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འཇམ་དཔལ་གྱི་རྩ་བའི་རྒྱུད།

The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī

Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa

Translated into Tibetan by

Kumārakalaśa
Śākya Lodrö

འཕགས་པ་འཇམ་དཔལ་གྱི་རྩ་བའི་རྒྱུད།

’phags pa ’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud

The Noble Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī

Āryamañjuśrīmūlakalpa

Toh 543

Degé Kangyur, vol. 88 (rgyud ’bum, na), folios 88.a–334.a (in 1737 par phud printing), 105.a–351.a (in later printings)

Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2020
Current version v 1.21.28 (2023)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.19.1

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

This work is provided under the protection of a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution - Non-commercial - No-derivatives) 3.0 copyright. It may be copied or printed for fair use, but only with full attribution, and not for commercial advantage or personal compensation. For full details, see the Creative Commons license.

co.

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.

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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.

Introduction

i.1

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (henceforth MMK) is a scripture devoted to Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva of wisdom. It is a vaipulya sūtra‍—only a few large sūtras can claim this title‍—that was later classified as a tantra of the Kriyā class. Reflecting its status as a sūtra, the chapter colophons found in the MMK variously identify the work as a Mahāyāna sūtra, a bodhisattvapiṭaka (bodhisattva basket),1 and bodhisattvapaṭalavisara (full bodhisattva collection). The phrase “bodhisattva basket” is significant as it implies that the MMK is part of the Bodhisattva Basket, in contradistinction to the Śrāvaka Basket in the binary classification made by Asaṅga in the Abhidharmasamuccaya. While the Tibetan translations of the MMK refer to it as a “tantra,” the Sanskrit text refers to itself as a kalpa (“manual of rites”), a kalparāja (“king of rites”), and a mantratantra (“mantra treatise”). The term mantratantra, used throughout the MMK to refer to its own content and to tantric teachings in general, could also be understood as “mantra systems/methods,” or the “art of mantras.”

The Translation

The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī

Chapter 1

[F.88.a] [F.105.a]8

1.1

Oṁ, homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. Lord Śākyamuni dwelt above the Pure Abode, in an inconceivable, wondrous pavilion, circular in shape, with a congregation of bodhisattvas 9 distributed all around, located in the canopy of the sky. There the Lord addressed the gods of the Pure Abode: {1.1}

1.2

“Honored gods! Listen as I tell of the inconceivable, wondrous miracles of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, bodhisattva, and great being‍—listen as I tell of his conduct, different types of samādhi, and magical power; his liberation, maṇḍala, and his miraculous bodhisattva manifestations; and how he is the sustenance for all beings and brings them life, health, and sovereignty! I will explain, for the benefit of all beings, the mantra subjects that completely fulfill one’s wishes. Listen well and duly reflect upon it‍—I will now tell you about him.” {1.2}

Chapter 2

2.1

Now Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, gazing at this entire assembly, [F.109.a] [F.126.a] entered the samādhi called the gaze that causes all sentient beings to take up the samaya pledge. As soon as Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered this samādhi, a ray of light issued from his navel. Along with many hundreds of thousands of millions of other rays, it entirely illuminated all the realms of sentient beings and, reflecting back onto the realm of the Pure Abode, suffused it with light. {2.1}

Chapter 3

3.1

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, again looked at the realm of the Pure Abode and, bowing to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas gathered together in that great assembly, pronounced the most secret single-syllable mantra, which removes all poisons and can be employed in all rites the mantra that is effective in the practices of his maṇḍala and which can also be used in all minor ritual activities. What is that mantra? {3.1}

3.2

“Homage to all the buddhas! This mantra is:

Chapter 4

4.1

Homage to the Buddha and all buddhas and bodhisattvas!527

Mañjuśrī then looked at the entire realm of the Pure Abode and again directed his gaze at the great assembly gathered there. Prostrating at the feet of Śākyamuni, he smiled and said this to the Blessed One: {4.1}

4.2

“It is good fortune, O Blessed One, that there is a painting procedure, intended for the benefit of all beings, from the extensive chapters that produce a rain of desired results falling down from the Cloud of Dharma that arises from the accomplishment of sādhana methods of mantra practice. This procedure generates a vast amount of merit and creates the seed of perfect awakening; it also brings complete omniscience.528 {4.2}

Chapter 5

5.1

Now, Lord Śākyamuni, looking at the entire assembly, spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, Mañjuśrī, yet another procedure from your ritual of cloth painting‍—the medium one. I will teach it now, so listen well and duly reflect upon it. {5.1}

5.2

“First, to produce the medium painting, thread should be used as previously described, following the same procedure as before. The work should be done by craftsmen who have been trained beforehand, applying the same measurements as the previous cloth. Just as before, the cloth should be of excellent quality, white, tightly woven, and thoroughly clean603 and have fringe tassels.604 The painting should then be executed using uncontaminated paints free of hairs, dust, or other debris, with everything done just as before, except for the sizes and forms of the painted figures. {5.2}

Chapter 6

6.1

Now, Lord Śākyamuni again addressed Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, Mañjuśrī, yet another secret610 cloth-painting procedure,611 a third type, referred to as ‘smallest,’612 by the means of which all beings can effortlessly win accomplishment. {6.1}

6.2

“Following the procedures as previously described, skilled craftsmen should prepare a cloth one width of the Buddha’s hand across that is in the same four-sided shape as before. The painting should then be done with the paints as previously described. {6.2}

Chapter 7

7.1

Now Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, rose from his seat, circumambulated Lord Śākyamuni three times clockwise and, having prostrated at his feet, said this to the Blessed One:

“Good! It is good that you, the blessed one, the tathāgata, the worthy one, the perfectly awakened one, gave this Dharma discourse in such a clear way for the benefit, the welfare, and the happiness of all who observe their vidyā vows and in order to show your compassion for the world. You exemplified the bodhisattvas’ skill in means with this particular method that takes them higher than nirvāṇa 622 [F.140.a] [F.157.a] and, with their continuous dedication to the goal of awakening,623 accomplishes their conduct consistent with all the goals of the mantras. This will promote the spread of this624 secret mantra among all people. {7.1}

Chapter 8

8.1

Now Lord Śākyamuni addressed Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“The full topic of the cloth-painting procedure, Mañjuśrī, has now been taught by me for the benefit of those beings you foretold. They will succeed even with little skillful means.663 For their benefit I will now teach a sādhana method classified according to the type of activity, describing at length its different virtues. Listen to it well, [F.143.a] [F.160.a] and reflect upon it thoroughly. I will speak for the benefit of all beings.”664 {8.1}

Chapter 9

9.1

Now Lord Śākyamuni addressed the hosts of gods who were sitting among the entire assembly:

“Esteemed friends! Please listen to my discourse about the method for accomplishing the conduct, maṇḍala, and mantra of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth. Hear this great vidyārāja‍—the supremely secret and sublime heart mantra that was taught by all the tathāgatas for the sake of protecting the practitioner‍—by the uttering of which all mantras are uttered. {9.1}

10.

Chapter 10

10.1

At that time Lord Śākyamuni taught yet another supreme ritual practice:

“Having chosen another mantra from this king of manuals, one should go down to [the bank of] the great river Gaṅgā. Staying in a boat in the middle of the river, one should incant rice gruel mixed with milk three million times on the days of one’s choice. Subsequently, at the end of recitation, one will perceive all the nāgas. One should then start the main practice. For that, one should prepare, in the middle of the boat, a fire pit in the shape of a lotus. One should prepare a big offering of ironwood blossoms to the painting. The painting of the superior type should be positioned facing west, with oneself sitting on a bundle of kuśa grass facing east. One should incant each of the ironwood blossoms seven times and offer it into the blazing fire of cutch tree sticks. One should do this until one has offered thirty thousand such blossoms, each smeared with white sandalwood and saffron paste. One should use nothing else. One should wait for the nāgas to appear.716 They will be enticed by the power substances, but will not take them. {10.1}

11.

Chapter 11

11.1

Now Lord Śākyamuni looked again at the realm of the Pure Abode, and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, Mañjuśrī, in your ritual, a painting procedure of the medium type, a practice procedure serving as the means for accomplishing middling rites. I will teach it in brief, so please listen carefully and reflect upon it well. I will teach it now.” {11.1}

11.2

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, for his part, said this to the Blessed One:

“May the Blessed One, the teacher, full of compassion for the world and delighting in benefiting all beings, speak! Please speak, if you think that the time is right, out of compassion for us and regard for future generations.” {11.2}

12.

Chapter 12

12.1

Now Lord Śākyamuni again looked at the entire Pure Abode, and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Listen, Mañjuśrī, to [the instructions] for the followers of your vidyā mantra who strive to benefit all beings‍—what mantras954 they should be made to recite, by whom these mantras are to be recited, and the attendant rosary rites that are methods for accomplishing all the common mantras of all tantras. Listen carefully and reflect on this well. I will teach this [now].” {12.1}

13.

Chapter 13

13.1

Now Lord Śākyamuni again looked at the realm of the Pure Abode, and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, O Mañjuśrī, a ritual sequence for a special worship of [the god of] fire, which is meant for those practitioners of vidyā who engage in the rite of homa according to the special procedure that has been succinctly explained in the chapter on mantras in your manual. Once established in this routine, beings become actively engage in the conduct of all vidyās. What is this sequence? The mantric words of the secret vidyā spell are as follows: {13.1} [F.169.b] [F.186.b]

14.

Chapter 14

14.1

Then Lord Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, O Mañjuśrī, a secret vidyā mantra of yours that accomplishes all mantras. It was granted by the tathāgatas, arose from the treasury of their teachings, belongs to the ‘Cloud of Dharma,’ and is of the essence of the sky. This vidyā is the supreme lord of all mundane and supramundane mantras, just like the divine youth is the lord of all beings. This lord is described as a tathāgata, the supreme and the most excellent. Just as Lord Buddha, O divine youth, is the most eminent person among gods and men, so he‍—this supreme vidyārāja‍—is among all the mantras. He has been formerly taught by the blessed buddhas who are equal in number to the grains of sand in the river Gaṅgā and whose merits are ineffable. He has been regarded by them as the supremely secret heart mantra [F.172.b] [F.189.b] of the tathāgata Ratnaketu, auspicious in every respect. He is praised and extolled by all the buddhas, is the relief of all beings, and is the destroyer of every evil. He grants every wish and fulfills every hope. So what is this mantra?”1019 {14.1}

15.

Chapter 15

15.1

At that time, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the great being, was present in the midst of the same gathering. Seated, he rose from his seat, circumambulated the Blessed One clockwise three times, and, prostrating at the Blessed One’s feet, said this to him: {15.1}

15.2

“Good, O Blessed One! For the sake of those who follow the conduct entailing the ritual divisions of vidyā and homa rites performed at the junctions of the day, you have clearly explained and elucidated with supreme eloquence the path that consists of rites involving vidyā mantras; the path that manifested from the great Cloud of Dharma; the path that comprises the detailed ritual instructions pertaining to the cakravartin, the great vidyārāja who is the heart essence of all the tathāgatas; the path that brings results and fulfills all aims completely; the unsurpassable path that leads to awakening; the path marked with the cause that generates the conditions, actions, and their certain results; the path that is the root of virtue that causes the attainment of the ten miraculous powers, and whose ultimate goal is to ascend to the seat of awakening. That, Blessed One, is excellent! May the teacher please instruct us on the signs that accord with the accomplishment of mantra that appear in dreams, signs indicating the time1121 when the beings who engage in the practice of all vidyā mantras should commence the activities that cause accomplishment, so that all vidyā mantras‍—the causes that fulfill the rites‍—bear results.” {15.2}

16.

Chapter 16

16.1

The blessed Śākyamuni looked again at the realm of the Pure Abode and spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Mañjuśrī! Requested by the wise king of yakṣas who holds a vajra in his hand, I already taught in detail, in the middle of this assembly, your complete chapter1293 on the ritual activities intended for all purposes.1294 {16.1}

16.2

“I taught about the good and bad aspects of dreams

And how they relate to all the mantra purposes.

I taught all of it at length

For the mantra reciters.”1295 {16.2}

17.

Chapter 17

17.1

Now Lord Śākyamuni entered the samādhi called the magical display of all the tathāgatas. As soon as he entered this samādhi, rays of blue, yellow, dazzling white, red, and crystal-colored light issued from the tuft of hair between his eyebrows. They brightened the entire buddhafield and illuminated the interior of every realm of the universe, while darkening all the planets and constellations and summoning them in an instant. After summoning them, the light assigned them to their respective places and drew them, by the power of the Buddha’s blessing, into the circle of the assembly. It then disappeared into the same tuft of hair between Lord Śākyamuni’s eyebrows. All the planets, constellations, and stars, their light blocked, approached Lord Śākyamuni, pained and frightened. They stood with folded hands, trembling and prostrating themselves on the ground again and again. {17.1}

24.

Chapter 24

24.1

1357The blessed Śākyamuni now addressed all the most important grahas among the constellations, planets, stars, and celestial bodies that exist in all the world spheres‍—the grahas dwelling in all the directions and endowed with great magical powers: {24.1} [F.194.a] [F.211.a]

24.2

“Listen, venerable friends, to my presentation on the respective powers of all the planets and constellations. Show your power, sirs, and accomplish the purpose of all the rituals involving the mantra. Keep your samayas and eagerly pursue an accomplishment in the doctrine contained in this sovereign manual of Mañjughoṣa and later expounded in other manuals as well.” {24.2}

25.

Chapter 25

25.1

Lord Śākyamuni once again addressed the planets, the nakṣatras, the stars, and other celestial bodies: {25.1}

25.2

“Please listen, all of you, venerable sirs, the planets and the nakṣatras!1485 This sovereign manual of the divine youth Mañjuśrī, which contains ritual instructions on the empowerment and the maṇḍala according to the mantra system,1486 should not be transgressed against. You honored celestial bodies should not obstruct the knowledge holders trained in this supreme manual who engage in the practice of recitation, homa,1487 the observance of rules, and magic. [F.203.b] [F.220.b] Nor should you hinder the insights gained by the calculations of the behavior (carita) of the asterisms and nakṣatras.1488 Instead, you and the hosts of gods should all protect those who engage in the instructions thereof. All the wicked beings should be warded off, restrained,1489 and properly instructed. None of them should be hurt in any way. [Instead,] they should be established in the stages of this doctrine that confers the ten powers.” {25.2}

26.

Chapter 26

26.1

At that time Blessed Śākyamuni, looking again1519 at the realm of the Pure Abode, addressed Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Listen, Mañjuśrī, to my short teaching on the painting procedure of One Syllable‍—the cakravartin of great power. This procedure was previously taught at length, but now only briefly.1520 {26.1}

26.2

“During this lowest eon beings have little diligence or wisdom, and are rather dull. They would be unable to successfully execute the painting in its extensive version.1521 {26.2}

27.

Chapter 27

27.1

At that time, the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and the hosts of gods dwelling there, as well as all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and the noble śrāvakas, and once again addressed Mañjuśrī the divine youth: {27.1}

27.2

“This complete basket of teachings of all the tathāgatas, O Mañjuśrī, is as illustrious as a wish-fulfilling gem. It is taught in order to make beings into receptacles wherein results will be born.1614 During the lowest eon, at the time when the buddhafield is empty, [F.215.a] [F.232.a] the tathāgatas are in the state of nirvāṇa and the genuine Dharma tools have disappeared. At such a time, in order to preserve the mantra basket of all the tathāgatas’ teachings, this One Syllable, O Mañjuśrī, taught in this king of manuals of your mantra methods, the manual of the divine youth, will become a shared treasure, which, when recited according to procedure, will fulfill the wishes of all beings.1615 This cakravartin, One Syllable, taught in your king of manuals, constitutes the essential core of the mantra systems of all the tathāgatas and is the most prominent [part of] them. When one recites him, all the tathāgata-vidyārājas1616 are being recited. {27.2}

28.

Chapter 28

28.1

Now the blessed Śākyamuni looked again at the realm of the Pure Abode and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, Mañjuśrī, in your ritual a painting procedure‍—a sādhana aid that accomplishes all activities. The ritual performed in front of this painting1683 should employ the aforementioned one-syllable heart mantra, or the six-syllable mantra that ends with ma, or your six-syllable root mantra that starts with oṁ, or the one-syllable mantra.1684 This king of rites will become the means of protection in the future time, when I, the Tathāgata, am in parinirvāṇa and the buddhafield is empty‍—at the time when the lowest eon has arrived, and the world is without protection or refuge, and with nothing to resort to. This king of rites will then become the refuge, the succor, the place of rest, and the final resort. What is this rite? {28.1}

29.

Chapter 29

29.1

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: {29.1}

29.2

“There is, Mañjuśrī, in this division of your ritual prescriptions, a seventh [set of] rites involving a painting that will be effective at the end of the [dark] eon and will without fail lead to accomplishment. This accomplishment will include the arising and maturing of happiness, the knowledge of the physical world, and the forestalling of all painful destinies, and it will certainly lead to awakening.” {29.2}

30.

Chapter 30

30.1

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: {30.1} [F.231.a] [F.248.a]

30.2

“There is, Mañjuśrī, in your mantra treatise, a list of places for accomplishing any vidyārāja mantra, starting with the mantra of Cakravartin‍—the foremost among all tathāgata-uṣṇīṣas.1802 In brief, everywhere in the northern regions, the mantras of tathāgata-1803vidyārājas will become accomplished. {30.2}

31.

Chapter 31

31.1

At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and said to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Listen Mañjuśrī, divine youth, as I teach about the ways of spirits who possess other beings, and the accompanying auspicious and inauspicious signs.” {31.1}

31.2

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, rose from his seat, prostrated at the feet of the Blessed One, folded his hands, and said to the Blessed One:

32.

Chapter 32

32.1

At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth: {32.1}

32.2

“Your mantras, Mañjuśrī, hold the key to the complete understanding of all the tantras; they possess the secrets of all the vidyās,1875 and, in consequence, they can also cause the ripening of all the results of good qualities accumulated over a long period of time. I will now authoritatively teach the factors of accomplishment, which are as follows: {32.2}

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}

34.

Chapter 34

34.1

At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and spoke to the divine youth Mañjuśrī as follows: {34.1}

34.2

“Listen, Mañjuśrī, to your most esoteric and secret teaching on your mudrās and mantras. No followers of your mantra path should ever disclose this teaching to people who have no trust and no faith in the doctrine of the Tathāgata; to people who do not have the authorizing samaya or do not maintain the continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels; to people who are in bad company; to people who do not desire religious merit; to people who interact and mix with evil companions or are surrounded by bad friends; to people who distance themselves from the Buddha’s teaching; to people who have not been instructed by their master and so this manual would bring no results for them; to people, divine youth, who have not been initiated into your supreme and most secret maṇḍala; or to people who do not observe their samaya or who have no connection to the family of the Tathāgata. {34.2}

35.

Chapter 35

35.1

At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode [F.245.a] [F.262.a] and entered the samādhi called that which animates the great receptacle of mudrās of the tathāgatas. As soon as he entered this samādhi, a great light issued from the tuft of hair between his eyebrows. This mass of light, surrounded by innumerable billions of light rays, illuminated many buddhafields, arousing all the buddhas [dwelling there], and entered back into Lord Śākyamuni’s tuft of hair. {35.1}

36.

Chapter 36

36.1

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

“There is, Mañjuśrī, a most secret mudrā presentation that includes your root2236 mudrā and its assorted mudrās. [These mudrās] may be employed in all rites. In short, they bring every kind of good fortune and produce results; they supplement every mantra and accomplish the aim of every activity. {36.1}

37.

Chapter 37

37.1

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: {37.1}

37.2

“There is, Mañjuśrī, in your root manual, another most secret mudrā. Its ritual procedure [represents] the entire mudrā system. [F.259.b] [F.276.b] It is recommended for all the mantras and can be employed with any of them. It accomplishes all rites and purifies the path to perfect awakening.2252 It destroys all the paths that lead to saṃsāric existence. It sustains all beings and grants long life, freedom from disease, and powerful sense faculties. It fulfills all wishes and gives rise to all the factors of awakening. It gives joy to all beings and produces the results they all wish and hope for. It fulfills all activities and makes all mantras efficacious. It comprises all the other mudrās and mantras. Listen, Mañjuśrī, divine youth! {37.2}

38.

Chapter 38

38.1

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

“Listen, Mañjuśrī!

“Briefly, there are detailed [teachings on] the characteristics of the mudrās and the mantras, the procedures of the maṇḍalas and the association-based2454 distribution of mudrās therein, and the secret maṇḍala of all the mantra [deities] in all the tantras.2455 {38.1}

38.2

“All of them were taught before

By every buddha of great majesty.

The exalted function of the mantras

Was explained for each of the families2456

By the former buddhas from the earliest time

To bring benefit to sentient beings. {38.2}

50.

Chapter 50

50.1

2483At that time Blessed Vajrapāṇi, the general of the yakṣas who was in the assembly, got up from his seat, draped his upper robe over the left shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, bowed2484 to the Blessed One with his palms pressed together, and made the following request: {50.1}

50.2

“O Blessed One! You have not fully explained2485 the ritual of the lord of wrath called Yamāntaka that was taught by Mañjuśrī, the divine youth. Nor has Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, explained it. I request you, Blessed One, to teach this ritual, out of regard for human beings during the final age, so that, at the time when you are in the state of complete nirvāṇa, when the teachings have disappeared, during the dreadful time of the worst age when the buddhafield is completely devoid of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, the teachings of the tathāgatas may be preserved, the domain of the Dharma may remain for a long time, all wicked kings may be subdued, those who harm the Three Jewels may be suppressed, the inconceivable bodhisattva conduct may bring the virtues of beings who require guidance to completion, and innumerable sentient beings may be brought to complete maturity. {50.2}

51.

Chapter 51

51.1

At that time Vajrapāṇi, the lord of guhyakas, looked at the entire great assembly and addressed all the hosts of beings seated [in the space] above the realm of the Pure Abode: {51.1}

51.2

“Listen, honorable friends! For a start I will teach the painting procedure of Lord of Wrath Yamāntaka‍—one of infinite power and courage, the tamer of those difficult to tame, one who terminates the life of Vaivasvata,2538 a great bodhisattva devoted to restraining wicked beings‍—the procedure that was taught by Mañjuśrī.2539 {51.2}

52.

Chapter 52

52.1

At that time the great being, Bodhisattva Śāntamati, who was sitting in the midst of that great gathering, got up from his seat, bowed to each of the buddhas, and stood in the middle of the assembly. Having circumambulated the blessed Śākyamuni three times clockwise, he bowed at his feet and, looking in the direction of Vajrapāṇi, the great general of the yakṣa army, said: {52.1}

52.2

“You are exceedingly cruel,2603 Vajrapāṇi, in that you teach mantra methods that are harmful to all sentient beings, or serve to obtain sensual pleasures. It is not proper, O son of the victorious ones, for the bodhisattvas, the great beings, to act like this because bodhisattvas, great beings, are endowed with great compassion and practice bodhisattva conduct. Practicing benevolence for the sake of all beings, they do not cast off the fetters of existence.2604 {52.2}

53.

Chapter 53

53.1

Blessed Śākyamuni, having now emerged from his samādhi,2756 continued to teach the Dharma to the assembly that resembled a great ocean. There, sitting in front of all the [assembled] beings and hosts of spirits, were uncountable thousands of bodhisattvas, headed by Vajrapāṇi; uncountable thousands of arhats, headed by Śāriputra; innumerable gods devoted to the four great kings, headed by Vaiśravaṇa; innumerable gods from the realm of the Thirty-Three, headed by Śakra; as well as innumerable gods from the realms of Suyāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmita, Vaśavartin, Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, Mahābrahmā, Parīttābha, Apramāṇa, Ābhāsvara, and so forth, until Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Avṛha, Atapas, and Akaniṣṭha. The Blessed One addressed them as follows: {53.1}

54.

Chapter 54

54.1

Directing his gaze again at the realm of the Pure Abode, the blessed Śākyamuni said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth: {54.1}

54.2

“Wherever, Mañjuśrī, this Dharma discourse is disseminated, you should know that I am present there myself, surrounded by the hosts of all the bodhisattvas, taking the place of honor among the congregation of śrāvakas, and attended upon by a retinue of all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, siddhas, vidyādharas, and other nonhuman and human beings. The Tathāgata resides there for the sake of protecting, sheltering, and defending. {54.2}

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

ap.

Appendix

Sanskrit Text

app.

Introduction to the Sanskrit text of the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa

app.1

The Sanskrit text presented here is meant to accompany the English translation. It is based on five manuscripts as detailed in the list of abbreviations for this appendix. The default source for the text presented here was Śāstrī’s (Śāstrī 1920–25)3396 published transcript of manuscript T. Variant readings are reported only when they replace Śāstrī’s readings or when deemed relevant. The notes in the critical apparatus list the variants in the order of relevance, departing from the usual practice of listing them in the alphabetical order of the sigla. It is incomplete; it leaves out three blocks of chapters not included in the Tibetan canonical translation.

ap1.

Chapter A1

ap1.1

{S1} {V1} {B1v} oṁ3397 namaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvebhyaḥ //

evaṃ mayā śrutam ekasmin samaye / bhagavāñ śuddhāvāsopari gaganatalapratiṣṭhite 'cintyāścaryādbhutapravibhaktabodhisattvasannipātamaṇḍalamāḍe3398 viharati sma / tatra bhagavāñ śuddhāvāsakāyikān devaputrān āmantrayate sma // 1.1 //

ap1.2

śṛṇvantu bhavanto3399 devaputrāḥ mañjuśriyaḥ3400 kumārabhūtasya bodhisattvasya mahāsattvasyācintyādbhutaprātihāryacaryāsamādhirddhi3401viśeṣavimokṣamaṇḍalabodhisattvavikurvaṇaṃ sarvasattvopajīvyam āyur ārogyaiśvaryam3402 / manorathaparipūrakāṇi3403 mantrapadāni sarvasattvānāṃ hitāya bhāṣiṣye / taṃ śṛṇu sādhu ca suṣṭhu ca manasi kuru / bhāṣiṣye 'haṃ te3404 // 1.2 //

ap2.

Chapter A2

ap2.1

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūtaḥ sarvāvantaṃ parṣanmaṇḍalam avalokya sarvasattvasamayānupraveśāvalokinīṃ nāma samādhiṃ samāpadyate sma / samanantarasamāpannasya ca mañjuśriyaḥ kumarabhūtasya nābhimaṇḍalapradeśād raśmir niścaranti sma / {B25r} anekaraśmikoṭīniyutaśatasahasraparivāritā samantāt sarvasattvadhātum avabhāsya punar eva taṃ śuddhāvāsabhavanaṃ avabhāsya sthitābhūt // 2.1 //

ap2.2

atha khalu vajrapāṇir bodhisattvo mahāsattvo mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

ap3.

Chapter A3

ap3.1

atha tṛtīyaḥ parivartaḥ //

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūtaḥ punar api taṃ śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya tān mahāparṣanmaṇḍalasannipatitān sarvabuddhabodhisattvān praṇamya • ekākṣaraṃ paramaguhyaṃ sarvaviṣaghātasarvakarmikaṃ ca mantraṃ svamaṇḍalasādhanaupayikaṃ sarvakṣudrakarmeṣu copayojyaṃ bhāṣate sma / katamaṃ ca tat // 3.1 //

ap3.2

namaḥ samantabuddhānām / tadyathā jaḥ / eṣa sa mārṣāḥ sārvabhūtagaṇāś ca asyaiva mantram ekākṣarasya dvitīyaṃ maṇḍalavidhānaṃ saṃkṣepato yojyam // 3.2 //

ap4.

Chapter A4

ap4.1

namo buddhāya sarvabuddhabodhisattvebhyaḥ //

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ sarvāvantaṃ śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya punar api tan mahāparṣanmaṇḍalasannipātam avalokya śākyamuneś caraṇayor nipatya prahasitavadano bhūtvā bhagavantam etad avocat // 4.1 //

ap4.2

tat sādhu bhagavān sarvasattvānāṃ hitāya mantracaryāsādhanavidhānanirhāraniṣyandadharmameghapravarṣaṇayathepsitaphalaniṣpādanapaṭalavisarāt4347 paṭavidhānam anuttarapuṇyaprasavaḥ samyaksambodhibīja4348•abhinirvartakaṃ sarvajñajñānāśeṣa•abhinirvartakam // 4.2 //

ap5.

Chapter A5

ap5.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ sarvaṃ tatparṣanmaṇḍalam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate4425 sma /

asti mañjuśrīr aparam api tvadīyaṃ madhyamaṃ paṭavidhānam / tad bhāṣiṣye 'ham / śṛṇu sādhu ca suṣṭhu ca manasi kuru // 5.1 //

ap5.2

ādau tāvat pūrvanirdiṣṭenaiva sūtrakeṇa pūrvoktenaiva vidhinā pūrvaparikalpitaiḥ śilpibhiḥ pūrvapramāṇaiva madhyamapaṭaḥ suśobhanena śuklena suvratena sadaśena • aśleṣakai raṅgair apagatakeśasaṃkārādibhir yathaiva prathamaṃ tathaiva tat kuryād varjayitvā tu pramāṇarūpakāt tat paṭaṃ paścād abhilikhāpayitavyam // 5.2 //

ap6.

Chapter A6

ap6.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma / asti mañjuśrīr aparam api paṭavidhānarahasyaṃ tṛtīyaṃ kanyasaṃ nāma yaḥ sarvasattvānām ayatnenaiva siddhiṃ gaccheyuḥ // 6.1 //

ap6.2

pūrvanirdiṣṭenaiva vidhinā śilpibhiḥ sugatavitastipramāṇaṃ tiryak tathaiva samaṃ caturasraṃ pūrvavat paṭaś citrāpayitavyaḥ pūrvanirdiṣṭai raṅgaiḥ // 6.2 //

ap6.3

ādau tāvad āryamañjuśrīḥ siṃhāsanopaniṣaṇṇo bāladārakarūpī pūrvavad dharmaṃ deśayamānaḥ samantaprabhā•arciṣo nirgacchamānaś cārurūpī citrāpayitavyaḥ / vāmapārśve āryasamantabhadro ratnopalasthitaś camaravyagrahastaś cintāmaṇivāmavinyastakaraḥ priyaṅguśyāmavarṇaḥ pūrvavac citrāpayitavyaḥ / dakṣiṇapārśve • āryamañjuśriyasya ratnopalasthita āryāvalokiteśvaraḥ / pūrvavac camaravyagrahasto vāmahastāravindavinyastaḥ samantadyotitamūrtir abhilekhyaḥ // 6.3 //

ap7.

Chapter A7

ap7.1

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūta utthāyāsanād bhagavantaṃ śākyamuniṃ triḥ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya bhagavataś caraṇayor nipatya bhagavantam evam āha //

sādhu sādhu bhagavatā yas tathāgatenārhatā samyaksambuddhena subhāṣito 'yaṃ dharmaparyāyaḥ sarvavidyāvratacāriṇām arthāya hitāya sukhāya lokānukampāyai / bodhisattvānām upāyakauśalyatā darśitā nirvāṇoparigāminī vartmopaviśeṣā niyataṃ bodhiparāyaṇā saṃtatir bodhisattvānāṃ sarvamantrārthacaryā sādhanīyam / etanmantrarahasyasarvajanavistāraṇakarī bhaviṣyati // 7.1 //

ap8.

Chapter A8

ap8.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamunir mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

ye te mañjuśrīs tvayā nirdiṣṭā sattvā teṣām arthāya • idaṃ paṭavidhānaṃ visaram ākhyātam / te svalpenaivopāyena sādhayiṣyante / teṣām arthāya sādhanopayikaṃ4496 guṇavistāraprabhedavibhāgaśaḥ karmavibhāgaṃ samanubhāṣiṣyāmi / taṃ śṛṇu sādhu ca suṣṭhu ca manasi kuru / bhāṣiṣye sarvasattvānām arthāya // 8.1 //

ap8.2

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūto bhagavantam etad avocat /

ap9.

Chapter A9

ap9.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ sarvāvatīparṣanmaṇḍalopaniṣaṇṇān devasaṅghān āmantrayate sma /

śṛṇvantu bhavanto mārṣā mañjuśriyasya kumarabhūtasya caryāmaṇḍalamantrasādhanopāyikaṃ4507 rakṣārthaṃ sādhakasya paramaguhyatamaṃ paramaguhyahṛdayaṃ sarvatathāgatabhāṣitaṃ mahāvidyārājaṃ yena japtena sarvamantrā japtā bhavanti // 9.1 //

ap9.2

anatikramaṇīyo 'yaṃ bho devasaṅghā ayaṃ vidyārājā / mañjuśriyo 'pi kumarabhūto 'nena vidyārājñā • ākṛṣṭo vaśam ānīto sammatībhūtaḥ / kaḥ punarvādaḥ / tadanye bodhisattvā laukikalokottarāś ca mantrāḥ / sarvavighnāṃś ca nāśayaty eṣa mahāvīryaḥ prabhāva ekavīrya eka • eva sarvamantrāṇām agram ākhyāyate / eka • eva • ekākṣarāṇām akṣaram ākhyāyate / katamaṃ ca tat // 9.2 //

ap10.

Chapter A10

ap10.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api karmasādhanottamaṃ bhāṣate sma /

iha kalparāje anyatamaṃ mantraṃ gṛhītvā gaṅgāmahānadīm avatīrya nauyānasaṃsthitaḥ gaṅgāyā madhye kṣīrodanāhāras triṃśallakṣāṇi japet yatheṣṭadivasaiḥ / tato japānte sarvān nāgān paśyati / tataḥ sādhanam ārabhet4519 / tatraiva naumadhye agnikuṇḍaṃ kārayet padmākāram / tato nāgakesarapuṣpaiḥ paṭasya mahatīṃ pūjāṃ kṛtvā jyeṣṭhaṃ paṭaṃ paścānmukhaṃ pratiṣṭhāpya ātmanaś ca pūrvābhimukhaṃ kuśaviṇḍakopaviṣṭo nāgakesarapuṣpam ekaikaṃ saptābhimantritaṃ kṛtvā khadirakāṣṭhendhanāgniprajvālite juhuyād yāvat triṃśasahasrāṇi śvetacandanakuṅkumapūtānāṃ nāgakesarapuṣpānāṃ4520 nānyeṣām / nāgānāṃ darśanam avekṣyam / siddhadravyaiś ca pralobhayanti / na grahītavyāni // 10.1 //

ap11.

Chapter A11

ap11.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

asti mañjuśrīs tvadīyaṃ madhyamaṃ paṭavidhānaṃ madhyamakarmopayikasādhanavidhiḥ / samāsatas tāṃ bhāṣiṣye / taṃ śṛṇu sādhu ca suṣṭhu ca manasi kuru / bhāṣiṣye // 11.1 //

ap11.2

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūto bhagavantam evam āhuḥ /

tad vadatu bhagavān lokānukampakaḥ śāstā sarvasattvahite rato yasyedānīṃ kālaṃ manyase / asmākam anukampārtham anāgatānāṃ ca janatām avekṣya // 11.2 //

ap12.

Chapter A12

ap12.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api sarvāvantaṃ śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma //

śṛṇu tvaṃ mañjuśrīs tvadīyaṃ vidyāmantrānusāriṇāṃ sakalasattvārthasamprayuktānāṃ sattvānāṃ yena jāpyante mantrā yena vā jāpyante • akṣasūtravidhiṃ sarvatantreṣu sāmānyasādhanopayikasarvamantrāṇām / taṃ śṛṇu sādhu ca suṣṭhu ca manasi kuru / bhāṣiṣye // 12.1 //

ap12.2

evam ukte mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūto bhagavantam etad avocat /

ap13.

Chapter A13

ap13.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api4721 śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma / asti mañjuśrīḥ tvadīya4722mantrapaṭalasamastavinyastaviśeṣavidhinā homakarmaṇi prayuktasya vidyāsādhakasya • agnyupacaryā4723viśeṣavidhānato yatra pratiṣṭhitā sarvavidyācaryāniyuktāḥ sattvāḥ prayujyante / katamaṃ ca tat / rahasyavidyāmantrapadāni / tadyathā //4724 13.1 //

ap13.2

{A27v3}4725 oṁ uttiṣṭha4726 haripiṅgala lohitākṣa dehi dadāpaya hūṃ phaṭ phaṭ sarvavighnān vināśaya svāhā //

ap14.

Chapter A14

ap14.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

asti mañjuśrīs tvadīyavidyārahasyasādhanopayikasarvamantrāṇāṃ samanujñas tathāgatadharmakośavisṛta dharmameghānupraviṣṭa gaganasvabhāva sarvamantrāṇāṃ laukikalokottarāṇāṃ prabhur jyeṣṭhatamo yathā kumāraḥ sarvasattvānām / tathāgato 'tra •ākhyāyate jyeṣṭhatamaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ / devamanuṣyāṇāṃ puruṣaṛṣabho buddho bhagavān evaṃ hi kumāra sarvamantrāṇām ayaṃ vidyārājā • agram ākhyāyate śreṣṭhatamaḥ / pūrvanirdiṣṭaṃ tathāgatair anabhilāpyair gaṅgānadīsikatapuṇyair buddhair bhagavadbhī ratnaketos tathāgatasya paramahṛdayaṃ paramaguhyaṃ sarvamaṅgalasammatasarvabuddhasaṃstutapraśastaṃ sarvabuddha sattvasamāśvāsakaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśakaṃ sarvakāmadaṃ sarvāśāparipūrakam / katamaṃ ca tat // 14.1 //

ap15.

Chapter A15

ap15.1

atha khalu vajrapāṇir bodhisattvo mahāsattvas tatraiva parṣanmadhye saṃnipatito 'bhūt / saṃniṣaṇṇaḥ sa utthāyāsanād bhagavantaṃ triḥ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya bhagavataś caraṇayor nipatya bhagavantam etad avocat // 15.1 //

ap15.2

sādhu sādhu bhagavan / sudeśitaṃ suprakāśitaṃ paramasubhāṣitaṃ vidyāmantraprayogamahādharmameghavinisṛtaṃ sarvatathāgatahṛdayaṃ mahāvidyārājacakravartinamahākalpavistarasarvārtha4830pāripūrakaṃ saphalaṃ sampādakabodhimārganiruttaraṃ kriyābhedasaṃdhyajapahomavidyacaryānuvartināṃ mārgaṃ dṛṣṭaphalakarmapratyayajanitahetunimittamahādbhutadaśabalākramaṇakuśalabodhimaṇḍa-m-ākramaṇaniyataparāyaṇam / tat sādhu bhagavān vadatu śāstā mantrasādhanānukūlāni svapnasaṃdarśanakālanimittam yena vidyāsādhakānuvartinaḥ sattvāḥ siddhinimittaṃ karma • ārabheyuḥ saphalāś ca sarvavidyāḥ karmanimittāni bhavanti-r-iti // 15.2 //

ap16.

Chapter A16

ap16.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya4905 mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

śṛṇu mañjuśrīḥ / tvadīye sarvārthakriyākarmapaṭalavisaraṃ pūrvanirdiṣṭaṃ parṣanmaṇḍalamadhye savistaraṃ vakṣye 'ham / pṛṣṭo 'yaṃ yakṣarājena vajrahastena dhīmatā // 16.1 //

ap16.2

sarvamantrārthayuktānāṃ svapnānāṃ ca śubhāśubham /

ata prasaṅgena sarvedaṃ kathitaṃ mantrajāpinām // 16.2 //

ap16.3

yakṣarāṭ tuṣṭamanaso mūrdhni kṛtvā tu • añjalim /

praṇamya śirasā śāstur abhyuvāca girāṃ tadā4906 // 16.3 //

ap17.

Chapter A17

ap17.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ sarvatathāgatavikurvitaṃ nāma samādhiṃ samāpadyate sma / samanantarasamāpannasya bhagavataḥ śākyamuner ūrṇākośād raśmayo niścarati sma / nīlapītāvadātamāñjiṣṭhasphaṭikavarṇaḥ / sarvaṃ cedaṃ budhakṣetram avabhāsya sarvalokadhātvantarāṇi cālokayitvā sarvagrahanakṣatrāṃś ca muhūrtamātreṇa jihmīkṛtyākṛṣṭavān4926 / ākṛṣṭā ca svakasvakā sthānāni saṃniyojya tat parṣanmaṇḍalaṃ buddhādhiṣṭhānenākṛṣya ca tatraiva bhagavataḥ śākyamuner ūrṇākośāntardhīyate sma / sarvaṃ ca grahanakṣatratārakāḥ • jyotiṣo-r-uparudhyamānā ārtā bhītā bhagavantaṃ śākyamuniṃ prajagmuḥ / kṛtāñjalayaś ca tasthure prakampayamānā muhur muhuś ca dharaṇitale prapatanamānāḥ // 17.1 //

ap24.

Chapter A24

ap24.1

4943atha bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ sarvanakṣatragrahatārakajyotiṣāṃ sarvalokadhātuparyāpannānāṃ sarvadigvyavasthitān sarvamaharddhikotkṛṣṭatarāṅ grahān4944 āmantrayate sma // 24.1 //

ap24.2

śṛṇvantu bhavanto mārṣāḥ sarvagrahanakṣatraprabhāvasvavākyaṃ4945 / prabhāvaṃ nirdeśayituṃ4946 bhavantaḥ / sarvamantrakriyārthāṃ sādhayantu4947 bhavantaḥ / samaye ca tiṣṭhantu bhavantaḥ4948 / iha kalparāje mañjughoṣasya śāsane siddhiṃ parataś cānyāṃ kalparājāṃsi • autsukyamānā bhavantu bhavanta iti // 24.2 //

ap25.

Chapter A25

ap25.1

atha bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api grahanakṣatratārakajyotiṣagaṇān āmantrayate sma // 25.1 //

ap25.2

+ + + + śṛṇvantu bhavantaḥ sarve / anatikramaṇīyo 'yaṃ kalparājā mañjuśriyaḥ kumarabhūtasya mantratantrābhiṣekamaṇḍalavidhānaṃ / na ca5303 japahomaniyamavidyāsādhanapravṛttānām asmiṃ kalpavare vidyādharāṇāṃ tithinakṣatracaritagaṇitām abhijñānāṃ nakṣatrabhavadbhiḥ vighnaṃ kartavyam / pravṛttānāṃ śāsane 'smin sarvaiś ca devasaṅghais tatra rakṣā kāryā / sarve ca duṣṭasattvāni niṣeddhavyāni roddhavyāni śāsayitavyāni / sarve sarvaṃ na ghātayitavyāni / vyavasthāsu ca sthāpayitavyāni śāsane 'smin daśabalānām // 25.2 //

ap26.

Chapter A26

ap26.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma / śṛṇu mañjuśrīr ekākṣaracakravartinasya mahānubhāvasya saṃkṣepeṇa paṭavidhānaṃ bhavati / vistaraśaḥ pūrvam udīritam adhunā saṃkṣepeṇa // 26.1 //

ap26.2

yugādhame sattvā alpavīryā bhavanti • alpaprajñā mandacetasaḥ / na śakyante vistaraśaḥ paṭapramāṇaprayogaṃ sādhayitum // 26.2 //

ap26.3

saṃkṣepeṇa vakṣye 'haṃ sattvānāṃ hitakāmyayā /

uttamārthaṃ tu yathā siddhiṃ5319 prāpnuvanti sa jāpinaḥ // 26.3 //

ap27.

Chapter A27

ap27.1

atha bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya tatrasthāṃś ca devasaṅghān sarvāṃś ca buddhabodhisattvā pratyekabuddhāryaśrāvakān punar api mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 27.1 //

ap27.2

nirdiṣṭo 'yaṃ mañjuśrīḥ sarvatathāgatānāṃ sarvasvabhūtaṃ dharmakośaṃ cintāmaṇipratiprakhyaṃ lokānām āśayasaphalīkaraṇārthaṃ tasmin kāle yugādhame śūnye buddhakṣetre parinirvṛtānāṃ tathāgatānāṃ saddharmanetrī•antardhānakālasamaye tasmin kāle tasmin samaye sarvatathāgatānāṃ mantrakośasaṃrakṣanārthaṃ tvadīyakumāramantratantrāṇāṃ kalparāje 'smin nidhānabhūto bhaviṣyati japyamāno vidhinā sārabhūto 'yaṃ mañjuśrīḥ / sarvatathāgatamantratantrāṇāṃ tvadīye ca kumārakalparāje 'grabhūto bhaviṣyaty ayam ekākṣaracakravartī / anena japyamānena sarve tāthāgatā vidyārājānaḥ japtā bhavanti // 27.2 //

ap28.

Chapter A28

ap28.1

atha bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

asti mañjuśrīr aparam api tvadīyapaṭavidhānaṃ sādhanaupayikaṃ sarvakarmārthasādhakam / etenaiva tu • ekākṣareṇa hṛdayamantreṇa ṣaḍakṣareṇa5364 vā makarāntena tvadīyena mūlamantreṇa vā ṣaḍakṣarahṛdayena • oṁkārādyena • ekākṣareṇa vā paṭasyāgrataḥ • asyaiva kalpaṃ bhavati / paścime kāle paścime samaye mayi tathāgate parinirvṛte śūnye buddhakṣetre yugādhame prāpte • atrāṇe loke • aśaraṇe • aparāyaṇe idam eva kalparājā trāṇabhūtaṃ bhaviṣyati / śaraṇabhūtaṃ layanabhūtaṃ parāyaṇabhūtam / katamaṃ ca tat // 28.1 //

ap29.

Chapter A29

ap29.1

atha bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 29.1 //

ap29.2

asti mañjuśrīs tvadīye kalpavidhānaparivarte saptamaṃ5395 paṭakarmavidhānaṃ yo5396 tasmin kāle tasmin samaye yugānte sādhayiṣyati5397 • amoghā tasya siddhir bhaviṣyati / saphalā sukhodayā sukhavipākā5398 dṛṣṭadharmavedanīyā sarvadurgatinivāraṇīyā5399 niyataṃ tasya bodhiparāyaṇīyā5400 siddhir bhaviṣyati // 29.2 //

ap30.

Chapter A30

ap30.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 30.1 //

ap30.2

asti mañjuśrīs tvadīyamantratantre vidyārājñāṃ cakravartiprabhṛtīnāṃ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣapramukhānāṃ sarvamantrāṇāṃ siddhisthānāni bhavanti / tatrottarāpathe sarvatra tāthāgatīvidyārājñaḥ siddhiṃ gacchanti saṃkṣepataḥ // 30.2 //

ap30.3

cīne caiva mahācīne mañjughoṣaḥ sedhiṣyate5434 /

ye ca tasya mantrā vai siddhiṃ yāsyanti tatra vai // 30.3 //

ap31.

Chapter A31

ap31.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

śṛṇu mañjuśrīḥ kumāra pūrvanirdiṣṭaṃ padaṃ sattvāviṣṭānāṃ caritaṃ śubhāśubhaṃ nimittaṃ ca vakṣye // 31.1 //

ap31.2

atha khalu mañjuśrīḥ kumarabhūtaḥ • utthāyāsanād bhagavataś caraṇayor nipatya murdhnim añjaliṃ kṛtvā bhagavantam etad avocat //

tat sādhu bhagavān vadatu sattvānāṃ parasattvadehasaṅkrāntānām āryadivya †eti† siddhagandharvayakṣarākṣasapiśācamahoragaprabhṛtīnāṃ vicitrakarmakṛtaśarīrāṇāṃ vicitragatiniśritānāṃ vividhākārānekacihnānāṃ manuṣyāmanuṣyabhūtānāṃ cittacaritāni / samayo bhagavān samayaḥ sugataḥ / yasyedānīṃ5448 kālaṃ manyase // 31.2 //

ap32.

Chapter A32

ap32.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 32.1 //

ap32.2

asti mañjuśrīs tvadīyamantrāṇāṃ sarvatantreṣu samanupraveśaṃ5475 sarvavidyārahasyam anekakālaguṇasakalaphalodayam apy anubandhanimittam / pramāṇato vakṣye siddhikāraṇāni / tadyathā // 32.2 //

ap32.3

janmāntaritā siddhir na siddhiḥ kālahetutaḥ /

tatpramāṇaprayogas tu pūrvasambaddham udbhavā // 32.3 //

ap32.4

ahitāvahito siddhir bhaved yuktivicāraṇam /

tvatkumārāśrayayuktir dṛśyate sarvadehinām // 32.4 //

ap33.

Chapter A33

ap33.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ sarvāvantaṃ śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 33.1 //

ap33.2

tvadīye mañjuśrī kalparāje nirdeśa5485samākhyāte dharmadhātukośatathāgatagarbhadharmadhātuniṣpandānucarite mahāsūtravararatnapaṭalavisare tathāgataguhyavara-m-anujñāte mantravara5486sādhyamāne nimittajñānacihnakālapramāṇāntaritasādhanaupayikāni sarvabhūtarutavitāni • asattvasattvasaṃjñānirghoṣāni bhavanti // 33.2 //

ap34.

Chapter A34

ap34.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api taṃ śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 34.1 //

ap34.2

śṛṇu mañjuśrīḥ tvadīyamudrāmantraṃ5525 sarahasyaṃ paramaguhyatamam / aprakāśya-m-aśrāddhasattvatathāgataśāsane 'nabhiprasannam asamayānujñātatriratnavaṃśānucchedanakare • akalyāṇamitraparigṛhīte puṇyākāme5526 duṣṭajanasamparkavyatimiśrite pāpamitraparigṛhīte dūrībhūte buddhadharmāṇāṃ niṣphalībhūte kalpe 'smin nācāryānupadeśe • anabhiṣikte5527 tava kumāra paramaguhyatame maṇḍale • adṛṣṭasamaye tathāgatakule • asamante jane • aprakāśya sarvabhūtānāṃ tvanmantrānuvartināṃ // 34.2 //

ap35.

Chapter A35

ap35.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya tathāgatamahāmudrākośasañcodanī nāma samādhiṃ samāpadyate sma / samanantarasamāpannasya bhagavataḥ śākyamune • ūrṇākośān mahāraśmir niścacāra / anekaraśmikoṭīnayutaśatasahasrasaṅkhyeyaparivārāḥ sā raśmijālā anekān buddhakṣetrān avabhāsayitvā sarvabuddhān sañcodya punar api bhagavataḥ śākyamuner ūrṇākośe 'ntarhitā // 35.1 //

ap35.2

samanantarasañcoditāś ca sarve buddhā bhagavanto gaganasvabhāvāṃ samādhiṃ samāpadya śuddhāvāsopari gaganatale pratyaṣṭhāt / atha bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ sarvabuddhān abhyarcya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

ap36.

Chapter A36

ap36.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma /

asti mañjuśrīḥ paramaguhyatamaṃ tvadīyaṃ mūlamudrāsameta saparivāraṃ mudrālakṣaṇaṃ sarvakarmeṣu copayojyaṃ sarvasampattidāyakaṃ saphalaṃ sarvamantrānuvartanaṃ sarvakarmārthasādhakaṃ saṃkṣepataḥ / śṛṇu mañjuśrīḥ // 36.1 //

ap36.2

ādau tāvat prasṛtāñjalis tarjanyānāmikāmadhyaparvatānupraviṣṭā pṛthak pṛthak / sā eṣā mañjuśrīs tvadīyā mūlamudrā vikhyātā sarvakarmikā bhavati // 36.2 //

ap37.

Chapter A37

ap37.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 37.1 //

ap37.2

asti mañjuśrīs tvadīye mūlakalpe • aparam api mudrā paramaguhyatamam / sarveṣāṃ mudrātantravidhānaṃ sarvamantrāṇāṃ sammataṃ sarvamantraiś ca saha saṃyojyaṃ5617 sarvakarmaprasādhakaṃ samyaksambodhimārgaviśodhakaṃ sarvabhavamārgavināśakaṃ sarvasattvopajīvyam āyurārogyaiśvaryasarvāśāpāripūrakaṃ sarvabodhipakṣadharmaparipūrakaṃ sarvasattvasantoṣaṇakaraṃ sarvasattvamanāśābhirucitasaphalābhikaraṇaṃ sarvakarmakaraṃ sarvamantrānuprasādhakaṃ sarvamudrāmantrasametam / śṛṇu kumāra mañjuśrīḥ // 37.2 //

ap38.

Chapter A38

ap38.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma / śṛṇu mañjuśrīḥ /

saṃkṣepato mudrāṇāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ mantrāṇāṃ ca savistaram / saṃkṣepataś ca maṇḍalānāṃ vidhiḥ samayānuvartanaṃ5668 mudrāsthānaṃ ca teṣu vai / sarahasyaṃ sarvamantrāṇāṃ sarvatantreṣu5669 maṇḍalam // 38.1 //

ap38.2

etat sarvaṃ purā proktaṃ sarvabuddhair maharddhikaiḥ /

mantrāṇāṃ gatimāhātmyaṃ kathitaṃ sarvakuleṣv api /

ādimadbhiḥ purābuddhaiḥ sattvānāṃ hitakāraṇāt // 38.2 //

ap50.

Chapter A50

ap50.1

5677atha khalu bhagavān vajrapāṇir yakṣasenāpatis tasyāṃ parṣadi sannipatito 'bhūt / sanniṣaṇṇaḥ • utthāyāsanād ekāṃśam uttarāsaṅgaṃ kṛtvā dakṣiṇaṃ jānumaṇḍalaṃ pṛthivyāṃ pratiṣṭhāpya sa yena bhagavāṃs tenāñjaliṃ praṇamya bhagavantam etad avocat // 50.1 //

ap50.2

yo hi bhagavan mañjuśriyā kumarabhūtena krodharājā yamāntako nāma bhāṣitaḥ tasya kalpaṃ vistaraśo bhagavatā na prakāśitam / nāpi mañjuśriyā kumarabhūtena / ahaṃ bhagavan paścimatā janatām avekṣya bhagavatā parinirvṛte śāsanāntardhānakālasamaye vartamāne mahābhairavakāle yugādhame sarvaśrāvakapratyekabuddhavinirmukte buddhakṣetre tathāgataśāsanasaṃrakṣaṇārthaṃ dharmadhātucirasthityarthaṃ sarvaduṣṭarājñāṃ nivāraṇārthaṃ ratnatrayāpakāriṇāṃ nigrahārthaṃ vaineyasattvakauśalācintyabodhisattvacaryāparipūraṇārtham acintyasattvapāka-m-abhinirharaṇārthaṃ ca // 50.2 //

ap51.

Chapter A51

ap51.1

atha khalu vajrapāṇir guhyakādhipatiḥ sarvāvantaṃ mahāparṣanmaṇḍalam avalokya sarvāṃs tān śuddhāvāsopariniṣaṇṇān bhūtasaṅghān āmantrayate sma // 51.1 //

ap51.2

śṛṇvantu bhavanto mārṣā yamāntakasya krodharājasyāparimitabalaparākramasya durdāntadamakasya vaivasvatajīvitāntakarasya duṣṭasattvanigrahatatparasya mahābodhisattvasya mañjuśriyabhāṣitasya • ādau5689 tāvat paṭavidhānaṃ bhavati // 51.2 //

ap51.3

na tithir na ca nakṣatraṃ nopavāso vidhīyate /

arīṇāṃ bhaya5690 utpanne paṭam etaṃ likhāpayet // 51.3 //

ap52.

Chapter A52

ap52.1

atha khalu śāntamatir bodhisattvo mahāsattvas tasminn eva parṣatsannipāte sannipatitaḥ sanniṣaṇṇo 'bhūt / utthāyāsanāt sarvabuddhaṃ praṇamya parṣanmaṇḍalamadhye sthitvā bhagavantaṃ śākyamuniṃ triḥ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya caraṇayor nipatya sa yena vajrapāṇir mahāyakṣasenāpatis tena vyavalokya vācam udīrayati sma // 52.1 //

ap52.2

atikrūras tvaṃ vajrapāṇe5788 yas tvaṃ sarvasattvānāṃ sattvopaghātikaṃ kāmopasaṃhitaṃ ca mantratantrāṃ bhāṣayase / na khalu bho jinaputra bodhisattvānāṃ mahāsattvānām eṣa dharmaḥ / mahākaruṇāprabhāvitā hi mahābodhisattvā bodhisattvacārikāṃ carante / sarvasattvānām arthāya hitādhyāśayena pratipannā bhavabandhanān na mucyante // 52.2 //

ap53.

Chapter A53

ap53.1

atha khalu bhagavāñ śākyamunis tasmāt samādher vyutthāya mahāsāgaropamāyāṃ parṣanmaṇḍalaṃ dharmaṃ deśayamānaḥ sarvasattvānāṃ sarvabhūtagaṇānām agrataḥ sanniṣaṇṇās tatra vajrapāṇipramukhānām anekabodhisattvā6070sṅkhyeyasahasrāṃ śāriputrapramukhām anekāsaṅkheyārhatsahasrāṃ vaiśravaṇapramukhām asaṅkhyeyārcacāturmahārājikadevaputrāṃ śakrapramukhāṃ trāyastriṃśām asaṅkhyeyadevaputrāṃ suyāmasantuṣitanirmāṇaratiparanirmitavaśavartibrahmakāyikabrahmapurohitamahābrahmaparīttābhāpramāṇābhāsvarair yāvat puṇyaprasavā bṛhatphalāvṛhā6071tapākaniṣṭhā devān āmantrayate sma // 53.1 //

ap54.

Chapter A54

ap54.1

atha bhagavān śākyamuniḥ punar api śuddhāvāsabhavanam avalokya mañjuśriyaṃ kumarabhūtam āmantrayate sma // 54.1 //

ap54.2

ayaṃ mañjuśrīḥ • dharmaparyāyaḥ • asmin sthāne pracariṣyati tatrāhaṃ6780 svayam evaṃ veditavyaḥ / sarvabodhisattvagaṇaparivṛtaḥ śrāvakasaṅghapuraskṛtaḥ sarvadevanāgayakṣagaruḍagandharvakinnaramahoragasiddhavidyādhara6781mānuṣāmānuṣaiḥ parivṛto vihare 'haṃ veditavyaḥ / tathāgato 'tra rakṣāvaraṇaguptaye tiṣṭhatīti // 54.2 //

ab.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations Used in the Introduction and Translation

C	Choné Kangyur
D	Degé Kangyur
H	Lhasa Kangyur
J	Lithang Kangyur
K	Kangxi Kangyur
K_Y	Yongle 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

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
K_Y	Yongle (g.yung lo) 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

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

Notes

n.1

Not to be confused with the division of the Buddhist canon of the same name.

n.2

Cf. Wallis 2002, pp. 9–10. The canonical Chinese translation, done in at least two stages, dates to the 11th century (ib., p. 10).

n.3

Jean Przyluski (Przyluski 1923, p. 301) wrote, “C’est une sorte d’encyclopédie qui traite, sous forme de sermons, des sujets les plus variés: iconographie, rituel, astrologie, etc…”

n.4

In the MMK as a whole, there are more than 1,600 proper names, excluding place names.

n.5

The accumulations are mentioned, e.g., in the passage: “There is, in the extensive manual of rites of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, an ocean-like chapter on useful practices whereby beings who have undertaken the complete practice of the mantra system [can perfect] the accumulations [required for the attainment of] awakening” (asti mañjuśriyaḥ kumārabhūtasya bodhisattvasya mahāsattvasya kalpavisare samudrāpaṭalasādhanopayikaṃ sarvamantratantracaryānupraviṣṭānāṃ sattvānāṃ bodhisambhārakāraṇam). The chapter that this quotation is taken from is not included in our translation, but is appended to chapter 36 in Śāstrī’s edition (Śāstrī 1920-25, vol. 2, p. 384, lines 8–10).

n.6

Comment left by Harunaga Isaacson at http://tibetica.blogspot.com/2008/11/in-window-of-sweet-shop.html.

n.7

The number 55 is arbitrary inasmuch as this count includes only one of the two chapters, each specified in its colophon in the Trivendrum manuscript as “the thirty-fourth.” These two chapters are placed together in Śāstrī’s edition where they form chapter 36. Only the first of them is included in our translation. Also, another couple of chapters seem to have been created artificially, such as, e.g., “chapter” 55, appended in Śāstrī’s edition after the final chapter 54, where it clearly does not belong.

n.8

Two sets of folio references have been included in this translation due to a discrepancy in volume 88 (rgyud ’bum, na) of the Degé Kangyur between the 1737 par phud printings and the late (post par phud) printings. In the latter case, an extra work, Bodhimaṇḍasyālaṃkāralakṣadhāraṇī (Toh 508, byang chub snying po’i rgyan ’bum gyi gzungs), was added as the second text in the volume, thereby displacing the pagination of all the following texts in the same volume by 17 folios. Since the eKangyur follows the later printing, both references have been provided, with the highlighted one linking to the eKangyur viewer.

n.9

byang chub sems dpa’ ’dus pa’i ’khor gyi tshogs Tib. The word “pavilion” is missing from the Tibetan. The Sanskrit word maṇḍala, taken here to describe “pavilion” (cf. Edgerton 1970, maṇḍalamāḍa, p. 416), is translated in the Tibetan as tshogs (“assembly”) and refers to the “congregation of bodhisattvas.”

n.527

Om. Tib.

n.528

“It also brings complete omniscience” om. Tib.

n.603

shin tu bkrus pa D. The phrase “Tightly woven, thoroughly clean” has been supplied from the Tibetan. The Skt. has in this position “keeping the vow well.”

n.604

kha tshar dang bcas pa dang / Tib. The phrase “fringe tassels” in the Tibetan or “fringe” (sadaśa) in the Skt. probably refers to the threads extending beyond the rectangle of the woven cloth on each of the four sides.

n.610

rab tu gsang ba K_Y, K, N, H; rab tu gsungs pa D. K_Y, K, N, and H agree with the Sanskrit ºrahasya.

n.611

khyod kyi N, H; khyod kyis D; N and H indicate that the “cloth-painting procedure” pertains specifically to Mañjuśrī.

n.612

“Smallest” om. Tib.

n.622

phung po lhag ma dang bcas pa’i mya ngan las ’das pa’i grong khyer du ’gro bar byed pa/ Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “that takes [them] to the citadel of nirvāṇa in which the aggregates remain.”

n.623

byang chub sems dpa’ rnams kyi rgyud nges par byang chub sgrub par byed pa/ Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “that continuously causes them to always accomplish the awakening of all bodhisattvas.”

n.624

bdag gi gsang sngags ’di Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “This secret mantra of mine.”

n.663

’jam dpal gzhon nu gang khyod kyis bstan pa’i sems can de dag gi phyir/ le’u’i cho ga rab ’byam ’di thabs sla bas ’grub par ’gyur ba ngas kyang bstan te/ D. The Tibetan translates as, “Mañjuśrī, I have taught the extensive chapter on the rite, a method that is easy to master, for the sake of those beings whom you foretold.”

n.664

“I will speak for the benefit of all beings” om. Tib.

n.716

klu rnams mthong ba yang don yod pa yin te/ Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “this is effective in making the nāgas appear.”

n.954

“Mantras” om. Tib.

n.1019

The translation of this paragraph is partially based on the Tibetan and partially based on the Skt.

n.1121

“Time” om. Tib.

n.1293

The reference is made here to the immediately preceding chapter.

n.1294

blo dang ldan pa gnod sbyin gyi bdag po lag na rdo rjes nga la dris nas/ ’jam dpal khyod kyi don thams cad bya ba’i las kyi le’u rab ’byam ’khor gyi dkyil ’khor gyi nang du rgya cher sngar bstan pa yin no/ D. This paragraph has been translated mainly from the Tibetan. In the Skt. it begins with “Listen, Mañjuśrī!” The clause “Requested by … in his hand” comes at the end of the paragraph and possibly serves to introduce the verse that follows. The Skt. also includes the phrase “I will [now] teach…” (future tense) which seems to clash with the past tense (“I taught”) of the immediately following section that sums up the previous chapter.

n.1295

sngags kyi zlos pa bstan pa yin/ D. The Tibetan corresponding to the Skt. kathitaṃ mantrajāpinām (“[all this] was taught for/with reference to the mantra reciters”) translates as, “the recitation of mantras has been taught.”

n.1357

From this chapter onward, the chapter numbers are out of step with those in the Tibetan translation. Chapters 18 to 23 in the Sanskrit text are not included in the Tibetan translation of the text and are not translated here.

n.1485

kye kye gza’ dang rgyu skar kyi tshogs rnams khyed cag thams cad nyon cig Tib. “The planets and the nakṣatras” has been supplied from the Tibetan (Skt.: lacunae).

n.1486

sngags dang / rgyud dang / dbang bskur ba dang / dkyil ’khor dang / D. The Tibetan reads the compound mantratantrābhiṣekamaṇḍala as a dvandva that translates as, “the mantra, the tantra, the empowerment, and the maṇḍala.”

n.1487

“Homa” om. Tib.

n.1488

The grammar of this part, starting from “This sovereign,” is not very clear.

n.1489

sems can ma rungs pa thams cad kyang dgag par gyis shig /bstan par gyis shig D. “Restrained/stopped” (roddhavyāni) is omitted in the Tibetan.

n.1519

“Again” om. Tib.

n.1520

“But now only briefly” om. Tib.

n.1521

ras ris kyi tshad rgya che ba’i sbyor ba sgrub pa nyams par ’gyur bas/ D. The Tibetan translates as, “The practice of executing the painting in its extended version has degenerated.”

n.1614

’jam dpal bstan pa ’di ni de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi nor du gyur pa/ chos kyi mdzod ’jig rten pa rnams kyi bsam pa ’bras bu dang bcas pa byed pa’i phyir nor bu rin po che lta bur gyur pa’o/ D. The Tibetan translates as, “This teaching, Mañjuśrī, is the jewel of all the tathāgatas. This treasure chest of Dharma is like a wish fulfilling jewel because it brings the wishes of worldly beings to fruition.”

n.1615

sems can thams cad kyi bsams pa yongs su rdzogs par bya ba’i phyir cho ga bzhin du bzas pa byas na thob pa yin no/ D. The phrase, “will fulfill the wishes of all beings” is based on the Tibetan, which translates as, “Since it can fulfill the wishes of all beings, if one has recited the mantra following the proper procedure, one will attain the result.” Sections of this line are not found in the Skt.

n.1616

“Tathāgata-vidyārājas” must refer to other uṣṇīṣa kings‍—Sitātapatra, Tejorāśi, and so forth.

n.1683

ras ris dang po Tib. In place of “in front of this painting,” the Tibetan has “this first painting.”

n.1684

’di nyid kyi yi ge gcig pa’i snying po’i sngags sam yi ge drug po ma’i mtha’ can khyod kyi sngar bstan pa’i yi ge drug pa’i snying po’am dang po na oM yod pa’i yi ge gcig pa’i ras ris dang po ’di nyid kyi cho gar ’gyur ba ni phyi ma’i dus phyi ma’i tshe na D. It is not clear in the Skt. why the “one-syllable mantra” is mentioned twice and whether it is the same one-syllable mantra or not. The Tibetan translates as, “It will be the ritual of this first painting‍—whether it be this one’s single-syllable heart mantra, the six-syllable mantra ending with ma, your aforementioned six-syllable heart mantra, or the single-syllable mantra with oṃ first‍—that, at a later time in the future … /”

n.1802

’jam dpal khyod kyi sngags dang rgyud dang rig pa’i rgyal po dang ’khor los sgyur ba la sogs pa dang de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi gtsug tor la sogs pa dang sngags thams cad kyi grub pa’i gnas yod de/ Tib. “Tathāgata-uṣṇīṣas,” here and elsewhere in the MMK, refers to the deities called uṣṇīṣa kings. The Tibetan translates as, “Mañjuśrī, there are places where one can accomplish your mantra system, the vidyādhara and cakravartin and the like, all of the tathāgata-uṣṇīṣas and the like, and all mantras.”

n.1803

The word tathāgata has a feminine ending in the Skt. This could be either a corruption or could reflect the gender of vidyā (feminine).

n.1875

rig pa thams cad la ’os pa/ Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “they are applicable to all vidyās.”

n.1897

A nirdeśa is a type of an explanatory text, usually on religious or philosophical matters.

n.1898

’jam dpal khyod kyi cho ga’i rgyal po chos kyi dbyings kyi mdzod/ de bzhin gshegs pa’i snying po/ chos kyi dbyings kyi rgyu mthun pa’i rjes su spyod pa/ mdo chen po’i mchog /rin po che’i le’u de bzhin gshegs pa’i gsang ba’i mchog rjes su gnang ba/ sngags kyi mchog sgrub pa la rgyu mtshan shes pa dang rtags dang dus gzhan shes pa’i sgrub pa’i thabs rnams nges par bstan cing yang dag par bstan no/ D. The Tibetan translates as, “Mañjuśrī, your king of manuals is a treasury of the sphere of phenomena, the essence of the tathāgatas that proceeds in harmony with the sphere of phenomena and is supreme among the great sūtras. This precious chapter definitively and accurately teaches the authorization that is the supreme secret of the tathāgatas, understanding the reason for accomplishing the supreme mantra, and other methods for accomplishing knowledge of signs and times.”

n.2236

khyod kyi phyag rgya D. “Root” is omitted in the Tibetan.

n.2252

sems can thams cad kyi lam du gyur pa yin no/ D. The Tibetan includes an additional line here that translates as, “It has become the path of all beings.” The Tibetan and Skt. diverge at this point (Skt. 37.2.2, D. 276.b.1). The following is a list of the correspondences in material between the Tibetan and Skt. texts following the folio enumeration in the Rockwell Degé Kangyur:

D. 276.b.1–277.a.2 = Skt. 37.10–37.16.
D. 277.a.2–277.a.7 = Skt. 37.2.2–37.4.3 (Skt. 37.4.4–37.5.2 om. Tib.).
D. 277.a.7–277.b.2 = Skt. 37.5.3.4–37.9 (Skt. 37.8 om. Tib.).

The Tibetan text then begins to align again with the Skt. at D. 277.b.2, which corresponds to the material in Skt. 37.17.

n.2454

As becomes clear later in this chapter, the association of the mudrā with whatever deity determines its position in the maṇḍala.

n.2455

’jam dpal mdor na nyon cig phyag rgya’i mtshan nyid dang sngags rnams kyi rgya che ba dang dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga’i mdor bsdus pa dang dam tshig la rjes su ’jug cing phyag rgya’i gnas dang sngags thams cad dang rgyud de dag thams cad la gsang ba dang bcas pa’i dkyil ’khor ni/. The syntax and clause divisions in this paragraph are difficult to ascertain in the Skt., which makes the translation proposed here unreliable. The Tibetan translates as, “Mañjuśrī, listen to this brief explanation. The following is a summary of the features of the mudrās, the extensive mantras, and the maṇḍala procedure, acting in accord with the samaya and the arrangement of the mudrās, all of the mantras, and the maṇḍala that contains what is concealed in all of the tantras.”

n.2456

sngags shes bdag nyid chen po dang / /yon tan kun kyang bstan pa yin/ Tib. The Tibetan syntax is obscure. One possible translation might be, “They also taught about great beings / Who are versed in mantra and all the good qualities.”

n.2483

The chapter number jumps from 38 to 50 here because the chapters from 39 to 49 have been left out as they are missing from the Tibetan translation.

n.2484

“Bowed” om. Tib.

n.2485

de’i cho ga rgya che ba bcom ldan ’das kyi bka’ ma stsal la/ J, K; de’i cho ga rgya che ba bcom ldan ’das kyi bka’ stsal pa/ D. Following J and K, the Tibetan translates as, “the Blessed One has not explained the extensive ritual.”

n.2538

gshin rje’i ’tsho ba mthar byed pa/ Tib. Here the Tibetan translates Vaivasvata following the standard Tibetan translation for Yama.

n.2539

gtsor byed pa byang chub sems dpa’ ’jam dpal gyis smras pa/ Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “That was taught by the preeminent bodhisattva Mañjuśrī.”

n.2603

“You are exceedingly cruel” om. Tib.

n.2604

’khor ba’i ’ching ba las grol bar ’gyur ro/ Tib. The Tibetan translates as, “they liberate them from the bonds of cyclic existence.”

n.2756

“From his samādhi” (literally, “from that samādhi”) is probably a reference to the samādhi called the buddha’s blessing through miraculous transformation that the Buddha had entered in 50.4 above, i.e., at the beginning of the Yamāntaka section. This section ended at the conclusion of the previous chapter.

n.3395

dpal lha btsan po lha btsun pa byang chub ’od kyi bkas/ rgya gar gyi mkhan po dge bsnyen chen po ku mA ra ka la sha dang / sgra sgyur gyi lo ts+tsha ba dge slong shAkya blo gros kyis bsgyur cing zhus te gtan la phab pa’o// //.

Cf. bibliography.

oṁ] B; om. S

māḍe] S; māṇḍe B

bhavanto] B; om. S

mañjuśriyaḥ] B; mañjuśriyasya S

n.3401

°rddhi°] em.; °riddhi° B; °śuddhi° S

n.3402

ārogyaiśvaryaṃ] B; ārogyaiś carya° S

n.3403

°paripūrakāṇi] B; °pāpāripūrakāṇi S

n.3404

te] S; śṛṇu ca sādhu bhagavān iti B

n.4347

paṭalavisarāt] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); paṭalavisaraḥ S

n.4348

°bīja°] em.; °bījam S

n.4425

āmantrayate] em.; āmantrayeta S

n.4496

The MMK text seems to favor the spelling sādhanopayika rather than sādhanopāyika.

n.4507

sādhanopāyikaṃ] em.; sādhakamopayikaṃ S

n.4519

ārabhet] em.; ārabhe S

n.4520

°puṣpānāṃ] conj.; °puṣpāṃ S

n.4721

punar api] em. (supported by D); punar api punar api S

n.4722

tvadīya°] conj. M; tvadīyaṃ S

n.4723

°upacaryā°] em. (M); °opacaryā° S

n.4724

This entire paragraph is missing from A.

n.4725

Here resumes the correspondence with manuscript A.

n.4726

uttiṣṭha] S; tiṣṭha tiṣṭha A

n.4830

°sarvārtha] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); °sarvathā S

n.4905

avalokya] em.; alokya S

n.4906

tadā] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); mudā S

n.4926

°ākṛṣṭavān] em.; °ākṛṣṭavā S

n.4943

From this chapter onward, the chapter numbers here are out of step with those in the Tibetan version. Chapters 18 to 23 are missing from the Tibetan text and have been left out of the Sanskrit edition here.

n.4944

grahān] em.; grahāṇ R; grahaṇ° S

n.4945

°svavākyaṃ] S; °svākṣaṃ R

n.4946

nirdeśayituṃ] S; vavidarśayituṃ R

n.4947

sādhayantu] S; sādhitu R

n.4948

samaye ca tiṣṭhantu bhavantaḥ] R; om. S

n.5303

°vidhānaṃ / na ca] em.; °vidhāna nica S

n.5319

siddhiṃ] em.; siddhiḥ S

n.5364

°akṣareṇa] em.; °ākṣareṇa S

n.5395

saptamaṃ] A; saptamaḥ S

n.5396

yo] S; ye A

n.5397

sādhayiṣyati] A; sādhayiṣyanti S

n.5398

saphalā sukhodayā sukhavipākā] A; saphalāḥ sukhodayāḥ sukhavipākāḥ S

n.5399

°nivāraṇīyā] S; °nivāraṇi A

n.5400

tasya bodhiparāyaṇīyā] S; tasyā vādhiparāyaṇi A

n.5434

sedhiṣyate] conj. (on the authority of the Tib.); 'sya trasyati (unmetrical) S

n.5448

yasyedānīṃ] em.; yasyedānī S

n.5475

samanupraveśaṃ] em.; samanupraveśa° S

n.5485

nirdeśa°] em.; nirdiśa° S

n.5486

°vara°] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); °vadha° S

n.5525

°mantraṃ] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); °tantraṃ S

n.5526

puṇyākāme] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); puṇyakāme S

n.5527

anabhiṣikte] em. (on the authority of the Tib.); avabhiṣikta S

n.5617

saṃyojyaṃ] em.; saṃyojya S

n.5668

Śāstrī, who rendered this paragraph in verse, indicates a missing pāda at this point. The passage, however, seems to be in prose, as corroborated by the Tibetan, with no text missing.

n.5669

sarvatantreṣu] conj. (based on the Tib.); sarvamantreṣu S

n.5677

The number here jumps from 38 to 50 because chapters from 39 to 49 have been left out as they are missing from the Tibetan translation.

n.5689

ādau] A; mahābodhisattvasyādau S

n.5690

bhaya] A; bhayam S

n.5788

vajrapāṇe] em.; vajrapāṇeḥ S

n.6070

°bodhisattvā°] Y; °bodhisattva° S

n.6071

°āvṛhā°] em.; °ātṛhā° S

n.6780

tatrāhaṃ] em.; tatrāha S

n.6781

°vidyādhara°] em.; °vidyādharaḥ S

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.

Glossary

Types of attestation for Sanskrit names and terms

Attested in source text

This term is attested in the Sanskrit manuscript used as a source for this translation.

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other Sanskrit manuscripts of the Kangyur or Tengyur.

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in Tibetan-Sanskrit dictionaries.

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where Tibetan-Sanskrit relationship is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

Source Unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.1

Ābha

kun nas ’od

ཀུན་ནས་འོད།

ābha

g.2

Ābhāsvara

ābhāsvara

g.3

Ābhāsvara

’od gsal

འོད་གསལ།

ābhāsvara

g.22

accomplishment

dngos grub

དངོས་གྲུབ།

siddhi

g.25

activity

ལས།

karman

g.57

Akaniṣṭha

’og min

འོག་མིན།

akaniṣṭha

g.146

Apramāṇa

apramāṇa

g.153

arhat

dgra bcom pa

དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ།

arhat

g.169

Asaṅga

thogs med

ཐོགས་མེད།

asaṅga

g.187

Atapas

mi gdung ba

མི་གདུང་བ།

atapas

g.207

Avṛha

mi che ba

མི་ཆེ་བ།

avṛha

g.208

awakening

byang chub

བྱང་ཆུབ།

bodhi

g.293

bodhisattva

byang chub sems dpa’

བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ།

bodhisattva

g.299

Brahmakāyika

brahmakāyika

g.301

Brahmapurohita

brahmapurohita

g.309

Bṛhatphala

bṛhatphala

g.311

buddha

sangs rgyas

སངས་རྒྱས།

buddha

g.319

cakravartin

’khor los sgyur ba
’khor los sgyur ba’ rgyal po

འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།
འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བའ་རྒྱལ་པོ།

cakravartin

g.320

Cakravartin

’khor los sgyur ba

འཁོར་ལོས་སྒྱུར་བ།

cakravartin

g.356

Cloud of Dharma

dharmamegha

g.381

destiny

’gro ba

འགྲོ་བ།

gati

g.443

divine youth

gzhon nu

གཞོན་ནུ།

kumāra

g.487

empowerment

dbang

དབང་།

abhiṣeka

g.488

eon

bskal pa

བསྐལ་པ།

kalpa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A cosmic period of time, sometimes equivalent to the time when a world system appears, exists, and disappears. According to the traditional Abhidharma understanding of cyclical time, a great eon (mahākalpa) is divided into eighty lesser eons. In the course of one great eon, the universe takes form and later disappears. During the first twenty of the lesser eons, the universe is in the process of creation and expansion; during the next twenty it remains; during the third twenty, it is in the process of destruction; and during the last quarter of the cycle, it remains in a state of empty stasis. A fortunate, or good, eon (bhadrakalpa) refers to any eon in which more than one buddha appears.

g.497

four great kings

rgyal po chen po bzhi

རྒྱལ་པོ་ཆེན་པོ་བཞི།

caturmahārāja

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahārājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūḍhaka, ruling the nāgas in the west; Virūpākṣa, ruling the gandharvas in the east; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World-Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

g.515

gandharva

dri za

དྲི་ཟ།

gandharva

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are under the jurisdiction of the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by any sentient being in the realm of desire (kāmadhātu) during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

g.518

Gaṅgā

sI ta
gang gA

སཱི་ཏ།
གང་གཱ།

gaṅgā

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Gaṅgā, or Ganges in English, is considered to be the most sacred river of India, particularly within the Hindu tradition. It starts in the Himalayas, flows through the northern plains of India, bathing the holy city of Vārāṇasī, and meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal, in Bangladesh. In the sūtras, however, this river is mostly mentioned not for its sacredness but for its abundant sands‍—noticeable still today on its many sandy banks and at its delta‍—which serve as a usual metaphor for infinitely large numbers.

According to Buddhist cosmology, as explained in the Abhidharmakośa, it is one of the four rivers that flow from Lake Anavatapta, and cross the southern continent of Jambudvīpa‍—the known human world or more specifically the Indian subcontinent.

g.522

garuḍa

nam mkha’ lding

ནམ་མཁའ་ལྡིང་།

garuḍa

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

g.548

graha

gdon
gza’

གདོན།
གཟའ།

graha