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This text, Toh 879, and all those contained in this same volume (gzungs, e), are listed as being located in volume 100 of the Degé Kangyur by the Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC). However, several other Kangyur databases—including the eKangyur that supplies the digital input version displayed by the 84000 Reading Room—list this work as being located in volume 101. This discrepancy is partly due to the fact that the two volumes of the gzungs ’dus section are an added supplement not mentioned in the original catalog, and also hinges on the fact that the compilers of the Tōhoku catalog placed another text—which forms a whole, very large volume—the Vimalaprabhānāmakālacakratantraṭīkā (dus ’khor ’grel bshad dri med ’od, Toh 845), before the volume 100 of the Degé Kangyur, numbering it as vol. 100, although it is almost certainly intended to come right at the end of the Degé Kangyur texts as volume 102; indeed its final fifth chapter is often carried over and wrapped in the same volume as the Kangyur dkar chags (catalog). Please note this discrepancy when using the eKangyur viewer in this translation.
Note that there is a discrepancy between various databases for cataloging the Toh 879 version of this text within vol. 100 or 101 of the Degé Kangyur. See Toh 879, n.1, for details.
In the Tantra section, for example, these include Toh 532, Toh 634–641, and Toh 728 (The Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā).
Pelliot tibétain 7.8, Pelliot tibétain 754.5, and IOL Tib J 426.4, as cited in Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 252.
The Korean versions provide an alternate account, stating that the Chinese translation was completed by Amoghavajra (720–74), but there may be reason to doubt the accuracy of this statement. See Giebel 2011, pp. 304–5.
The Tibetan ’gro ba (Sanskrit gati) can alternatively be translated as “destinies” or “states of existence” and literally means “going.”
Taishō 1186 here presents a transliteration of the Sanskrit salutation. The Tibetan translates namo mañjughoṣāya mahābodhisattvāya mahākaruṇikāya vividhāpāyagatiduḥkhavidāraṇāya.
N reads sambhogapadeśaka, F reads suratasamghovopadarśa, and Taishō 1177A reads sambhogaupadaśaka, which Giebel amends to upadarśaka, presumably on the basis of Taishō 1186 sambhogaupadarśaka.
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “Thus it is—oṃ bho! You who wear radiant strings of great jewels, whose body is ornamented by garlands of wondrous pearls, supreme liberator of beings, keeper of the treasury of the tathāgatas’ great Dharma, realizer of the highest dharma, one who delights in victory, whose instructions bestow bliss, who alleviates the poison of the afflictive emotions, who abides in the nature of emptiness, O most excellent among the great bodhisattvas, please grant the choice of a boon…” Note that varaṇa may be a corruption, in which case this might have read mahābodhisattvavara (“O most excellent among the great bodhisattvas”) varaṃ dada (“please grant a boon”).
F reads bhodhisatva varada varanadada, Taishō 1177A reads bodhisattvavaraḥ varaṃdadaḥ, and Taishō 1186 reads bodhisattva varada varanandada.
Taishō 1177 reads asamasama ’nantasamaḥ, and Taishō 1186 reads samasamānantā (Giebel emends to -ta).
F reads mahāvajrurava mahāvajrakhadga, Taishō 1177A reads vajrakhaḍga, and Taishō 1186 reads mahāvajrakhaḍga.
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “Oṃ you who wield the great lasso, advance! You whose tranquility is without peer, who is infinitely tranquil, who is good in all respects, who is beautiful in all respects, who is endowed with all forms, you who expand everywhere, expand, expand! Hey hey! Beautiful-voiced, wielder of great vajra and great sword.”
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “Sever, sever! Split, split! Spotless one, spotless one! Dispeller of karma, kuru kuru dhuru dhuru suru suru muru muru dha dha dha dha dhu dhu dhu dhu! Great, great, great, great! Stupefy, stupefy! Bho! Bho! Terrible, terrible! Roar, roar! Advance, advance! Great bodhisattva, liberate!”
Taishō 1177A reads anātho ’ham duḥkhito ’haṃ sarujos, and Taishō 1186 reads duḥkhito ’haṃm anātho ’haṃ sarajo ’haṃ.
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “I follow my lord protector. Please remove my suffering, grant me happiness, O great compassionate one! Having no protector, I suffer. I am rife with impurity, I am beset with calamities, I am enmeshed [in saṃsāra], I am lazy, I am subject to death. You, O lord, bestow bliss on the sorrowful, you secure patronage for those without a patron, you remove the taints of the tainted.”
D reads svara-upa-, but better is H and N svaropa-. Taishō 1177A and Taishō 1186 read sarvopa-.
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “You pacify all misfortunes for those who are beset by misfortunes, you complete the accumulation of virtue for those who are enmeshed [in saṃsāra], you bestow great energy (vīrya) on those who are lazy. You bestow on me, who is subject to death, the rank of immortality. Be my protector, O lord, my final refuge, and my savior.”
Taishō 1177A reads sarvasaṃsāraupadrava sarvaduḥkhāni me nāśaya, and Taishō 1186 omits this section.
Taishō 1177A reads kuśaladharmaparipūrṇa me kuru sarvakarmāvaraṇaparvatāni me vikira, and Taishō 1186 reads sarvakarmāvaraṇaparvatāni me vikīraṇa sarvakuśaladharmasaṃbhāraparipūrī kuru.
While the Degé block print appears to read bobhi, the Comparative Edition has the expected bodhi and records no variants. Taishō 1177A and Taishō 1186 also read bodhi.
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “Alleviate all my sorrow, eradicate all my afflictions and impurities, destroy for me all the calamities and sorrows of saṃsāra, make me replete with all auspicious qualities, remove all my past deeds, pulverize the mountain of my afflictions, grant me the attainments of the great bodhisattvas and the yoga of the perfection of zeal.”
Our provisional translation of this portion is as follows: “You whose dharma is nonviolence, who are untainted and dispassionate—remove and dispel! You who are steady as the earth, vast as the sky, deep as the ocean, great as Mount Meru, great bodhisattva, granter of boons, svāhā.”
Tib. dkar nag ’byes pa’i spyan mnga’ ba, literally “possessing eyes in which black and white are well distinguished.”
Here the translation follows H and N rab tu dka’ ba ston par dga’. D has rab tu dang bas bstan pa dga’.
Following D rgya chen gser gyi mdog dang ldan. H and N read rgyan chen gser gyi mdog dang ldan.
Here reading K and Y dkyil ’khor chen por mdzad pa lags. D reads dkyil ’khor chen po mdzad pa lags, which might be rendered “creator of the great maṇḍala.”
The Tibetan ri mor bgyid is attested in Taishō 1177B as the Sanskrit vanditake (Giebel 2011, p. 319), which may be partly corrupt. This form does include the root √vand, however, which can mean “to pay homage.”
The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (avidyā). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.
Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,“ “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.
705–74. A famous and prolific translator, he is particularly renowned for his Chinese translations of Indian Buddhist esoteric works. He is known to have sailed from South India to China via Sri Lanka between 741 and 746. Not to be confused with the eleventh century paṇḍita of the same name who translated texts into Tibetan. Disciple of the translator and missionary Vajrabodhi.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.
A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels (daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.
An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), \1\23.3–\1\23.13.
Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.
The Sanskrit term timira may refer to a variety of eye disorders including myopia and cataracts. In the context of Buddhist texts, this term may be understood to refer more specifically to the “vitreous floaters” (myodesopsia or muscae volitantes) that appear as spots, specks, or strings in one’s visual field.
The tenth of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula—that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulas.
The ninth of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
The seventh of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
In the most general sense the devas—the term is cognate with the English divine—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.
A class of gods who inhabit the third heaven of the realm of form.
In its technical usage this term refers to any of the (usually) ten stages a bodhisattva must traverse before reaching buddhahood.
Ca. 701–780. A Buddhist monk and translator originally from the Silla kingdom (modern-day Korea), he is famous for his pilgrimage to India. He was a disciple of Amoghavajra, with whom he collaborated in the translation of tantric texts into Chinese.
The sixth of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
The eighth of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
The fifth of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
The first of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
The third of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
A specific epithet of Mañjuśrī.
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.
See “Mañjuśrī.”
Common epithet of Mañjuśrī meaning “one with a gentle voice.”
A specific epithet of Mañjuśrī.
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.
See “Mañjuśrī.”
A formula of words or syllables that are recited aloud or mentally in order to bring about a magical or soteriological effect or result. The term has been interpretively etymologized to mean “that which protects (trā) the mind (man)”.
Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra:
(1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree—see The Play in Full (Toh 95), \1\221.1—and later sought many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the “deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see The Play in Full (Toh 95), \1\221.14 and \1\221.43. (3) The term māra can also be understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i) the divine māra (devaputramāra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.
A seal, in both the literal and metaphoric sense. Mudrā is also the name given to an array of symbolic hand gestures, which range from the gesture of touching the earth displayed by the Buddha upon attaining awakening to the numerous gestures used in tantric rituals to symbolize offerings, consecrations, etc. Iconographically, mudrās are used as a way of communicating an action performed by the deity or a specific aspect a deity or buddha is displaying, in which case the same figure can be depicted using different hand gestures to signify that they are either meditating, teaching, granting freedom from fear, etc. In Tantric texts, the term is also used to designate the female spiritual consort in her various aspects.
A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.
One of the names of the Brahmanical god Viṣṇu.
A class of supernatural beings who rob the strength of other beings.
An encomium or hymn of praise.
The fourth of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.
A state of involuntary existence conditioned by afflicted mental states and the imprint of past actions, characterized by suffering in a cycle of life, death, and rebirth. On its reversal, the contrasting state of nirvāṇa is attained, free from suffering and the processes of rebirth.
The second of the bodhisattva grounds, here understood as ten in number.
A collective name for the realms of animals, anguished spirits (pretas), and denizens of the hells.
A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations, it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,” is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence. Tatha(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni.
A category of the distinctive qualities of a tathāgata. They are knowing what is possible and what is impossible; knowing the results of actions or the ripening of karma; knowing the various inclinations of sentient beings; knowing the various elements; knowing the supreme and lesser faculties of sentient beings; knowing the paths that lead to all destinations of rebirth; knowing the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, equilibriums, afflictions, purifications, and abidings; knowing previous lives; knowing the death and rebirth of sentient beings; and knowing the cessation of the defilements
The desire, form, and formless realms.
671–741. Indian monk and Buddhist missionary who was instrumental in the introduction of tantric Buddhist traditions to China. He translated a number of tantric works into Chinese, most famously the Vajraśekharasūtra (related to the Sarvatathāgatasaṃgraha).
Meaning those who wield (dhara) spells (vidyā), the term can be used to refer to both a class of supernatural beings who wield magical power and human practitioners of the magical arts. The later Buddhist tradition, playing on the dual valences of vidyā as “spell” and “knowledge,” began to apply this term more broadly to realized figures in the Buddhist pantheon.
See “vidyādhara.”
A sacred utterance or spell made for the purpose of attaining either worldly or transcendent benefits.
“Vidyā king,” a class of mantras and mantra deities.
A class of spirits who cause obstacles.
Here, a class of demons who create obstacles, “those who lead astray” or “mis-leaders.” In other contexts the name can be interpreted as “remover [of obstacles],” referring to a class of semidivine beings, or as an epithet meaning “leader” or “guide.”
Meaning those who wield (dhara) spells (vidyā), the term can be used to refer to both a class of supernatural beings who wield magical power and human practitioners of the magical arts. The later Buddhist tradition, playing on the dual valences of vidyā as “spell” and “knowledge,” began to apply this term more broadly to realized figures in the Buddhist pantheon.
See “vidyādhara.”
A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.
Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.
A specific epithet of Mañjuśrī.
Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.
See “Mañjuśrī.”
’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa gzungs sngags dang bcas pa (Mañjuśrīkumārabhūtāṣṭottaraśatakanāmadhāraṇīmantrasahita). Toh 639, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud, ba), folios 118.b–122.a.
’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa gzungs sngags dang bcas pa (Mañjuśrīkumārabhūtāṣṭottaraśatakanāmadhāraṇīmantrasahita). Toh 879, Degé Kangyur vol. 100 (gzungs, e), folios 114.a–117.b.
’jam dpal gzhon nur gyur pa’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa gzungs sngags dang bcas pa. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 91, pp. 419–36; vol. 97, pp. 334–41.
’phags pa ’jam dpal gyi mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa gzungs sngags dang bcas pa. Phukdrak Kangyur vol. 116 (rgyud, tsha), folios 133.a–137.b.
’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i brgyud (Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa) [The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī]. Toh 543, Degé Kangyur vol. 88 (rgyud, na), folios 88.a–334.a. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020.
don yod pa’i zhags pa’i cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po (Amoghapāśakalparāja) [The Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa]. Toh 686, Degé Kangyur vol. 92 (rgyud, ma), folios 1.b–316.a; vol. 93 (rgyud, tsa), folios 1.b–57.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2022.
lha mo sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad (Tārādevīnāmāṣṭaśataka) [The Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā]. Toh 728, Degé Kangyur vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folios 219.a–222.a. English translation in Samye Translations 2022.
Buswell, Robert E., Jr., and Donald S. Lopez, Jr. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014.
Dalton, Jacob. “How Dhāraṇīs WERE Proto-Tantric.” In Tantric Traditions in Transmission and Translation, edited by David B. Gray and Ryan Richard Overbey, pp. 199–299. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Dasheng yujia jingang xing hai manshushili qian bi qian bo da jiao wang jing 大乘瑜伽金剛性海曼殊室利千臂千鉢大教王經 (Taishō 1177A). Translated by Vajrabodhi (671–741 ce) in 740. Reconstructed Sanskrit from Giebel 2011.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2020). The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī (Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, Toh 543). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee (2022). The Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa (Amoghapāśakalparāja, Toh 686). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.
Giebel, Rolf W. “The One Hundred and Eight Names of Mañjuśrī: The Sanskrit Version of the Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta-aṣṭottaraśatakanāma Based on Sino-Japanese Sources.” Indo Ronrigaku Kenkyū [Indian Logic] 3 (2011): 303–43.
Miao jixiang pusa tuoluoni 妙吉祥菩薩陀羅尼 (Taishō 1186). Reconstructed Sanskrit from Giebel 2011.
Samye Translations, trans. The Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā (Tārādevīnāmāṣṭaśataka, Toh 728). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022.
Wayman, Alex, trans. and ed. Chanting the Names of Mañjuśrī: The Mañjuśrī-nāma-samgīti; Sanskrit and Tibetan Texts. Boston: Shambhala, 1985.
Qian bo wenshu yibai ba ming zan 千鉢文殊一百八名讚 (Taishō 1177B). Reconstructed Sanskrit from Giebel 2011.
C Choné Kangyur
D Degé Kangyur
F Phukdrak Kangyur
H Lhasa (Zhol) Kangyur
J Lithang Kangyur
K Kangxi Kangyur
N Narthang Kangyur
Y Yongle Kangyur
One Hundred and Eight Names of Youthful Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra is a text notably combining two genres of Buddhist literature: the dhāraṇī and the stotra or praise text. As a praise text, it may be further categorized within the subgenre of praises of one hundred and eight names. The text opens with homage and praise to the buddhas of the ten directions and two brief praises to Mañjuśrī. Then Mañjuśrī himself articulates a Sanskrit dhāraṇī, which precipitates miracles and prompts the assembled gods to praise him by way of reciting a litany of his hundred and eight names. Upon its conclusion, Mañjuśrī expresses his pleasure, whereupon the Tathāgata expounds the dhāraṇī’s benefits, blesses the gods who spoke the hundred and eight names in praise, and lastly explains in considerable detail the practice of the praise’s recitation and the benefits thereof.
This text was translated and introduced by David Mellins and Kaia Fischer under the auspices of the Tibetan Classics Translators Guild of New York. The translators would like to extend their special gratitude to Lama Lozang Jamspal of Ladakh, without whose instruction and guidance this translation would not have been possible.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
One Hundred and Eight Names of Youthful Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra is a text that combines two genres of Buddhist literature: dhāraṇī and praise. As a praise it further belongs to a subgenre of praises in the Kangyur that list one hundred and eight names, or epithets, belonging to specific deities.
The text opens with homage and praise to the buddhas of the ten directions, followed by two brief praises to Mañjuśrī—one to Youthful Mañjuśrī and one to Mañjughoṣa. Then Mañjuśrī himself articulates a Sanskrit dhāraṇī, attributed to Mañjughoṣa. In awe of the miracles that occur in the wake of the dhāraṇī’s enunciation, an assembly of gods recites one hundred and eight unique names in praise of Mañjuśrī that had been revealed to them by “the highest of the gods.” Upon its conclusion, Mañjuśrī expresses his pleasure, blesses the gods who spoke the praises, and provides assurance that in their devotion they need not fear him.
The text then introduces the figure of the Tathāgata, who is depicted as laughing. He turns his face to the east and proceeds to speak the remainder of the text, first explaining the benefits of reciting, contemplating, or simply hearing the dhāraṇī. These benefits range from the dispelling of suffering, the success of all one’s endeavors, and the purification of all one’s sins to the attainment of the various bodhisattva grounds and eventually buddhahood. He then proceeds to explain the benefits of reciting the one hundred and eight names: they invoke the masters of vidyāmantra, who offer their protection, as do the lords of the gods, the yakṣas and rākṣasas, and, most significantly, the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and “bearers of vajra weapons.” He furthermore states that persons of exceptional wisdom can attain buddhahood through daily recitation of the names, and finally, in a short benedictory passage, the Tathāgata praises the dhāraṇī itself.
The Tibetan translation lacks a colophon and hence offers no information regarding the transmission or translation of the text into Tibetan. However, Tibetan versions of the text were found at Dunhuang, indicating that the text had been translated and was in circulation by the late eighth or early ninth century.
While no Sanskrit manuscript appears to be extant, a Sanskrit text can be partially reconstructed from Chinese transliterations of the dhāraṇī and the praise portions of the text as preserved in the Chinese canon. Two separate texts—Taishō 1177A and Taishō 1186—contain Chinese transliterations of the Sanskrit dhāraṇī of the present text. Taishō 1177A also preserves Sanskrit transliterations of the introductory and concluding material and appends an additional nine-section dhāraṇī and three mantras. It also includes a detailed preface stating that it was translated into Chinese by Vajrabodhi (671–741 ce) in 740. Vajrabodhi’s Korean disciple Hyecho is credited with assisting in this earlier Chinese translation. Taishō 1186 was translated in 996 ce and presents only the dhāraṇī portion of One Hundred and Eight Names of Youthful Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra, with minor variations from the version preserved in Taishō 1177A. In addition to these two texts, Taishō 1177B preserves the litany of names of the Sanskrit text in Chinese transliteration. The Tibetan versions, however, transliterate only the dhāraṇīs.
This English translation is based on Toh 639 in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the variant readings recorded in the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma) and the Phukdrak (phug brag) Kangyur recension. In several instances our translation was clarified through consultation with Rolf Giebel’s (2011) Sanskrit reconstructions of the transliterations found in the three Taishō texts referred to above. In addition, we have compared Toh 639 to its reiteration within the Dhāraṇī section of the Degé Kangyur (Toh 873). All major divergences have been recorded in the notes.
In the body of the translation, the dhāraṇī is rendered in Sanskrit diacritics based on the Tibetan transliteration found in Toh 639. In the provisional translation of the dhāraṇī, however, we have at times assumed emended readings derived from our consultations with the Comparative Edition and Phukdrak version, as well as with Giebel’s Sanskrit reconstructions.
Homage to the perfectly and completely awakened buddhas of the ten directions, whose minds, utterly wondrous and pure, pervade the entire domain of knowable things.
Youthful Mañjuśrī, your heart is free of any stain or flaw, your body ornamented by an effulgent constellation of untainted virtues. Gods, humans, asuras, nāgas, and vidyādharas touch their topknots and the tips of their crowns to the lotus beneath your feet. Homage to you!
Mañjughoṣa, great bodhisattva who vanquishes the various states of misery, we pay homage to you.
tadyathā | oṃ bho mahāmaṇirucirakalāpa vicitramuktadāma-alaṃkṛtaśarīra paramasatvamocaka tathāgatamahādharma koṣadhara pravaradharma labdha vijayasurata sambhogaupadeśaka kleśagarapraśamaka śūnyatā svabhāva-anusvari mahābodhisatvavara varata varaṇadada
oṃ mahāpāśa prasara asamasama anantasama samantabhadra samantasandhara samanta-ākara samantaprasara sara sara he he mañjurava mahāvajra mahākhaḍga
cchinda cchinda bhinda bhinda viraja viraja karma-apagamaka kuru kuru dhuru dhuru suru suru muru muru dha dha dha dha dhu dhu dhu dhu mahā mahā mahā mahā mohaya mohaya bho bho bhīma bhīma nāda nāda sara sara mahābodhisatva mocaya
mama nātham anusṛta apāya duḥkhaṃ sukham mahākāruṇikā anātho ’haṃ duḥkhito ’haṃ sarajo ’ham uva druto ’haṃ avi vikto ’haṃ kusi dho ’haṃ mārana dharmo ’haṃ tvana bhagavām duḥkhitānāṃ sukhaṃdadā anāthānāṃ sanātha kara sarajasāṃ virajaskara
upadruhā nāṃ svara-upa dravapra śamaka avivikatānāṃ kuśala sambhara paripūrayitā kusidhānām mahāviryadhatā māraṇa dharmiṇa mama tipadādātā mama vibhagavān nātho bhava śaraṇam parāyaṇaṃ tratā
sarvaduḥkhāni me praśamaya sarvakleśarajīṃsi mi avanaya sarvasaṃsāraupadravaduḥkhāni me nāśaya sarva kuśaladharmaparipūram me kuru sarvakarma-āvaraṇakleśaparavata me vikira mahābodhisatvasibidhi vīryapāramitāyogam me sanniyojaya
a raṇadharma virāgaviraja sañjaha prajaha dhariṇi sama khasama jalanidhisama merusama mahābodhisatva parada svāhā
This concludes the noble “One Hundred and Eight Names of Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra.”
One Hundred and Eight Names of Youthful Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra is a text notably combining two genres of Buddhist literature: the dhāraṇī and the stotra or praise text. As a praise text, it may be further categorized within the subgenre of praises of one hundred and eight names. The text opens with homage and praise to the buddhas of the ten directions and two brief praises to Mañjuśrī. Then Mañjuśrī himself articulates a Sanskrit dhāraṇī, which precipitates miracles and prompts the assembled gods to praise him by way of reciting a litany of his hundred and eight names. Upon its conclusion, Mañjuśrī expresses his pleasure, whereupon the Tathāgata expounds the dhāraṇī’s benefits, blesses the gods who spoke the hundred and eight names in praise, and lastly explains in considerable detail the practice of the praise’s recitation and the benefits thereof.
This text was translated and introduced by David Mellins and Kaia Fischer under the auspices of the Tibetan Classics Translators Guild of New York. The translators would like to extend their special gratitude to Lama Lozang Jamspal of Ladakh, without whose instruction and guidance this translation would not have been possible.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
One Hundred and Eight Names of Youthful Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra is a text that combines two genres of Buddhist literature: dhāraṇī and praise. As a praise it further belongs to a subgenre of praises in the Kangyur that list one hundred and eight names, or epithets, belonging to specific deities.
The text opens with homage and praise to the buddhas of the ten directions, followed by two brief praises to Mañjuśrī—one to Youthful Mañjuśrī and one to Mañjughoṣa. Then Mañjuśrī himself articulates a Sanskrit dhāraṇī, attributed to Mañjughoṣa. In awe of the miracles that occur in the wake of the dhāraṇī’s enunciation, an assembly of gods recites one hundred and eight unique names in praise of Mañjuśrī that had been revealed to them by “the highest of the gods.” Upon its conclusion, Mañjuśrī expresses his pleasure, blesses the gods who spoke the praises, and provides assurance that in their devotion they need not fear him.
The text then introduces the figure of the Tathāgata, who is depicted as laughing. He turns his face to the east and proceeds to speak the remainder of the text, first explaining the benefits of reciting, contemplating, or simply hearing the dhāraṇī. These benefits range from the dispelling of suffering, the success of all one’s endeavors, and the purification of all one’s sins to the attainment of the various bodhisattva grounds and eventually buddhahood. He then proceeds to explain the benefits of reciting the one hundred and eight names: they invoke the masters of vidyāmantra, who offer their protection, as do the lords of the gods, the yakṣas and rākṣasas, and, most significantly, the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and “bearers of vajra weapons.” He furthermore states that persons of exceptional wisdom can attain buddhahood through daily recitation of the names, and finally, in a short benedictory passage, the Tathāgata praises the dhāraṇī itself.
The Tibetan translation lacks a colophon and hence offers no information regarding the transmission or translation of the text into Tibetan. However, Tibetan versions of the text were found at Dunhuang, indicating that the text had been translated and was in circulation by the late eighth or early ninth century.
While no Sanskrit manuscript appears to be extant, a Sanskrit text can be partially reconstructed from Chinese transliterations of the dhāraṇī and the praise portions of the text as preserved in the Chinese canon. Two separate texts—Taishō 1177A and Taishō 1186—contain Chinese transliterations of the Sanskrit dhāraṇī of the present text. Taishō 1177A also preserves Sanskrit transliterations of the introductory and concluding material and appends an additional nine-section dhāraṇī and three mantras. It also includes a detailed preface stating that it was translated into Chinese by Vajrabodhi (671–741 ce) in 740. Vajrabodhi’s Korean disciple Hyecho is credited with assisting in this earlier Chinese translation. Taishō 1186 was translated in 996 ce and presents only the dhāraṇī portion of One Hundred and Eight Names of Youthful Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra, with minor variations from the version preserved in Taishō 1177A. In addition to these two texts, Taishō 1177B preserves the litany of names of the Sanskrit text in Chinese transliteration. The Tibetan versions, however, transliterate only the dhāraṇīs.
This English translation is based on Toh 639 in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the variant readings recorded in the Comparative Edition (Tib. dpe bsdur ma) and the Phukdrak (phug brag) Kangyur recension. In several instances our translation was clarified through consultation with Rolf Giebel’s (2011) Sanskrit reconstructions of the transliterations found in the three Taishō texts referred to above. In addition, we have compared Toh 639 to its reiteration within the Dhāraṇī section of the Degé Kangyur (Toh 873). All major divergences have been recorded in the notes.
In the body of the translation, the dhāraṇī is rendered in Sanskrit diacritics based on the Tibetan transliteration found in Toh 639. In the provisional translation of the dhāraṇī, however, we have at times assumed emended readings derived from our consultations with the Comparative Edition and Phukdrak version, as well as with Giebel’s Sanskrit reconstructions.
Homage to the perfectly and completely awakened buddhas of the ten directions, whose minds, utterly wondrous and pure, pervade the entire domain of knowable things.
Youthful Mañjuśrī, your heart is free of any stain or flaw, your body ornamented by an effulgent constellation of untainted virtues. Gods, humans, asuras, nāgas, and vidyādharas touch their topknots and the tips of their crowns to the lotus beneath your feet. Homage to you!
Mañjughoṣa, great bodhisattva who vanquishes the various states of misery, we pay homage to you.
tadyathā | oṃ bho mahāmaṇirucirakalāpa vicitramuktadāma-alaṃkṛtaśarīra paramasatvamocaka tathāgatamahādharma koṣadhara pravaradharma labdha vijayasurata sambhogaupadeśaka kleśagarapraśamaka śūnyatā svabhāva-anusvari mahābodhisatvavara varata varaṇadada
oṃ mahāpāśa prasara asamasama anantasama samantabhadra samantasandhara samanta-ākara samantaprasara sara sara he he mañjurava mahāvajra mahākhaḍga
cchinda cchinda bhinda bhinda viraja viraja karma-apagamaka kuru kuru dhuru dhuru suru suru muru muru dha dha dha dha dhu dhu dhu dhu mahā mahā mahā mahā mohaya mohaya bho bho bhīma bhīma nāda nāda sara sara mahābodhisatva mocaya
mama nātham anusṛta apāya duḥkhaṃ sukham mahākāruṇikā anātho ’haṃ duḥkhito ’haṃ sarajo ’ham uva druto ’haṃ avi vikto ’haṃ kusi dho ’haṃ mārana dharmo ’haṃ tvana bhagavām duḥkhitānāṃ sukhaṃdadā anāthānāṃ sanātha kara sarajasāṃ virajaskara
upadruhā nāṃ svara-upa dravapra śamaka avivikatānāṃ kuśala sambhara paripūrayitā kusidhānām mahāviryadhatā māraṇa dharmiṇa mama tipadādātā mama vibhagavān nātho bhava śaraṇam parāyaṇaṃ tratā
sarvaduḥkhāni me praśamaya sarvakleśarajīṃsi mi avanaya sarvasaṃsāraupadravaduḥkhāni me nāśaya sarva kuśaladharmaparipūram me kuru sarvakarma-āvaraṇakleśaparavata me vikira mahābodhisatvasibidhi vīryapāramitāyogam me sanniyojaya
a raṇadharma virāgaviraja sañjaha prajaha dhariṇi sama khasama jalanidhisama merusama mahābodhisatva parada svāhā
This concludes the noble “One Hundred and Eight Names of Mañjuśrī Accompanied by His Dhāraṇī-Mantra.”