Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, with her robe over one shoulder, kneeling with her right knee on the ground and her palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Sarasvatī, will bring eloquence to the words of those dharmabhāṇakas so that their words will be beautified. I will also bestow on them the power of mental retention. I will establish them in giving definitions. I will illuminate those dharmabhāṇakas with the great light of wisdom. If any line of verse or syllables of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is left out or forgotten, I will bring all definitions, lines of verse, and syllables to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.
EN
“So that this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light may remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and not quickly vanish; so that beings can accomplish roots of merit with a hundred thousand buddha bhagavats; so that many beings on hearing this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, may develop inconceivably sharp wisdom; so that they may gain an inconceivable aggregation of wisdom; so that they may attain good fortune in this life; so that they may have benefit in life and possess an immeasurable aggregation of merit; so that they may seek a variety of methods; so that they may become learned in all treatises; and so that they may attain perfection in a variety of arts, I will bestow the power of retention so that they will not forget.
EN
“I will teach the rite of cleansing with mantras and medicines for the benefit of the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus and the beings who listen to the Dharma, so that harm from the planets, lunar asterisms, birth, and death; all the harms from fighting, pollution, riots, chaos, nightmares, and misleaders; and the harms from all evil spirits and vetālas will cease.
EN
“These are the herbs and medicines through which the wise can cleanse themselves:
EN
“Sweet flag, cow bezoar, and fenugreek, Canafistula, acacia, and shami, Orris root and musk, Crepe ginger, cinnamon, and agarwood;
EN
“Chir pine rosin and dammar gum, Bdellium and frankincense, Valerian and black stone flower, Sandalwood and realgar;
EN
“Bezoar and costus root, Saffron, nut grass, and mustard seed, Linseed, cardamom, and spikenard, And ironwood flowers and vetiver:
EN
“Combine equal amounts of each During the Puṣya lunar house. Recite these mantra words A hundred times over the powder:
“Engage in the peaceful activity of cleansing by reciting this mantra while washing the body of the Bhagavat:
EN
tadyathā | sugaṭe vigaṭe vigatāvati svāhā |
EN
“May the lunar asterisms, wherever they are In the four directions, protect lives. May they bring to an end the dreadful terrors Of the harms from the stars of one’s birth, The fears that arise from a multitude of actions, And the disturbances of the elements.
“I will be there, because of this washing ritual, in order to guard the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu and those who listen to the Dharma and those who write it out.
EN
“Together with a host of devas, I will end all illness in those villages, towns, marketplaces, and monasteries.
EN
“I will end harm from planetary afflictions, fighting, and pollution; harm from the stars of one’s birth; and all harm from nightmares, troublesome demons, and all evil spirits and vetālas for the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras, so that their lifespan will be benefited and they will abandon saṃsāra, will progress irreversibly to the highest, most complete enlightenment, and will quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.”
EN
Then the Bhagavat congratulated the great goddess Sarasvatī, saying, “Well done, well done, great goddess Sarasvatī! You act to bring benefit to many beings and happiness to many beings. It is excellent, excellent, that you have given this teaching of mantras and medicines.”
EN
The great goddess Sarasvatī bowed down to the Bhagavat’s feet and sat to one side.
EN
Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, called upon the goddess Sarasvatī:
EN
“Great goddess Sarasvatī, You are worthy of offering, a great ascetic; You are renowned in all worlds; You give the best and have great qualities;
EN
“You have the highest attainment, are beautiful, And have put on a darbha grass robe— You are wearing darbha grass clothing, And you stand on one leg.
EN
“All the devas have gathered, And they all speak in one voice: ‘Loosen your tongue and speak The words that will benefit beings.’
“May I have unimpeded understanding. May I accomplish the knowledge of treatises, verses, tantras, piṭakas, poetry, and so on.
EN
tadyathā | mahāprabhavā hili hili mili mili |
EN
“May I be victorious through the power of the Bhagavatī, the goddess Sarasvatī.
EN
karaṭe keyūre keyūravati hili mili hili mili hili hili |
EN
“I summon the great goddess through the truth of the Buddha, the truth of the Dharma, the truth of the Saṅgha, the truth of Indra, and the truth of Varuṇa. I invoke the great goddess through the truth and true words of all who speak truth in the world.
EN
tadyathā | hili hili hili mili, hili mili | May I be victorious! I pay homage to the Bhagavatī, the great goddess Sarasvatī! May I accomplish the mantra words! svāhā |
EN
Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, praised the goddess Sarasvatī with these verses:
EN
“All hosts of spirits, listen to me! I praise the perfectly beautiful face of the sublime goddess, The sublime female, the highest of perfect goddesses In the world with its devas, gandharvas, and lords of devas.
EN
“The one named Sarasvatī is endowed with vast eyes. Her limbs are adorned by an accumulation of various qualities. She shines with merit, a vastness of stainless wisdom and qualities. She is like a vision of an accumulation of different jewels.
EN
“I praise her, who has the exceptional qualities of supreme speech. She produces the supreme, sublime accomplishments. She produces true praises and good qualities. She is stainlessly supreme, a shining lotus.
EN
“She has supreme eyes, sublime eyes. She is the basis for goodness, a vision of goodness. She is adorned with inconceivable qualities. She is like the moon shining with pure light.
EN
“She is the source of wisdom and has sublime memory. She is a supreme lion, the divine steed of humans. She is adorned by eight arms And she shines like the full moon.
EN
“She has a beautiful voice and lovely speech. She is endowed with profound wisdom. She is a sublime being who provides the highest needs. Her abode is praised by all the hosts of deva and asura lords, And she is continually offered to by the hosts of spirits: svāhā.
EN
“I pay homage to this goddess. May she bestow special qualities on me. May she grant me the accomplishment of all that is needed. May she constantly protect me in the midst of enemies.
EN
“In the morning on arising, recite purely These complete syllables, the full words, And all wishes, wealth, and grain will be attained, And vast accomplishment and goodness will also be obtained.”
Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, with her robe over one shoulder, kneeling with her right knee on the ground and her palms together in homage, bowed toward the Bhagavat and said to the Bhagavat, “Venerable Bhagavat, I, the great goddess Sarasvatī, will bring eloquence to the words of those dharmabhāṇakas so that their words will be beautified. I will also bestow on them the power of mental retention. I will establish them in giving definitions. I will illuminate those dharmabhāṇakas with the great light of wisdom. If any line of verse or syllables of this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light is left out or forgotten, I will bring all definitions, lines of verse, and syllables to those dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus.
EN
“So that this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light may remain for a long time in Jambudvīpa and not quickly vanish; so that beings can accomplish roots of merit with a hundred thousand buddha bhagavats; so that many beings on hearing this Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light, may develop inconceivably sharp wisdom; so that they may gain an inconceivable aggregation of wisdom; so that they may attain good fortune in this life; so that they may have benefit in life and possess an immeasurable aggregation of merit; so that they may seek a variety of methods; so that they may become learned in all treatises; and so that they may attain perfection in a variety of arts, I will bestow the power of retention so that they will not forget.
EN
“I will teach the rite of cleansing with mantras and medicines for the benefit of the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣus and the beings who listen to the Dharma, so that harm from the planets, lunar asterisms, birth, and death; all the harms from fighting, pollution, riots, chaos, nightmares, and misleaders; and the harms from all evil spirits and vetālas will cease.
EN
“These are the herbs and medicines through which the wise can cleanse themselves:
EN
“Sweet flag, cow bezoar, and fenugreek, Canafistula, acacia, and shami, Orris root and musk, Crepe ginger, cinnamon, and agarwood;
EN
“Chir pine rosin and dammar gum, Bdellium and frankincense, Valerian and black stone flower, Sandalwood and realgar;
EN
“Bezoar and costus root, Saffron, nut grass, and mustard seed, Linseed, cardamom, and spikenard, And ironwood flowers and vetiver:
EN
“Combine equal amounts of each During the Puṣya lunar house. Recite these mantra words A hundred times over the powder:
“Engage in the peaceful activity of cleansing by reciting this mantra while washing the body of the Bhagavat:
EN
tadyathā | sugaṭe vigaṭe vigatāvati svāhā |
EN
“May the lunar asterisms, wherever they are In the four directions, protect lives. May they bring to an end the dreadful terrors Of the harms from the stars of one’s birth, The fears that arise from a multitude of actions, And the disturbances of the elements.
“I will be there, because of this washing ritual, in order to guard the dharmabhāṇaka bhikṣu and those who listen to the Dharma and those who write it out.
EN
“Together with a host of devas, I will end all illness in those villages, towns, marketplaces, and monasteries.
EN
“I will end harm from planetary afflictions, fighting, and pollution; harm from the stars of one’s birth; and all harm from nightmares, troublesome demons, and all evil spirits and vetālas for the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who possess this lord of sūtras, so that their lifespan will be benefited and they will abandon saṃsāra, will progress irreversibly to the highest, most complete enlightenment, and will quickly attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood.”
EN
Then the Bhagavat congratulated the great goddess Sarasvatī, saying, “Well done, well done, great goddess Sarasvatī! You act to bring benefit to many beings and happiness to many beings. It is excellent, excellent, that you have given this teaching of mantras and medicines.”
EN
The great goddess Sarasvatī bowed down to the Bhagavat’s feet and sat to one side.
EN
Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, called upon the goddess Sarasvatī:
EN
“Great goddess Sarasvatī, You are worthy of offering, a great ascetic; You are renowned in all worlds; You give the best and have great qualities;
EN
“You have the highest attainment, are beautiful, And have put on a darbha grass robe— You are wearing darbha grass clothing, And you stand on one leg.
EN
“All the devas have gathered, And they all speak in one voice: ‘Loosen your tongue and speak The words that will benefit beings.’
“May I have unimpeded understanding. May I accomplish the knowledge of treatises, verses, tantras, piṭakas, poetry, and so on.
EN
tadyathā | mahāprabhavā hili hili mili mili |
EN
“May I be victorious through the power of the Bhagavatī, the goddess Sarasvatī.
EN
karaṭe keyūre keyūravati hili mili hili mili hili hili |
EN
“I summon the great goddess through the truth of the Buddha, the truth of the Dharma, the truth of the Saṅgha, the truth of Indra, and the truth of Varuṇa. I invoke the great goddess through the truth and true words of all who speak truth in the world.
EN
tadyathā | hili hili hili mili, hili mili | May I be victorious! I pay homage to the Bhagavatī, the great goddess Sarasvatī! May I accomplish the mantra words! svāhā |
EN
Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, praised the goddess Sarasvatī with these verses:
EN
“All hosts of spirits, listen to me! I praise the perfectly beautiful face of the sublime goddess, The sublime female, the highest of perfect goddesses In the world with its devas, gandharvas, and lords of devas.
EN
“The one named Sarasvatī is endowed with vast eyes. Her limbs are adorned by an accumulation of various qualities. She shines with merit, a vastness of stainless wisdom and qualities. She is like a vision of an accumulation of different jewels.
EN
“I praise her, who has the exceptional qualities of supreme speech. She produces the supreme, sublime accomplishments. She produces true praises and good qualities. She is stainlessly supreme, a shining lotus.
EN
“She has supreme eyes, sublime eyes. She is the basis for goodness, a vision of goodness. She is adorned with inconceivable qualities. She is like the moon shining with pure light.
EN
“She is the source of wisdom and has sublime memory. She is a supreme lion, the divine steed of humans. She is adorned by eight arms And she shines like the full moon.
EN
“She has a beautiful voice and lovely speech. She is endowed with profound wisdom. She is a sublime being who provides the highest needs. Her abode is praised by all the hosts of deva and asura lords, And she is continually offered to by the hosts of spirits: svāhā.
EN
“I pay homage to this goddess. May she bestow special qualities on me. May she grant me the accomplishment of all that is needed. May she constantly protect me in the midst of enemies.
EN
“In the morning on arising, recite purely These complete syllables, the full words, And all wishes, wealth, and grain will be attained, And vast accomplishment and goodness will also be obtained.”
Sutraya