金光明經文句 5.27

5.27

If preserving the Sanskrit sound in full, one should say Saṃjñāya-su-mahā [or Saṃjñāsoma], which is translated here as 'secret'. 'Secret' has four meanings: namely, secret of name, secret of practice, secret of wisdom, and secret of principle (and so forth). He is the great general of the Heavenly King of the North. The other three directions each have one: that of the East is named Kāmacchanda (Leyu), that of the South is named Daṇḍin (Dandi), and that of the West is named Sudarśana (Shanxian); each has a retinue of five hundred, governing the twenty-eight classes. The Mayūrī-vidyārājñī Sūtra says: 'One direction has four classes; six directions thus have twenty-four classes. The four intermediate directions each have one class, making twenty-eight classes in all.' Another commentator says: 'One direction has five classes, namely earth, water, fire, wind, and space. The four directions have twenty classes, which together with the eight classes governed by the Four Kings make twenty-eight classes.' Patrolling the world to reward good and punish evil, all are governed by Saṃjñāya. Hearing the sūtra, he rejoices and vows to protect both expounders and listeners; taking his name from the person who is able to protect, he is therefore called Saṃjñāya (and so forth). The text has four parts: first, from 'addressed the Buddha' onward, he vows to protect and uphold; second, from 'For what reason' onward, it describes his possessing the virtue of being able to protect; third, from 'General Saṃjñāya' onward, he vows to use the power of wisdom to surely benefit the expounder; fourth, taking refuge in and revering the original teacher.