1 Or, to seventy-two times the sands of the river Ganges.
2 Uttirwabhavasangrima.
3 Marditafatrukarc/^aka (sic; cf. Pali kanth aka).
4 In the margin are added the words, also found in Burnoufs translation, ‘ including Maras, Brahmans, and ascetics.’
XXII. ANCIENT DEVOTION OF BHAISHAGYARAGA. 391 Tathagata; there is no other, be he disciple, Pratyekabuddha, or Bodhisattva, able to surpass thee in pious merit, knowledge, wisdom or medita¬ tion. Such a power of knowledge, Nakshatrara- ^asankusumitabhie'vfa, will be acquired by that Bodhisattva.
Any one, Nakshatrara^asankusumitabhyfwa, who on hearing this chapter of the ancient devotion of Bhaisha^yarafa approves it, will emit from his mouth a breath sweet as of the lotus, and from his limbs a fragrance as of sandal-wood. Such temporal advantages as I have just now indicated will belong to him who approves this Dharmaparyaya. On that account then, Nakshatrara^asankusumitabhi^za, I transmit to thee this chapter of the Ancient Devotion of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Sarvasattvapriya- darcana, that at the end of time, the last period, in the latter half of the millennium it may have course here in < 7 ambudvipa and not be lost; that neither Mira the Fiend, nor the celestial beings called Mara- kiyikas, Nigas, goblins, imps may find the oppor¬ tunity of hurting it. Therefore, Nakshatrara^asan- kusumitibhif»a, I bequeath this Dharmaparyaya; it is to be like a medicament for sick and suffering creatures in Cambudvipa. No sickness shall over¬ power him who has heard this Dharmaparyiya, no decrepitude, no untimely death. Whenever a person striving to reach the goal in the vehicle of Bodhi- sattvas happens to see such a monk as keeps this Sutranta, then he should strew him with sandal- powder and blue lotuses, and reflect thus: This young man of good family is going to reach the terrace of enlightenment; he will spread the bundle XXII.
of grass 1 on the terrace of enlightenment; he will put to flight the party of M£ra, blow the conch trumpet of the law, beat the drum of the law, cross the ocean of existence. Thus, Nakshatrara^asan- kusumit&bhyma, should a young man of good family, striving to reach the goal in the vehicle of Bodhi- sattva, reflect when seeing a monk who keeps this Sutra, and he will acquire such advantages as have been indicated by the TatMgata.
While this chapter of the Ancient Devotion of Bhaishajfyar&fa was being expounded, eighty-four thousand Bodhisattvas attained the spell connected with skill in all sounds. And the Lord Prabhftta- ratna, the Tathagata, &c., intimated his approval (by saying): Well done, well done, Nakshatraraga- sankusumitabhif^a; thou hast done well in thus questioning the Tathagata, who is endowed with such inconceivable qualities and properties.
1 This is an allusion to the bundles of grass the Bodhisattva received from Svastika, the grass-cutter, when he was on his way to occupy his seat at the foot of the Bo tree; see Lalita-vistara, p. 357; Gaitaka I, p. 70 (English translation by Professor Rhys Davids, p. 95).
XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
CHAPTER XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
At that moment the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tatha- gata, &c., darted a flash of light from the circle of hair between his eyebrows, one of the characteristic signs of a great man, by which flash of light hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of Buddha-fields, equal to the sands of eighteen rivers Ganges, became illuminated. Beyond those Buddha-fields, equal, &c., is the world called Vairo^anarasmipratima^ita (i.e. embellished by the rays of the sun). There dwells, lives, exists the Tathigata named Kamaladala- vimalanakshatrara/asankusumitabhi^wa, who, sur¬ rounded and attended by a large and immense assembly of Bodhisattvas, preached the law. Imme¬ diately the ray of light flashing from the circle of hair between the eyebrows of the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathcigata, &c., filled the world Vairoianara- •smipratima^ita with a great lustre. In that world Vairo/’anara^mipratimaw^ita there was a Bodhisattva Mahasattva called Gadgadasvara, who had planted roots of goodness, who had before seen similar lumi¬ nous flashes emitted by many Tath&gatas, &c., and who had acquired many Samadhis, such as the Sa- madhi Dhva^agrakeyfira (i. e. bracelet at the upper end of the banner staff), Saddharma-pu^arlka (i.e. the Lotus of the True Law), Vimaladatta (i.e. given by Vimala), Nakshatrara^avikrWita (i.e. sport of the XXIIT.
king of asterisms, the moon god), Anilambha J, {r»anamudicl (i.e. the seal of science), Afandrapra- dlpa (i.e. moon-light 1 2 ), Sarvarutakaiualya (i.e. skill in all sounds), SarvapimyasamuMaya (i.e. compen¬ dium or collection of all piety), Prasddavati (i.e. the favourably-disposed lady), AYddhivikriAita (i.e. sport of magic), Gn &nolkd (i.e. torch of knowledge), Vyh- hard^a (i.e. king of expansions or speculations), Vimalaprabhi (i.e. spotless lustre), Vimalagarbha (i.e. of spotless interior part), Apkrztsna 3, Suryd- varta (i. e. sun-turn); in short, he had acquired many hundred thousand myriads of koris of Samadhis equal to the sands of the river Ganges. Now, the flash of light came down upon that Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara. Then the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara rose from his seat, put his upper robe upon one shoulder, fixed his right knee on the ground, stretched his joined hands towards the Lord Buddha, and said to the Tathagata Kamaladalavi- malanakshatrarafasahkusumitabhi^a: O Lord, I would resort to the Saha-world to see, salute, wait upon the Lord Aakyamuni, the Tathigata, &c.; to see and salute Ma^fusrl, the prince royal; to see the Bodhisattvas Bhaisha^yarava, Pradanamra, Naksha- trardfasaiikusumitabhi/;2a,V i^ish/aiiritra, Vyhhardfa, Bhaishafyara^asamudgata.
Then the Lord Kamaladalavimalanakshatrara/a- sankusumitabhif^a, the Tathagata, &c., said to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara: On coming to the Saha-world, young man of good family, thou 1 Of uncertain meaning.
2 Burnouf has read ATandraprabha, moon-bright.
3 I.e. belonging to the mystic rite, called Apokasi«a in Pali; for which I refer to Spence Hardy, Eastern Monachism, p. 252 seq.
XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
must not conceive a low opinion of it. That world, young man of good family, has ups and downs, con¬ sists of earth, is replete with mountains of K&la, filled with gutters 1. The Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., is short of stature 2, and so are the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas, whereas thou, young man of good family, hast got a body forty-two hundred thousand yo^anas 3 high, and myself have got a body sixty-eight hundred thousand yo^anas high. And, young man of good family, thou art lovely, handsome, of pleasant appearance, endowed with a full bloom of extremely fine colour, and abundantly blest with hundred thousands of holy signs. There¬ fore then, young man of good family, when you have come to the Saha-world, do not conceive a low opinion of the Tath&gata, nor of the Bodhisattvas, nor of that Buddha-field.
Thus addressed, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gad- gadasvara said to the Lord Kamaladalavimalana- kshatrar 4 ^asankusumitabhi/»a, the Tathagata, &c.: I shall do, Lord, as the Lord commands; I shall go to that Saha-world by virtue of the Lord’s resolution, of the Lord’s power, of the Lord’s might, of the Lord’s disposal, of the Lord’s foresight. Whereon the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara, without leaving that Buddha-field and without leaving his 1 Gftthcx/illa or gfitho(figalla; according to Burnouf the word means ‘ordures;’ cf. above, p. 142, and Pali oligalla.
2 Spence Hardy, Manual of Buddhism, p.364: ‘ Buddha is some¬ times said to be twelve cubits in height, and sometimes eighteen cubits.’
3 That is considerably more than Rahu, the eclipse, was pos¬ sessed of, his body being no more than forty-eight hundred yo^anas high; Spence Hardy, l.c.
XXIII.
seat, plunged into so deep a meditation that imme¬ diately after, on a sudden, there appeared before the Tathagata on the Grz'dhrakft/a-mountains in the Saha-world eighty-four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of lotuses on gold stalks with silver leaves and with cups of the hue of rosy lotuses and Butea Frondosa.
On seeing the appearance of this mass of lotuses the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ma^ujrl, the prince royal, asked the Lord JTakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c.: By what cause and by whom, O Lord, have been produced these eighty-four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of lotuses on gold stalks with silver leaves and with cups of the hue of rosy lotuses and Butea Frondosa? Whereon the Lord replied to Ma^usri, the prince royal: It is, Maw^usrl, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara, who accompanied and attended by eighty-four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Bodhisattvas arrives from the east, from the world Vairo/^anara^mipratimaWita, the Buddha- field of the Lord Kamaladalavimalanakshatrara- ^asankusumitabhi^bza, the Tathagata, &c., at this Saha-world to see, salute, wait upon me, and to hear this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law. Then Ma«£usrl, the prince royal, said to the Lord: What mass of roots of goodness, O Lord, has that young man of good family collected, that he has deserved to obtain such a distinction? And what meditation is it, O Lord, that the Bodhisattva practises? Let us also learn that meditation, O Lord, and practise that meditation. And let us see that Bodhisattva, Lord; see how the colour, outward shape, character, figure, and behaviour of that Bodhi¬ sattva is. May the Lord deign to produce such a XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
token that the Bodhisattva Mahasattva be admo¬ nished by it to come to this Saha-world.
Then the Lord iShkyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., said to the Lord Prabhfttaratna, the Tathagata, &c., who was completely extinct: Produce such a token, Lord, that the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgada- svara be admonished by it to come to this Saha- world. And the Lord Prabhhtaratna, the Tatha¬ gata, &c., who was completely extinct, instantly produced a token in order to admonish the Bodhi¬ sattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara (and said): Come, young man of good family, to this Saha-world; M^ngnsri, the prince royal, will hail thy coming. And the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara, after humbly saluting the feet of the Lord Ka- maladalavimalanakshatrara^asankusumitabhi^a, the Tathagata, &c., and after three times circumambu¬ lating him from left to right, vanished from the world Vairoianarasmipratimawafita, along with eighty- four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Bodhi- sattvas who surrounded and followed him, and arrived at this Saha-world, among a stir of Buddha- fields, a rain of lotuses, a noise of hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of musical instruments. His face showed eyes resembling blue lotuses, his body was gold-coloured, his person marked by a hundred thousand of holy signs; he sparkled with lustre, glowed with radiance, had limbs marked by the characteristic signs, and a body compact as Nara- ya^a’s. Mounted on a tower made of seven precious substances, he moved through the sky to a height of seven Tctlas 1, surrounded by a host of Bodhi- 1 Or spans. There are seven regions of winds. Vayu, the god of wind or air, is nearly akin to Indra and Vishwu.
XXIIT.
sattvas, in the direction of this Saha-world, and ap¬ proached the Grfdhrakh/a, the king of mountains. At his arrival, he alighted from the tower, and went, with a necklace of pearls worth a hundred thousands, to the place where the Lord was sitting. After humbly saluting the feet of the Lord, and circum¬ ambulating him seven times from left to right, he offered him the necklace of pearls in token of homage, whereafter he said to the Lord: The Lord Kamaladalavimalanakshatrara^asankusumita- hhlgna., the Tathagata, &c., inquires after the Lord’s health, welfare, and sprightliness; whether he feels free from affliction and at ease. That Lord has also charged me to ask: Is there something thou hast to suffer or allow 1? the humours of the body are not in an unfavourable state? thy creatures are decent in manners, tractable, and easy to be healed? their bodies are clean? They are not too passionate, I hope, not too irascible, not too unwise in their doings? They are not jealous, Lord, not envious, not un¬ grateful to their father and mother, not impious, not heterodox, not unsubdued in mind, not unrestrained in sexual desires? Are the creatures able to resist the Evil One? Has the Lord Prabhhtaratna, the Tathagata, &c., who is completely extinct, come to the Saha-world in order to hear the law, sitting in the centre of a Sthpa made of seven precious sub¬ stances? And as to that, Lord Prabhhtaratna, the Tathagata, &c., the Lord Kamaladalavimalanakshatrard^asankusumitabhi^^a, inquires: Is there some- 1 Yapaniya; it is a usual medical term applied to diseases which can be alleviated to a certain extent by means of palliatives, but can no longer be cured. It is manifest from the sequel that here also the term is derived from medical practice.
XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
thing that the Lord Prabhutaratna, &c., has to suffer or allow? Is the Lord Prabhutaratna, &c., to stay long? We also, O Lord, are desirous of seeing the rudimentary frame 1 of that Lord Pra- bhhtaratna, the Tathagata, &c. May the Lord there¬ fore please to show us the rudimentary frame of the Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathagata, &c.
Then the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., said to the Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathagata, &c., who was completely extinct: Lord, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara here wishes to see the Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathdgata, &c., who is com¬ pletely extinct. Whereon the Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathagata, &c., spoke to the Bodhisattva Maha¬ sattva Gadgadasvara in this strain: Well done, well done, young gentleman, that thou hast come hither in the desire to see the Lord A&kyamuni, the Tath&gata, &c.; to hear this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law, and see Ma^uirl, the prince royal.
Subsequently the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Pad- mairi said to the Lord: What root of goodness has the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara formerly planted? And in presence of which Tathagata? And the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., said to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Padmam: In the days of yore, young man of good family, at a past period 2 there appeared in the world a Tath 4 - gata called Meghadundubhisvararafa (i. e. the king of the drum-sound of the clouds), perfectly enlightened, endowed with science and conduct, a Sugata, &c., in 1 Dhituvigraha, the frame of the elementary parts, of the bone relics.
2 In the margin is added the common phrase, ‘ at a time more incalculable than incalculable iEons.’
the world Sarvabuddhasandarsana (i. e. sight or dis¬ play of all Buddhas), in the /Eon Priyadarsana. To that Lord Meghadundubhisvarara^a the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara paid homage by making resound hundred thousands of musical instruments during twelve thousand years. He presented to him also eighty-four thousand vessels of seven precious substances. Under the preaching 1 of the Tathigata Meghadundubhisvarari/a, young man of good family, has the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara ob¬ tained such a beauty as he now displays. Perhaps, young man of good family, thou hast some doubt, uncertainty or misgiving, (and thinkest) that at that time, that epoch, there was another Bodhisattva Mahd- sattva called Gadgadasvara, who paid that homage to the Lord Meghadundubhisvarara^a, the Tathagata, and presented him the eighty-four thousand vessels. But, young man of good family, do not think so. For it was the very same Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gad¬ gadasvara, young man of good family, who paid that homage to the Lord Meghadundubhisvararafa, the Tathagata, and presented to him the eighty-four thousand vessels. So, young man of good family, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara has waited upon many Buddhas, has planted good roots under many Buddhas, and prepared the soil under each of them. And this Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgada¬ svara had previously seen Lords Buddhas similar to the sands of the river Ganges. Dost thou see, Padmasri, how the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara now looks? Padmasri replied: I do, Lord; I do, Sugata. The Lord said: Now, Padmasrl, this Bodhisattva 1 Prava^ane.
XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
MaMsattva Gadgadasvara preaches this Dharma- paryaya of the Lotus of the True Law under many shapes he assumes; sometimes 1 under the shape of Brahma, sometimes under that of Indra, sometimes under that of.Siva, sometimes under that of Kubera, sometimes under that of a sovereign, sometimes under that of a duke, sometimes under that of a chief merchant, sometimes under that of a citizen, sometimes under that of a villager, sometimes under that of a Brihman 2. Sometimes again the Bodhi- sattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara preaches this DharmaparyAya of the Lotus of the True Law under a monk’s shape, sometimes under a nun’s, sometimes under a male lay devotee’s, sometimes under a female lay devotee’s, sometimes under that of a chief merchant’s wife, sometimes under that of a citizen’s wife, sometimes under a boy’s, sometimes under a girl’s shape. With so many variations in the manner to show himself 3, the Bodhisattva Maha¬ sattva Gadgadasvara preaches this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law to creatures. He has even assumed the shape of a goblin to preach this Dharmaparyaya to such as were to be converted by a goblin. To some he has preached this Dharma- paryaya of the Lotus of the True Law under the shape of a demon, to some under a Garutfa’s, to some under a Kinnara’s, to some under a great serpent’s shape. Even to the beings in any of the wretched 1 Or somewhere.
1 Or somewhere.
3 From this one may infer that Gadgadasvara, i.e. he who has an interrupted sound, is Vfiyu, irvei>na, inspiration personified. Ma¬ terially, though not mythologically, Wind is identical with Rudra, Storm.
3 Iyadbhi rfipasandarraneryapathaiA.
XXIII.
states, in the hells, the brute creation, Yama’s realm, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara is a sup¬ porter. Even to the creatures in the gynseceums of this Saha-world has the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara, after metamorphosing himself into a woman, preached this Dharmaparyaya of the Lotus of the True Law. Verily, Padma-sri, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara is the supporter of the creatures living in this Saha-world 1. Under so many shapes, assumed at will, has the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara preached this Dharma- paryaya of the Lotus of the True Law to creatures. Yet, there is no diminution of wisdom, nor dimi¬ nution of magic power in that good man 2. So many, young man of good family, are the manifestations of knowledge by which this Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara has made himself known in this Saha- world. In other worlds also, similar to the sands of the river Ganges, he preaches the law, under the shape of a Bodhisattva to such as must be converted by a Bodhisattva; under the shape of a disciple to such as must be converted by a disciple; under the shape of a Pratyekabuddha to such as must be con- 1 Vayu, prawa, breath of life, is the supporter of creatures.
2 Satpurusha; the real meaning is‘the existing spirit;’ air, breath, life, which shows itself in a diversity of forms. That living breath is not only the supporter of creatures, but also a constant admonisher of the transitoriness of life, who addresses his call to young and old, sages and fools, &c. The important mystic rite of inspiration and expiration is described by Spence Hardy, Eastern Monachism, p. 267; no less value is attached to prawayama in the Yoga system and in Indian mysticism in general; see e.g. Yoga- fSstrall, 49-51; Sarvadanana-Sangraha, p. 175; the term pra^a- ysima not only denotes stopping of the breath, as the Dictionaries explain it, but also the regulation and measuring of the breath.
XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
verted by a Pratyekabuddha; under the shape of a Tathagata to such as must be converted by a Tatha- gata. Nay, he will show to those who must be con¬ verted by a relic of the Tathagata himself such a relic, and to those who must be converted by com¬ plete extinction he will show himself completely extinct 1. Such is the powerful knowledge, Padma^ri, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva is possessed of.
Thereafter the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Padmasrl said to the Lord: The Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara then has planted good roots, Lord. What meditation is it, Lord, whereby the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara, with unshaken firmness, has converted (or educated) so many creatures? Whereupon the Lord Nakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., replied to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Padma^rl: It is, young man of good family, the meditation termed Sarvarupasandarsana. By steadiness in it has the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara so immensely promoted the weal of creatures.
While this chapter of Gadgadasvara was being expounded 2, all the eighty-four hundred thousand myriads of kods of Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas who, along with the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgada¬ svara, had come to the Saha-world, obtained the 1 Gadgadasvara, being both inspiration and expiration, appears under the form of a dead corpse, and thereby converts fickle and thoughtless men.
2 It need not be observed that the chapter was not expounded, the Buddha being one of the dramatis person®, one of the in¬ terlocutors, but not the narrator. This confusion between epical and dramatical exposition is one of the most striking features of the Lotus. The Saddharma, the law of nature, may be said to have been expounded by the Tathagata, not, however, the com¬ position which bears that title.
D d 2 xxm.
meditation Sarvar£tpasandar.yana, and as to the num¬ ber of Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas of this Saha-world obtaining the meditation Sarvarfipasandanana, it was beyond calculation.
Then the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara, after having paid great and ample worship to the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c., and at the Stfipa of relics of the Lord Prabhfitaratna, the Tatha¬ gata, &c., again mounted the tower made of seven precious substances, among the stir of the fields, the rain of lotuses, the noise of hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of musical instruments x, and with the eighty-four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Bodhisattvas surrounding and following him, returned to his own Buddha-field. At his arrival there he said to the Lord Kamaladalavimalanakshatrara^asanku- sumitabhi^wa, the Tathagata, &c.: O Lord, I have in the Saha-world promoted the weal of creatures; I have seen and saluted the Stftpa of relics of the Lord Prabhutaratna, the Tathagata, &c.; I have seen and saluted the Lord.Sakyamuni, the Tathagata, &c.; I have seen Ma^usrl, the prince royal, as well as the Bodhisattva Bhaisha^yara^a, who is possessed of mighty knowledge and impetuosity 1 2, and the Bodhi¬ sattva Mahasattva Pradanasura; and these eighty- four hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of Bodhi- 1 After a last effort the storm subsides.
2 This quality stamps Bhaisha^yara^a as Rudra; cf. Rig-veda II, 33, 7. He is essentially the same with Dhanvantari the physician, Arcitenens Apollo. He is, moreover, the same with Gadgadasvara, who is represented as breath of life. About the system of splitting up one natural phenomenon or abstraction into more beings, see p. 4, note.
XXIII.
GADGADASVARA.
sattvas Mahasattvas have all obtained the meditation termed Sarvarftpasandarsana.
And while this relation of the going and coming of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Gadgadasvara was being delivered, forty-two thousand Bodhisattvas acquired the faculty of acquiescence in future things, and the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Padmam acquired the meditation called the Lotus of the True Law.
XXIV.
CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER CALLED THAT OF THE ALL-SIDED ONE, CON¬ TAINING A DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF AVALOKITE5VARA 1.
Thereafter the Bodhisattva Mahisattva Aksha- yamati rose from his seat, put his upper robe upon one shoulder, stretched his joined hands towards the Lord, and said: For what reason, O Lord, is the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara called Avalokitesvara? So he asked, and the Lord an¬ swered to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Akshayamati: All the hundred thousands of myriads of ko/is of creatures, young man of good family, who in this world are suffering troubles will, if they hear the name of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitewara, be released from that mass of troubles. Those who shall keep the name of this Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara, young man of good family, will, if they fall into a great mass of fire, be delivered therefrom by virtue of the lustre of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva. In case, young man of good family, creatures, carried off by the current of rivers, should implore the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitewara, all rivers will afford them a ford. In case, young man of good family, many hundred thousand myriads of ko/is of creatures, sailing in a ship on the ocean, 1 A translation of this chapter from the Chinese has been published by Rev. S. Beal in his Catena, pp. 389-396.
XXIV. THE ALL-SIDED ONE. 407 should see their bullion, gold, gems, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch shells, stones (?), corals, emeralds, Musaragal- vas, read pearls (?), and other goods lost, and the ship by a vehement, untimely gale cast on the island of Giantesses \ and if in that ship a single being implores Avalokitesvara, all will be saved from that island of Giantesses. For that reason, young man of good family, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalo- kitesvara is named Avalokitesvara 1 2 3.
If a man given up to capital punishment 8 im¬ plores Avalokitesvara, young man of good family, the swords of the executioners shall snap asunder 4 Further, young man of good family, if the whole triple chiliocosm were teeming with goblins and giants, they would by virtue of the name of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara being pro¬ nounced lose the faculty of sight in their wicked designs 5 * If some creature, young man of good 1 In the KSra«(/a-vyuha, a work entirely devoted to the glorifi¬ cation of Avalokitejvara and his sublime achievements, the isle of the Giantesses is identified with Ceylon; see pp. 45 and 53 of that work (Calcutta edition), and the extract given by Burnouf, Introduction, pp. 221-227.
2 Avalokita means ‘beheld;’ it is as such synonymous with drfsh/a, seen, visible, and pratyaksha, visible, manifest, present. The Bodhisattva is everywhere present, and therefore implored in need and danger. If we take avalokita as a substantive in the neuter gender, the compound will mean ‘the Lord of view, of regard,’ with which one may compare.S'iva’s epithet Dr/sh/iguru, the Master of view.
3 Vadhyotsish/a; I do not feel certain of the rendering of u£Mish/a; perhaps we should translate it by ‘ a reprobate con¬ demned to capital punishment.’
4 Vadhyaghatakana»2 tSni sastrani (sic) viriryeyu^.
6 It is well known that those children of darkness are unable to stand the sun’s light.
family, shall be bound in wooden or iron manacles, chains or fetters, be he guilty or innocent, then those manacles, chains or fetters shall give way as soon as the name of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitervara is pronounced. Such, young man of good family, is the power of the Bodhisattva Mah&- sattva Avalokite^vara. If this whole triple chilio- cosm, young man of good family, were teeming with knaves, enemies, and robbers armed with swords, and if a merchant leader of a caravan marched with a caravan rich in jewels; if then they perceived those robbers, knaves, and enemies armed with swords, and in their anxiety and fright thought themselves helpless; if, further, that leading mer¬ chant spoke to the caravan in this strain: Be not afraid, young gentlemen, be not frightened; invoke, all of you, with one voice the Bodhisattva Maha¬ sattva Avalokitewara, the giver of safety; then you shall be delivered from this danger by which you are threatened at the hands of robbers and enemies; if then the whole caravan with one voice invoked Avalokitesvara with the words: Adoration, adoration be to the giver of safety, to A valokitesvara Bodhisattva Mahasattva! then, by the mere act of pronouncing that name, the caravan would be released from all danger. Such, young man of good family, is the power of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokite- 5vara. In case creatures act under the impulse of impure passion, young man of good family, they will, after adoring the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ava- lokite-svara, be freed from passion. Those who act under the impulse of hatred will, after adoring the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokite^vara, be freed from hatred. Those who act under the impulse of XXIV.
THE ALL-SIDED ONE.
infatuation will, after adoring the Bodhisattva Maha- sattva Avalokitesvara, be freed from infatuation. So mighty, young man of good family, is the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara. If a woman, desirous of male offspring, young man of good family, adores the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, she shall get a son, nice, handsome, and beautiful; one possessed of the characteristics of a male child, generally beloved and winning, who has planted good roots 1. If a woman is desirous of getting a daughter, a nice, handsome, beautiful girl shall be born to her; one possessed of the (good) characteristics of a girl 2, generally beloved and winning, who has planted good roots. Such, young man of good family, is the power of the Bodhi¬ sattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara.
Those who adore the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalokitei'vara will derive from it an unfailing profit. Suppose, young man of good family, (on one hand) some one adoring the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ava- lokite.rvara and cherishing his name; (on the other hand) another adoring a number of Lords Buddhas equal to sixty-two times the sands of the river Ganges 3, cherishing their names and worshipping so many Lords Buddhas during their stay, existence, and life, by giving robes, alms-bowls, couches, medi¬ caments for the sick; how great is then in thine opinion, young man of good family, the accumulation of pious merit which that young gentleman or young lady will produce in consequence of it? So asked, 1 We should rather say: in whom a good natural disposition is implanted.
2 In the margin added paramayd rubhavarwapushkalatayd, (and) of an egregiously blooming complexion.
the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Akshayamati said to the Lord: Great, O Lord, great, O Sugata, is the pious merit which that young gentleman or young lady will produce in consequence of it. The Lord pro¬ ceeded: Now, young man of good family, the accu¬ mulation of pious merit produced by that young gentleman paying homage to so many Lords Bud¬ dhas, and the accumulation of pious merit produced by him who performs were it but a single act of adoration to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avaloki- tesvara and cherishes' his name, are equal. He who adores a number of Lords Buddhas equal to sixty-two times the sands of the river Ganges and cherishes their names, and he who adores the Bodhi¬ sattva Mahasattva Avalokitesvara and cherishes his name, have an equal accumulation of pious merit 1; both masses of pious merit are not easy to be de¬ stroyed even in hundred thousands of myriads of koids of Hions. So immense, young man of good family, is the pious merit resulting from cherishing the name of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Avalo- kitesvara.