Kangyur Translations

Toh 738, Toh 1092 — In Praise of the Glorious Goddess Sarasvatī

Translated by the Subhashita Translation Group under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

In Praise of the Glorious Goddess Sarasvatī

In the path that leads to awakening,

The victors and their heirs, masters of the Dharma,

And the multitudes of wisdom maṇḍalas

Arranged in successive levels of knowing—in these we seek refuge.

Homage to you, glorious goddess Sarasvatī.

Your mastery over speech is renowned throughout the world

And you have transcended the three knowledges^[1] of the sages.

All of this is the result of your vast conduct.

You take up the burden of immense activities

And joyfully endure every hardship for the benefit of beings.

Coursing through the levels and the ten perfections,

And standing steadfast in stores of virtue, you take whatever form is needed.

Your rounded face is the flawless moon in full.

Your lustrous^[2] eyes of compassion open the eyes of others

As you gaze at length upon every last universe, effortlessly.

It is before you that the likes of^[3] Devendra and Brahmā bow down.

Compassionate mother, replete with love and patience,^[4]

It is your delight, noble goddess, to nurture every single being.

Your eloquence is lofty and your top-knot rivals mountain peaks.

Your wisdom runs deep as you act in support of knowledge. F.230.a

Wielding mastery over fields of knowledge, you are the patroness of words.

As you are the god of all gods in the universe,

And a supreme companion who endeavors to dispel our suffering,

Even extremist scholars bow down before you. F.256.b

Your limbs are well proportioned, and your voice is ever sweet.

Poised with majesty, you glow with flawless qualities and merit.

As it is you who grants the accomplishments of the highest knowledge,

Grant us swift intellect, retention of words, and eloquence most supreme!

With the welfare of every being always in your heart,

Eminent and unfailing goddess, you dwell in liberation.

Firm in your promises, you consider with grace

Those who call upon you, and you fulfill their every wish.

As the master of sound, you capture in words

Everything that appears in the universe.

You are understood by all and skilled in expression.

O Sarasvatī, your capabilities are inconceivable.

Wielding mastery over the might of dhāraṇī and Dharma,

You, a capable ṛṣi, have genuinely mastered the samaya.

Bestowing your blessing on our bodies, minds, and speech,

You work to satisfy the world with your ever-pleasing voice.

You are admired by all for your conduct of supreme awakening.

Blessed Lady, please continue always to grant the supreme purpose

To those who desire the boon of pure body, speech, and mind

With which to bring about the perfect benefit of beings.

Help us to be brave as we strive along the path to awakening.

Let our tongues be quick and our words be righteous.

Endow us with treasuries of knowledge and speech unobstructed.

Allow us to achieve the full eloquence of all the well-gone ones.

Mother of knowledge, your nature is devoid of conceptuality.

The flag of your reputation flutters in the winds of joy.

Like wanting to draw a picture in the sky,

Your attributes are hard to comprehend, your qualities are boundless.

namo bhagavate brahmaṇe | namaḥ sarasvatyai devi siddhyantu mantrapādam brahmānumantra svāhā.^[5]

This concludes “In Praise of the Glorious Goddess Sarasvatī.”

Notes

The phrase “three knowledges” (Tib. rig gsum) is enigmatic. It could be an abbreviated form of rig byed gsum, “the three Vedas,” which is supported by the reference to “sages,” (Tib. drang srong), a translation of the Sanskrit term ṛṣi, a title often applied to realized teachers of the Vedic tradition. This interpretation is not conclusive, however, thus rig gsum has been translated here as “three knowledges” to preserve the ambiguity and polyvalence of the Tibetan term.
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“Lustrous” (Tib. gsal) is omitted in H, N, and S. It is replaced with the instrumental particle gyis in those versions.
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This translation follows H, N, and S in reading sogs (“the likes of”) where D reads tshogs (“host”). S reads dbang po (“Indra”) where D and other versions of the translation read lha dbang (“Devendra”). This amounts to the same reading, however, as Devendra is an epithet of Indra.
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C, K, KY, and J instead read bsod ldan ("meritorious"), in which case this line would read, “Compassionate mother, replete with love and merit.”
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This mantra follows the Degé with minor orthographic emendation. It can be tentatively translated as, “Homage to the lord Brahmā. Homage to Sarasvatī. Goddess! May this mantra formula be accomplished. Let it be consecrated by Brahmā, svāhā.” A similar passage is found in the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra (p. 57): namo bhagavatyai brāhmaṇyai namaḥ sarasvatyai devyai sidhyantu mantrapadās taṃ brahma namasyantu svāhā.
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