Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c75.s3.45

v2.c75.s3.45

2. Mañjuśrī—and his manifold forms represent the second group of Buddhist icons. His accounts are both historical and legendary; though the latter may also be regarded as significantly real. His place in the pantheon is of a very high order, one of the greatest Bodhisattavas and he is conceived in various forms. He is specially glorified in the Svambhūpurāṇa, especially in relation, as hinted below, to the Ādi Buddha and his sacred Svayambhū-kṣetra in Nepal. He is conspicuous either by his early representations or the early references in the literature. His name occurs for the first time in Sukhāvatī Vyūha. According to the Svayambhūpurāṇa Mañjuśrī belonged to China and was a great saint. One day receiving a divine intimation that the Self-born Lord, Ādi-Buddha has manifested himself in the form of a flame of fire on a lotus rising from the lake Kālihrada in Nepal, he forthwith started for the place to pay his homage. He was also accompanied by a large number of his disciples, his two wives and king Dharmākara of China. When he reached his destination, he experienced difficulty in approaching the god, so he cleft asunder, with his sword the barrier-hill and the opening was made from where water rushed through it leaving a vast stretch of dry land behind to make a path accessible to the Lord. That dry land is the Nepal valley and that Bhāgmatī is still called Kot-bar or sword-cut. Mañjuśrī then got a temple erected there for the enshrinement of the Flame and himself also began to live there on a hillock where he also got a monastry built to house his disciples. This monastry came to be known as Mañjupattana. King Darmākara was made king of Nepal by him. Having accomplished all this, he returned home and soon obtained the divine form of a Bodhisattva leaving his mundane body behind.