At that time the blessed Śākyamuni again directed his gaze at the realm of the Pure Abode and spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, as follows:

“Your king of manuals, Mañjuśrī, styled as a nirdeśa, is a treasury of the sphere of phenomena, as it proceeds from the sphere of phenomena, which is the essence of the tathāgatas. This great sūtra, precious as a jewel, is divided into detailed sections. It is sanctioned [to teach] the greatest secrets of the tathāgatas and brings accomplishment of the supreme mantras. It contains auxiliary practices pertaining to the knowledge of signs and the rules for ascertaining the right time. [It also explains] the voices of all the [different] beings, differentiating the sounds made by sentient and insentient entities.

“There is an [aspect of] knowledge called verbal, And another is proclaimed to be non-verbal. There is also one that is mixed. Accordingly, the application of mantras is threefold.

“Mantras composed of divine words Are employed for impermanent goals. Always free expressions that are not grammatical, They are each adorned with conceptual meanings.

“The noble mantras are attested Within the entire siddhānta. As for the mantras that are devoid of lexical meaning, They are always divided into three.

“A mantra can also be adorned with phonemes That are either heavy, light, or medium. Such a mantra-queen would be adorned With vowels that are metrically arranged.

“The speech can be refined or not, Or, as the others put it, it can be with or without lexical meaning. By employing the meanings of verbal roots The mantras become adorned with a graspable meaning.

“The language of such mantras Is full of concepts and is entirely worldly; Such speech may be metrical and accented And consist of just one or two syllables.

“The efficacy of [the mantras of] Three, four, five, six, seven, Eight, nine, or ten syllables Is [also] well established.

“[These] ten source syllables, Expressed by means of ten letters, Can be multiplied, here on earth, Up to ten times.

“[Mantras] may [thus] consist of one hundred, Twenty, or just one syllable. Mantras are composed to include These standard syllables.

“The mantras that contain four pādas Will accomplish all aims. The most excellent and best mantras Are those taught by the victorious ones.

“But there are also mantras That are middling or inferior; Of these two types, the middling ones are taught By the sons of the victorious ones.

“As for the inferior mantras, They are taught by any worldly person. The mantras described as debased Are those taught by the demons.

“The victorious ones described As standard the mantras of ten, eight, Seven, and twenty [syllables]and so forth, Until well over one hundred.

“The number of syllables That is the norm in the mantras Taught by the bodhisattvas Could be just one or two, or five hundred.

“The composition of a mantra is said to be An arrangement of words that consist of syllables. Meters depend on [metrical units that each] contain a vowel. [Mantras] are adorned with the individual meanings of verbal roots.

“[Mantric] speech should be recited well, In a manner that follows tantric [principles]. How would accomplishment ever arise If [mantras] were without word-sounds?

“Combining mudrās with words that contain retroflex sounds, Followed by the palatal and ending with the ‘hot’ sounds, And producing dental, labial, and guttural sounds— So is the sādhana performed.

“One should avoid indistinct pronunciation And recite the mantras correctly. One who pronounces the words fully and correctly, Observing the right prosody, will succeed.

“If, on the other hand, one strays from the right procedure, Neglects the ritual performance, and misses the word meanings, One’s mantras will not be accomplished soon; One may expect this to take a long time.

“The accomplishment of a reciter who does not recite Merely for show, will not be in vain. Even in their next life, they will see the boons and blessings Of their mantra accomplishment.

“Because of the power of the mantras Of such long-term reciters, Their rites, attended by these mantras, will be fruitful, Since they are mantra adepts.

“The lowest of all mantras Are the worldly mantras of humans, The mantras taught by any of the spirits, And the mantras that cater to one’s greed. They are said to include cerebralized letters— One, two, or three of them.

“Various foreign languages, Known to be spoken in [particular] countries, Have a linear structure, With the sounds arranged in a line— One thousand and eight, one hundred and eight, And down to a single letter.

“The speech may be in prose or in verse, Such as four pādas long, or just half a pāda. The verse could also be of the daṇḍaka type, measured in syllables, Or an extended, ‘shallow,’ skandhaka type, measured in mātras.

“[The speech,] endowed with meaning word by word, Is thus adorned with thousands of meanings. If the words, whether Sanskrit or Apabhraṃśa, Are devoid of meaning—

“If they are pronounced indistinctly, Or lack the metrical rhythm— It is said, when describing the accomplishment of such mantras, That it has no function or place.

“The following characteristics apply to all mantras. The mantras with multiple occurrences of the syllable śa, Adorned by the import of the syllable oṁ, And containing the syllable ta that indicates their belonging to the tantra Are certain to bring accomplishment.

“If the mantras that start with oṁ And end with m Also contain the syllable śa, They are auspicious and will bring results.

“Mantras with the form of a square containing the syllable ta That are not contracted at the end, And where the syllable ta is joined with the letter r, Are effective in ritual performances. The letter r occurring twice or many times at the beginning Will bring out good qualities of the syllable huṁ.

“When the syllable va is at the end of the square, The letters [of the mantra] will render the sādhana effective. The syllable ka may be joined with the letter r, And the syllable ma at the end become merely an m. Mantras that begin with the syllables ma or na Are said to be the best.

“Mantras that have many syllables ta Can be found in all the tantras; They are said to be associated with the north. Those associated with the south are adorned with huṁ. Those that have many syllables bha Are associated with the east and the northwest.

“The syllable ca belongs to Varuṇa; It is said to nourish and bring welfare to the world. The mantra that has many syllables va Is regarded as belonging to the great Indra.

“If it starts with a recourse to the Three Jewels, The mantra is one of refuge. If it includes, further on, an homage, It is the cause of peace and brings happiness.

“Otherwise, a mantra may be used For paying homage to all the gods. One’s own mantra and also the ‘lord of mantras’ Are suitable for all types of activity.

“Mantras that contain many syllables ḍa, And end with the syllable phaṭ [preceded by] huṁ, Are very cruel ones; They have great intensity and power.

“They instantly block [the target’s] life force And may be skillfully employed [to target] cruel beings, Especially those that commit evil; They should not be used against any others.

“The reciter should always avoid Those things that are avoided by the sages. The mantras of pacifying and nourishing Will accomplish both [one’s own and others’] interests.

“They can accomplish all the rites, Whatever have been taught. When they are recited the right way, Mantras possess energy and magical abilities.

“One should perform rites of pacifying Using the mantras taught by the victorious ones. For all the rites of nourishing, One should use the mantras of the Jewel family.

“All evil rites are employed In the activities of assault. All rites of assault should be performed Using the mantras of the Vajra family. Though forbidden by the lords of the world, Such mantras have been taught by the lord of yakṣas.

“The mantras, in all their greatness, Manifest in order to guide sentient beings. They are said to be of three types, Always belonging to [one of] the three families.

“As for the eight families Enumerated by the Sage himself, The accomplishment in them is threefold, As it arises in three different ways— Supreme, middling, or inferior. This is its threefold division.

“It can be of a peaceful, Nourishing, or cruel type. This is taught exclusively In the context of mantra and tantra.

“When the exalted function of mantras Is utilized in the activity of assault, Such rites are debased And condemned by all the omniscient ones.

“Even when one is in trouble, one must not perform Any rite that interrupts the life force [of the target]. The magnitude of the karma incurred Is described here only briefly:

“The karmic consequences of mantras Employed in tantric procedures are far reaching and extensive. This has been taught in this king of manuals And can also be found in other tantras.

“Although one may be able to use any mantra, One should not perform inferior rites. Whatever worldly mantras there are, They are all of dubious benefit.

“All the supramundane mantras, on the other hand, Are always endowed with good qualities. The mantra accomplishments are infinite, As they are proclaimed to be.

“The count begins from one, But, similarly, twenty are described. Then thirty, if put briefly, And after that, forty.

“Next is sixty—[a number] divisible by three. With an extra ten, it becomes seventy. If another ten is added, The number, they say, is eighty.

“If another ten is added, the number is called ninety, And with another ten, it is a full one hundred. One hundred now being the base for counting, Ten of these makes one thousand.

“Ten thousands is one ayuta; Ten ayutas is one lakh. Ten lakhs is one vilakh (one million), And ten of these is one koṭi (ten million).

“Ten koṭis is one vikoṭi (one hundred million), And ten of the latter is one arbuda (one billion). Ten arbudas is one nirbuda (ten billion), And ten of these is, as expected, one khaḍga (one hundred billion).

“Ten khaḍgas is one nikhaḍga (one trillion), And ten nikhaḍgas is, as expected, one kharva (ten trillion). Ten kharvas is one padma (one hundred trillion), And ten padmas is one mahāpadma (one quadrillion).

“Ten mahāpadmas is one vāha (ten quadrillion); Ten of these is one vivāha (one hundred quadrillion). The next after that is known as mahāvivāha (one quintillion), And ten of these is called māya (ten quintillion).

“Ten māyas is one mahāmāya (one hundred quintillion); Mahāmāya, after another multiplication by ten, Is termed by the guides of the world samudrā (one sextillion), As [known] in the science of algebra.

“The next number, after the multiplication By the ‘half of twenty,’ is mahāsamudrā (ten sextillion); Mahāsamudrā, when multiplied by ten, Is called sāgara (one hundred sextillion).

“When multiplied by the ‘half of twenty,’ It becomes mahāsāgara (one septillion); The latter, multiplied by ten, Is called pragharā (ten septillion).

“Ten pragharās, as they are called, Are proclaimed to be one gharā (one hundred septillion); Ten of the so-called gharās Are said to be one aśeṣa (one octillion).

“Aśeṣa, multiplied by the ‘half of twenty,’ Becomes mahāśeṣa (ten octillion). This, according to the guides of the world, Is the limit beyond which a number is incomputable.

“Counting is said to rely on multiplying by ten, But then, it is an incomputable number that is multiplied. Multiplying an incomputable number by ten Gives a number even more incomputable.

“This world is proclaimed to be multiplied A thousandfold infinite number of times. The cosmic unit next to this world Is a great world, which is manifolded further.

“Beyond that, there is the so-called darkness, And beyond that, the so-called light. After light is the so-called great light, And when this is multiplied, it is called multitude.

“After the multitude is the so-called great multitude, And after the great multitude is one called the deep. After the deep is one called the stable, And after the stable comes the more stable.

“Beyond that is the abundant, And beyond the abundant, the basis. According to those who delight in the art of enumeration, Beyond the basis is the more basic.

“After that comes the great basis, And the one after the great basis is known as the fixed. When we have moved from the fixed to the more fixed, The next [on the list] is known as the great thing.

“After the great thing there is the famous basis, And after that comes the great ocean. After the great ocean is one called the primal, And after the primal is the more primal.

“The one after the [more] primal is called excellent, And the one after the excellent, the most excellent. After the [most] excellent is one called dwelling place, And after the dwelling place, one known as the inconceivable.

“[After] the inconceivable there is the terrible; [After that,] the terrible, the kingdom. Beyond the kingdom is the home of the treasure, And beyond that is the virtuous.

“Beyond the virtuous is the great mind, And the next after that is the no-mind. After the no-mind is the confused mind, And after that is what is called expressible.

“After the expressible is the inexpressible. Next is one called the universal, And after the universal is the great universal. Next is one called asvara.

“After the asvara is the place of the great asvara, After which there is the kharva. The place auspicious peace is so called By those who have reached the limit of enumeration.

“After the very courageous is the courageous, And then one called the watery. After the watery is the confused mind, And after that, another place [called] the ultimate.

“Beyond the ultimate is the domain of the buddhas, With its superior levels. It is impossible for human beings to Go over all these world divisions.

“There is nothing that would be regarded As superior to the domain of the buddhas. Buddhafields are believed To be as numerous as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā.

“Dissecting [the physical matter,] The guides [also] taught about the smallest particles. This was done by way of examples [Within] the domain of analytical investigation. Physical matter can be established through logic (hetunā); It cannot be established by relying [solely] on enumeration.

“In the past, I served fully realized buddhas Whose number matched such enumeration. I worshiped them During this inconceivable eon. In the infinity of time, I became a bodhisattva long ago.

“For the sake of beings, I became fully realized and attained buddhahood. I taught tantra in different places, Providing full details of the rituals.

“Taught by the buddhas, This supreme [manual of] rites is the best. It was taught to me in the past By so many fully realized buddhas.

“And now, O divine youth, I teach it myself During my final embodied existence. However many worldly mantras And auspicious kings of rites there are,

“However many supramundane or divine mantras there are Among men, gods, and asuras, I have explained tantric applications For all of them.

“This king of manuals, celebrated everywhere, Has great magical power. By applying the ritual procedures of the mantras One will attain accomplishment and become like Mañjughoṣa.

“It has been declared by Mañjughoṣa, The powerful lord, that by the sole means of This manual with its procedures All these [mantras] will be accomplished.

“It is a foregone conclusion that Whatever other deity mantras there are— All the supramundane And mundane ones of great power—

“They too can become accomplished By the ritual methods in this king of manuals. Mañjuśrī controls all the mantras In all the rites that have been taught— He is thus acclaimed In this supreme king of manuals.

“Whatever practical skills and branches of knowledge Are recognized in the world, Such as the omens taught in the art of prognostication And interpreted based on the knowledge of astrology; Whatever types of behavior are taught in the art of prognostication, Or auspicious and inauspicious sounds;

“Whatever voices there are of whatever creatures That betoken their thoughts and behavior; Whatever elements, sense bases, substances, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;

“Whatever so-called portents or signs, Techniques ( kriyā ) of mining minerals, Algebra, grammar, sciences, Armaments, and ritual procedures;

“Whatever knowledge of one’s inner being, medicine, And the welfare and happiness of all beings; Whatever art of logical argument (hetunīti) and other skills; Whatever established science of linguistics;

“And whatever prosody, music, and the art of making perfumes there are— Whatever of these have been enumerated, I, the bodhisattva, have taught them In order to benefit sentient beings.

“In former times, I, the bodhisattva, Knowing that they benefit beings, Taught them to the inhabitants Of the ocean of saṃsāra.

“Living for a long time In the dense forests of saṃsāra, I act in the way that Brings beings to maturity.

“I work for the benefit of beings, Creating for them stores of merit In every way that good karma Can be accumulated.

“Established in various activities, Beings obtain [corresponding] types of birth. I perform various activities For those limited by birth who have various needs.

“Beings engage in various activities, Serving the different aims described in the śāstras. I fulfill these [aims] for them, Assuming various excellent forms.

“I thus assume different guises, Using different bodies, be they my own or not. Motivated by [the wish] to benefit beings, I created different forms.

“I created, in the past, [the forms of] Maheśvara, Śakra, Brahmā, and others; Viṣṇu, Dhanada, and Nairṛta; And also the different forms of the grahas.

“With their minds full of great compassion, They are objects of refuge for beings. Gradually, I establish these beings In a state of peace.

“I wander throughout saṃsāra, Observing beings over long periods of time. Being of the nature of the mantra, I bring the fulfillment of their needs.

“While wandering from birth to birth, I propagate, relying in the lineage of the Buddha, Mantric rituals that represent The gradual knowledge of the mantras.

“For me, there is neither a creator, Nor an owner. Always relying on the lineage, I have realized the ultimate awakening.

“I am at ease, un-aging, peaceful, Free from worry, pure, and benevolent. I have reached the peace of nirvāṇa And liberation from the fetters of birth.

“Presently, the wheel that holds fast to the ultimate reality Is made to roll on, As I teach this manual That explains mantras at length. The reciter must not misuse This manual of rites in any of its details.

“Whatever worldly mantras there are, Their rituals have been taught accordingly. All these [mantras] should be worshiped and honored, Without any contempt whatsoever. Consequently, the practitioner of mantra Must also not disregard their [respective] rituals in any detail.

“As for applying the knowledge of signs That has been taught as the science of astrology, One should not interpret these [signs] incorrectly. They have been taught for good purposes,

“So that mundane pursuits, such as The preparation of power substances and other medicines, Or the healing [remedies] for the eyes, can succeed— They are thus described as beneficial.

“The sayings of the victorious ones, adorned with the stanzas of benediction, Recommend the auspicious [settings]. One should choose a day during a bright fortnight Recommended as the best and indicated by auspicious signs.

“With such auspicious and excellent planetary positions, One should commence the mantra practice. One should thus choose the auspicious [signs] And avoid the inauspicious.

“I myself taught these things in the past; The mantra reciters should therefore accept them [as true]. Whatever benefits there are in this world That can be derived from the knowledge of astrology,

“Or other such benefits— Those derived from polity and logic Or those well conceived in the treatises of Nyāya For the benefit of beings—

“I have taught all of this And the mantra reciters should accept it [as true]. This path is the cause of accomplishment; It has been shown by those who know reality.

“The entire [Buddhist] canon, as taught by me, Is wholly for bringing liberation. Because of this, one should follow the path of mantras, As they are the source of accomplishment.

“The reciter must never, to any extent, Employ the mantras the wrong way, Be they any of the worldly mantras Or those proclaimed as supreme.

“When employing, in any [rites], The supramundane mantras or the divine mantras [of magic], One must not harbor wrong thoughts And must never defile one’s mind.

“One should worship all the mantra [deities] Approved for those who know the right time And taught in the instructions of the Teacher That are founded on the sameness of all buddhas.

“These deities are the recourse of the victors’ sons; They are summoned and caused to enter Into the maṇḍala of the moon-like sages. They are here taught for those who know the right time.

“They are always effectual, and if one wishes them to enter, One can summon them with mantras. One should neither bow to submit to the mantras [deities] Of other systems, nor treat them with contempt, As it is said that the mantras that are debased Are not unproductive.

“Whatever worldly mantras there are, Reciting them brings inferior results. Although they produce results for reciters, They will lead, as far as can be seen, to afflictions.

“When one feels indignant and angry, One should not harbor wrong thoughts. Nor should one indulge in pleasures, As this brings adverse karmic results. One must not allow one’s mind To develop such inclinations.

“One should stick with just one mantra And recite it continuously with a focused mind. One will consequently obtain the full result As specified in the ritual instructions.

“Without allowing the mind to wander, One should recite the same mantra. Mantras accomplished through single-mindedness Will accomplish every purpose.

“One who is distracted in mind and inwardly confused Will not see success. One should instead win the full array of results And a high rebirth.

“One whose mind is always pure, Who trusts in the teachings And has faith in the Three Jewels, Will obtain the accomplishment as specified.”