Toh 193, Toh 739 — The Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī
Śrīmahādevīvyākaraṇa
Translated by the Sakya Pandita Translation Group (International Buddhist Academy Division) under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
The Noble
Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī
F.246.aF.230.a Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
F.246.bF.230.bThus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Sukhāvatī together with the great saṅgha of bodhisattvas, among them the following bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the excellent eon:[1] Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkaṃbhin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi, and Bodhisattva Sarvabhayahara, and similarly Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvamaṅgaladhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvapuṇyalakṣaṇadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Candrasūryatrailokyadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvatīrthamaṅgaladhārin, and Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.
Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara went to the place where the Bhagavān was, paid homage at the Bhagavān’s feet, and remained at one side. Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān, paid homage at his feet, and circumambulated him three times. Then she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were dwelling in Sukhāvati and remained at one side.[2]F.247.aF.231.a
The Bhagavān was adorned with many hundreds of thousands of merits and surrounded by as many as ten million tathāgatas. As Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world all offered their praises and acclaim, the Bhagavān, having gazed at Śrī Mahādevī, addressed Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara as follows in his Great Brahmā voice:
“Avalokiteśvara, if any one of the kings, ministers, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, or śūdras retains this praise, “The One Hundred and Eight Names[3] of Śrī Mahādevī Which Are Renowned as Stainless,” then the kṣatriya king’s kingdom, the fears of those beings there, as well as the epidemics and harmful influences will all be pacified,[4] and no one at all will fear robbers, rogues, humans, or nonhumans. Wealth, grains, treasuries, and stores will all increase, and the Glorious Mahādevī will no doubt abide in the home of this kṣatriya king.”
Then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas said, “Bhagavāṇ, these words are well said. Excellent! Excellent! Those people who will retain the names of Śrī Mahādevī and who will put them into practice once they have heard them[5] will have those aforementioned qualities and benefits.”
Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, where did Śrī Mahādevī generate her roots of virtue?”
The Bhagavān replied, “Śrī Mahādevī F.247.bF.231.b generated roots of virtue in the presence of tathāgatas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges. O Avalokiteśvara, in the past, in a world system called Ratnasaṃbhavā, the tathāgata called Ratnakusumaguṇasāgaravaiḍūryakanakagirisuvarṇakāṃcanaprabhāsaśrī came forth into the world. Śrī Mahādevī generated roots of virtue in his presence and in the presence of many other tathāgatas, too. Now, the names of the tathāgatas make Śrī Mahādevī’s roots of virtue flourish and come to fulfillment. They stay with her always, these names that here in this world Śrī Mahādevī recites precisely and that dispel all sins, eliminate all offenses, make all effects[6] stainless, gather and increase wealth and grains, eradicate poverty, attract and catch the attention of all gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, pacifying all epidemics, natural misfortunes,[7] disputes, conflicts, dissensions, and arguments, and that will bring the six perfections to fulfilment. They are as follows:[8]
“Having treated these names of tathāgatas with veneration, one should retain and recite them, and in this way the merit of a son or daughter of a noble family will increase immensely.
“Now, all the tathāgatas made the following prophecies concerning Śrī Mahādevī: ‘Śrī Mahādevī, in the future you will become the tathāgata, the arhat, the truly complete buddha called Śrīmaṇiratnasambhava in the world system called Śrīmahāratnapratimaṇḍitā. And that world system will be adorned with various sorts of divine jewels. This very tathāgata will spread light in that world system, and those bodhisattvas dwelling there in that world will spontaneously become radiant and have immeasurable life spans. The word buddhadharmasaṅghaF.249.a will also come down from the sky, and the bodhisattvas who will be born in that buddha field will all be born from the centers of lotuses.’ F.233.a
“What is the twelve-line praise with one hundred and eight names that is renowned as being stainless?[9]
“O fearless Avalokiteśvara, please hearken to the names of Śrī Mahādevī. They are as follows:[10]
“Oṃ! Look at us, save us, and emancipate us from all sufferings. Make us turn in the direction of all collections of merits, svāhā.[35]Oṃ gaṅgādisarvatīrthānām abhimukhī kuru[36] svāhā | oṃ sāvitryai svāhā | sarvamaṅgaladhāriṇyai svāhā | caturvedanakṣatragrahagaṇādimūrtyai svāhā | brahmaṇe svāhā | viṣṇave svāhā | rudrāya svāhā | viśvamukhāya svāhā | oṃ nigrigrini sarvakāryasādhani sini sini āvāhayāmi devi śrīvaiśravaṇāya svāhā | suvarṇadhanadhānyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapuṇyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | śrīdevatākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapāpanāśanyai svāhā | sarvālakṣmīpraśamanyai svāhā | sarvatathāgatābhiṣiktāyai svāhā | sarvadevatābhimukhaśriye svāhā | āyurbalavarṇakarāyai svāhā | sarvapavitramaṅgalahastāyai svāhā | siṃhavāhinyai svāhā | padmasaṃbhūtāyai svāhā | sarvakṛtyakākhordavināśanyai svāhā.[37]
“Fearless Avalokiteśvara, anyone who is going to retain and recite these names of Śrī Mahādevī—which eliminate all offenses, overcome all sins, accumulate all merits, eliminate[38] all inauspiciousness, and accumulate all glories, happiness, and good fortune—and who is going to retain and recite[39] these names of the tathāgatas, should rise in the morning, clean up, and, having offered flowers and incense to all the buddhas, also offer sandalwood incense to Śrī Mahādevī. F.250.b Then, when they recite these names, all glory, all happiness and joys, will be obtained. The gods will all guard, protect, and preserve[40] them, and all of their purposes will be fulfilled.”
When the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the fearless bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, F.234.b Śrī Mahādevī[41], the entire retinue, and the world, including gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and [678] praised the words of the Bhagavān.
This completes “The Noble Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī.”[42]
Notes
“Of the excellent eon” (bskal pa bzang po’i = bhadrakalpika) is missing in the Skt.
backSkt.: “Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān. Having circumambulated one hundred thousand times at the Bhagavān’s feet she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.”
back“Names” is omitted in the Skt.
backTranslated on the basis of the Tibetan. Skt. has tasya rājñaḥ kṣatriyasya viṣaye teṣāṃ sattvānāṃ sarvabhayety upadravā praśamiṣyanti: “In the country of the kṣatriya king, these beings’ misfortunes, that is to say ‘all fears,’ will be pacified.”
backSkt. does not have “and who put them into practice once they have heard them.”
backSkt. sarvakārya, “all effects”; Tib. lus thams cad, “all bodies.”
backSkt. upasarga, “natural misfortune”; Tib. gnod pa, “harms.”
backThe Skt. list has been followed. The Tibetan (F.248.a–b) has some minor differences from the Sanskrit.
backSkt. dvādaśadaṇdakaṃ… stotram, but the Tib. has the puzzling stod pa brgyad cu gnyis pa, “eighty-two praises.”
backThe Tibetan and Sanskrit lists of names differ somewhat. We have followed the Sanskrit and indicated differences from the Tibetan in notes.
backTib. lha la sogs pa thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Gods, And So Forth.”
backTib. gnas thams cad na yod pa’i dpal, “Glory Present in All Places.”
backThe eight planets: (1) Sun, (2) Earth’s moon, (3) Mars, (4) Mercury, (5) Jupiter, (6) Venus, (7) Saturn, and (8) Eclipse-Maker (Rāhula).
backAccording to the ancient Indian traditions, twenty-eight constellations lie on the path of the moon during its complete circuit through the plane of the ecliptic. For a list of the twenty-eight, see Monier Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, s.v. nakṣatra.
backSavitra is a Vedic solar deity, an Āditya or descendant of the mother of the gods, Aditi.
backThe Tibetan (see glossary under “Sarvatīrthā”) treats these two epithets as one, i.e., “She Who Confers the Happiness of All the Holy Places.”
backThe Tibetan (see glossary entry) has “She Who is Enveloped by a Hundred Thousand Supreme Lotuses.”
backA Hindu creator god. His daughter is the consort of Śiva.
backThe terms candrakānta and sūryakānta also regularly refer to gems, i.e. moonstone and sunstone respectively.
backTib. “She Who Abides in Flowers.”
backTib. “Glory of All Rivers and Lakes.”
backTib. “She Who Gives Food and Clothing.”
backSkt. reads °varuṇā°. Yama is the lord of death, Varuṇa is the Vedic god presiding over night, Kubera is the god of riches, and Vāsava is Indra.
backOmitted in the Tib.
backTib. mthong ma, “She Who Has Vision.”
backTib. “She Who Abides in the Kumuda Flower.” Kumuda is a white flower that grows in or near water and blossoms at night. It is usually thought to be the datura plant, a member of the lily family with a very large, white, trumpet-like flower that opens at night, especially in the moonlight.
backTib. “She Who Is Patient.”
backOmitted in the Tib.
backTib. mthu rtsal gyi gnas, “She Who Is the Source of Power.”
backTib. dag byed dang bkra shis thams cad kyi lag pa dang ldan ma, “She Who Has Hands That Purify and [Bring] All Auspiciousness.”
backThe Tibetan (see glossary entry for “Sarvapṛthivīśrī”) takes these two as one: “Glory of the Entire Earth and All Kings.”
backOmitted in the Tibetan, which here has lha’i gnas dang lha thams cad kyi dpal / bzlas brjod dang / bzlas brjod du bya ba / sbyin sreg dang / sbyin sreg tu bya ba dang / bkra shis thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Abodes of the Gods and All Gods, Glory of All Incantations and What Is Incanted, All Fire Offerings, and What Is Offered and All Auspiciousness.”
backThe Tibetan here is bud med kyi gnas thams cad kyi gtso ma dang dpal gyi mchog, “Supreme Glory and Foremost of All That Is Feminine.”
backThe Skt. edition has sarvakinnarasarvasūryottamaśrī, “Glory That Is the First of All Kinnaras and All the Sun,” but in the Tib. (see glossary entry) lha ma yin mo suggests that the spelling °sarvāsurya° here is more likely to be correct in the context.
backIn the Tibetan text, this first section of the dhāraṇī is in Tibetan. The Skt. of the second sentence should be corrected from sarvapuṇyasambhārānāmukhīkuru svāhā to sarvapuṇyasambhārānām abhimukhī kuru svāhā.
backSkt. gaṅgādisarvatīrthānyāmuikhīkuru should be corrected to gaṅgādisarvatīrthānām abhimukhī kuru.
backThe Sanskrit of the dhāraṇi as transcribed in the Tibetan text appears unreliable; the dhāraṇi as presented here is transliterated from the Sanskrit edition.
backTib. med par byed pa, “make nonexistent,” “eliminate”; Skt. praśamanakarāṇi, “make calm,” “pacify.”
backSkt. omits “and recite.”
backSkt. guptiṃ kariṣyanti, while Tib. has sbed par byed pa, “conceal.”
backTib. has lha mo chen mo dpal de, “that Śrī Mahādevī,” while Skt. has sā, “she.”
backThe usual mention of the translators in the Tibetan colophon is missing in all versions.
back
