co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa is the largest and most important single text devoted to Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva of wisdom. A revealed scripture, it is, by its own classification, both a Mahāyāna sūtra and a Mantrayāna kalpa (manual of rites). Because of its ritual content, it was later classified as a Kriyā tantra and assigned, based on the hierarchy of its deities, to the Tathāgata subdivision of this class. The Sanskrit text as we know it today was probably compiled throughout the eighth century ᴄᴇ and several centuries thereafter. What makes this text special is that, unlike most other Kriyā tantras, it not only describes the ritual procedures, but also explains them in terms of general Buddhist philosophy, Mahāyāna ethics, and the esoteric principles of the early Mantrayāna (later called Vajrayāna), with an emphasis on their soteriological aims.

ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Wiesiek Mical translated the text from the Sanskrit manuscripts, prepared the Sanskrit edition, and wrote the introduction. Paul Thomas, Ryan Damron, Anna Zilman, Bruno Galasek, and Adam Krug then compared the translation draft against the Tibetan text found in the Degé and other editions of the Tibetan Kangyur. Wiesiek Mical then completed the translation by incorporating all the significant variations from the Tibetan translation either into the English translation itself or the annotations.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

The generous sponsorship of 中國宗薩寺堪布彭措郎加, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Text Body

The Translation
The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī
33.

Chapter 33

33.­1

At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, as follows: {33.1}

33.­2

“Your king of manuals, Mañjuśrī, styled as a nirdeśa,1897 is a treasury of the sphere of phenomena, as it proceeds from the sphere of phenomena, which is the essence of the tathāgatas. This great sūtra, precious as a jewel, is divided into detailed sections. It is sanctioned [to teach] the greatest secrets of the tathāgatas and brings accomplishment of the supreme mantras. It contains auxiliary practices pertaining to the knowledge of signs and the rules for ascertaining the right time.1898 [It also explains] the voices of all the [different] beings, differentiating the sounds made by sentient and insentient entities. {33.2}

33.­3
“There is an [aspect of] knowledge called verbal,
And another is proclaimed to be non-verbal.
There is also one that is mixed.
Accordingly, the application of mantras is threefold.1899 {33.3}
33.­4
“Mantras composed of divine1900 words
Are employed for impermanent goals.
Always free expressions that are not grammatical,
They are each adorned with conceptual meanings.1901 {33.4}
33.­5
“The noble mantras are attested
Within the entire siddhānta.1902
As for the mantras that are devoid of1903 lexical meaning,
They are always divided into three. {33.5}
33.­6
“A mantra can also be adorned with phonemes
That are either heavy, light, or medium.
Such a mantra-queen would be adorned
With vowels that are metrically arranged. {33.6}
33.­7
“The speech can be refined or not,
Or, as the others put it, it can be with or without lexical meaning.
By employing the meanings of verbal roots1904
The mantras become adorned with a graspable meaning. {33.7}
33.­8
“The language of such mantras
Is full of concepts and is entirely worldly;
Such speech may be metrical and accented
And consist of just one or two syllables.1905 {33.8}
33.­9
“The efficacy of [the mantras of]
Three, four, five, six, seven,
Eight, nine, or ten syllables
Is [also] well established. {33.9}
33.­10
“[These] ten source syllables,
Expressed by means of ten letters,
Can be multiplied, here on earth,
Up to ten times.1906 {33.10}
33.­11
“[Mantras] may [thus] consist of one hundred,1907 [F.238.a] [F.255.a]
Twenty, or just one syllable.
Mantras are composed to include
These standard syllables. {33.11}
33.­12
“The mantras that contain four pādas1908
Will accomplish all aims.
The most excellent and best mantras
Are those taught by the victorious ones. {33.12}
33.­13
“But there are also mantras
That are middling or inferior;1909
Of these two types, the middling ones are taught
By the sons of the victorious ones. {33.13}
33.­14
“As for the inferior mantras,
They are taught by any worldly person.
The mantras described as debased
Are those taught by the demons. {33.14}
33.­15
“The victorious ones described
As standard the mantras of ten, eight,
Seven, and twenty [syllables]and so forth,
Until well over one hundred.1910 {33.15}
33.­16
“The number of syllables
That is the norm in the mantras
Taught by the bodhisattvas
Could be just one or two, or five hundred. {33.16}
33.­17
“The composition of a mantra is said to be
An arrangement of words that consist of syllables.
Meters depend on [metrical units that each] contain a vowel.
[Mantras] are adorned with the individual meanings of verbal roots. {33.17}
33.­18
“[Mantric] speech should be recited well,
In a manner that follows tantric [principles].
How would accomplishment ever arise
If [mantras] were without word-sounds? {33.18}
33.­19
“Combining mudrās1911 with words that contain retroflex sounds,
Followed by the palatal and ending with the ‘hot’ sounds,1912
And producing dental, labial, and guttural sounds‍—
So is the sādhana performed.1913 {33.19}
33.­20
“One should avoid indistinct pronunciation
And recite the mantras correctly.
One who pronounces the words fully and correctly,
Observing the right prosody, will succeed. {33.20}
33.­21
“If, on the other hand, one strays from the right procedure,
Neglects the ritual performance, and misses the word meanings,
One’s mantras will not be accomplished soon;
One may expect this to take a long time. {33.21}
33.­22
“The accomplishment of a reciter who does not recite
Merely for show, will not be in vain.1914
Even in their next life, they will see the boons and blessings
Of their mantra accomplishment. {33.22}
33.­23
“Because of the power of the mantras
Of such long-term reciters,
Their rites, attended by these mantras, will be fruitful,
Since they are mantra adepts.1915 {33.23}
33.­24
“The lowest of all mantras
Are the worldly mantras of humans,1916
The mantras taught by any of the spirits,
And the mantras that cater to one’s greed. [F.238.b] [F.255.b]
They are said to include cerebralized letters1917‍—
One, two, or three of them.1918 {33.24}
33.­25
“Various foreign languages,
Known to be spoken in [particular] countries,1919
Have a linear structure,
With the sounds arranged in a line‍—
One thousand and eight, one hundred and eight,
And down to a single letter.1920 {33.25}
33.­26
“The speech may be in prose or in verse,
Such as four pādas long, or just half a pāda.
The verse could also be of the daṇḍaka1921 type, measured in syllables,
Or an extended, ‘shallow,’ skandhaka type, measured in mātras.1922 {33.26}
33.­27
“[The speech,] endowed with meaning word by word,
Is thus adorned with thousands of meanings.1923
If the words, whether Sanskrit or Apabhraṃśa,
Are devoid of meaning1924‍— {33.27}
33.­28
“If they are pronounced indistinctly,
Or lack the metrical rhythm‍—
It is said, when describing the accomplishment of such mantras,
That it has no function or place.1925 {33.28}
33.­29
“The following characteristics apply to all mantras.1926
The mantras with multiple occurrences of the syllable śa,
Adorned by the import of the syllable oṁ,
And containing the syllable ta that indicates their belonging to the tantra
Are certain to bring accomplishment.1927 {33.29}
33.­30
“If the mantras that start with oṁ
And end with m1928
Also contain the syllable śa,
They are auspicious and will bring results. {33.30}
33.­31
“Mantras with the form of a square1929 containing the syllable ta
That are not contracted at the end,
And where the syllable ta is joined with the letter r,
Are effective in ritual performances.
The letter r occurring twice or many times at the beginning
Will bring out good qualities of the syllable huṁ.1930 {33.31}
33.­32
“When the syllable va1931 is at the end of the square,1932
The letters [of the mantra] will render the sādhana effective.
The syllable ka1933 may be joined with the letter r,
And the syllable ma at the end become merely an m.1934
Mantras that begin with the syllables ma or na
Are said to be the best. {33.32}
33.­33
“Mantras that have many syllables ta1935
Can be found in all the tantras;
They are said to be associated with the north.
Those associated with the south are adorned with huṁ.
Those that have many syllables bha
Are associated with the east and the northwest. {33.33}
33.­34
“The syllable ca1936 belongs to Varuṇa;
It is said to nourish and bring welfare to the world.
The mantra that has many syllables va1937
Is regarded as belonging to the great Indra.1938 {33.34}
33.­35
“If it starts with a recourse to the Three Jewels, [F.239.a] [F.256.a]
The mantra is one of refuge.
If it includes, further on, an homage,
It is the cause of peace and brings happiness. {33.35}
33.­36
“Otherwise, a mantra may be used
For paying homage to all the gods.
One’s own mantra and also the ‘lord of mantras’1939
Are suitable for all types of activity. {33.36}
33.­37
“Mantras that contain many syllables ḍa,1940
And end with the syllable phaṭ [preceded by] huṁ,1941
Are very cruel ones;
They have great intensity and power. {33.37}
33.­38
“They instantly block [the target’s] life force
And may be skillfully employed [to target] cruel beings,
Especially those that commit evil;
They should not be used against any others.1942 {33.38}
33.­39
“The reciter should always avoid
Those things that are avoided by the sages.
The mantras of pacifying and nourishing
Will accomplish both [one’s own and others’] interests. {33.39}
33.­40
“They can accomplish all the rites,
Whatever have been taught.
When they are recited the right way,
Mantras possess energy and magical abilities. {33.40}
33.­41
“One should perform rites of pacifying
Using the mantras taught by the victorious ones.1943
For all the rites of nourishing,
One should use the mantras of the Jewel1944 family. {33.41}
33.­42
“All evil rites are employed
In the activities of assault.
All rites of assault should be performed
Using the mantras of the Vajra family.
Though forbidden by the lords of the world,
Such mantras have been taught by the lord of yakṣas.1945 {33.42}
33.­43
“The mantras, in all their greatness,1946
Manifest in order to guide sentient beings.
They are said to be of three types,
Always belonging to [one of] the three families. {33.43}
33.­44
“As for the eight families
Enumerated by the Sage himself,
The accomplishment in them is threefold,
As it arises in three different ways‍—
Supreme, middling, or inferior.
This is its threefold division. {33.44}
33.­45
“It can be of a peaceful,
Nourishing, or cruel type.
This is taught exclusively
In the context of mantra and tantra. {33.45}
33.­46
“When the exalted function of mantras
Is utilized in the activity of assault,
Such rites are debased
And condemned by all the omniscient ones. {33.46}
33.­47
“Even when one is in trouble, one must not perform [F.239.b] [F.256.b]
Any rite that interrupts the life force [of the target].
The magnitude of the karma incurred
Is described here only briefly: {33.47}
33.­48
“The karmic consequences of mantras
Employed in tantric procedures are far reaching and extensive.
This has been taught in this king of manuals
And can also be found in other tantras. {33.48}
33.­49
“Although one may be able to use any mantra,
One should not perform inferior rites.
Whatever worldly mantras there are,
They are all of dubious benefit. {33.49}
33.­50
“All the supramundane mantras, on the other hand,
Are always endowed with good qualities.
The mantra accomplishments are infinite,
As they are proclaimed to be. {33.50}
33.­51
“The count begins from one,
But, similarly, twenty are described.
Then thirty, if put briefly,
And after that, forty. {33.51}
33.­52
“Next is sixty‍—[a number] divisible by three.1947
With an extra ten, it becomes seventy.
If another ten is added,
The number, they say, is eighty. {33.52}
33.­53
“If another ten is added, the number is called ninety,
And with another ten, it is a full one hundred.
One hundred now being the base for counting,
Ten of these makes one thousand. {33.53}
33.­54
“Ten thousands is one ayuta;1948
Ten ayutas is one lakh.
Ten lakhs is one vilakh (one million),
And ten of these is one koṭi (ten million). {33.54}
33.­55
“Ten koṭis is one vikoṭi (one hundred million),
And ten of the latter is one arbuda (one billion).
Ten arbudas is one nirbuda (ten billion),
And ten of these is, as expected, one khaḍga (one hundred billion). {33.55}
33.­56
“Ten khaḍgas is one nikhaḍga (one trillion),
And ten nikhaḍgas is, as expected, one kharva (ten trillion).
Ten kharvas is one padma (one hundred trillion),
And ten padmas is one mahāpadma (one quadrillion). {33.56}
33.­57
“Ten mahāpadmas1949 is one vāha (ten quadrillion);
Ten of these is one vivāha (one hundred quadrillion).
The next after that is known as mahāvivāha (one quintillion),
And ten of these is called māya (ten quintillion). {33.57}
33.­58
“Ten māyas is one mahāmāya (one hundred quintillion);
Mahāmāya, after another multiplication by ten,
Is termed by the guides of the world samudrā (one sextillion),
As [known] in the science of algebra. {33.58}
33.­59
“The next number, after the multiplication
By the ‘half of twenty,’ is mahāsamudrā (ten sextillion);
Mahāsamudrā, when multiplied by ten,
Is called sāgara (one hundred sextillion). {33.59}
33.­60
“When multiplied by the ‘half of twenty,’
It becomes mahāsāgara (one septillion);
The latter, multiplied by ten,
Is called pragharā (ten septillion). {33.60}
33.­61
“Ten pragharās, as they are called,
Are proclaimed to be one gharā (one hundred septillion);
Ten of the so-called gharās
Are said to be one aśeṣa (one octillion). {33.61}
33.­62
“Aśeṣa, multiplied by the ‘half of twenty,’
Becomes mahāśeṣa (ten octillion). [F.240.a] [F.257.a]
This, according to the guides of the world,
Is the limit beyond which a number is incomputable. {33.62}
33.­63
“Counting is said to rely on multiplying by ten,
But then, it is an incomputable number that is multiplied.
Multiplying an incomputable number by ten
Gives a number even more incomputable.1950 {33.63}
33.­64
“This world is proclaimed to be multiplied
A thousandfold infinite number of times.
The cosmic unit next to this world
Is a great world, which is manifolded further. {33.64}
33.­65
“Beyond that, there is the so-called darkness,
And beyond that, the so-called light.
After light is the so-called great light,
And when this is multiplied, it is called multitude.1951 {33.65}
33.­66
“After the multitude is the so-called great multitude,
And after the great multitude1952 is one called the deep.1953
After the deep is one called the stable,
And after the stable comes the more stable. {33.66}
33.­67
“Beyond that is the abundant,1954
And beyond the abundant, the basis.1955
According to those who delight in the art of enumeration,
Beyond the basis1956 is the more basic. {33.67}
33.­68
“After that comes the great basis,
And the one after the great basis is known as the fixed.
When we have moved from the fixed to the more fixed,1957
The next [on the list] is known as the great thing.1958 {33.68}
33.­69
“After the great thing there is the famous basis,1959
And after that comes the great ocean.
After the great ocean is one called the primal,
And after the primal is the more primal. {33.69}
33.­70
“The one after the [more] primal is called excellent,
And the one after the excellent, the most excellent.
After the [most] excellent is one called dwelling place,
And after the dwelling place, one known as the inconceivable. {33.70}
33.­71
“[After] the inconceivable there is the terrible;1960
[After that,] the terrible, the kingdom.
Beyond the kingdom is the home of the treasure,1961
And beyond1962 that is the virtuous. {33.71}
33.­72
“Beyond the virtuous is the great mind,
And the next after that is the no-mind.
After the no-mind is the confused mind,1963
And after that is what is called expressible. {33.72}
33.­73
“After the expressible is the inexpressible.1964
Next is one called the universal,1965
And after the universal is the great universal.
Next is one called asvara.1966 {33.73}
33.­74
“After the asvara is the place of the great asvara,
After which there is the kharva.1967
The place auspicious peace is so called
By those who have reached the limit of enumeration. {33.74}
33.­75
“After the very courageous is the courageous,1968
And then one called the watery.
After the watery is the confused mind,1969 [F.240.b] [F.257.b]
And after that, another place [called] the ultimate. {33.75}
33.­76
“Beyond the ultimate is the domain of the buddhas,
With its superior levels.1970
It is impossible for human beings to
Go over all these world divisions. {33.76}
33.­77
“There is nothing that would be regarded
As superior to the domain of the buddhas.1971
Buddhafields are believed
To be as numerous as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā. {33.77}
33.­78
“Dissecting1972 [the physical matter,]
The guides [also] taught about the smallest particles.
This was done by way of examples
[Within] the domain of analytical investigation.1973
Physical matter can be established through logic (hetunā);
It cannot be established by relying [solely] on enumeration.1974 {33.78}
33.­79
“In the past, I served fully realized buddhas
Whose number matched such enumeration.
I worshiped them
During this inconceivable1975 eon.
In the infinity of time,
I became a bodhisattva long ago. {33.79}
33.­80
“For the sake of beings,
I became fully realized and attained buddhahood.
I taught tantra in different places,
Providing full details of the rituals. {33.80}
33.­81
“Taught by the buddhas,
This supreme [manual of] rites is the best.
It was taught to me1976 in the past
By so many fully realized buddhas. {33.81}
33.­82
“And now, O divine youth, I teach it myself
During my final embodied existence.
However many worldly mantras
And auspicious kings of rites there are, {33.82}
33.­83
“However many supramundane or divine mantras there are
Among men, gods, and asuras,
I have explained tantric applications
For all of them. {33.83}
33.­84
“This king of manuals,1977 celebrated everywhere,
Has great magical power.
By applying the ritual procedures of the mantras
One will attain accomplishment and become like Mañjughoṣa.1978 {33.84}
33.­85
“It has been declared by Mañjughoṣa,
The powerful lord, that by the sole means of
This manual with its procedures
All these [mantras] will be accomplished.1979 {33.85}
33.­86
“It is a foregone conclusion that
Whatever other deity mantras1980 there are‍—
All the supramundane
And mundane ones of great power‍— {33.86}
33.­87
“They too can become accomplished
By the ritual methods in this king of manuals.
Mañjuśrī controls all the mantras [F.241.a] [F.258.a]
In all the rites that have been taught‍—
He is thus acclaimed
In this supreme king of manuals.1981 {33.87}
33.­88
“Whatever1982 practical skills and branches of knowledge
Are recognized in the world,
Such as the omens taught in the art of prognostication
And interpreted based on the knowledge of astrology;
Whatever types of behavior are taught in the art of prognostication,
Or auspicious and inauspicious sounds; {33.88}
33.­89
“Whatever voices there are of whatever creatures
That betoken their thoughts and behavior;
Whatever elements, sense bases, substances,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1983; {33.89}
33.­90
“Whatever so-called portents or signs,
Techniques (kriyā) of mining minerals,
Algebra, grammar, sciences,
Armaments, and ritual procedures; {33.90}
33.­91
“Whatever knowledge of one’s inner being, medicine,
And the welfare and happiness of all beings;
Whatever art of logical argument (hetunīti) and other skills;
Whatever established science of linguistics; {33.91}
33.­92
“And whatever prosody, music, and the art of making perfumes there are‍—
Whatever of these have been enumerated,
I, the bodhisattva, have taught them
In order to benefit sentient beings. {33.92}
33.­93
“In former times, I, the bodhisattva,
Knowing that they benefit beings,
Taught them to the inhabitants
Of the ocean of saṃsāra. {33.93}
33.­94
“Living for a long time
In the dense forests of saṃsāra,
I act in the way that
Brings beings to maturity. {33.94}
33.­95
“I work for the benefit of beings,
Creating for them stores of merit
In every way that good karma
Can be accumulated. {33.95}
33.­96
“Established in various activities,
Beings obtain [corresponding] types of birth.
I perform various activities
For those limited by birth who have various needs.1984 {33.96}
33.­97
“Beings engage in various activities,
Serving the different aims described in the śāstras.
I fulfill these [aims] for them,
Assuming various excellent forms. {33.97}
33.­98
“I thus assume different guises,
Using different bodies, be they my own or not.1985
Motivated by [the wish] to benefit beings,
I created different forms. {33.98}
33.­99
“I created, in the past, [the forms of]
Maheśvara, Śakra, Brahmā, and others;
Viṣṇu, Dhanada, and Nairṛta; [F.241.b] [F.258.b]
And also the different forms of the grahas. {33.99}
33.­100
“With their minds full of great compassion,
They are objects of refuge1986 for beings.
Gradually, I establish these beings
In a state of peace. {33.100}
33.­101
“I wander throughout saṃsāra,
Observing beings over long periods of time.
Being of the nature of the mantra,
I bring the fulfillment of their needs.1987 {33.101}
33.­102
“While wandering from birth to birth,
I propagate, relying in the lineage of the Buddha,
Mantric rituals1988 that represent
The gradual knowledge of the mantras. {33.102}
33.­103
“For me, there is neither a creator,
Nor an owner.
Always relying on the lineage,
I have realized the ultimate awakening. {33.103}
33.­104
“I am at ease, un-aging,1989 peaceful,
Free from worry, pure, and benevolent.
I have reached the peace of nirvāṇa
And liberation from the fetters of birth. {33.104}
33.­105
“Presently, the wheel that holds fast to the ultimate reality
Is made to roll on,
As I teach this manual
That explains mantras at length.
The reciter must not misuse
This manual of rites in any of its details. {33.105}
33.­106
“Whatever worldly mantras there are,
Their rituals have been taught accordingly.
All these [mantras] should be worshiped and honored,
Without any contempt whatsoever.
Consequently, the practitioner of mantra
Must also not disregard their [respective] rituals in any detail. {33.106}
33.­107
“As for applying the knowledge of signs
That has been taught as the science of astrology,
One should not interpret these [signs] incorrectly.
They have been taught for good purposes, {33.107}
33.­108
“So that mundane pursuits, such as
The preparation of power substances and other medicines,
Or the healing [remedies] for the eyes,1990 can succeed‍—
They are thus described as beneficial. {33.108}
33.­109
“The sayings of the victorious ones, adorned with the stanzas of benediction,
Recommend the auspicious [settings].
One should choose a day during a bright fortnight
Recommended as the best and indicated by auspicious signs. {33.109}
33.­110
“With such auspicious and excellent planetary positions,
One should commence the mantra practice.
One should thus choose the auspicious [signs]
And avoid the inauspicious. {33.110}
33.­111
“I myself taught these things in the past;
The mantra reciters should therefore accept them [as true].
Whatever benefits there are in this world
That can be derived from the knowledge of astrology, {33.111} [F.242.a] [F.259.a]
33.­112
“Or other such benefits1991‍—
Those derived from polity and logic
Or those well conceived in the treatises of Nyāya
For the benefit of beings‍— {33.112}
33.­113
“I have taught all of this
And the mantra reciters should accept it [as true].
This path is the cause of accomplishment;
It has been shown by those who know reality. {33.113}
33.­114
“The entire [Buddhist] canon, as taught by me,
Is wholly for bringing liberation.
Because of this, one should follow the path of mantras,
As they are the source of accomplishment. {33.114}
33.­115
“The reciter must never, to any extent,
Employ the mantras the wrong way,
Be they any of the worldly mantras
Or those proclaimed as supreme. {33.115}
33.­116
“When employing, in any [rites],
The supramundane mantras or the divine mantras [of magic],
One must not harbor wrong thoughts
And must never defile one’s mind. {33.116}
33.­117
“One should worship all the mantra [deities]
Approved for those who know the right time
And taught in the instructions of the Teacher
That are founded on the sameness of all buddhas.1992 {33.117}
33.­118
“These deities are the recourse of the victors’ sons;
They are summoned and caused to enter
Into the maṇḍala of the moon-like sages.
They are here taught for those who know the right time.1993 {33.118}
33.­119
“They are always effectual, and if one wishes them to enter,
One can summon them with mantras.1994
One should neither bow to submit to the mantras [deities]
Of other systems, nor treat them with contempt,
As it is said that the mantras that are debased
Are not unproductive. {33.119}
33.­120
“Whatever worldly mantras there are,
Reciting them brings inferior results.1995
Although they produce results for reciters,
They will lead, as far as can be seen, to afflictions. {33.120}
33.­121
“When one feels indignant and angry,
One should not harbor wrong thoughts.
Nor should one indulge in pleasures,
As this brings adverse karmic results.1996
One must not allow one’s mind
To develop such inclinations. {33.121}
33.­122
“One should stick with just one mantra
And recite it continuously with a focused mind.
One will consequently obtain the full result
As specified in the ritual instructions. {33.122}
33.­123
“Without allowing the mind to wander,
One should recite the same mantra. [F.242.b] [F.259.b]
Mantras accomplished through single-mindedness
Will accomplish every purpose. {33.123}
33.­124
“One who is distracted in mind and inwardly confused
Will not see success.
One should instead win the full array of results
And a high rebirth. {33.124}
33.­125
“One whose mind is always pure,
Who trusts in the teachings1997
And has faith in the Three Jewels,
Will obtain the accomplishment as specified.” {33.125}
33.­126

This concludes the detailed chapter that explains the knowledge of signs pertaining to the ritual activity procedures,1998 thirty-third1999 in “The Root Manual of Noble Mañjuśrī,” an extensive Mahāyāna sūtra that forms a garland-like basket of bodhisattva teachings.

c.

Colophon

c.­1

By order of the glorious ruler and renunciant king Jangchub O, this text was translated, edited, and finalized by the great Indian preceptor and spiritual teacher Kumārakalaśa and the translator Lotsawa and monk Śākya Lodrö.3395

ab.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations Used in the Introduction and Translation

C Choné Kangyur
D Degé Kangyur
H Lhasa Kangyur
J Lithang Kangyur
K Kangxi Kangyur
L Shelkar Kangyur
MMK Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa
N Narthang Kangyur
Skt. Sanskrit text of the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa as it is represented in the appendix
TMK Tārāmūlakalpa
Tib. Tibetan text of the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa as witnessed in the Pedurma Kangyur
Y Yongle Kangyur

Abbreviations Used in the Appendix‍—Sources for the Sanskrit text of the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa (MMK)

Published editions
M Martin Delhey 2008
S Śāstrī 1920–25
V Vaidya 1964
Y Jayaswal 1934 (the section containing chapter 53 from Śāstrī’s edition of the MMK corrected by Rāhula Saṅkṛtyāyana)
Manuscripts
A NAK (National Archives, Kathmandu) accession no. 5/814
B NAK accession no. 3/303
MSS all manuscripts (as used for any given section of text)
R NAK accession no. 3/645
T manuscript accession no. C-2388 (Thiruvanantha­puram)
Tibetan sources
C Choné (co ne) Kangyur
D Degé (sde dge) Kangyur
H Lhasa (lha sa/zhol) Kangyur
J Lithang (li thang) Kangyur
K Kangxi (khang shi) Kangyur
N Narthang (snar thang) Kangyur
TMK Tibetan translation of the Tārāmūlakalpa (Toh 724)
Tib. Tibetan translation (supported by all recensions in the Pedurma Kangyur)
U Urga (phyi sog khu re) Kangyur
Y Yongle (g.yung lo) Kangyur
Critical apparatus
* text illegible (in a manuscript)
+ text reported as illegible in S, or in Delhey’s transcript of manuscript A
? text illegible (in a printed edition)
[] (square brackets) text hard to decipher (in a manuscript)
] right square bracket marks the lemma quoted from the root text
a.c. ante correctionem
conj. conjectured
em. emended
lac. lacunae in the text (physical damage to the manuscript)
m.c. metri causa
om. omitted
p.c. post correctionem
r recto
v verso
† (dagger) text unintelligible
• (middle dot) lack of sandhi or partial sandhi
b.

Bibliography

Source Texts (Sanskrit)

Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Manuscript in the National Archives, Kathmandu (Bir 157), accession no. 3/303. Microfilmed by NGMPP, reel A 136/11. Bears the title Mañjuśrī­jñāna­tantra.

Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Manuscript in the National Archives, Kathmandu, accession no. 5/814. Microfilmed by NGMPP, reel A 39/04.

Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Manuscript in the National Archives, Kathmandu (Bir 45), accession no. 3/645. Microfilmed by NGMPP, reel A 124/14.

Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Manuscript in the Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library, Thiruvanantha­puram, accession no. C-2388.

Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Manuscript in Tokyo University Library, no. 275 in Matsunami’s catalog (Matsunami 1965).

Śāstrī, T. Gaṇapati, ed. The Āryamañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Vols 1–3. Trivandrum Sanskrit Series 70, 76, and 84. Trivandrum: Superintendent Government Press, 1920–25.

Vaidya, P. L., ed. Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Mahāyāna­sūtra­saṃgraha, Part II. Buddhist Sanskrit Texts 18. Darbhanga: The Mithila Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning, 1964.

Source Texts (Tibetan)

’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud (Mañjuśrī­mūla­tantra). Toh. 543, Degé Kangyur vol. 88 (rgyud ’bum, na), folios 105.a–351.a.

’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud (Mañjuśrī­mūla­tantra). 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), 2006–2009. vol. 88, pp. 354–1051.

ral pa gyen brdzes kyi rtog pa chen po (Tārāmūlakalpa). Toh. 724, Degé Kangyur vol. 93 (rgyud ’bum, tsa), folios 205.b–311.a, continued in vol. 94 (rgyud ’bum, tsha), folios 1.b–200.a.

Secondary Sources

Agrawala, V. S. “The meaning of Kumārī Dvīpa.” Sārdha-Śatābdī: Special Volume of Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay (June 1959): 1–5.

Bunce, Fredrick W. Mudrās in Buddhist and Hindu Practices: An Iconographic Consideration. New Delhi: D. K. Printworld, 2005.

Delhey, Martin. (forthcoming). Early Buddhist Tantra: New Light on the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa from Manuscript Evidence. (forthcoming).

‍—‍—‍—(2008). Three unpublished handouts made for the First International Workshop on Early Tantra, Kathmandu, 2008, containing editions of chapters 12, 13, and 51 of the MMK, based on the NAK manuscript accession no. 5/814, reel A 39/04.

‍—‍—‍—(2012). “The Textual Sources of the Mañjuśriya­mūla­kalpa (Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa), With Special Reference to Its Early Nepalese Witness NGMPP A39/4.” Journal of the Nepal Research Centre Vol. XIV (2012): 55–75.

Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī (Ratna­ketu­dhāraṇī, Toh 138). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.

‍—‍—‍—(2023). trans. The Queen of Incantations: The Great Peahen (Toh 559). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023.

Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. 2 vols. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.

Gray, David B. The Cakrasaṃvara Tantra (The Discourse of Śrī Heruka). A Study and Annotated Translation. New York: American Institute of Buddhist Studies, Columbia University, 2007.

Hartzell, James F. “The Buddhist Sanskrit Tantras: ‘The Samādhi of the Plowed Row.’ ” Pacific World: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies 14 (Fall 2012): 63–178.

Jayaswal, K. P. An Imperial History of India in a Sanskrit Text (c. 700 B.C.–c. 770 A.D.) with a Special Commentary on Later Gupta Period. Lahore: Motilal Banarsidass, 1934.

Matsunaga, Yūkei. “On the date of the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa.” In Tantric and Taoist Studies in Honour of R. A. Stein, edited by M. Strickmann. Vol. 3: Mélanges chinois et bouddhiques 22, 882–894. Brussels: Institut belge des hautes études chinoises, 1985.

Matsunami, Seiren. A Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library. Tokyo: Suzuki Research Foundation, 1965.

Mical, Wiesiek, and Paul Thomas. “Do Kriyā Tantras Have a Doctrine? ‍— The Case of the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa.” Unpublished manuscipt, 2017. https://ku-np.academia.edu/wiesiekmical.

Przyluski, Jean. “Les Vidyārāja, contribution à l’histoire de la magie dans les sectes Mahāyānistes.” Bulletin de l’École Française d’Extrême-Orient 23 (1923): 301–18.

Roberts, Peter Alan (2018), trans. The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Samādhi­rāja­sūtra, Toh 127). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—(2021a), trans. The Stem Array (Gaṇḍavyūha, chapter 45 of the Avataṃsakasūtra, Toh 44). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

‍—‍—‍—(2021b), trans. The Ten Bhūmis (Daśabhūmika, Toh 44-31). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Saṅkṛtyāyana, Rāhula. “The text of the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa, corrected with the help of the Tibetan text.” In An Imperial History of India in a Sanskrit Text (c. 700 B.C.–c. 770 A.D.) with a Special Commentary on Later Gupta Period by K. P. Jayasawal, addendum 1–75. Lahore: Motilal Banarsidass, 1934.

Wallis, G. Mediating the Power of Buddhas: Ritual in the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002.

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