འཕགས་པ་གསར་འད་དམ་པ་མཆག་ཏ་རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་བའ་མད་སྡའ་རྒྱལ་པ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 7
The Sūtra of the Sublime Golden Light (1) 7
- Language
- English
7.2
As you have said, that which is called dhāraṇī does not have an existing direction or location, and neither is it without an existent direction or location. It is not a phenomenon. It is not a nonphenomenon. It is not past, it is not future, and it is not present. It is not a thing, and it is not nothing. It is not a condition, and it is not a noncondition. It is not composite, and it is not noncomposite. It is not the creation of a phenomenon, and it is not the cessation of a phenomenon.
“Nevertheless, in order to benefit bodhisattvas, that word is taught. The power of the qualities of a dhāraṇī, the way of its valid path, and the presentation of its might are the qualities of the buddhas, the correct conduct of the buddhas, the training of the buddhas, the secret intention of the buddhas, and the source of the appearance of the buddhas, and therefore The Dhāraṇī of Nonattachment is a supremely wonderful Dharma teaching.”
Then⁸³⁷ Venerable Śāriputra said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat Sugata, I pray that you teach the practice of this dhāraṇī to me. If bodhisattvas remain within this, they will become irreversible from enlightenment, their valid prayers will be fulfilled, they will have no location, they will attain natural eloquence, and they will attain that which is marvelous and wonderful. This will all come from having obtained this dhāraṇī.”
“Excellent, Śāriputra, excellent! It is so! It is so!” replied the Bhagavat.
7.3
“Just as you have said, if a bodhisattva obtains this dhāraṇī, that individual should be known to be no different from the buddhas. Someone who makes offerings to, honors, venerates, and provides requisites for that bodhisattva should be known as making offerings to the buddhas.
“Śāriputra, if any other individual who hears, acquires, possesses, reads, recites, and believes in this dhāraṇī is honored, offered to, and served as if they are in that way no different from the buddhas, then through that cause and condition the highest result will be attained.”
The Bhagavat then taught the dhāraṇī mantra:
tadyathā | sandhāraṇi utdhāraṇi susaṃpratiṣṭhite sunāma supratiṣṭhite vijayabala sattyapratijñā suāroha jñānapratiutpādani avanāvani abhiṣiñcani abhivyāhāra⁸³⁸ śubhavati suniḥśrita⁸³⁹ bahuguṃbha abhivadā svāhā |
“Śāriputra,” said the Bhagavat, “know that if a bodhisattva is established in these words of the unbounded dhāraṇī and possesses it perfectly, then for one eon, for a hundred eons, for a thousand eons, for a hundred thousand eons, the true prayers created by that individual will not be concluded, and their body will not be harmed by swords, sticks, poison, water, fire, or vicious wild animals.
“Why is that? Śāriputra, it is because this Dhāraṇī of Nonattachment is the mother of the buddhas of the past, the mother of the buddhas of the future, and the mother of the buddhas of the present.
“Śāriputra, if someone were to fill ten asaṃkhyeya trichiliocosm world realms with the seven jewels
7.4
and offer them to the tathāgatas, and were to offer them excellent, perfect clothing and food of various kinds for asaṃkhyeya eons, the merit that comes from someone who possesses just one word of this dhāraṇī would be still far greater.
“Why is that? Śāriputra, it is because this extremely profound Dharma teaching of the unbounded dhāraṇī is the mother of the tathāgatas.”
At that time, Śāriputra and the entire great assembly became extremely joyful on hearing those words, so that they all wished to possess that dhāraṇī.⁸⁴⁰
Chapter 14: The Precious Wish-Fulfilling Jewel Dhāraṇī
Then the Bhagavat, in the midst of the great assembly, said to Venerable Ānanda, “You should know this: the dhāraṇī called the precious wish-fulfilling jewel will cast all harm far away; it will prevent and dispel all harmful thunder and lightning. That is the teaching of the bhagavat⁸⁴¹ arhat samyaksaṃbuddhas of the past. Therefore, I also will teach it to you, this great assembly, in order to benefit devas and humans, to care for the world, so that all will be protected and attain happiness.”
On hearing the Bhagavat’s words, Venerable Ānanda and everyone in the great assembly single-mindedly looked upon the Bhagavat’s face and listened to the vidyāmantra.
The Bhagavat said, “You should listen well. In the eastern direction from here, there is Āgata,⁸⁴² the king of lightning;
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to the south there is Śateru,⁸⁴³ the king of lightning; to the west there is Instantaneous Light,⁸⁴⁴ the king of lightning; and to the north there is Satamapati,⁸⁴⁵ the king of lightning.
“If a noble man or noble woman hears the names of these kings of lightning and knows their directions, then that individual will be free from anything that terrifies or frightens, and all sudden harms will cease.
“If the names of these kings of lightning in the four directions are written in the place where they are dwelling, then there will be no danger from lightning in that place where they dwell, and there will be no impediments from demons,⁸⁴⁶ obstacle makers, or calamities. All sudden, premature death will be cast far away.”
Then the Bhagavat recited the dhāraṇī mantra:
tadyathā | nimi nimi nimindhari indrestrai loka lokani śiriśolavati harakṣa harakṣa | May this place where I, [say your name], dwell be free from all fear and terror, from all harm from suffering, and from all thunder, lightning, hailstorms, and sudden death. Svāhā |⁸⁴⁷
Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara rose from his seat within that great assembly and, baring one shoulder, reverently placed his palms together and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I also, in the presence of the Bhagavat, will briefly teach a precious wish-fulfilling jewel dhāraṇī in order to benefit⁸⁴⁸ devas and humans, to care for the world, so that all will be protected and attain happiness, and so that they will have the strength of great might and their aspirations will be accomplished exactly as wished for.”
7.6
He then spoke the dhāraṇī mantra:
tadyathā | kate vikate nikate pratyarthike pratyamitre śuddhe mukte vimale prabhāsvare aṇḍare paṇḍare śvete paṇḍaravāsini harikaṇḍari piṅgala⁸⁴⁹ akṣi dadhi mukhi rakṣa rakṣa | May this place where I, [your name], dwell be free from all fear and terror, from all harm from suffering, and from all thunder, lightning, hailstorms, and sudden death, May I never see any bad, sinful thing but always be looked upon by the bodhisattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara with the blessing of his great compassion and be completely protected! Svāhā |⁸⁵⁰
Then the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the lord of secrets, rose from his seat, reverently placed his palms together, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I⁸⁵¹ also will teach the dhāraṇī called invincible in order to greatly benefit⁸⁵² devas and humans, to care for the world, so that all will be protected and attain the power of great resplendence, and so that their aspirations will be accomplished exactly as wished for.”
He then spoke the dhāraṇī mantra:
tadyathā | muni muni muni nadhari muni mati mati sumati mahāmati hā hā hā hā ma bhayantīti pāpa vajrapāṇi āha drāviḍa svāhā |⁸⁵³
“Bhagavat, I will guard day and night any man or woman who single-mindedly possesses this dhāraṇī mantra called invincible, writes it out, reads it, recites it, and remembers it without omission, so that all terror and fear, and so on, up to all sudden death will be cast far away.”
Then Mahābrahmā, the lord of the Sahā trichiliocosm, rose from his seat, reverently placed his palms together, and said to the Bhagavat,
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“Bhagavat, I also will teach the dhāraṇī that is a wonderful Dharma teaching in order to greatly benefit⁸⁵⁴ devas and humans, to protect the world from all harm, to attain the power of great magnificence, and so that their aspirations will be accomplished exactly as wished for.”
He then spoke the dhāraṇī mantra:
tadyathā | hili mili cili svāhā brahmapūre svāhā brahmasvare svāhā brahmabhisugarbhe puṣpasaṃstare svāhā |
“Bhagavat, this dhāraṇī mantra is called Brahmā’s punishment, and I will guard those who possess this dhāraṇī, so that all harm from misery and all bad actions will be cast far away and all sudden death will be cast away.”
Then Śakra, the lord of devas, rose from his seat, reverently placed his palms together, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, I also will teach a great dhāraṇī vidyāmantra called vajraśani in order to dispel all fear and terror, demons,⁸⁵⁵ obstacle makers, and so on, up to casting far away all sudden death, and to save them from suffering, bestowing happiness and benefit⁸⁵⁶ upon devas and humans.
tadyathā | nivarāni banddha mādantema⁸⁵⁷ titi titi gaurī gandhari caṇḍāli mātaṅgi pukkasi parṇale⁸⁵⁸ hinamadhyamadhariṇi malani dalamdade⁸⁵⁹ cakrāvākrī⁸⁶⁰ śavari śavari svāhā |
Then the deva king Vaiśravaṇa, the deva king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the deva king Virūḍhaka, and the deva king Virūpākṣa rose from their seats, reverently placed their palms together, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, we⁸⁶¹ also will teach a dhāraṇī called the gift to beings of freedom from fear in order to always defend them from being afflicted by suffering, and to obtain happiness,
7.8
to increase their lifespans, to have no illness, and so on, up to casting sudden death far away:
tadyathā | puṣpe supuṣpe dhumaparihāre āryapraśaste śānti nirmukte maṅgalya⁸⁶² hiraṇyagarbhe stute stavite svāhā |
Then many nāga kings, such as the nāga king Sāgara,⁸⁶³ the nāga king Vidyutprabha, the nāga king Anavatapta, the nāga king Lightning Tongue, and the nāga king Śataraśmi, rose from their seats, reverently placed their palms together, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, we also have a dhāraṇī called the precious wish-fulfilling jewel that prevents harmful lightning, dispels all fear and terror, brings vast benefit to devas and humans, defends the entire beloved world, has the power of great magnificence, accomplishes aspirations as wished for, and so on, up to casting premature death far away. It neutralizes poisons and dispels all conjured spirits, mantras, and inauspicious things. We offer this dhāraṇī mantra to the Bhagavat and ask that you regard us kindly through your compassion. We pray that you accept it so that we may become freed from existence as nāgas and forever cast away the desires of miserliness.
“Why is that? It is through this desire of miserliness that we experience many sufferings in saṃsāra. We wish to destroy the seed of the desire of miserliness, Bhagavat. We nāgas are miserly, and so our minds are encircled by miserliness.”⁸⁶⁴
They then recited the dhāraṇī mantra:
tadyathā | acale⁸⁶⁵ amare amṛte akṣaye abhiye puṇyai paryavate sarvapāpaṃ praśamāniye svāhā āryapuṇyasopākiye⁸⁶⁶ svāhā |
“Bhagavat, if a noble man or noble woman recites this vidyāmantra
7.9
or writes it out and makes a text and carries it and possesses it, or reads and recites it, or reverently makes offerings to it, then lightning and thunderbolts will not fall. Fear, terror, the affliction of suffering, misery, illness, and so on, up to sudden death will all be cast far away. There will be no harm from poison, conjured spirits,⁸⁶⁷ or tigers, lions, wolves, or poisonous snakes that attack humans, nor from flies, mosquitoes, and so on.”
The Bhagavat then said to the great assembly, “Well done! Well done! All of these dhāraṇī mantras have great power, so that all the things wished for in the minds of beings will be perfectly obtained, exactly as they wanted. They will bring a vast benefit as long as the mind is one-pointed. Do not have any doubt!”
Then the large assembly, having heard the words of the Bhagavat, were overjoyed, had conviction, and correctly retained the teaching.
Chapter 15: The Great Goddess Sarasvatī
⁸⁶⁸ Then, within that great assembly, the great goddess Sarasvatī rose from her seat, bowed down her head to the Bhagavat’s feet, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, if a dharmabhāṇaka correctly teaches this Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, I will increase his wisdom and inspire poetic eloquence. If the dharmabhāṇaka preceptor omits a letter, a syllable, or the meaning of a word,
7.10
I will cause him to remember everything and have excellent comprehension and bestow upon him unimpeded, total possession of the power of mental retention.
“Moreover, any being who has developed good roots with many hundreds of thousands of buddhas and holds this Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light will greatly promulgate it in this Jambudvīpa so that it will not soon vanish. Then countless beings, through hearing this sūtra, will all quickly attain⁸⁶⁹ eloquence and inconceivable great wisdom, will become learned in various treatises and skills, and will quickly depart from saṃsāra and attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. It will cause them to have in their lifetime an increased lifespan and a perfection of the necessities for life.⁸⁷⁰
“Bhagavat, for the sake of those Dharma preceptors who hold the sūtra and the other beings who aspire to listen to this sūtra, I wish to teach the practice of cleansing by applying mantras to medicines. It will dispel and bring to an end for them any malevolent planets or bad signs that appear; conflict with the planets and constellation of one’s birth; the suffering of illness; fighting, quarreling, and war; nightmares; demons, obstacle makers, and conjured spirits; poisons and contaminations;⁸⁷¹ spells, vetālas, and so on; and all obscurations from bad karma and the creation of obstacles. Therefore, those who are wise should practice the rite of cleansing in this way:⁸⁷²
“Sweet flag, cow bezoar,⁸⁷³ and fenugreek;
Musk,⁸⁷⁴ realgar, and acacia;⁸⁷⁵
Orris root, jñāmaka, and shami;
Chir pine rosin, cinnamon, and nut grass;
“Agarwood, sandalwood, and pinwheel flower;
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Frankincense, saffron, and karpūra;⁸⁷⁶
Spikenard, tabasheer, and cardamom;
Deodar leaves and vetiver;
“Frankincense,⁸⁷⁷ Artemisia plant, and bdellium;
Mustard seed, cumin, and ironwood flowers;
And dammar gum and costus root, in equal amounts
Mix into one in the Puṣya lunar house,
“Then take up that powdered perfume
And apply this mantra one hundred and eight times:
tadyathā | sukṛte⁸⁷⁸ kṛtakamalanīlajinakarate⁸⁷⁹ haṃkarāte⁸⁸⁰ indrajali⁸⁸¹ śakaddre vaśaddre⁸⁸² avartakasike⁸⁸³ nakutra kukavilakavimalamati śīlamati⁸⁸⁴ sandhidhudhumamavati śiśiri satyasthite⁸⁸⁵ svāhā |⁸⁸⁶
“If you wish to cleanse in accordance with the Dharma,
Make a square maṇḍala eight cubits wide,
And in a place that is pleasant and solitary
Think in your mind of the goals to be achieved.
“Smear the maṇḍala with cow dung⁸⁸⁷
And spread flowers all over it.
Fill perfectly clean gold and silver bowls
With milk and honey with a perfect taste.⁸⁸⁸
“Place four people at the four gates of the maṇḍala
In order to guard it in accord with the Dharma.
Four youths⁸⁸⁹ with bodies perfectly adorned
Each hold pots of water at the corners.
“Continually burn bdellium⁸⁹⁰ there
And continually play the five kinds of music.⁸⁹¹
On all four sides of the maṇḍala
Beautify the banners with parasols and streamers.
“Inside the maṇḍala, place a clear mirror,
A sharp sword, and four arrows.
Arrange⁸⁹² a large vessel in the center of the maṇḍala
And place a wooden platform on top of it.
“Mix the previous powder⁸⁹³ with water
And place it inside the maṇḍala.
Having arranged and placed it in that way,
Then recite the mantra and close the maṇḍala.
“The mantra for closing the boundary:
syād yathedaṃ⁸⁹⁴ arake⁸⁹⁵ nayane⁸⁹⁶ hile
7.12
mile gile⁸⁹⁷ khikhile svāhā |⁸⁹⁸
“Having closed the boundary in that way,
And having entered into the maṇḍala,
Apply the mantra to the water twenty-one times
And sprinkle it into the four directions.
“Then apply the mantra to the perfumed water
A total of one hundred and eight times.
Surround all four sides with curtains,
And after that wash your body.
“The mantra for the water and the perfumed water is thus:
tadyathā | sagaṭe vigaṭe vigatāvati svāhā |⁸⁹⁹
“After washing, the washing water and whatever food and drink have been offered within the maṇḍala should be cast into a river or a pond. Collect everything else.
“Having washed in that way, you should put on clean clothes, come out of the maṇḍala, and enter a clean dwelling. The mantra practitioner, in order to bestow a vast commitment, must completely eliminate various bad actions and continually practice various good actions and develop great compassion for beings. Through those causes and conditions, one will attain an immeasurable ripening of wish-fulfilling merit. Also, there is a prayer in verse:⁹⁰⁰
“Any being who is afflicted by the suffering of illness
And is not healed by various medicines and treatments
Should cleanse according to this rite of washing
And moreover read and recite this sūtra.
“With a mind that is undistracted day and night,
And with single-minded veneration and developed motivation,
The suffering of illness will completely cease
And, freed from poverty and need, they will become wealthy.
“The devas of the planets, stars, sun, and moon in the four directions
Will give their complete protection, and life will become long.
Good fortune, happiness, and merit will increase.
All bad omens and calamities will be dispelled.
“After that, repeat twenty-one times the mantra for protecting the body:
tadyathā | śame viṣame⁹⁰¹ svāhā | sagaṭe vigaṭe⁹⁰² svāhā | sukhatinate svāhā |⁹⁰³ sāgarasaṃbhūtāya⁹⁰⁴ svāhā | skandhamatāya⁹⁰⁵ svāhā | nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā |
7.13
aparājitavīryāya⁹⁰⁶ svāhā | himavatsaṃbhūtāya⁹⁰⁷ svāhā | animilavaktrāya svāhā |⁹⁰⁸ namo bhagavate brāhmaṇe svāhā |⁹⁰⁹ namaḥ sarasvatyai devyai⁹¹⁰ svāhā |⁹¹¹ sidhyantu⁹¹² mantrapadā daṃ⁹¹³ svāhā |⁹¹⁴ bharato vicita⁹¹⁵ brahmānumanyatu⁹¹⁶ svāhā |⁹¹⁷
Then⁹¹⁸ the great goddess Sarasvatī bowed down to the Bhagavat’s feet and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, any bhikṣu, bhikṣuṇī, upāsaka, or upāsikā who acquires, possesses, reads, recites, writes out, and practices⁹¹⁹ the teaching of this sublime king of sūtras, and wherever that bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī dwells—a town, a town’s environs, a wilderness, a mountain, or a forest—for their sake I and my entourage will come to them as a divine entourage,⁹²⁰ will guard and defend them, and will dispel the suffering of illness, the falling of shooting stars, bad omens, diseases, fighting, and quarreling. I will put an end to being arrested by the king’s law, bad dreams, harm from malicious spirits, and all conjured spirits.⁹²¹
“The followers and the audiences of individuals, such as bhikṣus, who possess the sūtra will be benefited so that they will quickly transcend the great ocean of saṃsāra and progress irreversibly toward enlightenment.”
The Bhagavat, having listened to her words, then praised the great goddess Sarasvatī, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you, goddess, in order to benefit and make happy countless, endless beings, have taught those vidyāmantras, the washing in perfumed water, and the maṇḍala rite that possess inconceivable ripened results.”
7.14
Then he said, “You should protect this sublime, supreme king of sūtras so that it does not soon vanish but will be widely present.”
The great goddess Sarasvatī then bowed down her head to the Bhagavat’s feet and sat upon her own seat.
Then the brahmin of the Kauṇḍinya family, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, through the power of the Bhagavat’s blessing, praised Sarasvatī in front of the great assembly:⁹²²
“You, Sarasvatī, have courageous, clear wisdom.
You are worthy to be offered to by devas and humans.
Your renown has spread throughout the world,
And you fulfill the hopes of all beings.
“You dwell within a house that is made of grass
Upon the supreme location of a high mountain peak.
You make your clothes by knotting soft grass together,
And you constantly stand with one leg bent.⁹²³
“The many devas who have gathered
All praise you single-mindedly.
You, the goddess who has wisdom and eloquence,
Give your gift of all wonderful, pleasant words.”
The great goddess Sarasvatī, having listened to his supplication, then spoke this dhāraṇī mantra:
syād yathedaṃ | ⁹²⁴ mure cire avaje avajavate ⁹²⁵ higule ⁹²⁶ migule ⁹²⁷ pigalavati ⁹²⁸ maguśe ⁹²⁹ marici ⁹³⁰ samati ⁹³¹ daśamati agrima gritara ⁹³² citara ⁹³³ capati ⁹³⁴ cicirī ⁹³⁵ śirimiri mandhi demakhi ⁹³⁶ marici ⁹³⁷ praṇaye ⁹³⁸ lokajyeṣṭhe ⁹³⁹ lokapriye ⁹⁴⁰ siddhiprite ⁹⁴¹ vimamukhi śucikharī ⁹⁴² apratihate ⁹⁴³ apratehatabuddhe ⁹⁴⁴ namuci namuci ⁹⁴⁵ mahādevī ⁹⁴⁶ pratigṛhnanamaskaraṃ ⁹⁴⁷ [say your name] mama buddhi viśduddhi bhagavadtyaṃ bevayaṃ sparasatya karade keyūre keyūramati hilimili apayame mahādeve buddhasatyana dharmasatya saṃghasatyena indrasatyena varuṇasatyena yeloke stayasatyena teśamastyena sattivadcanini avahayami mahādevem hilimili hilimili vicidato [say your name]
7.15
mama buddhi namo bhavati mahādeve sarasatya sidhyanti mantrapadāni svāhā |⁹⁴⁸
Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, having taught this dhāraṇī mantra, said to the brahmin, “O great being, it is excellent, excellent that for the sake of beings you provide wonderful eloquence, jewels, miracles, and wisdom,⁹⁴⁹ bringing a vast benefit to all, and that you wish to bring them quickly to enlightenment. Know that and possess this rite.”
Having said that, she recited these verses:⁹⁵⁰
To recite this dhāraṇī, at the beginning
Just read it purely and without error,
And then go for refuge to the Three Jewels and the devas
In order to be blessed and have your prayers be fulfilled.
“Bow with reverence to the buddhas, the Dharma, and
The saṅghas of bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas.
“After that, bow with single-minded reverence
To Brahmā, Śakra, the lord of devas,⁹⁵¹
The world guardians, the Four Mahārājas,
And to all those who continually practice celibacy.
“Then, in a very solitary wilderness,
Recite the preceding mantra and ritual in a loud voice.
In front of a statue of the Buddha, and before devas and nāgas,
Accomplish making offerings with whatever you possess.
“Develop a motivation of love, compassion, and kindness
Toward all those forms of beings.
Keep in mind—one-pointedly, without distraction—
The Bhagavat’s golden body with its wonderful signs.
“The Bhagavat had the intention to teach the true Dharma
7.16
And established beings in samādhi according to their capacities.
Contemplate well the meaning of these words
And meditate perfectly, in reliance upon emptiness.
“If in the presence of an image of the Bhagavat
You can remain in genuine, one-pointed mindfulness,
Then you will obtain excellent wisdom, samādhi,
And the sublime, supreme dhāraṇī.
“The golden mouth of the Bhagavat taught the Dharma,
And he guided devas and humans with his beautiful voice.
The sign that is his tongue manifests a wonder according to conditions—
It becomes vast and long and covers the worlds of the trichiliocosm.
“If you keep your mind one-pointed upon that beautiful
Speech of the Bhagavat, you will attain fearlessness.
This inconceivable sign that is his tongue was acquired
Through the power of the vast prayers of the Bhagavat.
“He taught that phenomena have no existence
And are like space that is devoid of impediments.
By contemplating and evaluating the Bhagavat’s speech,
The sign of his tongue, your prayers will be fulfilled.
“If the great goddess Sarasvatī sees offerings,
Or sees a pupil following a master’s instructions
And practicing and meditating on this secret rite
Or revering it, their wishes will be accomplished.
“Someone who wishes for perfect, sublime wisdom
Should single-mindedly possess this rite.
It will increase merit, wisdom, and qualities
And will have definite accomplishment, have no doubt!⁹⁵²
“Those who seek wealth will obtain great wealth.
Those who seek fame will attain great fame.
Those who seek deliverance will be delivered.
This will definitely be attained, have no doubt!⁹⁵³
“Contemplate and gather into your mind
All countless, endless⁹⁵⁴ good qualities.
If you are able to practice in this way in accord with the Dharma,
They will definitely be attained, have no doubt!⁹⁵⁵
“In a clean place, wear new⁹⁵⁶ clothes.
Create a maṇḍala of whatever size you can.
Fill four clean vases with a delicious flavor
7.17
And offer whatever flowers and incense you have.
“Beautify it with streamers, flags, and parasols,
And adorn it everywhere with scented ointment and powders.
If you make offerings to the buddhas and the goddess Sarasvatī,
And wish to see the deity’s body, your aspiration will be fulfilled.
“In front of the great goddess Sarasvatī,
Recite the previous mantra for twenty-one days.
If you still have not seen that deity,
One-pointedly keep her in mind for nine more days.⁹⁵⁷
“If she has still not been seen in the last part of the night,
Seek another excellent and clean place.
Draw an image of the great goddess Sarasvatī
And do not give up offering, repeating, and reciting.
“If you do not develop a sleepy or a lazy mind,⁹⁵⁸
The benefit to yourself and others will have no end.
If whatever ripening you obtain is made to ripen for beings,
Then all your aspirations will be completely accomplished.
“If you have not attained what you wish, then after three months,
Or after six months, nine months, or a year,
With diligent supplication and an undistracted mind,
You will attain divine vision and knowledge of the minds of others.”⁹⁵⁹
The Kauṇḍinya brahmin, on hearing those words taught, was then joyous, delighted, and amazed,⁹⁶⁰ and so he said to that great assembly, “Oh, all of you, this great assembly of devas and humans, know this! Today, on the basis of relative phenomena, I am going to recite a praise to the great goddess Sarasvatī. Listen!”⁹⁶¹
He then recited these verses:⁹⁶²
“I reverently pay homage to the goddess Nārāyaṇī,⁹⁶³
Who has attained dominion over worlds.
Today I will praise that supreme one
In accordance with the teaching of past ṛṣis.
“Your mind of perfect auspiciousness dwells in bliss.
Your clear mind possessed of shame and conscience is renowned.
You are a mother and give birth to the world.
You courageously and continuously act with great diligence.
“You are always continuously victorious on the battleground.
7.18
You request self-control, a loving mind, and patience.
You are now the eldest sister⁹⁶⁴ of Yama,
And for clothes you always wear blue silk.
“You possess both beautiful and ugly forms.
All who see your eyes become afraid.⁹⁶⁵
Your immeasurable, sublime, supreme activity transcends the world.
You directly regard all humans and gather them all.⁹⁶⁶
“Sometimes you dwell on profound mountains of rock,
Sometimes you dwell in caves or on riverbanks,
And sometimes you dwell in great forests of trees—
Goddess, those are the places where you primarily dwell.
“All wild people of the mountains and forests
Continually make offerings to you, the goddess.
They make banners and flags from peacock feathers,
And you protect the world at all times.
“You are always encircled by tigers, lions, and wolves.
Cattle, sheep, chickens,⁹⁶⁷ and so on, depend upon you.
When you ring a great bell, the sound that emerges
Resounds even on the Vindhya Mountains.
“Sometimes you hold a trident,⁹⁶⁸
And usually your right and left hands hold sun and moon standards.
On the ninth and eleventh day of the waning moon,
I will always make offerings to you at those times.
“Sometimes you manifest as Vasu, the sister of Mahādeva,
Who, on seeing a battle, always has kindness
And is always looking upon all beings.
You are a supreme goddess whom no one transcends.
“Sometimes you manifest as the gopi Rādhā,
And when you fight the devas, you are always victorious.
You remain in worlds for a long time,
Manifesting both subdued patience and wrath.
“You have perfectly understood all the four Dharmas⁹⁶⁹
Known by great brahmins, and miracles, mantras, and so on.
Among the ṛṣis,⁹⁷⁰ you have attained independent power
And have the ability to create seeds and this great earth.
“When goddesses and so on gather
Like ocean waves,⁹⁷¹ they gather around you.⁹⁷²
You are chief among all the assemblies of many yakṣas, nāgas,
And so on, and you have the power to guide them.
“You are the supreme female celibate.
Your words arise like those of the lord of the world.
You are like lotuses in a royal residence.
7.19
On the banks of a river, you are like a boat or a bridge.⁹⁷³
“Your beautiful face is like the full moon.
You are a support and basis for the greatly learned.
Your supreme eloquence is like a high mountain peak.
You create an island for those who keep you in mind.
“The devas, such as the asuras, and so on,
All recite praises of your qualities.
Even thousand-eyed Śakra, the lord of devas,
Gazes on you and thinks of you with veneration.
“Whatever beings wish for and seek,
You quickly accomplish all of it.
You have a swift mind, eloquence, and you possess the Dharma
So that you are supreme upon this great earth.
“In these world realms of the ten directions,
You always illuminate everything, like a great lamp.
You even fulfill all the wishes
Of the spirits and wild beasts.
“You are like a mountain peak among females.
Like the ṛṣis of the past, you remain for a long time.
Like a young goddess, you are devoid of desire,
And you speak the truth like the lord of the world.
“You are the one goddess renowned as supreme
Within the continuity⁹⁷⁴ of all the worlds,
And over those in the divine palaces of the desire realm;
There is no being who appears to be greater.
“If I am in battle or a dangerous place
Or fall into a pit of fire, you will see me.
When there are the dangers of dreadful rivers and bandits,
You have the power to dispel all those dangers.
“If you are chained by the laws of the king
Or are being killed by someone who wants your flesh,⁹⁷⁵
If at that time you maintain an unwavering, single-pointed mind,
You will definitely be freed from your suffering.
“You protect all humans, good and bad,
And always manifest love and the affection of compassion.
Therefore, with single-minded aspiration,
I pay homage and take refuge in you, the great goddess.”
Then the brahmin extolled that goddess with words of praise and eulogy:
“Supreme in the world, I reverently pay homage to you.⁹⁷⁶
7.20
You are supreme among all mothers.⁹⁷⁷
Therefore, all the three worlds make offerings to you.
Your appearance is beautiful, and all long to see you.
“Your body is adorned with various good qualities.
Your wide eyes are like the petals of the blue lotus.
You have the vast renown of the radiance of merit and wisdom.
To give an analogy, you are the same as a priceless jewel.
“On this day I speak this praise of you, sublime one,
And may you accomplish all the wishes in my mind.
You have true qualities and excellent auspiciousness.
You are completely pure, like a lotus.
“Your body has a beautiful color and all long to see it.
You have an inconceivable multitude of wonderful features.
You spread the light rays of stainless wisdom,
And your memory is supreme over all others.
“You are supreme like a lion among wild beasts.
You are ever adorned by eight arms
That hold, individually, an arrow, bow, sword,
Axe, mallet, hook, discus, and noose.⁹⁷⁸
“Beautiful goddess, you are like the full moon.
You emit a beautiful voice with unimpeded words.
Whatever being has a prayer in their minds,
You, sublime being, will fulfill their wishes.
“Śakra and many devas all make offerings to you.
They all praise you and go to you for refuge.
You give rise to inconceivable qualities,
So at all times I venerate you: svāhā.⁹⁷⁹
“If you wish to pray to the great goddess Sarasvatī,
Use these words of praise and eulogy
And recite them with internal purity, single-mindedly.⁹⁸⁰
Then all that you aspire for will be accomplished as you wish.”
The Bhagavat said to the brahmin, “It is excellent, excellent that you, in order to benefit and bring happiness to beings, have recited this praise to the goddess and prayed for her blessing so that immeasurable merit will be obtained.”⁹⁸¹