Great Compassion Dharani
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
Also known as the Great Compassion Mantra.
- Chinese : 大悲咒
- Sanskrit : mahā karuna dhāranī
The Great Compassion Dharani was spoken by Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva before an assembly of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, devas and kings, according to the Mahakarunikacitta Sutra. Like the now popular six-syllable mantra, it is a popular mantra syonymous with Avalokitesvara in East Asia. It is often used as a protection mantra or as a mantra to purify water.
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The Origin
The Nīlankanthaka was translated into Chinese by three masters in the seventh and early eighth century. First by Chih-t’ung twice during 627-649 AD (T. 1057a and T. 1057b, Nj. 318), second by Bhagavaddharma during 650-660 AD (T. 1059 and T. 1060, Nj.320), and third by Bodhiruci in 709 AD (T. 1058, Nj. 319). Twelve scrolls of Nīlankantha Lokesvara (Blue necked Lord of the world) texts in Chinese have been found in Tun-Huang 敦隍. It is notable that sramana Bhagavaddhrama accomplished the translation at Khotan in south India.
The Sidham script of Chinese Tripitaka (T. 1113b, 20.498-501) was corrected by a comparison with the Chi-t’ung (worked 627-649 AD); which is found in the Ming Tripitaka. All the Sanskrit texts in the Ming Tripitaka were collected together by Rol-pahi rdorje in the quadri-lingual collection of dhāranīs which bears the title: Sanskrit Texts from the Imperial Palace at Peking, abbreviated to STP. The prime objective was to restore the Sanskrit text with the help of the Tibetan texts. The Rol-pahi rdorje’s reconstruction (STP. 5.1290-6.1304) of the Nīlankanthaka as transcribed by Chi-T’ung during 627-649 (T. 1057b, Nj. 318) is longer than that of Amoghavajra 不空金剛 and is proved to be a remarkable effort at textual reconstruction undertaken as early as the first half of the eighteen-century. Chi-t’ung's version is rarely mentioned in the Mahayana tradition because of its Hindu content.
The Nīlankantha Dhāranī was translated into Chinese by Vajrabodhi 金剛智(worked 719-741 AD T.1112), twice by his disciple Amoghavajra 不空金剛 (worked 723-774 AD, T. 1111, T. 1113b) and in the fourteenth century by Dhyānabhadra (worked 1326-1363 AD, T. 1113a). Amoghavajra's 不空金剛 version (T. 1113b) was written in Siddham script in the Chinese Tripitaka (T. 1113b, 20.498-501). Because the script is corrupt beyond recognition in many cases that the Chinese masters could easily adapt it to Buddhism. This version has been the most wide spread ever since and its popularity has never worn out to this day.
Hindu account
Nīlakantha Dhāranī from STP (5.1290-6.1304) by Chih-t'ung (worked 627-649 A.D.), Ming edition of the Chinese Tripitaka. (Lokesh Chandra, Sanskrit Texts from the Imperial Palace at Peking (STP) Parts 1-22, New Delhi 1968-1977, International Academy of Indian Culture)
Nilakantha Dharani (The Blue Necked Dhāranī)
Namo ratna-trayāya
Adoration to the triple Gem
[I. Initial Salutation]
Nama āryāvalokite-śvarāya bodhisattvāya mahā-sattvāya mahā-kārunikāya 1
Adoration to the noble (ārya) Lord (īśvarā) who looks down (avalokite), the enlightened sentient being (sattva), the great being, the merciful (kārunikā) one!
[II. Name of Avalokite-śvarā]
Om sarva-bhaya-śodhanāya tasya namaskrtvā imu Ārya-valokite-śvarā tava namo Nīlakantha 2
Om! Having paid adoration to One who dispels all fears, the nobel (ārya) Avalokiteśvarā, adoration to the blue-necked (Nīlakantha) One!
[III. śloka enunication of the merit of the hrdaya-dhāranī]
Hrdayam vartayisyāmi sarvārtha-sādhanam śubham 3 ajeyam sarva-bhūtānām bhava-mārga-viśodhakam 4
I shall enunicate the heart dharani which ensures all purpose, is pure and invincible for all beings, and whcih purifies the path of existence.
[IV. Dhāranī]
Tadyathā: Om Ālokādhipati lokātikrānta 5
Like this: Om! Lord of Effulgence, the World-Transcending One.
ehy mahā-bodhisattva sarpa-sarpa 6 smara 7 smara hrdayam 8
Come, great bodhisattva, descend, descend. Please remember (smara) my heart dharani.
kuru-kuru karma 9 dhuru-dhuru vijayate mahā-vijayate 10
Do, do the work. Hold fast, hold fast, Victor, the great Victor (vijayate)
dhara-dhara dhārinī-rāja cala-cala mama vimalā-mūrtte 11
Hold on, hold on, King of the Dharani. Move, move onto my spotless (vimalā) image.
ehi ehi 12 chinda chinda 13 aras pracali 14 vaśa-vaśam pranāśaya 15
Come, come, the vow, the vow of the admantine king, destoy, destroy every poison.
hulu-hulu smara hulu-hulu 16 sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru 17
Quick-quick, please remember, quick-quick. Desend-desend, desend-desend, desend-desend;
bodhiya-bodhiya bodhaya-bodhaya 18 maitriya Nīlakantha [dehi me] darsanam 19
Being enlightened, being enlightened; enlighten me, enlighten me. Merciful Blue-necked One (Nīlakantha) appaear [unto me].
Praharāyamānāya svāhā 20 siddhāya svāhā 21 mahā-siddhāya svāhā 22 siddhayogīśvarāya svāhā 23
To you who sees us, hail! To the Successful one hail! To the Great Successful one hail! To the Successful Lord (īśvarā) of the yogis, hail!
Nīlakanthāya svāhā 24 varāha-mukhāya svāhā 25 narasimha-mukhāya svāhā 26
To the Blue-necked one (Nīlakantha) hail! To the Boar-faced One hail! To Man-Lion faced One hail!
gadā-hastāya svāhā 27 cakra-hastāya svāhā 28 padma-hastāya svāhā 29
To one who bears the mace (gadā) in his hand, hail! To the holder of discus (cakra) in his hand, hail! To One who sports a lotus (padma) in his hand, hail!
Nīlakantha-pāndarāya svāhā 30 Mahātali Śankaraya svāhā 31
To Blue-necked One smeared (with holy ashes), hail! To the mighty Śankara (Auspicious one) hail!
(Āvalokiteśvarā sometimes appears as a yogi smeared with ashes.)
[V. Final Salutation]
Namo ratna-trayāya 32 Nama āryāvalokite-śvarāya bodhisattvāya svāhā 33
Adoration to the Triple Gem, adoration to the noble Āvalokiteśvarā (Lord who looks down), the enlightened being, hail!
Glossary
Avalokite-śvarā: Lord who looks down. The name is made of four parts: the verbal prefix ava, which means "down"; the verb lok, which means "to look"; the suffix ita, which changes the verb avalok into a noun, "one who looks down"; and finally īśvarā menas "lord" or "master".
Hindu trinity: Brahma, Visnu (Hari/Hare) , Śhiva(Hara). 108 names of Śhiva: Nīlakantha(2,19,24,30)- nila (blue)- kantha (throat); whose throat is shining blue. Śankara(31): Auspicious One.
Yogīśvara(23): Lord ( īśvarā) of Yogis, an epithet of Śhiva
gadā-hastā, cakra-hastā, padma-hastā(27-29): Holder of mace, wheel and lotus. Visnu(Hari) holds mace, discus, lotus and conch(sankha ) in his four hands, except conch is missing in the dharani. The mace represent the power of knowledge, discus is the terrible weapon to destroy the evil, lotus symbolizes beauty, harmony and purity, the conch stands for the five elements, the sound of OM. Hari-hara Loka-śvarā (Lord of the world) is one of the 108 forms of Avalokite-śvara (Lord who looks down), He is sitting on a lotus (padma-sthita).
Varha-mukha(25)-boarfaced, Narasimha-mukha(26) : Visnu(Hari) has 23 incarnations, here are the Boar incarnation (varaha-avatara) and Man-lion incarnation (nara-simha-avatara).
Sinoyana account
Amoghavajra's 大廣智不空 Transliteration (worked 723-774 AD) in Siddham script from Chinese Tripitake (Taisho Edition T.1113b, 20.498-501 cf.1111-1113A) is transcribed below:
Mahā Karuna Dhāranī (The Great Compassion Mantra 大悲咒)
(Reconstructed Sanskrit text)
[I. 前行 Initial Salutation]
Namo ratna-trayāya namo ārya-valokite-śvarāya 1
Adoration to the Three Gems, adoration to the noble Avalokiteśvarā (look upon-sound)
皈依 三寶, 皈依 聖 觀音,
bodhisatvāya mahā-satvāya mahā-kārunikāya 2
the enlightened sentient being, the great being, the merciful (one)!
覺有情, 大士, 大悲心(者)!
[II. 觀音名 Name of Avalokite-śvarā]
Om sarva rabhaya sudhana-dasye 3
Oneness with all saints (and their) rightous doctrine (rightous-joyous language)
皈依 一切 聖眾 (及) 正教(喜悅的正語).
Namo skrtva i-mon ārya-valokite-śvarāya ramdhava namo narakindi haraye 4
After the adoration to that noble(arya) Avalokiteśvarā of the Mercy (Fragrant) Land, I Offer my respectful obeisances to the virtuous supreme lord.
頂禮 完畢 彼 洛迦山 (慈悲地/香山) 之聖 觀音, 頂禮 (彼) 賢善尊.
[III. 功德迴向 śloka enunication of the merit of the hrdaya-dhāranī]
mahā-vadhasame 5
(Who emits) great brilliance light
(放)大光明,
sarva āthaduh śubhum ajeyam sarva-satva 6
all sentient beings (sarva-satva) are without attachment (āthaduh) and in undefeatable(ajeyam) purity (śubhum) in all things.
(令)一切 眾生 在 一切 無比 無貪 妙 淨.
Nama vasatva namo vaga mavadudhu 7
Adoration to the joyful being , adoration to the joyful virgin who served by all heavenly beings;
皈依 大樂有情, 皈依 大樂童子 (他受)天人所親近.
[IV. 咒文 Dhāranī]
Tadyathā: Om avaloke loka'te 8
Like this: Oneness with/adoration to the seer (avalokite) of the world (loka)- (Avalokiteśvarā)
咒曰: 合一/皈依 觀世 (者)
kara'te e-hre mahā-bodhisatva 9 sarva sarva mālā mālā 10
whose(ye) compassionate heart(hrdayam). The great sentient enlightened being; all, all, are garland (immaculate), garland (immaculate),
(他)大悲心. 大覺有情 一切一切 (的) 花蔓(清淨 ), 花蔓(清淨 )
mahe māhredayam 11 kuru kuru karmum 12
great liberated heart, accomplish, accomplish the task (karma),
大 自在心, 作(此),作(此) 義業.
dhuru dhuru vijayate maha-vijayate 13 dhara dhara dhirini śvarāya 14
(who)liberate, liberate; the victorious one, the great victorious one (who) hold on, hold on the brave freedom (īśvara)
度脫,度脫, 的勝者, 大勝者, (他) 能持,能持 勇猛 自在,
cala cala mama vamara muktele 15
lead, lead to my immaculate liberation
(令) 動(變化) 動(變化) 我所 離垢 解脫.
ehe ehe cinda cinda arasam pracali 16 vaśa-vaśam prasaya 17
(Please) come, come; (fulfil) the pledge, the pledge;
the admantine king of awakening (who) rules, rules the peace (prasada).
順召,順召, 弘誓, 弘誓, 法王, 法王子 (覺身之子), (他)統治, 統治 和平. [統治和平的法王, 法王子 請來完我弘誓].
huru huru mārā 18 huru huru hrīh 19
purify, purify personification of delusions, purify, purify the heart(hrdayam)
行, 行無垢; 行, 行隨心;.
sārā sārā siri siri suru suru 20 bodhiyā bodhiyā bodhaya bodhaya 21
firm, firm ; brave, brave ; wonder form(being), wonder form(being). Enlightenment, enlightenment, the enlightened one, the enlightened one.
堅固, 堅固; 勇猛, 勇猛; 妙色, 妙色. 覺道(罷), 覺道(罷); 覺者,覺者
[覺者- 堅定 勇猛 的 妙者, 覺道了]
Maitrīya nārakindi 22 dharsininā pāyamānā svāhā 23 siddhāya svāhā 24
The benevolent, virtuous one, success in power and fame, success in benevolence,
大慈 大賢(悲)者 , (他) 堅利名聞 成就, 義利 成就,
mahā-siddhāya svāhā 25 siddha-yoge śvarāya svāhā 26 nārakindi svāhā 27
success in great benevolence, success in achieving freedom (īśvara) through union (with dharma), success in virtures
大義利 成就, 相應而得 自在 成就, 賢愛 成就,
māranāra svāhā 28 śīrasam āmukhaya svāhā 29 sarva mahā-asiddhāya svāhā 30
success in immaculate joy, incomparable success in ultima convincing speech, incomparable success in all profound meaning
無垢妙樂 成就, 愛攝語 究竟無比 成就, 一切 大義無比 成就,
cakra asiddhāya svāhā 31 padmaka stāya svāhā 32
incomparable success in (turning) the wheel , success in the red lotus (immaculate) deed,
(轉)法輪 無比 成就, 紅蓮 (妙 淨 ) 義業 成就,
nārakidi vagarāya svāhā 33 mavari sankharaya svāhā 34
success in (becoming a) virtuous Bhagavan (blessed one), success in own prestige nature
賢愛 尊 成就, (具)威德 自性 成就.
[V. 結分 Final Salutation]
Nama ratna-trayāya, nama ārya-valokite-śvarāya svāhā 35
Refuge in the Triple Gem, take refuge in the success of noble Avalokite(look upon) śvarā(sound)
皈依 三寶, 皈依 聖 觀音 (之)圓滿.
om siddhyantu mantra padāya svāhā 36
oneness (om) with the success (svaha) of achieving (sidhyantu) these invocation (mantra) verses (pada)!
(天人)合一 令成就 咒句 圓滿. [令(我)圓滿 成就(此)真言句]!
Great Compassion Mantra in Chinese
In Mandarin (Hanyi pinyin), transliterated from Siddham text.
The Great compassion mantra (大悲咒) is a Siddham-Sanskrit mantra. It is an efficicious mantra uttered by Arya Avalokiteśvarā (the noble Kuan Yin Pu Sa in Chinese) in the Sutra of the Dharani of Great Compassion Mantra. The Chinese version which is transliterated from Siddham script in the Chinese Tripitaka (T. 1113b). It has missed not only many words of the Dharani in the Sanskrit version but also its five-parts structure that make reconstruction of the meaning impossible.
Namo Ha La Da Nuo Duo La Ya Ye namo ah li yeh po lu jie di shwo bo la ye pu ti sa tuo po ye, mo he sa tuo po ye mo he jia lu ni jia ye.
OM! Sa pan na fa ye, xu da nan da xie namo xi ji li tuo, yi meng a li ye po lu jie di, shi fo la leng tuo po Namo nuo la kin ji.
xi li mo he pan dwo sa mie sa po a tuo do shu peng, oh shi yun sa po sa duo namo po sa duo namo po qie, mo fa de dou dan chi dha
OM! o po lu xi lu jia di jia lou di yi xi li mo he pu ti sa duo
sapo sapo mola mola moxi moxi li tuo yun
jilu jilu jie meng, dulu dulu fa she ye di
mo he fa she ye di, tuo la tuo la di li ni
shi fo nai ye, che la che la mo mo fa mo la
mudili yi xi yi xi, se nuo se nuo oh la shen
fa she fa shen fo lai she ye
Hulu hulu mola, hulu hulu xili, sala sala
xili xili, sulu sulu, putiye putiye potuoye potuo ye
midiliye nolakinji dilisherninuo poyemono sapohe
xiduoye sapohe, mohexiduoye sapohe, xiduoyuyishipan na ye sapohe,
nolakinji sopohe, molanola sopohe, xilasengomoquye sapohe sapomo oh shituoye sapohe jejina oshi tuoye sapohe botuomoye sapohe nolakinji pan qi laye sapohe, mo po sheng qi la ye sapohe
Namo ha la da na tuo la ya yeh namo ohliye poluji shwo pan la ye
sa pohe. OM! xidantuo man tuo la patuo ye sapohe.
