@285
##THE 
JOURNAL 
OF THE 
ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY 
OF 
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 
NEW SERIES. 
[DD] 
VOLUME THE TWELFTH. 
LONDON :
TRUBNER AND CO., 57 & 59, LUDGATE HILL.
MDCCCLXXX.
1880
@286
Jrl. of the Royal Asiatic Society
1880
Art. X.- The Megha-Sutra. By CECIL BENDALL, Fellow of 
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. 
The following article was originally suggested by a notice 
in Beal's{1 ##See also Fergusson,"Tree and Snake Worship," p. 55, where some further 
account of the Chinese version is given, and one of its illustrations reproduced; 
the observations as to the date may be corrected, however, by a reference to 
Csoma (as presently quoted).##} "Catena of Buddhist Scriptures from the Chinese."
The sutra is there selected as a type of the latest phase of 
Buddhist literature, not only on account of its own pecu-
liarities, but owing to its religious importance among the 
Chinese, which caused the imperial rescript for its translation 
and general promulgation, of which an English version is 
there given. The two parts of which this sutra is composed 
are mentioned as Nos. 15 and 16 of vol. 14 of the Tibetan 
“Gyut,” by Csoma Korosi in As. Res. xx. p. 529; the names 
of the translators fix its date as earlier than the ninth century. 
Finding that the Sanskrit original existed in the great, and 
hitherto unworked, mine of Northern Buddhist literature, 
the Wright Collection of Nepalese Sanskrit MSS. in the  
University Library of Cambridge, it was suggested to me 
by Prof. Cowell, to whose assistance I have been throughout 
deeply indebted, that it might prove generally interesting if 
an edition of the sutra were prepared. A perusal, however,
of the work showed such a preponderance of the objection-
able peculiarities of this branch of Tantric literature, endless
repetitions of words and thought, huge and meaningless
congestions of epithets and titles, vast catalogues{2 ##e.g. the list of 177 snakes at the beginning.##} of names,
and in fact such an entire absence of literary merit of any
kind, that the project of preparing a complete edition was 
abandoned, and the following annotated abridgment drawn
@287
up. The text of these extracts is based on the Cambridge 
MS., of which I have made a nearly complete transcript,
and which I call A, and the MS. in the Hodgson Collection
of the Royal Asiatic Society (B), which I have collated for 
this article.
A few preliminary remarks on these MSS. may be not 
superfluous.
A, is a palm-leaf, 16 inches by 2 inches, 5 lines on each
page, dated N.S. 494=A.D. 1374. It is written in the pecu-
liar and often very difficult handwriting of the Nepalese of 
the period; and abounds in errors such as the confusion of##
ś ##and## s ##and of## ṇ ##and## n, ##which seem to show the scribe’s
knowledge of Sanskrit to have been very small indeed.
B, on the other hand, though a modern {1 ##It bcars date on the cover, N.S. 888=A.D. 1768.##} paper transcript,
is a fairly careful copy of a good original, and clearly has 
independent authority. Conjectural emendations of my own 
of the readings of A have been in very many cases confirmed.
I am also indebted to the courtesy of Prof. Beal for help
derived from a comparison of the Chinese transliterations of 
the mystic names of charms on page 297.
The following extracts, then, contain all the significant
parts of the sutra, the nature of the omitted portions being
everywhere indicated.{2 ##In the case of repeated epithets, etc., e.g. p.292, 11. 8, 17; p. 294, 3 (=p. 
293, 11. 10, 27; 295, 4) the first words only are printed again. Cf. also pp. 306,
307.##} The text is founded on a comparison 
of the MSS., obvious blunders and vernacular barbarisms in 
either being passed by unnoticed, and the genuine differences
of reading only being noted. Only the flagrant errors of
Sandhi, so common in Buddhist MSS., have been, as a rule,
corrected.
(References to the Divyavadana in the notes are to the
pages of the edition by Prof. Cowell and Mr. Neil, now in 
the press.)##
@288
##TEXT.##
namo’cintyasāgarebhya: sarvasamyaksaṃbuddhebhya:{1 sarvabuddhabodhisatvebhya: ##B.##} ||
evaṃ mayā śrutamekasmin{2 ##The usual, and till lately regarded as the invariable, commence-
ment of Buddhist works.##} samaye bhagavān nandopanandanāgarājabhavane vi-
harati sma | śrīmaṇiratnagarbhamahāmeghamaṇḍalakūṭāgāre mahatā bhikṡusaṃghena 
sārdhaṃ mahatā ca bodhisattvasaṃghena sārdhaṃ mahatā ca rājagaṇena sārdhaṃ tadyathā
nandena ca nāgarājena upanandena ca nāgarājena sāgareṇa ca anavataptena 
ca manasvinā ca varuṇena ca takṡakena ca dhrtarāṡṭreṇa ca vāsukinā ca muci-
lindena ca nāgarājena ##etc., etc. (Here follows a list of about
200 snakes cf. Mahabhar. Adi-P. 1551, sqq.)##
evampramukhai: sarvanāgarājapūrvaṅgamaiścaturaśītyā nāgakoṭīniyutaśatasa-
hasrai: sannipatitai: sanniṡaṇai: | tena khalu puna: samayena sarve te nāgarājā:{3 nāgarājāna: ##A.##}
saparivārā utthāyāsanebhya ekāṃsamuttarāsaṅgāni krtvā{4 ##Cf. the common Pali phr. ekamsam uttarasangam karitva, i.e.
baring one shoulder in token of respect.##} dakṡiṇāni
jānumaṇḍalāni prthivyāṃ pratiṡṭhāpya yena{5 yena, tena ##another constr. and phr. common to Pali and Buddhist
Skt., cf. Childers, s.v.yo.##} bhagavāṃstenāñjaliṃ praṇamyāprame-
yāsaṅkhyeyai: paramavividharucirai: puṡpadhūpagandhamālyavilepanacūrṇacīvaraccha-
tradhvajapatākāpaṭṭadāmavādyatūryatāḍāvacarasaṅgītiratnakusumaratnadāmamu-
ktāhāranāgapuṡpamuktā{6 nāgapuṡpa ##might also be taken as the nomen proprium of several 
flowers.##}jālairggarñjanto guḍuguḍāyamānā{7 guḍuguḍuyanto ##A.##} mahāvātaṃ pravā-

yanto mahānādaṃ nadanto ramaṇīyāṃśca dharmmanādānnadanta: {9 dharmmannādanadanta: ##A.;## dhamanādanadanta: ##B.##} mahatāgurugora-
vacitrīkāreṇa bhagavantamabhicchādayanta: pradakṡiṇīkurvvanti sma |
@289
[##English matter##]
@290
pradakṡiṇīkrtyaikānte tasthu: | ekāntasthitā: praṇidhānāni kurvvanti sma |
sarvalokadhātusamudraparamāṇuraja:samai: kāyasamudrai: sarvvabuddhabodhisatvaparṡa-
nmaṇḍalasamudreṡu{3 paraṡatma^ ##MSS.##} | sarvvalokadhātuprasarasamudreṡu | sarvvaprthivyaptejovāyupara-
māṇuraja:sarvvarūpāvabhāsasamaparamāṇuraja:su ekaikasminparamāṇurajasi |
sarvvagaṇanāsamudrasamatikrāntairasaṅkhyeyāprameyācintyātulyāmāpyānabhijñā-
pyasamatikrāntai: kāyameghasamudrai: ekaikasminkāye'prameyāsaṅkhyeyān{4 ^yani ##MSS.##} samu-
drameghānadhiṡṭhāya samantadikśroto'bhimukhādekaikasmātparamāṇurajobhā-
gāt samantadikkūlaspharaṇairasambhinne: sarvapūjāmeghasamudrai: sarvabuddhabodhisa-
tvasamudrān satkuryāmo{5 ##Sic codd. ambo; scilicet haec forma in tempore “lin” apud codices
Buddhisticos haud rara.##} gurukuryāmo mānayema: pūjayema: | yadutāprame-
yāsaṅkhyeyācintyātulyāmāpyāparimāṇānabhijñāpyairasambhinnai: samantabhadra-
caryāprabhāvasamudrameghai:{6 ##Cf. Manu, 3, 76.##} sañchannaṃ gaganatalamadhiṡṭhāya yathāyathā bodhisa-
ttvātmabhāvasamudrameghai: | evaṃ sarvvaratnavarṇaraśmighanasarvvasūryacandrātmabhāva-
maṇḍalasamudrameghai: | sarvvaratnahārakusumasamudrameghai: | sarvvaratnāvabhāsagarbhakū-
ṭāgārasamudrameghai: | sarvvacūrṇavrkṡakośasamudrameghai: | sarvvagandhadhūpasarvvarūpasa-
ndarśanasamudrameghe: | sarvvarutanigarjitavādyasamudrameghai: | sarvagandhavrkṡasamudra-
meghai: | sañchannaṅgaganatalamadhiṡṭhāya | evampramukhairaprameyāsaṃkhyācintyātu-
@291
[##English matter##]
@292
lyāmāpyāparimāṇīyānabhijñāpyairasambhinnai: sarvvapūjāmeghasamudrai: | sarvvabu-
ddhabodhisatvān satkuryāmo gurukuryāmo mānayema: pūjayema: || (##and so
on for half a dozen pages, enumerating the various orna-
ments, each compounded with## samudrameghai: ##constructed with the 
same four potentials##).
evaṃrūpaṃ praṇidhānaṃ krtvā te nāgarājāna: punarapi bhagavantaṃ tri: prada-
kṡiṇīkrtya pādābhivandanāñca krtvā | bhagavatānujñātā: sveṡu sveṡvāsaneṡu 
nyaṡīdan{1 nyaṡīdata ##A.;## nyadīdan (##vocem nihili) B.##} | ten khalu puna: samayenānantaparikarasāgarameghavyūhatejoma-
ṇḍalacchatrākārarājastrisāhasramahāsāhasriko mahānāgādhipati: | u-
tthāyāsanād ekāṃsaṃ uttarāsaṃgaṃ krtvā dakṡiṇaṃ jānumaṇḍalaṃ prthivyāṃ 
pratiṡṭhāpya yena bhagavāṃstenāñjaliṃ praṇamya bhagavantametadavocat |
prccheyamahaṃ bhagavantaṃ tathāgatamarhantaṃ samyaksambuddhaṃ kiñcideva pradeśapraśnaṃ,{2 pradeśaṃpraśna ##A.##}
sacenme {3 sacet. ##This is an interesting case of the intrusion of the colloquial
speech, whose typical development is, of course, Pali;## saced ##being
hitherto unnoticed in Skt. See Childers, s.v. sace, who quotes (s.v.
okasam) Sace me Bhagava okasam karoti panhassa veyyakaranaya
which corresponds almost word for word to the text. It is, however,
really frequent in the Lalita-Vist., but has escaped notice owing to the 
defective editorial care shown in the printed edition.##} bhagavānavakāśaṃ kuryāt prṡṭa: praśnavyākaraṇāya |
evamukte bhagavānanantaparikarasāgarameghavyūhatejomaṇḍalachatrākārarājaṃ 
nāgādhipatimetadavocat | prccha tvaṃ bhujaṅgādhipate yadyadevākāṅkṡasyahaṃ te 
tasya tasyaiva praśnavyākaraṇena cittamārādhayiṡye |
evamukte’nantaparikara^ cchatrākārarājatrisāhasramahāsahasriko mahā-
nāgādhipatirbhagavantametadavocat |
kathaṃ, bhagavan, sarvanāgānāṃ sarvanāgadu:khāni pratipraśrambheyu: {4 ##Another striking instance of colloquial influence ; the compound 
patippasambhati being common in that language but apparently 
hitherto unknown in Sanskrit.##} praharṡitā:
sukhasamanvitāśceha jambudvīpakālānukālaṃ varṡadhārā utsrjeyu: | sarvatrṇa-
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[##English matter##]
@294
gulmauṡadhivanaspatīn virohayeyu: | sarvaśasyānyutpādayeyu: | sarvarasān 
saṃjanayeyu: | yena jāmbudvīpakā manuṡyā:{1 manuṡyakā: ##B.##} sukhasamarppitā bhaveyu: ||
evamukte bhagavānanantaparikara^^ rājaṃ trisāha^ mahānāgādhipatime-
tadavocat | sādhu sādhu bhujaṅgādhipate yattvaṃ sarvvasatvānāṃ hitasukhāya{2 hitāya sukhāya ##B.##}
pratipanna: {4 ##Cf. Pali parahitaya patipanno, Childers, s.v. patipajjati.##} tathāgatametadarthaṃ{3 etamarthaṃ ##B.##} paripraṡṭavyaṃ manyase |
tena hi bhujaṅgādhipate śrṇu sādhu ca suṡṭhu ca manasikuru{5 ##I follow Burnouf in treating this as a single verb (see his note,
`Lotus.’ p. 413), cf. Pan. i. 4, 75.##} | bhāṡiṡye’haṃ 
te | ekadharmmeṇa bhujaṅgādhipate samanvāgatānāṃ sarvanāgānāṃ sarvadu:khāni 
praśraṃbheyu: | sukhasamarppitāśca bhaveyu: |
katamenaikadharmmeṇa | yaduta maitryā tatra bhujaṅgādhipate maitrivihāriṇo
devamanuṡyā: | agninā na dahyante | śastreṇa na kṡaṇyante | udakena nohyante |
viṡeṇa na hanyante | paracakreṇa nābhibhūyante | sukhaṃ svapyanti | sukhaṃ ca 
pratibudhyante{6 prativibuddhyante ##A. quam vocem apud lexica non reperio.##} svapuṇyarakṡitāśca{7 supuṇyarakṡatā: ##A.##}
bhavanti | mahāpuṇyatejastejitā:{8 ##tejobhojitā: ##B.##} | ana-
vamardanīyāśca bhavanti sadevakena{9 ##sadevaloka^ ##B.##} lokena prāsādikāśca bhavanti | priya-
darśanā: sarvatrāpratihatagatayaśca bhavanti sarvadu:khapratipraśrabdhā: sampraharṡi-
tāśca bhavanti sarvvasukhasamarppitā: ||
uttare ca manuṡyadharmmapratividhyakāyasya bhedād{10 ##Cf. kayassa bheda, Dhammapada 129.##} brahmaloke maitreṇa mana-
skarmmaṇopapadyante bhujaṅgādhipate | ete bhujaṅgādhipate anuśaṃsā{11 ##Anucamsa (subst.) seems hitherto unknown both to Skt. and
Pali; though the vb.## anuśaṃs ##is common esp. in the earlier language.##} maitrīvi-
hāriṇāṃ devamanuṡyāṇāṃ |
tasmāttarhi bhujaṅgādhipate maitreṇa kāyakarmmaṇā maitreṇa vākkarmmaṇā mai-
treṇa manaskarmmaṇā vihartavyaṃ | punaraparaṃ bhujagādhipate sarvasukhaṃdadā nāma{12 ##Om.## sarva ##A.; sed cf. infra.##}
dhāraṇī pravarttayitavyā | sā sarvanāgānāṃ sarvanāgadu:khāni pratipraśrambha
@295
[##English matter##]
@296
yati{1 ##Barbare codd. ambo;## pratiprasambhavati ##A.;## pratiprasrabhavati.} {11 ##Pratipracrambh has been hitherto unnoticed by Skt. Lexico-
graphy; though its Pali equiv. is well known.##} sarvasukhāni ca dadāti | yeneha jambudvīpe kālena kālaṃ varṡadhārā
utsrjati | sarvvatrṇagulmauṡadhivanaspatiśasyāni ca virohayati{2 virohati ##A.##} | tatra
bhujagādhipate katamā sā sarvasukhandadā nāma dhāraṇī tadyathā | dharaṇi 
dhāraṇi{3 ##The following Chinese phonetic equivalents (kindly communicated 
to me by Prof. Beal) may be interesting to compare;-To-lo-ni
To'-lo-ni; Yan-to-lo-ni, Sam-po-lo-ti-sse-ta Pi-tche ye P'o-lan-na-sa-
ti-ye Po-lo-ti-nya, Po-lo-ho-jna-na-po-ti(perh. from a v.l. Parajnana
vati) Yan-to-p'o-ta-ni, Pi-na-ch'ang-ni, Ho-pi-si-che-ni; Ho-pi-pi-ya-
ho-lo-shu-po-po-ti; O-c'he-ma-to mu-chi, Kung-po-lo-heu-chi-po-ho,
Ma-lo-ki-le-she (=Pali mara kilesa), Ta-na-po-hom Shu-to-ye, Ma-
kia-ni, Li-ho-ka, Ta-mo-to-shu-to (and others not in the Skt.).##} uttāraṇi sampratiṡṭhitā vijaya varṇasatya pratijñā sāhājñā-
navati utpādani vināśani | abhiṡecaṇi | abhivyāhāraśubhāvati |
ajāmatāmahi | kumbālanivāhā | hara{4 ##Syllabam## ha ##om. A.##} kleśān | dhunu pāpaṃ | śodhayā{12 ##Sic codd.; de uocali producta, cf. formas Vedicas.##} 
mārggāṇi | rīhakā dharmmatāsu padānīti ||
punaraparaṃ bhujagādhipate | meghakulasambhavādhiṡṭhānavyūhatejogarbhanirmmāṇā-
vabhāsanajñānaketvambudha{5 mbuddha ##codd.##} -rātramaṇḍalaśrīkaraṇakāśu{6 karatakāśu ##B.;## karaṇakāsu ##A.##}-vairocanaikabālāgra-
koṭīnirjātavaṃśagotrāṇāṃ tathāgatānāṃ nāmadheyāni dhārayitavyāni |
manasikarttavyāni | tāni sarvvanāgānāṃ sarvanāgakulānāṃ sarvanāgagotrāṇāṃ
sarvanāgasambhavānāṃ sarvanāgayonīnāṃ sarvanāgarājānāṃ sarvanāgakulodbha-
vameghavirājitakanyānāṃ{9 sarvanāgakanyānāṃ ##B.##} sarvanāgaparivārāṇāṃ{10 sarvanāgaparivārāṇāṃ ##A.##} sarvanāgadu:khāni prati-
praśrambhayanti{11 ##Pratipracrambh has been hitherto unnoticed by Skt. Lexico-
graphy; though its Pali equiv. is well known.##} | sarvasukhopadhānānyupasaṃharanti | tatra bhujagādhipate kata-
māni tāni tathāgatanāmāni | yaduta namo bhagavate vairocanagarbhamahā-
meghāya tathāgatāya | namo bhagavate nāgakulodbhavameghavirājitāya ||
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[##English matter##]
@298
(##Here ensue several pages of names of Tathagatas##).
ebhirbhujagādhipate tathāgatanāmabhi: pravarttitai: sarvanāgānāṃ sarvadu:-
khāni pratipraśrabdhāni sarvadu:khasamarppitāśca{2 ##Both MSS. read## ^du:kha^, ##but sense and construction would gain by
correcting to## sukha^.} kālena kālamiha jambudvīpe 
varṡadhārā utsrjanti sarvatrṇagulmauśadhīvanaspatiśasyāni ca virohanti ||
atha khalvanantaparikara^……nāgādhipatirbhagavantamadhyeṡate{3 ##Cf. Pali ajjhesati.##} sma{4 adye bhāṡate sma ##B.##} |
bhāṡatu bhagavāṃstādrśāni dhāraṇīmantrapadāni yairiha jambudvīpe paścime
kāle paścime samaye’nāvrṡṭāvudīritairmahāvarṡadhārā: pravarṡeyu: | dāru-
ṇakālasamaye kāntārakālasamaye’dhārmmikajanapadakalikalahakālasamaya
ītyupadravakālasamaye rogamaraṇakālasamaye viṡamanakṡatrasaṃsthānakālasa-
maye | sarvetyupadravapīḍāpraśamanaṃ kuryādbuddhādhiṡṭhānenādhitiṡṭhatu | bhagavān 
paramakāruṇika: | sarvasatvānukampaka:{5 satyānu^ ##A.##} tathārūpāṇi dhāraṇīmantrapadāni 
bhāṡatāṃ yāni sarvanāgān sañcodayeyu: | sarvadevān praharṡayeyu: | sarvamā-
rān vidhvaṃśayeyu: | sarvasattvānāṃ sarvaghātanā: satvabhayopadravapīḍāśca
nivārayeyu: śāntisvastyayanaṃ ca kuryu: viṡamanakṡatrakrtaṃ ca praśamayeyu: |
yañca varṡāntarāyāni yāni{6 ##Om. A.##} bhagavatoktāni sarvāṇi viṡkambhayeyu: | samyag
varṡadhārā iha jambudvīpe utsrjeyuriti | ahaṃ bhagavantaṃ tathāgatamadhyeṡa-
yāmi | evamukte bhagavānanantaparikara^... nāgādhipatimetad avo-
cat | sādhu sādhu bhujagodhipate yattvaṃ tathāgatamadhyeṡasi sarvasattvānā-
marthāya hitāya sukhāya | tena hi bhujagādhipate śrṇu sādhu ca suṡṭhu ca 
manasi kuru bhāṡiṡye’haṃ te | mahākaruṇodbhavamahāmeghanirnnādavijrmbhita-
sūraketunāma dhāraṇī sarvabuddhabhāṡitādhiṡṭhitānumoditā sarvasattvānā-
marthāya sukhāya | yānāvrṡṭau varṡayati{7 ^vrṡṭi vārayati ##B.##} | ativrṡṭiṃ dhārayati{8 a^ dha^ ##om. B.;## bhārayatā ##A.##} | maraṇa-
@299
[##English matter##]
@300
kāntāraṃ praśamayati | sarvanāgān sañcodayati | sarvadevān pralhādayati |
sarvamārān vidhvaṃsayati sarvasattvān sarvasukhasamarpitān karoti |
tadyathā |
mahājñānāvabhāsani śrītejolakṡmīdrḍhavikramavajrasaṃhanane paramaviraja-
nirmalaguṇaketusūryaprabhe{1 ##Cf.## jñānaketu ##supra.##} vimalāṅgayaṡṭi bhara bhara saṃbhara 2, ##etc.
* * * * * *
Here follow several pages of gibberish and mysticism, of
which some specimens are subjoined :-##
sara sara sire 2 suru 2 nāgānāṃ | java 2 jivi 2 juvu 2 mahānāgā
āgacchata… jambudvīpe pravarṡadhvaṃ{2 ##Compare the Karanda-vyuha, and Tantric and late Buddhistic
works, passim.##}
* * * * * *
##After this, commences a long series of invocations to the 
nagas for rain by aid of various personages, thus:-##
bho mahānāgā.....varṡadhārā utsrjateha jambudvīpe sarvadevasatyā-
dhiṡṭhānena….svāhā | brahmasatyādhiṡṭhānena pravarṡateha jambudvīpe svāhā |
śakrasatyena{3 ##Indra as a Buddhist archangel.##} pra^ ha^ ja^ ja^ svāhā | caturmahārājasatyena{4 ##The four Lokapalas at the four cardinal points, guarding the
lowest devalokas.##} pra^...|
aṡṭāṅgakasatyena{5 ##Cf. childers s.v. ango, and Burn. ib. cit.##}...| śrotāpannasatyena{6 ##These are the four classes of aryas corresponding to the four
paths.##}...| sakrdāgāmisa^{6 ##These are the four classes of aryas corresponding to the four
paths.##}...|
anāgāmisa^{6 ##These are the four classes of aryas corresponding to the four
paths.##}...| arhatsatyena{6 ##These are the four classes of aryas corresponding to the four
paths.##}... | pratyekabuddha^{7 ##One who has attained Buddha-ship, but does not preach : opposed 
to the `Samyaksambuddha.’##}... |
##After returning to devas, and Tathagatas in general, we 
find similar invocations to mythical beings, borrowed from
Brahmanism, viz. the Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garudas,
Kinnaras. To this succeed pages more of mysticism, with 
gibberish everywhere interspersed ; then many of the Naga-
rajas are invoked or re-invoked by name, and the charm ends 
with the words-##
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[##English matter##] 
@302
nama: sarvabuddhebhya: sidhyantu mantrapadāni svāhā ||
śatasāhasrikānmahāmeghānmahāyānasūtrād varṡāgamanamaṇḍalī nāma ca-
tu:ṡaṡṭitamaparivartta: ||^||
upacāro mahāvrṡṭimākāṃkṡatābhyavakāśe{1 ākākṡa^ ##Codd.##} nīlavitānavitate | nīlapa-
tākocchrite śucau prthavīpradeśe dharmmabhāṇakena nīlāsanopaviṡṭena | aṡṭā-
ṅgopavāsinā susnātagātraśucivastraprāvrtena | sugandhigandhodvarttitena tri-
śuklabhojinā ayaṃ mahāmeghamaṇḍala: parivarttavya:{2 maṇḍalī parivrrtta: (##sic) A.##} pūrvābhimukhena rātri-
ndivamavyavacchinnaṃ vācayitavya: | sarvatathāgatān āyācya svacchanīlo-
dakaparipūrṇāścatvāra: pūrṇakumbhā: sthāpayitavyā: 
yathāśakti ca balividhānaṃ{4 yathāśaktitavalividhātavyaṃ ##A.##} dhūpapuṡpāṇi ca | tatra dharmmabhāṇakasya
caturdiśaṃ gomayena rasena śara ālikhya pūrvasyāṃ diśi trihastamātreṇa tri-
śīrṡako nāma nāgaparivāro{5 tri..ko nāgo gaṇapari^ ##B.;## triśa^ nāmanā (##cf. infra).##} gomayena nāgarāja ālikhitavya: ||
dakṡiṇasyāṃ diśi pañcahastamātreṇa pañcaśīrṡako nāma{7 nāmanā ##A. (a secunda).##} nāgaparivāro 
nāgarāja ālikhitavya: | paścimāyāṃ diśI saptahastamātreṇa saptaśīrṡako
nāma{7 nāmanā ##A. (a secunda).##} nāgaparivāro nāgarāja ālikhitavya: | uttarasyāṃ diśi nava-
hastemātreṇa navaśīrṡako na^ na^ na^ ā^ |
dharmmabhāṇakena ca krtātmarakṡeṇa maitrīvihāriṇā sarvasattveṡūpasthātavyaṃ
karuṇācittena sarvabuddhabodhisattvān āyācya nāgānāṃ svakuśalamūlena 
saṃvibhaktavyo’yaṃ vidhi: | paścādanāvrṡṭikālasamaya imaṃ mahāmeghamaṇḍa-
liparivartaṃ vācayiṡyatyekāhaṃ vā dvyahaṃ vā yāvat saptarātre’vaśyaṃ varṡayi-
ṡyati | api samudro velāmatikramenna tu vrṡṭiriti śubha{8 śubhe ##MS.##}-vacanaṃ nānyathā{9 ##Cf. Ram.## 6. 37. 9 vākyaṃ nānyathā yāti ##and ……in Greek.##} |
kintu śīlaguṇādisaṃyuktena pāyasaguḍakṡīraudanādinā trimadhureṇa ghrta-
madhuguḍenāhāraṃ kurvatā vācayitavya ityavaśyaṃ sidhyati yathāha vādirāṭ
@303
[##English matter##]
@304
svayamiti | namo bhagavate’kṡobhyāya tathāgatāya | namo’mitāyuṡe tathā-
gatāya | nama: śākyamunaye tathāgatāya ||^||
evaṃ mayā śrutamekasmin samaye bhagavān mahāsāgare viharati sma
maṇiratnaśikharakūṭāgāre mahatā{1 mahātā ##A.;## mahato ##B.##} nāgagaṇena sārddhaṃ paripūrṇena nāgasaha-
sreṇa | sarvanāgamaharddhikairmahatā nāgaparivāreṇa | tadyathā | nandena ca |
(##Here follows another long list of snakes).##}
etaiścānyaiśca mahānāgarājasahasrai: sarve ca te nāgarājāno mahatyā nā-
garddhyā mahatā nāgavikurvitenākāśe{2 ##Vikurvita. This word, hitherto unknown, seems to be an
irregularly formed participle (here used as a noun) from## vikr ##'to
metamorphose'; cf. the Pali vikubbanam 'magic'- an analogous
formation of the popular speech, of which we everywhere observe
such remarkable traces in all Buddhistic language.##} gulugulena ca mahāvātavarṡaṃ pramu-
ñcanto{3 pramuñcato ##A.##} bhagavata: śuśrūṡākaraṇāya dharmaśravaṇāya cāgacchante sma{4 ca ##A.##} | tena ca 
khalu puna: {5 puna: ##om. B.##} samayena bhagavān mahānāgebhya: sādhukāramadāt | sādhu 2 
nāgā | bho mahānāgā: |
(##Then numerous invocations interspersed with mystic
syllables as above##).
mahāmeghavikurvitālaṅkāravyūhā: sarvaratnaśikharahemapaṭaruciradāmamu-
ktikāhārapralambanamahāsamudrameghai:... (##here follow some twenty
long compounds describing ornaments, etc., each ending
with## ^meghai:).... gaganamabhicchādayantu | sarveṡāṃ{6 sarvanāgānāṃ ##B.##} nāgarājāna
āgacchantvimasmin prthivīmaṇḍale rājantu{7 garjantu ##B.;## rājāntu ##A.##} varṡantu pravarṡantu huduhudu-
yantu{8 ##This form seems unknown : but## huduk ##occurs as an onomat.##} mahāvidyuddarśanaṃ pramuñcantu ghaṭanta:{9 ghaṭanānto ##B.##} saṅghaṭanta: | caṭacaṭayanto{10 caṭa^ ##this onomat. vb. occurs in Dacak. 168 (Wilson)##.}gulu-
guluyanto{11 ##This onomat. seems unexampled ; but cf.## gulagulena 1. 8 ##supra.##} mahānāganādān ramaṇīyān mahāśabdān{12 ^bdā ##A.; om. B.##} niścārayanto 
mahāghoṡaṃ sampraghoṡayanta;{13 sampraghoṡaṃ ##B. Vox utraque lexicis ignota.##} | pravarṡadhvaṃ jambudvīpe svāhā |
@305
[##English matter##]
@306
(##Here follow invocations, chiefly repetitions, or mystical
syllables.##) 
etha 2 mahānāgā: svāhā | pauṇḍranāgarājānaṃ saṃcodayāmi buddhasatyena 
jambudvīpe pravarṡatha{5 tha ##pro## ta ##in modo imperativo apud codd. Buddhisticos satis usitatum.##} svāhā | śrītejaṃ nāgarājāna saṃcodayāmi dharmmasatyeneha 
jambudvīpe pravarṡatha {5 tha ##pro## ta ##in modo imperativo apud codd. Buddhisticos satis usitatum.##} svāhā | anantaṃ na^ sa^ saṅghasa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
vāsukināga^ sa^ vajrapāṇisa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
takṡakaṃ na^ brahmasa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
śrīkaṇṭha na^ sa^ indrasa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
erāvaṇaṃ na^ sa^ viṡṇusa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
malina na^ sa^ rudrasatya^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
manasvinaṃ na^ sa^ rṡisa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
vidrāvaṇaṃ{1 vidrāyaṇaṃ ##MS.##} na^ sa^ sarvanāgānāṃ satyena ja^ pa^ sa^ |
prasphoṭaṃ na^ sa^ rākṡasasa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
anavataptaṃ na^ sa^ rākṡasasa^ ja^ pa^ sa^ |
sarvanāgā uparyuparisatyena varṡatha 2
mā vilambathāgacchatha{5 tha ##pro## ta ##in modo imperativo apud codd. Buddhisticos satis usitatum.##}bho 2 mahānāgā: sarvanāgahrdayāni sañcodayā-
mi | {2 ## ....haec omnia rubris litteris B.##} ākaṭṭāmi sara 2 hara 2 dhapa 2 hāhāhāhā hi 4... ehehi tha 3 
cacacacarata sarvakṡetrāṇi āpūrayatha{5 tha ##pro## ta ##in modo imperativo apud codd. Buddhisticos satis usitatum.##} sarvaśasyāni varṡatha mahāvātān 
pramuñcatha | druṃ 2 ghri 2 prṃ 2 ṭā 4 ṇi cāriṇi stambhani mohani | jāṅgule
pukkaśi brahmaṇi mātaṅgi jaye vijaye svāhā{2 ##...Haec omnia rubris litteris B.##} |
sarvamahāmeghagarjja mahāmeghatathāgatānāṃ saṃcodayāmi mahāmeghaśrīte-
jāya tathāgatāya | mahāmeghasphoṭakāya tathāgatāya | ##etc.
(Here some twenty Tathagatas by name, each name com-
mencing maha-megha-)##
sarvabuddhānāmadhiṡṭhānena sarvabodhisatvānāmadhiṡṭhānena ca sarvanāgānāṃ 
satyena sarvanāgahrdayānsañcodayāmi{3 ##Sic MS.##} śīghramāgacchatha ratnatrayānumatena{4 ##Ratna-traya [or triratna (v. B. and R. s. h. voc.)] is the Personifi-
cation of the Buddha, the Law, and the Church (sangha) : the form in 
the text, though unnoticed in the Dictionaries, is of frequent
occurrence in the invocations at the beginning of our Buddhist MSS.##} |
@307
[##English matter##]
@308
(##Then mystic syllables and invocations, chiefly repetitions 
of preceding passages.##)
namo ratnatrayāya | namaścaṇḍavajrapāṇaye mahāyakṡasenāpataye bandhabandha-
surūpe kālarūpiṇe{1 surūpakārūpiṇe svāhā ##B.##} svāhā | cīvarakarṇike saptajaptena granthibandha: kārya:
pūrvameva dharmmabhāṇakena krtarakṡāvidhānena{3 ##Cf.## krtātmarakṡa, ##supra, p. 302, 1. 19.##} | ayaṃ vātamaṇḍaliparivarta: 
sarvanāgānāṃ hrdayaṃ nāma{2 ##Inserit## imaṃ ##MS.##} vācayitavya: | avyavacinna-trisaptāhaṃ | goma-
yena pūrvasyāṃ diśi triśīrṡo{4 ##For the whole passage, cf. p. 303, supra.##} nāma nāgarāja: saparivāra ālikhitavya: |
dakṡiṇasyāṃ diśi pañcaśīrṡa: prasphoṭano nāma sapa^ āli^ | paścimasyāṃ 
diśi avabhāsanaśikhī nāma nāgarājā saptaśīrṡo nāgaparivāreṇā-
likhitavya: | uttareṇa meghasañcodano nāma nāgarājā navaśīrṡaścitrayi-
tavya:{5 citrāyayitavya ##A.##} | nīlavitānanīlavastraṃ nīladhvajaṃ sarvā{6 bali: ##is masc. (regularly) just below : cf. the varying genders of ## 
vidhi ##and other words in Divyavadana and Lalita-Vistara.##} ca nīlā bali: kartta-
vyā{6 bali: ##is masc. (regularly) just below : cf. the varying genders of ## 
vidhi ##and other words in Divyavadana and Lalita-Vistara.##}, {7 ^tavya: ##A.; cf. annotationes.##} nāgānāṃ tu madhuravali: trimadhuraṃ ca hotavyaṃ sarvāhuti: nāgahrda-
yena | megharājānaśca citrayitavyā{5 citrāyayitavya ##A.##} varṡadhārāṃ muñcayanta: | anyonyāṃśca
saṃghaṭṭayamānā: | ante vidyuccakoramālā lekhyā: | svastikollocikā
lājā{9 lājjā ##Codd.##} matsyamāṃsaṃ tathā madhubhakṡāṇi cādadhīni{10 ca divyāni ##B.##} | udāraścātra bali:
kartavya: | tato dharmmabhāṇakena śucinā śucivastraprāvrtena vātamaṇḍali-
parivarta: sa nāgahrdayo vācayitavya: | tato nāgā: prathamadivasamārabhya
gulugulaśabdaṃ kurvanti | śabdāṃśca ramaṇīyān nadanti na cāsya parivartasya 
visaṃvāda ājñā vā |
@309
[##English matter##]
@310
samudro yadi velāmatikramet tato vrṡṭiriyamatikramediti{2 ##Cf. Divyavadana, p. 96. Apyevatikramed velam sagaro makara-
layah, na tu vaineyavatsanam Buddho velam atikramet. Should we
restore apyeva for the somewhat awkward and obscure## ājñā vā
##above?##} || nama:
śrīgarbhakūṭavinarditarājāya tathāgatāyārhate samyaksambuddhāya |
(##Then about twenty similar invocations to Tathagatas, each
“arhate samyaksambuddhaya.”)##
namo bhagavate mama svasti bhavatu sarvasattvānāṃ maitrī bhavatu | sarvabhūteṡva-
bhayaṃ bhavatu | sarvatiryyaggatānāṃ śāmyantu sarvadurgataya: | nama: sarvanivāra-
ṇaviskambhiṇe{3 ##For the five nivaranas, cf. Dhammapada, 345; for the compd. cf. 
Childers, s. v. vikkhambanam.##} | sidhyatvayaṃ sarvatathāgatavidhi: | sarvabuddhāvaloki{4 avalokina^ ##MS.##}tavi-
dhi: | tadyathā | sphaṭa 7 svāhā{5 ##Haec clausula 'rubrica' apud B. cf. p. 306'.##} | ya: kaścicchirasnāta: | bhikṡurvā bhikṡu-
ṇī{6 bhikṡunirvā ##A.##} vā | upāsako vā | upāsikā vā śucivastraprāvrto maitracitta: |
imāni tathāgatanāmāni likhitvā śucinyāsane sthāpayitvā saptadhūpaka-
ṭacchukāmutkṡipedākāśe{7 ##The form## kaṭacchukā ##seems new : katachchha is a ....
in Skt. and common in Pali.##} | pañcapañcavārāṃstathāgatanāmāni parivarttayet |
mahatīṃ pūjāṃ krtvā anāvrṡṭau saptāhamavyavacinnaṃ pravartayitavyaṃ | devo varṡa-
yiṡyati | iti śrīmahāmeghād{8 ##Om.## śrī ##A.##} mahāyānasūtrādvātamaṇḍalīparivarta: 
pañcaṡaṡṭitama: samāpta: ||


