妙法蓮華經文句 8.61

8.61

偈有四十八行，頌上三意：初有三行半，頌多寶滅度；第二有八行半，頌分身集；第三有三十六行，頌釋迦付囑。前二如文。「告諸大眾」下，第三，復二：初八行半，舉三佛以勸流通；次有二十七行半，舉難持之法以勸流通。就初有三：初一行半，募覓其人；次「其多寶」下，第二，有三行，正舉三佛以勸持經；次「其有能護」下，第三，四行，能持此經，即是供養三佛及見三佛，以釋勸意。「諸善男子」下，第二，二十七行半，舉難持之法以勸流通，復二：初二十行，正舉勸；二，七行半，釋勸意。就初復三：初一行，誡勸；次「諸餘經典」下，第二，十七行，正舉難持以勸流通。「後我為佛道」下，第三，二行，釋難持意，若有能持即持佛身，此意豈易？第二，「諸善男子我於」下七行半，明能持難持能成勝德以釋勸意。就此復三：初一行半，重募持經人；次「此經難持」下，第二，一行半，明能持難持則諸佛喜歎；次「是則勇猛」下，第三，四行半，明能持難持即成勝行，勝行有自他也。「恐畏世」者，天竺名沙悖，此云恐畏，天竺云颰陀，此云賢劫之異（名耳）。

The verse has forty-eight lines, which versify the above three meanings: first, three and a half lines versify Prabhūtaratna's extinction; second, eight and a half lines versify the gathering of the emanations; third, thirty-six lines versify Śākyamuni's entrustment. The first two are as in the text. From "Told the great assembly" onward, third, again has two: first, eight and a half lines cite the three Buddhas to encourage transmission; next, twenty-seven and a half lines cite the Dharma that is hard to uphold to encourage transmission. In the first there are three: first, one and a half lines recruit the person; next, from "That Prabhūtaratna" onward, second, three lines directly cite the three Buddhas to encourage upholding the sūtra; next, from "Whoever can protect" onward, third, four lines, stating that being able to uphold this sūtra is just offering to the three Buddhas and seeing the three Buddhas, to explain the intent of the encouragement. From "Good sons" onward, second, twenty-seven and a half lines cite the Dharma that is hard to uphold to encourage transmission, again with two: first, twenty lines directly present the encouragement; second, seven and a half lines explain the intent of the encouragement. In the first there are again three: first, one line of admonition and encouragement; next, from "All other sūtras" onward, second, seventeen lines directly present what is hard to uphold to encourage transmission; from "Later, for the sake of the Buddha path" onward, third, two lines explain the meaning of being hard to uphold—if one can uphold it, one upholds the Buddha's body, so how could this meaning be easy? Second, from "Good sons, I in..." onward, seven and a half lines explain that being able to uphold what is hard to uphold can accomplish supreme virtues, so as to explain the intent of the encouragement. In this there are again three: first, one and a half lines re-recruit the upholder of the sūtra; next, from "This sūtra is hard to uphold" onward, second, one and a half lines explain that being able to uphold what is hard to uphold brings the praise and delight of all Buddhas; next, from "This is indeed courageous" onward, third, four and a half lines explain that being able to uphold what is hard to uphold directly accomplishes supreme practice, and supreme practice has both self and other. "Fearsome world" is called *sāba* in India, translated here as fearsome; India says *bhadra*, translated here as a variant name for the Auspicious Kalpa.