Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, how much merit will a noble man or noble woman generate by carrying this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma on their body or making a text of it?”

The Bhagavān answered the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, if a noble man or noble woman were to honor, venerate, worship, and make offerings to hundreds of thousands of quintillions of tathāgatas, as numerous as the grains of sand in eighty Ganges River, what do you think, would that noble man or noble woman generate much merit as a result of that?”

“Much merit, Bhagavān,” he answered. “Much merit, Sugata.”

“Bhaiṣajyarāja,” the Bhagavān continued, “I declare to you, I proclaim to you, Bhaiṣajyarāja, that the noble man or noble woman who possesses just one verse, or one line from this Dharma teaching The White Lotus of the Good Dharma and reads it, studies it, and assiduously practices it, that noble man or noble woman, Bhaiṣajyarāja, will have even greater merit as a result of that.”

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we give these dhāraṇī-mantra words to a noble man or noble woman who carries on their body or makes a text of this Dharma teaching and upholds it, so that they may be protected, guarded, and hidden:

“Tadyathā: anye manye mane mamane citte carite śame śamayitā viśānte mukte muktatame same avisame samasame jaye kṣaye akṣaye akṣīṇe śānte śamite dhāraṇi āloka­bhāṣe pratyavekṣaṇi viviru abhyantaraniviṣṭe abhyantarapāriśuddhi utkule mutkule arḍe parḍe sukāṅkṣi asama­same buddha­vilokite dharma­parīkṣite saṃgha­nirghoṣaṇi nirghoṣaṇi bhayābhaya­śodhani mantre mantrākṣayate rutakauśalye akṣaye akṣayavanatāye vakkule valoḍa amanyanatāya.

“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words have been taught by buddha bhagavāns as numerous as the grains of sand in sixty Ganges Rivers. If anyone opposes that kind of dharmabhāṇaka, someone who upholds this sūtra, they will offend all those buddha bhagavāns.”

At this, the Bhagavān congratulated the bodhisattva mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyarāja, saying, “Bhaiṣajyarāja, through your reciting these dhāraṇī-mantra words you have benefited many beings. It is excellent, Bhaiṣajyarāja, excellent that you protect, guard, and conceal through your compassion for beings.”

Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Pradānaśūra said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I too shall provide the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra for this kind of dharmabhāṇaka. If someone is seeking an opportunity to harm this kind of dharmabhāṇaka, such as a yakṣa, a rākṣasa, a pūtana, a kṛtya, a kumbhāṇḍa, or a preta, through this they will not find an opportunity to do so.”

The bodhisattva mahāsattva Pradānaśūra then recited the words of the dhāraṇī-mantra:

“Tadyathā: jvale mahājvale ukke mukke aḍe aḍāvati nṛtye nṛtyāvati iṭṭini viṭṭini ciṭṭini nṛtyani nṛtyāvati svāhā.

“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words have been taught and rejoiced in by tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. If anyone opposes that kind of dharmabhāṇaka, they will offend all those tathāgatas.”

Next, the mahārāja Vaiśravaṇa said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I also shall recite the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra in order to compassionately benefit, bring happiness to, guard, protect, and conceal this kind of dharmabhāṇaka:

“Tadyathā: aṭṭe naṭṭe tanaṭṭe anate nāti kunaṭi svāhā.

“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words will protect those dharmabhāṇakas for a hundred yojanas. It will protect those dharmabhāṇakas, the noble men or noble women who uphold such a sūtra, and will bring them good fortune.”

Now the mahārāja Virūḍhaka, leading a following of a hundred thousand quintillion kumbhāṇḍas, joined that assembly. He then rose from his seat, removed his upper robe from one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and with his hands together in homage bowed toward the Bhagavān and said to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, I too will recite the words of a dhāraṇī-mantra for the guarding, protection, and concealment of that kind of dharmabhāṇaka who upholds a sūtra such as this:

“Tadyathā: agaṇe gaṇe gauri gāndhāri cāṇḍāli mātaṅgi pukkasi saṃkule vrūśali svāhā.

“Bhagavān, these dhāraṇī-mantra words have been taught by four hundred and twenty million buddhas. If anyone opposes that kind of dharmabhāṇaka, they will offend all those tathāgatas.”

Then the rākṣasī named Lambā, the rākṣasī named Vilambā, the rākṣasī named Kūṭadantī, the rākṣasī named Puṣpadantī, the rākṣasī named Makuṭadantī, the rākṣasī named Keśinī, the rākṣasī named Acalā, the rākṣasī named Mālādhārī, the rākṣasī named Kuntī, the rākṣasī named Sarva­sattvojohārī, and the rākṣasī named Hārītī, with her children and servants—all those rākṣasīs came to where the Bhagavān was, and having arrived they all said in one voice to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, we too will guard, protect, and conceal that kind of dharmabhāṇaka who upholds a sūtra such as this, so that if someone is seeking an opportunity to harm those dharmabhāṇakas they will not find an opportunity to do so.”

Then those rākṣasīs in one voice, with the same words, offered these dhāraṇī-mantra words to the Bhagavān:

“Tadyathā: itime itime itime itime itime nime nime nime nime nime ruhe ruhe ruhe ruhe ruhe stuhe stuhe stuhe stuhe stuhe svāhā.

“If this is placed upon the head, there is no one who will be able to injure the dharmabhāṇakas. A yakṣa, rākṣasa, preta, piśāca, pūtana, kṛtya, vetāla, kumbhāṇḍa, stabdha, ostāraka, or apasmāraka; a kṛtya that is a yakṣa, a kṛtya that is nonhuman, or a kṛtya that is a human; those that cause illness for a day, for two days, for three days, for four days, or permanently; and those who appear in dreams in the form of a woman, the form of a man, or the form of a boy, or the form of a girl so as to cause harm, will not be able to do so.”

Then those rākṣasīs in one voice, with the same words, recited these verses to the Bhagavān:

“If someone attacks a dharmabhāṇaka And they hear this mantra Their head will burst into seven pieces Like the foliage of a basil plant. {1}

“Those who attack the dharmabhāṇaka, The way that they are following Is the way of those who kill their mothers; It is the way of those who kill their fathers. {2}

“Those who attack the dharmabhāṇaka, The way that they are following Is the way of the crushers of sesame; It is the way of those with the sesame pestle. {3}

“Those who attack the dharmabhāṇaka, The way that they are following Is the way of those who are fraudulent in weights, The way of those who are fraudulent in measures.” {4}

Kuntī and the other rākṣasīs said to the Bhagavān, “In this way we will protect the dharmabhāṇakas. We will bring them good fortune, prevent punishments, and counter poisons.”

The Bhagavān said to the rākṣasīs, “Excellent, O rākṣasīs, excellent! Protect, guard, and conceal those dharmabhāṇakas! You, Kuntī, and your followers should protect even those who only possess the name of this Dharma teaching, let alone those who have learned the entirety of this Dharma teaching, have made texts of it, have honored them, and offered to those texts flowers, incense, perfume, garlands, ointments, powders, clothing, parasols, banners, divine flags, lamps of sesame oil, lamps of ghee, lamps of perfumed oil, lamps of magnolia oil, lamps of gardenia oil, lamps of blue lotus oil, and lamps of royal jasmine oil, honoring them with hundreds of thousands of many kinds of offering such as those. You, Kuntī, and your followers should protect them!”