninth century Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalog of texts translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit. Versions of this sūtra in Sanskrit and Chinese are still extant today. The present translation appears to be the first into a Western language.
The Degé edition of this sūtra was compared with various editions of the Tibetan canon, namely, the Narthang, Kangxi, and Lhasa editions, as well as with the Sanskrit of the Gilgit manuscript as edited by Nalinaksha Dutt. The English translation has been made on the basis of the Tibetan, with a few exceptions as indicated in the notes. The great many proper names contained in the sūtra are here given in Sanskrit, but translations have been added in parentheses in the case of the “one hundred and eight names”—which are, rather, epithets describing Mahādevī.
[F.230.a][F.246.a]Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.[F.230.b][F.246.b]
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Sukhāvatī together with the great saṅgha of bodhisattvas, among them the following bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the excellent eon:3 Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkaṃbhin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi, and Bodhisattva Sarvabhayahara, and similarly Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvamaṅgaladhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvapuṇyalakṣaṇadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Candrasūryatrailokyadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvatīrthamaṅgaladhārin, and Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.
Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara went to the place where the Bhagavān was, paid homage at the Bhagavān’s feet, and remained at one side. Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān, paid homage at his feet, and circumambulated him three times. Then she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were dwelling in Sukhāvati and remained at one side.4[F.247.a][F.231.a]
The Bhagavān was adorned with many hundreds of thousands of merits and surrounded by as many as ten million tathāgatas. As Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world all offered their praises and acclaim, the Bhagavān, having gazed at Śrī Mahādevī, addressed Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara as follows in his Great Brahmā voice:
“Avalokiteśvara, if any one of the kings, ministers, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, or śūdras retains this praise, “The One Hundred and Eight Names5 of Śrī Mahādevī Which Are Renowned as Stainless,” then the kṣatriya king’s kingdom, the fears of those beings there, as well as the epidemics and harmful influences will all be pacified,6 and no one at all will fear robbers, rogues, humans, or nonhumans. Wealth, grains, treasuries, and stores will all increase, and the Glorious Mahādevī will no doubt abide in the home of this kṣatriya king.”
Then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas said, “Bhagavāṇ, these words are well said. Excellent! Excellent! Those people who will retain the names of Śrī Mahādevī and who will put them into practice once they have heard them7 will have those aforementioned qualities and benefits.”
Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, where did Śrī Mahādevī generate her roots of virtue?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Śrī Mahādevī[F.247.b][F.231.b] generated roots of virtue in the presence of tathāgatas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges. O Avalokiteśvara, in the past, in a world system called Ratnasaṃbhavā, the tathāgata called Ratnakusumaguṇasāgaravaiḍūryakanakagirisuvarṇakāṃcanaprabhāsaśrī came forth into the world. Śrī Mahādevī generated roots of virtue in his presence and in the presence of many other tathāgatas, too. Now, the names of the tathāgatas make Śrī Mahādevī’s roots of virtue flourish and come to fulfillment. They stay with her always, these names that here in this world Śrī Mahādevī recites precisely and that dispel all sins, eliminate all offenses, make all effects8 stainless, gather and increase wealth and grains, eradicate poverty, attract and catch the attention of all gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, pacifying all epidemics, natural misfortunes,9 disputes, conflicts, dissensions, and arguments, and that will bring the six perfections to fulfilment. They are as follows:10
“Having treated these names of tathāgatas with veneration, one should retain and recite them, and in this way the merit of a son or daughter of a noble family will increase immensely.
“Now, all the tathāgatas made the following prophecies concerning Śrī Mahādevī: ‘Śrī Mahādevī, in the future you will become the tathāgata, the arhat, the truly complete buddha called Śrīmaṇiratnasambhava in the world system called Śrīmahāratnapratimaṇḍitā. And that world system will be adorned with various sorts of divine jewels. This very tathāgata will spread light in that world system, and those bodhisattvas dwelling there in that world will spontaneously become radiant and have immeasurable life spans. The word buddhadharmasaṅgha[F.249.a] will also come down from the sky, and the bodhisattvas who will be born in that buddha field will all be born from the centers of lotuses.’[F.233.a]
“What is the twelve-line praise with one hundred and eight names that is renowned as being stainless?11
“O fearless Avalokiteśvara, please hearken to the names of Śrī Mahādevī. They are as follows:12
“Oṃ! Look at us, save us, and emancipate us from all sufferings. Make us turn in the direction of all collections of merits, svāhā.37 Oṃ gaṅgādisarvatīrthānām abhimukhī kuru38 svāhā | oṃ sāvitryai svāhā | sarvamaṅgaladhāriṇyai svāhā | caturvedanakṣatragrahagaṇādimūrtyai svāhā | brahmaṇe svāhā | viṣṇave svāhā | rudrāya svāhā | viśvamukhāya svāhā | oṃ nigrigrini sarvakāryasādhani sini sini āvāhayāmi devi śrīvaiśravaṇāya svāhā | suvarṇadhanadhānyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapuṇyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | śrīdevatākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapāpanāśanyai svāhā | sarvālakṣmīpraśamanyai svāhā | sarvatathāgatābhiṣiktāyai svāhā | sarvadevatābhimukhaśriye svāhā | āyurbalavarṇakarāyai svāhā | sarvapavitramaṅgalahastāyai svāhā | siṃhavāhinyai svāhā | padmasaṃbhūtāyai svāhā | sarvakṛtyakākhordavināśanyai svāhā.39
“Fearless Avalokiteśvara, anyone who is going to retain and recite these names of Śrī Mahādevī—which eliminate all offenses, overcome all sins, accumulate all merits, eliminate40 all inauspiciousness, and accumulate all glories, happiness, and good fortune—and who is going to retain and recite41 these names of the tathāgatas, should rise in the morning, clean up, and, having offered flowers and incense to all the buddhas, also offer sandalwood incense to Śrī Mahādevī.[F.250.b] Then, when they recite these names, all glory, all happiness and joys, will be obtained. The gods will all guard, protect, and preserve42 them, and all of their purposes will be fulfilled.”
When the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the fearless bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara,[F.234.b] Śrī Mahādevī,43 the entire retinue, and the world, including gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the words of the Bhagavān.
This completes “The Noble Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī.”44
This sūtra recounts an event that took place in the buddha realm of Sukhāvatī. The discourse commences with the Buddha Śākyamuni relating to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara the benefits of reciting the various names of Śrī Mahādevī. The Buddha describes how Śrī Mahādevī acquired virtue and other spiritual accomplishments through the practice of venerating numerous tathāgatas and gives an account of the prophecy in which her future enlightenment was foretold by all the buddhas she venerated. The Buddha then lists the one hundred and eight blessed names of Śrī Mahādevī to be recited by the faithful. The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni giving a dhāraṇī and a brief explanation on the benefits of reciting the names of Śrī Mahādevī, namely the eradication of all negative circumstances and the accumulation of merit and happiness.
This sūtra was translated from Tibetan into English, under the supervision of Khenpo Ngawang Jorden, by the monks Jamyang Choesang and Kunsang Choepel, and the lay people Boyce Teoh and Solvej Nielsen, members of the Sakya Pandita Translation Group (International Buddhist Academy Division), Kathmandu.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
This text extols the virtues and benefits of devotional practices, such as the recitation of sacred names and formulae or mantras. It can thus be said to be related to the bhakti or devotional movement in the religious life of the Indian subcontinent, a form of religious expression found in all major religions of the world. Faith (śraddhā; dad pa) is an essential factor of the path to awakening. It is listed among the five spiritual faculties (indriya; dbang po) and the eleven wholesome mental states.1
In this sūtra, Śrī Mahādevī cultivated her faith by venerating and chanting names of the enlightened ones, thus accomplishing the roots of virtue that become the cause of her future awakening. The narrative takes place in the buddha realm Sukhāvatī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni explains to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara the benefits of reciting Śrī Mahādevī’s names. He further explains how Śrī Mahādevī herself gained the roots of virtue by venerating numerous tathāgatas, whom the Buddha lists. He then relates the prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī’s future enlightenment, bestowed upon her by those buddhas, and lists her one hundred and eight names. The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni giving a dhāraṇī and a brief explanation on how to practice the recitation of Śrī Mahādevī’s names.
Most Kangyurs include two copies of the text, one (Toh 193) in the General Sūtra (mdo sde) section and one (Toh 739) among the Collected Tantras (rgyud ’bum), classified under Kriyātantra.2 As neither copy of the Tibetan version has a colophon, there is no information regarding the translators. However, it must have been translated in the early period, since it is listed in the early ninth century Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalog of texts translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit. Versions of this sūtra in Sanskrit and Chinese are still extant today. The present translation appears to be the first into a Western language.
The Degé edition of this sūtra was compared with various editions of the Tibetan canon, namely, the Narthang, Kangxi, and Lhasa editions, as well as with the Sanskrit of the Gilgit manuscript as edited by Nalinaksha Dutt. The English translation has been made on the basis of the Tibetan, with a few exceptions as indicated in the notes. The great many proper names contained in the sūtra are here given in Sanskrit, but translations have been added in parentheses in the case of the “one hundred and eight names”—which are, rather, epithets describing Mahādevī.
[F.230.a][F.246.a]Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.[F.230.b][F.246.b]
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Sukhāvatī together with the great saṅgha of bodhisattvas, among them the following bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the excellent eon:3 Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkaṃbhin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi, and Bodhisattva Sarvabhayahara, and similarly Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvamaṅgaladhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvapuṇyalakṣaṇadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Candrasūryatrailokyadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvatīrthamaṅgaladhārin, and Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.
Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara went to the place where the Bhagavān was, paid homage at the Bhagavān’s feet, and remained at one side. Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān, paid homage at his feet, and circumambulated him three times. Then she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were dwelling in Sukhāvati and remained at one side.4[F.247.a][F.231.a]
The Bhagavān was adorned with many hundreds of thousands of merits and surrounded by as many as ten million tathāgatas. As Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world all offered their praises and acclaim, the Bhagavān, having gazed at Śrī Mahādevī, addressed Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara as follows in his Great Brahmā voice:
“Avalokiteśvara, if any one of the kings, ministers, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, or śūdras retains this praise, “The One Hundred and Eight Names5 of Śrī Mahādevī Which Are Renowned as Stainless,” then the kṣatriya king’s kingdom, the fears of those beings there, as well as the epidemics and harmful influences will all be pacified,6 and no one at all will fear robbers, rogues, humans, or nonhumans. Wealth, grains, treasuries, and stores will all increase, and the Glorious Mahādevī will no doubt abide in the home of this kṣatriya king.”
Then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas said, “Bhagavāṇ, these words are well said. Excellent! Excellent! Those people who will retain the names of Śrī Mahādevī and who will put them into practice once they have heard them7 will have those aforementioned qualities and benefits.”
Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, where did Śrī Mahādevī generate her roots of virtue?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Śrī Mahādevī[F.247.b][F.231.b] generated roots of virtue in the presence of tathāgatas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges. O Avalokiteśvara, in the past, in a world system called Ratnasaṃbhavā, the tathāgata called Ratnakusumaguṇasāgaravaiḍūryakanakagirisuvarṇakāṃcanaprabhāsaśrī came forth into the world. Śrī Mahādevī generated roots of virtue in his presence and in the presence of many other tathāgatas, too. Now, the names of the tathāgatas make Śrī Mahādevī’s roots of virtue flourish and come to fulfillment. They stay with her always, these names that here in this world Śrī Mahādevī recites precisely and that dispel all sins, eliminate all offenses, make all effects8 stainless, gather and increase wealth and grains, eradicate poverty, attract and catch the attention of all gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, pacifying all epidemics, natural misfortunes,9 disputes, conflicts, dissensions, and arguments, and that will bring the six perfections to fulfilment. They are as follows:10
“Having treated these names of tathāgatas with veneration, one should retain and recite them, and in this way the merit of a son or daughter of a noble family will increase immensely.
“Now, all the tathāgatas made the following prophecies concerning Śrī Mahādevī: ‘Śrī Mahādevī, in the future you will become the tathāgata, the arhat, the truly complete buddha called Śrīmaṇiratnasambhava in the world system called Śrīmahāratnapratimaṇḍitā. And that world system will be adorned with various sorts of divine jewels. This very tathāgata will spread light in that world system, and those bodhisattvas dwelling there in that world will spontaneously become radiant and have immeasurable life spans. The word buddhadharmasaṅgha[F.249.a] will also come down from the sky, and the bodhisattvas who will be born in that buddha field will all be born from the centers of lotuses.’[F.233.a]
“What is the twelve-line praise with one hundred and eight names that is renowned as being stainless?11
“O fearless Avalokiteśvara, please hearken to the names of Śrī Mahādevī. They are as follows:12
“Oṃ! Look at us, save us, and emancipate us from all sufferings. Make us turn in the direction of all collections of merits, svāhā.37 Oṃ gaṅgādisarvatīrthānām abhimukhī kuru38 svāhā | oṃ sāvitryai svāhā | sarvamaṅgaladhāriṇyai svāhā | caturvedanakṣatragrahagaṇādimūrtyai svāhā | brahmaṇe svāhā | viṣṇave svāhā | rudrāya svāhā | viśvamukhāya svāhā | oṃ nigrigrini sarvakāryasādhani sini sini āvāhayāmi devi śrīvaiśravaṇāya svāhā | suvarṇadhanadhānyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapuṇyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | śrīdevatākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapāpanāśanyai svāhā | sarvālakṣmīpraśamanyai svāhā | sarvatathāgatābhiṣiktāyai svāhā | sarvadevatābhimukhaśriye svāhā | āyurbalavarṇakarāyai svāhā | sarvapavitramaṅgalahastāyai svāhā | siṃhavāhinyai svāhā | padmasaṃbhūtāyai svāhā | sarvakṛtyakākhordavināśanyai svāhā.39
“Fearless Avalokiteśvara, anyone who is going to retain and recite these names of Śrī Mahādevī—which eliminate all offenses, overcome all sins, accumulate all merits, eliminate40 all inauspiciousness, and accumulate all glories, happiness, and good fortune—and who is going to retain and recite41 these names of the tathāgatas, should rise in the morning, clean up, and, having offered flowers and incense to all the buddhas, also offer sandalwood incense to Śrī Mahādevī.[F.250.b] Then, when they recite these names, all glory, all happiness and joys, will be obtained. The gods will all guard, protect, and preserve42 them, and all of their purposes will be fulfilled.”
When the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the fearless bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara,[F.234.b] Śrī Mahādevī,43 the entire retinue, and the world, including gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the words of the Bhagavān.
This completes “The Noble Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī.”44
The Abhidharmakośa gives eleven wholesome mental factors and lists faith as the first among them.
The Tibetan copy in the tantra section of the Kangyur (Toh 739) is followed by two short related texts, both also set in in Sukhāvatī and structured as expositions by the Buddha Śākyamuni to Avalokiteśvara: ’phags pa dpal chen mo’i mdo, “The Sūtra of the Gorious Great [Goddess]” (Toh 740)—the goddess concerned being identified as Lakṣmī in the Sanskrit title of the Degé version but not in all versions—and dpal gyi lha mo’i mtshan bcu gnyis pa, “The Twelve Names of the Glorious Goddess” (Toh 741). In both, the knowing, reciting, reading, and writing of the goddess’s twelve names (almost but not exactly the same in both cases) and of short dhāraṇīs (different) are recommended as effective means of dispelling obstacles and achieving goals. The colophons of both short texts state that they were translated by Jinamitra and Yeshé Dé.
Skt.: “Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān. Having circumambulated one hundred thousand times at the Bhagavān’s feet she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.”
Translated on the basis of the Tibetan. Skt. has tasya rājñaḥ kṣatriyasya viṣaye teṣāṃ sattvānāṃ sarvabhayety upadravā praśamiṣyanti: “In the country of the kṣatriya king, these beings’ misfortunes, that is to say ‘all fears,’ will be pacified.”
The Skt. list has been followed. The Tibetan (F.248.a–b) has some minor differences from the Sanskrit.
Skt. dvādaśadaṇdakaṃ… stotram, but the Tib. has the puzzling stod pa brgyad cu gnyis pa, “eighty-two praises.”
The Tibetan and Sanskrit lists of names differ somewhat. We have followed the Sanskrit and indicated differences from the Tibetan in notes.
The eight planets: (1) Sun, (2) Earth’s moon, (3) Mars, (4) Mercury, (5) Jupiter, (6) Venus, (7) Saturn, and (8) Eclipse-Maker (Rāhula).
According to the ancient Indian traditions, twenty-eight constellations lie on the path of the moon during its complete circuit through the plane of the ecliptic. For a list of the twenty-eight, see Monier Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, s.v. nakṣatra.
The Tibetan (see glossary under “Sarvatīrthā”) treats these two epithets as one, i.e., “She Who Confers the Happiness of All the Holy Places.”
The Tibetan (see glossary entry) has “She Who is Enveloped by a Hundred Thousand Supreme Lotuses.”
The terms candrakānta and sūryakānta also regularly refer to gems, i.e. moonstone and sunstone respectively.
Skt. reads °varuṇā°. Yama is the lord of death, Varuṇa is the Vedic god presiding over night, Kubera is the god of riches, and Vāsava is Indra.
Tib. “She Who Abides in the Kumuda Flower.” Kumuda is a white flower that grows in or near water and blossoms at night. It is usually thought to be the datura plant, a member of the lily family with a very large, white, trumpet-like flower that opens at night, especially in the moonlight.
Tib. dag byed dang bkra shis thams cad kyi lag pa dang ldan ma, “She Who Has Hands That Purify and [Bring] All Auspiciousness.”
The Tibetan (see glossary entry for “Sarvapṛthivīśrī”) takes these two as one: “Glory of the Entire Earth and All Kings.”
Omitted in the Tibetan, which here has lha’i gnas dang lha thams cad kyi dpal / bzlas brjod dang / bzlas brjod du bya ba / sbyin sreg dang / sbyin sreg tu bya ba dang / bkra shis thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Abodes of the Gods and All Gods, Glory of All Incantations and What Is Incanted, All Fire Offerings, and What Is Offered and All Auspiciousness.”
The Tibetan here is bud med kyi gnas thams cad kyi gtso ma dang dpal gyi mchog, “Supreme Glory and Foremost of All That Is Feminine.”
The Skt. edition has sarvakinnarasarvasūryottamaśrī, “Glory That Is the First of All Kinnaras and All the Sun,” but in the Tib. (see glossary entry) lha ma yin mo suggests that the spelling °sarvāsurya° here is more likely to be correct in the context.
In the Tibetan text, this first section of the dhāraṇī is in Tibetan. The Skt. of the second sentence should be corrected from sarvapuṇyasambhārānāmukhīkuru svāhā to sarvapuṇyasambhārānām abhimukhī kuru svāhā.
Skt. gaṅgādisarvatīrthānyāmuikhīkuru should be corrected to gaṅgādisarvatīrthānām abhimukhī kuru.
The Sanskrit of the dhāraṇi as transcribed in the Tibetan text appears unreliable; the dhāraṇi as presented here is transliterated from the Sanskrit edition.
Tib. med par byed pa, “make nonexistent,” “eliminate”; Skt. praśamanakarāṇi, “make calm,” “pacify.”
One of the bodhisattvas attending the delivery of this teaching.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A tathāgata.
“Worthy.” A being who has eliminated afflictive emotions and hence is liberated from suffering. The Tibetan, following the traditional Sanskrit semantic gloss of ari han, understands the term as “foe destroyer.”
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A tathāgata.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
Demi-gods, titans.
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.
One of the bodhisattvas attending the delivery of this teaching and main interlocutor.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A general term of respect given to persons of spiritual attainment. Translations into English have been “Holy One,” “Blessed One,” and “World-Honored One.” It is here given in the Sanskrit nominative case, bhagavān.
The term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity.
In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).
The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.
For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
Vedic creator god. In Buddhist texts Brahmā refers to various gods in high situations of cyclic existence.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A member of priestly caste.
A tathāgata.
A tathāgata.
One of the bodhisattvas attending the delivery of this teaching.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A tathāgata.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
Dhāraṇīs are long strings of syllables which sum up some meaning of Dharma. Their use allows the meaning to be retained in memory. Hence the name, which means “that which holds / retains.”
A tathāgata.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A tathāgata.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A cosmological era that has buddhas appear in it.
The textual base for Brahmanism in India is the Vedas: 1) Ṛgveda, 2) Yajurveda, 3) Sāmaveda, and 4) Atharvaveda.
A tathāgata.
A tathāgata.
A tathāgata.
The name of a kind of preta (ghost). These spirits are said to live on odours, hence their name “smell-eater.” Known for their music.
One of the names of Śrī Mahādevī.
A tathāgata.
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.
A tathāgata.
Āryaśrīmahādevīvyākaraṇam. Sanskrit in Gilgit Manuscripts, edited by Nalinaksha Dutt, 91–100. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1984. www.dsbcproject.org.
’phags pa lha mo chen mo dpal lung bstan pa (Āryaśrīmahādevīvyākaraṇa). Toh 193, Degé Kangyur, vol. 61 (mdo sde, tsa), folios 246.a–250.b.
’phags pa lha mo chen mo dpal lung bstan pa (Āryaśrīmahādevīvyākaraṇa). Toh 739, Degé Kangyur, vol. 94 (rgyud ’bum, tsha), folios 230.b–234.a.
’phags pa lha mo chen mo dpal lung bstan pa. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006-9, vol. 61, pp. 690-700 (Toh 193), and vol. 94, pp 638-50 (Toh 739).
Amoghavajra, trans. 大吉祥天女十二契一百八名無垢大乘經, Taishō 1253.
