Then, within that great assembly, the great goddess Sarasvatī rose from her seat, bowed down her head to the Bhagavat’s feet, and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, if a dharmabhāṇaka correctly teaches this Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light, I will increase his wisdom and inspire poetic eloquence. If the dharmabhāṇaka preceptor omits a letter, a syllable, or the meaning of a word, I will cause him to remember everything and have excellent comprehension and bestow upon him unimpeded, total possession of the power of mental retention.

“Moreover, any being who has developed good roots with many hundreds of thousands of buddhas and holds this Supremely Victorious King of Sūtras, The Sublime Golden Light will greatly promulgate it in this Jambudvīpa so that it will not soon vanish. Then countless beings, through hearing this sūtra, will all quickly attain eloquence and inconceivable great wisdom, will become learned in various treatises and skills, and will quickly depart from saṃsāra and attain the highest, most complete enlightenment of buddhahood. It will cause them to have in their lifetime an increased lifespan and a perfection of the necessities for life.

“Bhagavat, for the sake of those Dharma preceptors who hold the sūtra and the other beings who aspire to listen to this sūtra, I wish to teach the practice of cleansing by applying mantras to medicines. It will dispel and bring to an end for them any malevolent planets or bad signs that appear; conflict with the planets and constellation of one’s birth; the suffering of illness; fighting, quarreling, and war; nightmares; demons, obstacle makers, and conjured spirits; poisons and contaminations; spells, vetālas, and so on; and all obscurations from bad karma and the creation of obstacles. Therefore, those who are wise should practice the rite of cleansing in this way:

“Sweet flag, cow bezoar, and fenugreek; Musk, realgar, and acacia; Orris root, jñāmaka, and shami; Chir pine rosin, cinnamon, and nut grass;

“Agarwood, sandalwood, and pinwheel flower; Frankincense, saffron, and karpūra; Spikenard, tabasheer, and cardamom; Deodar leaves and vetiver;

“Frankincense, Artemisia plant, and bdellium; Mustard seed, cumin, and ironwood flowers; And dammar gum and costus root, in equal amounts Mix into one in the Puṣya lunar house,

“Then take up that powdered perfume And apply this mantra one hundred and eight times:

tadyathā | sukṛte kṛtakamalanīlajinakarate haṃkarāte indrajali śakaddre vaśaddre avartakasike nakutra kukavilakavimalamati śīlamati sandhidhudhumamavati śiśiri satyasthite svāhā |

“If you wish to cleanse in accordance with the Dharma, Make a square maṇḍala eight cubits wide, And in a place that is pleasant and solitary Think in your mind of the goals to be achieved.

“Smear the maṇḍala with cow dung And spread flowers all over it. Fill perfectly clean gold and silver bowls With milk and honey with a perfect taste.

“Place four people at the four gates of the maṇḍala In order to guard it in accord with the Dharma. Four youths with bodies perfectly adorned Each hold pots of water at the corners.

“Continually burn bdellium there And continually play the five kinds of music. On all four sides of the maṇḍala Beautify the banners with parasols and streamers.

“Inside the maṇḍala, place a clear mirror, A sharp sword, and four arrows. Arrange a large vessel in the center of the maṇḍala And place a wooden platform on top of it.

“Mix the previous powder with water And place it inside the maṇḍala. Having arranged and placed it in that way, Then recite the mantra and close the maṇḍala.

“The mantra for closing the boundary:

syād yathedaṃ arake nayane hile mile gile khikhile svāhā |

“Having closed the boundary in that way, And having entered into the maṇḍala, Apply the mantra to the water twenty-one times And sprinkle it into the four directions.

“Then apply the mantra to the perfumed water A total of one hundred and eight times. Surround all four sides with curtains, And after that wash your body.

“The mantra for the water and the perfumed water is thus:

tadyathā | sagaṭe vigaṭe vigatāvati svāhā |

“After washing, the washing water and whatever food and drink have been offered within the maṇḍala should be cast into a river or a pond. Collect everything else.

“Having washed in that way, you should put on clean clothes, come out of the maṇḍala, and enter a clean dwelling. The mantra practitioner, in order to bestow a vast commitment, must completely eliminate various bad actions and continually practice various good actions and develop great compassion for beings. Through those causes and conditions, one will attain an immeasurable ripening of wish-fulfilling merit. Also, there is a prayer in verse:

“Any being who is afflicted by the suffering of illness And is not healed by various medicines and treatments Should cleanse according to this rite of washing And moreover read and recite this sūtra.

“With a mind that is undistracted day and night, And with single-minded veneration and developed motivation, The suffering of illness will completely cease And, freed from poverty and need, they will become wealthy.

“The devas of the planets, stars, sun, and moon in the four directions Will give their complete protection, and life will become long. Good fortune, happiness, and merit will increase. All bad omens and calamities will be dispelled.

“After that, repeat twenty-one times the mantra for protecting the body:

tadyathā | śame viṣame svāhā | sagaṭe vigaṭe svāhā | sukhatinate svāhā | sāgarasaṃbhūtāya svāhā | skandhamatāya svāhā | nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā | aparājitavīryāya svāhā | himavatsaṃbhūtāya svāhā | animilavaktrāya svāhā | namo bhagavate brāhmaṇe svāhā | namaḥ sarasvatyai devyai svāhā | sidhyantu mantrapadā daṃ svāhā | bharato vicita brahmānumanyatu svāhā |

Then the great goddess Sarasvatī bowed down to the Bhagavat’s feet and said to the Bhagavat, “Bhagavat, any bhikṣu, bhikṣuṇī, upāsaka, or upāsikā who acquires, possesses, reads, recites, writes out, and practices the teaching of this sublime king of sūtras, and wherever that bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī dwells—a town, a town’s environs, a wilderness, a mountain, or a forest—for their sake I and my entourage will come to them as a divine entourage, will guard and defend them, and will dispel the suffering of illness, the falling of shooting stars, bad omens, diseases, fighting, and quarreling. I will put an end to being arrested by the king’s law, bad dreams, harm from malicious spirits, and all conjured spirits.

“The followers and the audiences of individuals, such as bhikṣus, who possess the sūtra will be benefited so that they will quickly transcend the great ocean of saṃsāra and progress irreversibly toward enlightenment.”

The Bhagavat, having listened to her words, then praised the great goddess Sarasvatī, saying, “It is excellent, excellent that you, goddess, in order to benefit and make happy countless, endless beings, have taught those vidyāmantras, the washing in perfumed water, and the maṇḍala rite that possess inconceivable ripened results.”

Then he said, “You should protect this sublime, supreme king of sūtras so that it does not soon vanish but will be widely present.”

The great goddess Sarasvatī then bowed down her head to the Bhagavat’s feet and sat upon her own seat.

Then the brahmin of the Kauṇḍinya family, the Dharma master Vyākaraṇa, through the power of the Bhagavat’s blessing, praised Sarasvatī in front of the great assembly:

“You, Sarasvatī, have courageous, clear wisdom. You are worthy to be offered to by devas and humans. Your renown has spread throughout the world, And you fulfill the hopes of all beings.

“You dwell within a house that is made of grass Upon the supreme location of a high mountain peak. You make your clothes by knotting soft grass together, And you constantly stand with one leg bent.

“The many devas who have gathered All praise you single-mindedly. You, the goddess who has wisdom and eloquence, Give your gift of all wonderful, pleasant words.”

The great goddess Sarasvatī, having listened to his supplication, then spoke this dhāraṇī mantra:

syād yathedaṃ | mure cire avaje avajavate higule migule pigalavati maguśe marici samati daśamati agrima gritara citara capati cicirī śirimiri mandhi demakhi marici praṇaye lokajyeṣṭhe lokapriye siddhiprite vimamukhi śucikharī apratihate apratehatabuddhe namuci namuci mahādevī prati­gṛhnanamaskaraṃ [say your name] mama buddhi viśduddhi bhagavadtyaṃ bevayaṃ sparasatya karade keyūre keyūramati hilimili apayame mahādeve buddhasatyana dharmasatya saṃghasatyena indrasatyena varuṇasatyena yeloke stayasatyena teśamastyena sattivadcanini avahayami mahādevem hilimili hilimili vicidato [say your name] mama buddhi namo bhavati mahādeve sarasatya sidhyanti mantrapadāni svāhā |

Then the great goddess Sarasvatī, having taught this dhāraṇī mantra, said to the brahmin, “O great being, it is excellent, excellent that for the sake of beings you provide wonderful eloquence, jewels, miracles, and wisdom, bringing a vast benefit to all, and that you wish to bring them quickly to enlightenment. Know that and possess this rite.”

Having said that, she recited these verses:

To recite this dhāraṇī, at the beginning Just read it purely and without error, And then go for refuge to the Three Jewels and the devas In order to be blessed and have your prayers be fulfilled.

“Bow with reverence to the buddhas, the Dharma, and The saṅghas of bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas.

“After that, bow with single-minded reverence To Brahmā, Śakra, the lord of devas, The world guardians, the Four Mahārājas, And to all those who continually practice celibacy.

“Then, in a very solitary wilderness, Recite the preceding mantra and ritual in a loud voice. In front of a statue of the Buddha, and before devas and nāgas, Accomplish making offerings with whatever you possess.

“Develop a motivation of love, compassion, and kindness Toward all those forms of beings. Keep in mind—one-pointedly, without distraction— The Bhagavat’s golden body with its wonderful signs.

“The Bhagavat had the intention to teach the true Dharma And established beings in samādhi according to their capacities. Contemplate well the meaning of these words And meditate perfectly, in reliance upon emptiness.

“If in the presence of an image of the Bhagavat You can remain in genuine, one-pointed mindfulness, Then you will obtain excellent wisdom, samādhi, And the sublime, supreme dhāraṇī.

“The golden mouth of the Bhagavat taught the Dharma, And he guided devas and humans with his beautiful voice. The sign that is his tongue manifests a wonder according to conditions— It becomes vast and long and covers the worlds of the trichiliocosm.

“If you keep your mind one-pointed upon that beautiful Speech of the Bhagavat, you will attain fearlessness. This inconceivable sign that is his tongue was acquired Through the power of the vast prayers of the Bhagavat.

“He taught that phenomena have no existence And are like space that is devoid of impediments. By contemplating and evaluating the Bhagavat’s speech, The sign of his tongue, your prayers will be fulfilled.

“If the great goddess Sarasvatī sees offerings, Or sees a pupil following a master’s instructions And practicing and meditating on this secret rite Or revering it, their wishes will be accomplished.

“Someone who wishes for perfect, sublime wisdom Should single-mindedly possess this rite. It will increase merit, wisdom, and qualities And will have definite accomplishment, have no doubt!

“Those who seek wealth will obtain great wealth. Those who seek fame will attain great fame. Those who seek deliverance will be delivered. This will definitely be attained, have no doubt!

“Contemplate and gather into your mind All countless, endless good qualities. If you are able to practice in this way in accord with the Dharma, They will definitely be attained, have no doubt!

“In a clean place, wear new clothes. Create a maṇḍala of whatever size you can. Fill four clean vases with a delicious flavor And offer whatever flowers and incense you have.

“Beautify it with streamers, flags, and parasols, And adorn it everywhere with scented ointment and powders. If you make offerings to the buddhas and the goddess Sarasvatī, And wish to see the deity’s body, your aspiration will be fulfilled.

“In front of the great goddess Sarasvatī, Recite the previous mantra for twenty-one days. If you still have not seen that deity, One-pointedly keep her in mind for nine more days.

“If she has still not been seen in the last part of the night, Seek another excellent and clean place. Draw an image of the great goddess Sarasvatī And do not give up offering, repeating, and reciting.

“If you do not develop a sleepy or a lazy mind, The benefit to yourself and others will have no end. If whatever ripening you obtain is made to ripen for beings, Then all your aspirations will be completely accomplished.

“If you have not attained what you wish, then after three months, Or after six months, nine months, or a year, With diligent supplication and an undistracted mind, You will attain divine vision and knowledge of the minds of others.”

The Kauṇḍinya brahmin, on hearing those words taught, was then joyous, delighted, and amazed, and so he said to that great assembly, “Oh, all of you, this great assembly of devas and humans, know this! Today, on the basis of relative phenomena, I am going to recite a praise to the great goddess Sarasvatī. Listen!”

He then recited these verses:

“I reverently pay homage to the goddess Nārāyaṇī, Who has attained dominion over worlds. Today I will praise that supreme one In accordance with the teaching of past ṛṣis.

“Your mind of perfect auspiciousness dwells in bliss. Your clear mind possessed of shame and conscience is renowned. You are a mother and give birth to the world. You courageously and continuously act with great diligence.

“You are always continuously victorious on the battleground. You request self-control, a loving mind, and patience. You are now the eldest sister of Yama, And for clothes you always wear blue silk.

“You possess both beautiful and ugly forms. All who see your eyes become afraid. Your immeasurable, sublime, supreme activity transcends the world. You directly regard all humans and gather them all.

“Sometimes you dwell on profound mountains of rock, Sometimes you dwell in caves or on riverbanks, And sometimes you dwell in great forests of trees— Goddess, those are the places where you primarily dwell.

“All wild people of the mountains and forests Continually make offerings to you, the goddess. They make banners and flags from peacock feathers, And you protect the world at all times.

“You are always encircled by tigers, lions, and wolves. Cattle, sheep, chickens, and so on, depend upon you. When you ring a great bell, the sound that emerges Resounds even on the Vindhya Mountains.

“Sometimes you hold a trident, And usually your right and left hands hold sun and moon standards. On the ninth and eleventh day of the waning moon, I will always make offerings to you at those times.

“Sometimes you manifest as Vasu, the sister of Mahādeva, Who, on seeing a battle, always has kindness And is always looking upon all beings. You are a supreme goddess whom no one transcends.

“Sometimes you manifest as the gopi Rādhā, And when you fight the devas, you are always victorious. You remain in worlds for a long time, Manifesting both subdued patience and wrath.

“You have perfectly understood all the four Dharmas Known by great brahmins, and miracles, mantras, and so on. Among the ṛṣis, you have attained independent power And have the ability to create seeds and this great earth.

“When goddesses and so on gather Like ocean waves, they gather around you. You are chief among all the assemblies of many yakṣas, nāgas, And so on, and you have the power to guide them.

“You are the supreme female celibate. Your words arise like those of the lord of the world. You are like lotuses in a royal residence. On the banks of a river, you are like a boat or a bridge.

“Your beautiful face is like the full moon. You are a support and basis for the greatly learned. Your supreme eloquence is like a high mountain peak. You create an island for those who keep you in mind.

“The devas, such as the asuras, and so on, All recite praises of your qualities. Even thousand-eyed Śakra, the lord of devas, Gazes on you and thinks of you with veneration.

“Whatever beings wish for and seek, You quickly accomplish all of it. You have a swift mind, eloquence, and you possess the Dharma So that you are supreme upon this great earth.

“In these world realms of the ten directions, You always illuminate everything, like a great lamp. You even fulfill all the wishes Of the spirits and wild beasts.

“You are like a mountain peak among females. Like the ṛṣis of the past, you remain for a long time. Like a young goddess, you are devoid of desire, And you speak the truth like the lord of the world.

“You are the one goddess renowned as supreme Within the continuity of all the worlds, And over those in the divine palaces of the desire realm; There is no being who appears to be greater.

“If I am in battle or a dangerous place Or fall into a pit of fire, you will see me. When there are the dangers of dreadful rivers and bandits, You have the power to dispel all those dangers.

“If you are chained by the laws of the king Or are being killed by someone who wants your flesh, If at that time you maintain an unwavering, single-pointed mind, You will definitely be freed from your suffering.

“You protect all humans, good and bad, And always manifest love and the affection of compassion. Therefore, with single-minded aspiration, I pay homage and take refuge in you, the great goddess.”

Then the brahmin extolled that goddess with words of praise and eulogy:

“Supreme in the world, I reverently pay homage to you. You are supreme among all mothers. Therefore, all the three worlds make offerings to you. Your appearance is beautiful, and all long to see you.

“Your body is adorned with various good qualities. Your wide eyes are like the petals of the blue lotus. You have the vast renown of the radiance of merit and wisdom. To give an analogy, you are the same as a priceless jewel.

“On this day I speak this praise of you, sublime one, And may you accomplish all the wishes in my mind. You have true qualities and excellent auspiciousness. You are completely pure, like a lotus.

“Your body has a beautiful color and all long to see it. You have an inconceivable multitude of wonderful features. You spread the light rays of stainless wisdom, And your memory is supreme over all others.

“You are supreme like a lion among wild beasts. You are ever adorned by eight arms That hold, individually, an arrow, bow, sword, Axe, mallet, hook, discus, and noose.

“Beautiful goddess, you are like the full moon. You emit a beautiful voice with unimpeded words. Whatever being has a prayer in their minds, You, sublime being, will fulfill their wishes.

“Śakra and many devas all make offerings to you. They all praise you and go to you for refuge. You give rise to inconceivable qualities, So at all times I venerate you: svāhā.

“If you wish to pray to the great goddess Sarasvatī, Use these words of praise and eulogy And recite them with internal purity, single-mindedly. Then all that you aspire for will be accomplished as you wish.”

The Bhagavat said to the brahmin, “It is excellent, excellent that you, in order to benefit and bring happiness to beings, have recited this praise to the goddess and prayed for her blessing so that immeasurable merit will be obtained.”

Then the Kauṇḍinya brahmin, having thus, as shown above, extolled the great goddess Sarasvatī with words of praise and words of eulogy, said to the great assembly, “If you wish to pray to the goddess Sarasvatī so that you will be blessed by her compassion, so that in this life you will have a swift, unimpeded mind, great wisdom, and skill in words; attain vast wisdom; communicate with elaborate speech; and accomplish the adornment of words as you wish without impediment, then single-mindedly and reverentially pray in this way:

“ ‘I pay homage to the Buddha. I pay homage to the Dharma. I pay homage to the Saṅgha.

“ ‘The community of bodhisattvas, the śrāvakas, the pratyekabuddhas, all āryas, and the buddhas of the past, future, and present in the ten directions have accomplished words of truth; according to their powers they have spoken valid words of truth, they have spoken infallible words, they have constantly spoken words of truth for countless millions of great eons, and I rejoice in and pay homage to all who possess valid words of truth.

“ ‘I reverently pay homage to the one who, because he does not speak untrue words, has a long, vast tongue that emerges and completely covers his face, then Jambudvīpa, the four continents, the worlds in the chiliocosm, the dichiliocosm, the trichiliocosm, and all the countless world realms in the ten directions, covering everything and dispelling all affliction from the defilements.

“ ‘Having reverently paid homage to all buddhas who possess that sign of the tongue, I, [say your name], pray to possess all excellent eloquence and single-mindedly direct my life to it.

“ ‘I reverently pay homage to the sublime eloquence of the buddhas; the sublime eloquence of the bodhisattvas; the sublime eloquence of the pratyekabuddha āryas; the sublime eloquence of the four results of the four entries; the supreme eloquence of the words of the truths of the noble ones; the sublime eloquence of the devarṣis; the sublime eloquence of the ṛṣis in Brahmā’s entourage; the sublime eloquence of Mahādeva and Umā; the sublime eloquence of the worthy devas; the supreme eloquence of King Manasi; the sublime eloquence of the wish-fulfilling goddess; the sublime eloquence of the Four Mahārājas; the supreme eloquence of the consecrated devas; the supreme eloquence of the Vajra Lord of Secrets; the sublime eloquence of the deity Viṣṇu; the sublime eloquence of the goddess Vima; the sublime eloquence of the goddess of Viṣṇu; the sublime eloquence of the goddess Bhadrā; the sublime eloquence of Śiramara; the sublime eloquence of the words of Hari; the sublime eloquence of the mothers and great mothers; the sublime eloquence of Haritama; the sublime eloquence of the yakṣas; and the eloquence of the jinas in the ten directions.

“ ‘May I have the possession of all supreme actions And attain supreme, sublime, infinite eloquence.

“ ‘I reverently pay homage to the one who does not lie. I reverently pay homage to the one who is completely liberated. I reverently pay homage to the one who has forsaken desire. I reverently pay homage to the one who has eliminated the obscuration of bondage.

“ ‘I reverently pay homage to the one with a pure mind. I reverently pay homage to the one who shines with light. I reverently pay homage to the speaker of true words. I reverently pay homage to the one who is devoid of the dust of attachment.

“ ‘I reverently pay homage to the one who dwells in the supreme meaning. I reverently pay homage to the lord of the great assembly. I reverently pay homage to the goddess Sarasvatī.

“ ‘May my words be unimpeded! May whatever I aspire to and seek All be swiftly accomplished! May I obtain health, constant happiness, And a long lifetime of many years.

“ ‘I pray to quickly fulfill my aspiration: To be skilled in all vidyāmantras, To be diligent on the path to enlightenment, And to bring many benefits to all beings.

“ ‘Through my speaking words of truth And my speaking undeceptive words, I pray that the eloquence of the goddess Will be accomplished within me.

“ ‘You, goddess, come to this place, And so that I may have unimpeded words, Quickly enter my body and mouth And quickly make my mind eloquent.

“ ‘May the faculty of my tongue Attain the eloquence of the tathāgatas. May I be a guide for beings Through the power and might of my words.

“ ‘When I speak words, may their Meaning be perfectly accomplished. May those who listen have reverence, And may what I have said not be wasted.

“ ‘If I do not accomplish The eloquence that I seek, Then the goddess’s words of truth Will all be nothing but lies.

“ ‘Even those with the bad karma of immediate result Are guided by the Buddha’s words. In that same way, there are all the words Of any arhat and those of Kṛtajña.

“ ‘Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, And the Bhagavat are foremost among all beings. May I accomplish Their true words.

“ ‘I pray that if on this day I invite To this place the Buddha and all his disciples, They will all quickly come to this place And will fulfill my prayers.

“ ‘Whatever genuine words of truth I possess, I pray that they all will be undeceptive.

“ ‘From the devas above at the summit of existence down— The devas of the Śuddhāvāsa paradises,

“ ‘And the Mahābrahmā, Brahmapurohita, And Brahmā’s High Clerics paradises, Throughout all the trichiliocosm worlds— The lord of the Sahā world

“ ‘And all his numerous entourage, All of them I am inviting today. I pray you have love and compassion And take me into your loving care.

“ ‘Paranirmita­vaśavartin devas And Nirmāṇarati devas, The hosts of devas of Tuṣita, Maitreya who will become perfect,

“ ‘The devas of the Yāma paradise, The devas of Trāyastriṃśa, The devas of the Four Mahārājas, And all the entourages of numerous devas—

“ ‘The devas of earth, water, fire, and air; Those who dwell upon Sumeru Mountain; The devas of the mountains of the seven oceans Together with entourages of many devas,

“ ‘And Vāsuki and Pañcaśikha; The devas of the sun, moon, planets, and constellations— These and a multitude of other devas Who bring happiness to the world,

“ ‘These and a multitude of other devas Who do not aspire to bad actions, Hārītī who has reverence for the Buddha And her beloved youngest son,

“ ‘Devas, nāgas, and yakṣas, Gandharvas and asuras, The assemblies of kinnaras, The mahoragas, and so on,

“ ‘I invite every one of them Through the Bhagavat’s power. May they have love and compassion And bestow unimpeded eloquence upon me.

“ ‘Those who know the minds of others Among all the assemblies of devas and humans, May they all give their blessing And bestow sublime eloquence upon me.

“ ‘All of those beings that there are As far as the end of the element of space, The limits of the realm of phenomena, May they bestow sublime eloquence upon me!’ ”

The great goddess Sarasvatī, having heard the brahmin’s prayer, said, “O great being, well done! Any man or woman who practices that rite as previously described, based upon that mantra and that praise through mantra, and goes for refuge with veneration to the Three Jewels and remains in single-pointed mindfulness, whatever they accomplish, none of it will be a waste. Moreover, if they possess, read, and recite this extremely wonderful Sublime Golden Light, then all their aspirations will yield fruit, and they will be quickly accomplished, unless they do not have one-pointed minds.”

The brahmin was overjoyed and delighted, and with his palms together placed them on the crown of his head.

Then the Bhagavat said to the great goddess Sarasvatī, “Noble goddess, it is excellent, excellent that you protect and guard those who widely promulgate and correctly possess this sublime king of sūtras, and that in order to benefit all beings and so that they may attain happiness, you have taught that kind of Dharma, bestowed inconceivable eloquence, enabled them to attain measureless merit, and enabled those who have developed the aspiration to quickly become immersed in the attainment of enlightenment.”