妙法蓮華經 7.59

7.59

In the presence of the Buddha he taught a dhāraṇī, saying:

Jvale mahājvale ukke mukke aḍe aḍāvati nṛtye nṛtyāvati iṭṭini viṭṭini

ciṭṭini nṛtyani nṛtyāvati.

“O Bhagavat! This mantra-dhāraṇī has been spoken by buddhas equal

in number to the sands of the Ganges River and everyone has rejoiced in it.

Anyone who attacks or slanders an expounder of the Dharma also attacks or

slanders these buddhas.”

Thereupon, the devarāja Vaiśravaṇa, a world-protector, addressed the

Buddha, saying: “O Bhagavat! I will also teach a dhāraṇī out of pity for sen-

tient beings and in order to protect expounders of the Dharma.”

He then recited a dhāraṇī, saying:

Aṭṭe naṭṭe vanaṭṭe anaḍe nāḍi kunaḍi.

“O Bhagavat! With this mantra-dhāraṇī I protect the expounders of the

Dharma; I will also protect those who hold to this sutra. All heavy cares shall

be banished for a hundred yojanas around.”

At that time the devarāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra was present in the assembly, respect-

fully surrounded by thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of gandharvas.

He came before the Buddha together with them and addressed the Buddha

with his palms pressed together, saying: “O Bhagavat! With a mantra-dhāraṇī

I will also protect those who hold to the Lotus Sutra.”

He then recited the dhāraṇī, saying:

Agaṇe gaṇe gauri gandhāri caṇḍāli mātaṅgi jaṅguli vrūsaṇi agasti.

“O Bhagavat! This mantra-dhāraṇī was spoken by forty-two koṭis of

Chapter XXVI

buddhas. Anyone who attacks or slanders an expounder of the Dharma also attacks or slanders these buddhas.

“At that time there were ten rākṣasīs. Their names were Lambā, Vilambā, Kūṭadantī, Puṣpadantī, Makuṭadantī, Keśinī, Acalā, Mālādhāri, Kuntī, and Sarvasattvojohārī. These ten rākṣasīs, together with Hārītī and their children and retinues, came before the Buddha and addressed him in unison, saying: “O Bhagavat! We also want to protect those who recite and preserve the Lotus Sutra and rid them of their heavy cares. Those who try to strike at the expounders of the Dharma through their weaknesses shall never be able to do so.”