Notes

n.1Mette (2005).

n.2Chandra (1999).

n.3Ārya­sukhāvatī­vyūha­nāma­mahā­yāna­sūtra (Toh 115), see Sakya Pandita Translation Group (2012).

n.4Toh 49 in the Heap of Jewels section, with the formal title Amitābha­vyūha­sūtra (The Sūtra of the Array of Amitābha).

n.5Karuṇā­puṇḍarīka (Toh 112), see Roberts.

n.6Yü (2000), 293–350.

n.7Pillar Testament (1989), 95–6, 108.

n.8Uebach (1987, 7a).

n.9See The Basket of the Jewels Sūtra, Toh 117.

n.10Toh 507, see bibliography under The Dhāraṇī Named The Relic Casket.

n.11See bibliography, under Dīpaṃkarajñāna and Śūra.

n.12Lopez (1998), 114–34.

n.13Martin (1987), 1.

n.14Verhagen (1990), 133–138.

n.15Cohen (2002), 67–68.

n.16See sman gyi gzhi (Bhaiṣajya­vastu), chapter 6 of the ’dul ba gzhi (Toh 1); ’dul ba rnam par ’byed pa (Toh 3); and Rouse (1895), 127.

n.17This is a Sanskritization of the name Valāhassa, which means “cloud horse.” The version of the story in the Vinaya­vāstu was translated into Tibetan as rta’i rgyal po sprin gyi shugs can, “the king of horses who has the power of the clouds.”

n.18In the tradition that enumerates Śākyamuni as the seventh buddha, Vipaśyin is the first. The sūtra will introduce successively each buddha in order up to the fifth.

n.19According to the Sanskrit, aśīti-koṭyo, literally, “eighty ten millions.” Tibetan: bye ba (“ten million”), “eighty” being omitted.

n.20According to the Sanskrit; the Tibetan has sbas corrupted to sban.

n.21According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan appears to be corrupt at this point, adding another sentence mentioning both thirty-two and thirty-three classes of deities: “Also, Īśvara, Nārāyaṇa, and the other deities of the thirty-two classes of devas were assembled there. Also the deities of the thirty-three classes of devas were assembled there. Assembled with such deities as the deity Maheśvara, Āditya, Candra, Vāyu, and Varuṇa, were Śakra, the lord of the devas, and Brahma, the lord of Sahā.”

n.22According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Huluta.”

n.23According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Nāga King Vahūdaka.”

n.24According to the Cambridge. The Tibetan has blo gros chen po (a translation of “Mahāmati,” a scribal error for “Sahāpati”). The Sāmaśrami and Vaidya have “Sahāṃpati.”

n.25Following the Tibetan and Vaidya. Cambridge: “Maharṣita.”

n.26Following the Tibetan and Vaidya. The Cambridge omits “Kinnara King Druma.”

n.27According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.28According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.29According to the Cambridge. The Tibetan has Pulinda, which is repeated a few lines later. Absent in the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya.

n.30According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has sa ri’i bzhin, with sa ri a corruption of “Svāti.”

n.31Vijayaśrī and Mucilindā are absent in the Tibetan and Cambridge.

n.32According to the Tibetan, Sāmaśrami, and Vaidya. Absent in the Cambridge.

n.33According to the Vaidya, “drop of water.” The Cambridge has only bindu. The Tibetan has thigs pa, meaning “drop.”

n.34According to the Tibetan and Cambridge (“hundred mounts”). The Vaidya has śatabāhu (“hundred arms”).

n.35According to the Tibetan. The first element comes from the Cambridge manuscript compound (“Anākṛtsna-karā”), and the second from the Vaidya (“Anākṛcchragatā”).

n.36According to the Sanskrit. After Subhūṣaṇā, the Tibetan has “a female nāga named thig le” (possible from Tilakā). We have omitted it.

n.37According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. The Vaidya has “Pāṇḍalameghā.”

n.38According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan de bzhin du chags pa appears to have been translating from Tathāvirūdhā. According to the Cambridge, the female nāga Nīlotpalā is listed after Rathābhiruḍhā here, though an apsaras has already been given that name. We have omitted it.

n.39According to the Cambridge and Tibetan. The Vaidya has “Tyāgagatā.”

n.40According to the Cambridge. Absent in the Tibetan and Vaidya.

n.41According to the Tibetan and Vaidya. The Cambridge has “Nillau.”

n.42According to the Cambridge. The Vaidya has “Mukharā”; the Tibetan translates from “Sukhakarā.”

n.43According to the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya (“joyful flower”). The Cambridge and Tibetan have rudita puṣpa (“weeping flower”), which seems anomalous here.

n.44According to the Tibetan, Sāmaśrami, and Vaidya. Absent in the Cambridge.

n.45According to the Tibetan, Sāmaśrami, and Vaidya. The Cambridge has audumvararudita and the Tibetan has me tog u dum ba ra’i lto ba, both implying a second part to the compound, although the Cambridge appears corrupt and the Tibetan “stomach” also has a dubious origin.

n.46According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. Absent in the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya.

n.47According to the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya. Absent in the Cambridge and Tibetan.

n.48According to the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya. The Cambridge has “Padmālaṃbā.” Either that or Padmālaṃbāna translated into Tibetan as pad ma’i dmigs.

n.49According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the obscure cha bas dbang po.

n.50According to the Tibetan and Cambridge; occurs earlier in the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya.

n.51According to the Sāmaśrami, Vaidya, and Tibetan. The Cambridge has devavara­locana.

n.52According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. The Sāmaśrami and Vaidya have “Suvaca.” The Tibetan has three additional names: ’khor gyis yongs su bskor ba, mchog dga’, and dam pa’i dpal.

n.53According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.54According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.55According to the Tibetan, Sāmaśrami, and Vaidya. The Cambridge has “Ākāśayūvanā.”

n.56According to the Cambridge. The Sāmaśrami and Vaidya have “Acalaśrī.”

n.57According to the Tibetan and Cambridge (last two letters illegible). Absent in the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya.

n.58According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. Absent in the Sāmaśrami and Vaidya.

n.59According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has blo gros chen mo, a translation of “Mahāmati,” itself a scribal error of “Sahāpati.” The Sāmaśrami and Vaidya have “Sahāṃpati.”

n.60The Cambridge has śatā. The Tibetan has bdog ma, translated from a corruption.

n.61According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates from a corruption, beginning with akṣa instead of lakṣa.

n.62According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. The Sāmaśrami and Vaidya have yogānugatā.

n.63According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.64According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.65According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “hundreds.”

n.66Nirgrantha in its general meaning as “one with no possessions.” The Tibetan has gcer bu pa, “naked ones,” which would refer specifically to Jains, but that does not appear to be the meaning here.

n.67According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has rgya’i gos (“Chinese cloth”), perhaps from cīnaka­vastra or cīna­vastra, a corruption of cīvara­vastra (“monastic robes”). rgya’i gos does not occur anywhere else in the Kangyur, whereas “monastic robes, sometimes made of divine material” occurs elsewhere along with “parasols, victory banners, etc.” “Chinese cloth” would be silk, which is next in the list of hangings.

n.68According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has “strings of pearls.”

n.69Water of the eight good qualities is: cool; delicious; light; soft; clear; unstained; not harmful to the stomach; and not harmful to the throat.

n.70Strictly speaking only the padma (red lotus) and puṇḍarika (white lotus) are lotuses. The utpala (blue lotus) is a water lily, as is the kuduma (night-flowering water lily).

n.71Māndārava, and mahāmāndārava. The author, in copying lists of flowers from earlier sutras, has placed tree flowers on the pond. Tiger claw or Indian coral trees (Erythrina stricta) are trees prized for their beauty and are believed to grow in Indra’s paradise. The greater tiger claw tree is presumably Erythrina variegata, which grows much taller.

n.72According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Mahāsattva.”

n.73According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “It was he who emanated these light rays.”

n.74According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has this passage as a description of the events instead of the thoughts of Yama’s guards: “At that time Yama’s creatures were dismayed as they saw bad omens appear in the Avīci hell, for when the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara arrived there, lotus flowers the size of cartwheels…”

n.75According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has btun, “pestle,” which is an alternative meaning of musala.

n.76According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “taking all their Avīci utensils.”

n.77According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Divine One, you don’t know? First an inauspicious…”

n.78According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “peaceful,” and makes this omen occur on Avalokiteśvara’s entry into hell: “…a being, handsome, with a topknot and his body having all adornments, came and it became cool.”

n.79According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “…with an extremely loving mind, and resembling a golden statue.”

n.80According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan interpreted mahā­rāvaṇa incorrectly as “the elephant of the gods,” a name for Indra’s elephant.

n.81According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates pṛthivī­vara­locana­karāya as “the eyes of the world.”

n.82According to the Cambridge and Tibetan. The Vaidya omits “who teaches the six perfections; who illuminates like the sun…” The Tibetan translates this as “who creates perfect eyes like the sun.”

n.83According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “who manifests as the supreme rishi.”

n.84According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “who creates abundance.”

n.85In other words, two cobras tied together and worn diagonally over the torso across one shoulder, as a brahmin’s thread. Śiva is also depicted wearing this.

n.86According to the Tibetan (phra men pha dang phra men ma). Not present in the Sanskrit.

n.87According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “who has profound wisdom.”

n.88According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Then they contemplated human existence.”

n.89The Tibetan ’jig tshogs means “an aggregation that is destroyed.” The Sanskrit satkāya means “existent accumulation,” a secondary meaning of kāya, which is usually translated as sku, meaning “body.” The mountain is singular in the Sanskrit and has twenty peaks, which are the views of the relationship of the self to each of the five skandha s or aggregates‍—i.e., the self is form, form possesses self, self possesses form, and self is located within form‍—and the same for the other four aggregates (sensations, identifications, mental activities, and consciousnesses), which comes to twenty views.

n.90According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “from the city of the pretas.”

n.91Liṅga was translated into Tibetan as rtags, which can mean “sign,” “emblem,” or “gender.” The etymology of liṅga is here given a fanciful etymology from the verb līyana (“dissolve”), which is lost in translation.

n.92According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “flowers.”

n.93The seven jewels are listed here in the order given in Cambridge, and in agreement with the second time they are listed.

n.94According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translation of these phrases is obscure.

n.95According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Shambala.”

n.96According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and others.”

n.97According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “departed in one direction.”

n.98Śayanāsana, literally, “sleeping-sitting,” can mean “bed and seat” as translated into Tibetan (mal stan). However, it is also a Buddhist term for a monk’s cell or dwelling.

n.99According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan transliterates and does not translate the Sanskrit for “hyenas” (tarakṣu, though tarakṣa would mean “wolf”) and omits “camels, jackals.”

n.100According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “statues.”

n.101According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has ngal bso po, the translation of viśrama (“tranquility”).

n.102According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “He says to the listening asuras.”

n.103The dialogue between the Buddha and Sarva­nīvaraṇa­viṣkhambin is absent in both the Tibetan and Cambridge. It has been added here from the Sāmaśrami as the narrative is more confusing without it.

n.104In Indian literature such as the Pūraṇas, those beings that do not produce descendants are reborn in a realm where the inhabitants continually hang upside down. The seven underworlds, called patala, include realms made of gold. The implication here is that Avalokiteśvara is traveling through the underworlds, one of which is ruled by Bali, which this sūtra describes as being made of iron. The hells and the preta realm are also located below the ground.

n.105According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the peculiar “Show us the path of liberation that creates sensation.”

n.106The Sanskrit editions added an extra sentence here: “As he approached, King Bali saw him in the distance, resembling a disk of gold emitting light rays of various colors.” This would easily have been omitted when copying a manuscript, since the next sentence begins in a similar way.

n.107One example of these names being used separately for two attendants, as opposed to the compound name Kubja­vāmanaka for one asura, is found in verses 31–32 and 35–36 in chapter 69 of the Bṛhatsaṃhita by Varāhamihira (505–587 ᴄᴇ), where Kubja and Vāmanaka are listed as separate attendants of kings. See Varāhamihira (1869), 287.

n.108This is a poetic metaphor for a face covered or darkened by tears as clouds darken the land.

n.109List of jewelry is given according to the Tibetan.

n.110According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “I became astonished on having become…”

n.111According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translation is obscure.

n.112The English translation of the Chinese translation adds here that there were five hundred locks on each door.

n.113“Son of Daśaratha” is another name for “Rāma,” who came to be regarded as one of Nārāyaṇa’s (i.e., Viṣṇu’s) incarnations. The English translation of the Chinese translation has Nārāyaṇa transforming into these different beings.

n.114According to the Sanskrit the five named kṣatriyas are the five Pāṇḍava brothers, and the Kaurava brothers were their enemies. This is the principal theme of the Mahā­bhārata epic.

n.115This passage is awkward in the original text, as from this point on, descriptions of Bali shift from first-person voice to third-person voice. In this translation we have maintained the first-person voice throughout, as noted in the introduction.

n.116According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the literal but obscure translation “being of time.”

n.117According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “weapons” instead of “long spear and short spear.”

n.118According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and the others.”

n.119According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “having been expelled from the offering site.”

n.120According to the Gilgit manuscript. This passage is corrupted in later manuscripts and translated into Tibetan as “like a creator.”

n.121At this point in the original, the narrative switches back to the first person, though the next sentence has one incident of Bali in the third person in his own narrative.

n.122“Omniscient buddha” here is referring to Amitābha.

n.123According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “eyes of the world.”

n.124According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Avīci.”

n.125The text has only “hundred thousand,” assuming that the reader will know this refers to the silver coin, the raupya, the origin of the present day rupee, which was tied to the value of silver until the end of the nineteenth century.

n.126According to the Cambridge and Tibetan.

n.127According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “others.”

n.128According to the Cambridge: kiṃ mayā pāpara­tena sattvena karma kṛtam.

n.129This is the Jetavana Monastery of Buddha Viśvabhū, and not the Jetavana Monastery in which Buddha Śākyamuni is relating the sūtra.

n.130See n.­67.

n.131According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “an extremely dreadful.”

n.132According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has simply “I have been ripening many beings.”

n.133According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “rested.”

n.134According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “promulgate.”

n.135According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “one four-line verse that is the root of this king…”

n.136See n.­135.

n.137See n.­98.

n.138See n.­135.

n.139See n.­135.

n.140See n.­135.

n.141According to the Tibetan. The Cambridge only lists “once-returner.” The other later Sanskrit editions have a complete list of attainments: “Some attained the result of a stream entrant, some attained the result of becoming a once-returner, some attained the result of becoming a non-returner, some attained the state of an arhat, and some attained enlightenment.”

n.142According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Stay in this vihāra!”

n.143According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and gave him the divine clothing.”

n.144According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “homes with drink” and “a variety of multicolored beds.”

n.145According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. See n.­141 for the fuller list given in other Sanskrit editions.

n.146According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and we will keep the upāsikā vows.”

n.147According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “namo dharmāya, namaḥ saṃghāya” (“Homage to the Buddha, homage to the Dharma, homage to the Saṅgha”).

n.148See n.­147.

n.149See n.­89.

n.150According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “they all rested.”

n.151According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “rested.”

n.152See n.­151.

n.153According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “Supreme Eyes of the Wish-fulfilling Jewel.”

n.154According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Dharma King.”

n.155According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “the samādhi named Descending into the Ocean.”

n.156According to the Tibetan (shin tu gnas pa), Cambridge, and Sāmaśrami (supratiṣṭha).

n.157According to the Tibetan (dga’ ba sbyin par byed pa) and the Cambridge (priyaṃdada).

n.158According to the Tibetan (rdo rje rgyal mtshan), Cambridge, and Sāmaśrami (vajradhvaja).

n.159According to the Tibetan (’jig rten thams cad la rnam par lta ba), Cambridge, and Sāmaśrami (sarvva­loka­dhātu­vyavalokana).

n.160According to the Tibetan (ma lus ’ongs ba) and Sāmaśrami (kṛtsangata).

n.161According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “Supreme Eyes of the Moon.”

n.162According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Divine Eyes” (from a corruption of rocana to locana).

n.163According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “The Continent of the Eon,” from the alternative meaning of dvīpa that here means “lamp.”

n.164According to the Tibetan. Omitted in the Sanskrit.

n.165According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Divine Earrings.”

n.166According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “The Great Continent,” from the alternative meaning of dvīpa that here means “lamp.”

n.167According to the Tibetan. Omitted in the Sanskrit.

n.168According to the Sanskrit. Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.169According to the Sanskrit. Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.170According to the Sanskrit. Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.171According to the Sanskrit. Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.172According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Array of Nāgas” (klu bkod pa), from a corruption of nāmavyuha to nāgavyuha.

n.173Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern sky.

n.174According to the Sanskrit. Omitted in the Tibetan.

n.175According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “named Siṃhalarāja.”

n.176Ratnadvīpa, Siṃhala, and Rākṣasidvīpa (“island of rākṣasīs”) are normally synonyms, but here “Ratnadvīpa” appears to be differentiated. The Gilgit manuscript also has “Ratnadvīpa,” but the Cambridge manuscript has “Jambudvīpa.”

n.177“Yavanadvīpa” (nas kyi gling) appears only in the Tibetan.

n.178According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. The Vaidya has “Land of the Rākṣasas.” See also n.­176.

n.179The original text is inconsistent in making the island singular or plural.

n.180The original text is inconsistent in switching to the third person “the merchants.”

n.181According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “extremely aged,” which is not the intended meaning here.

n.182According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “from two or three to seven days.”

n.183According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translation, not comprehending the unusual word used for lamp in the Sanskrit, assumes it is the sleeping woman who is laughing (see Introduction, i.­30).

n.184According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates it as “to the right,” an alternative meaning for dakṣiṇa. The Vinaya version of the story (’dul ba gzhi) translates this correctly as lho at first but later in the story use g.yas, “right,” even though they are describing the same road.

n.185According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “city.”

n.186At this point the narrative in the original changes briefly from first to third person.

n.187According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “sword that glowed like moonlight named ‘provision for me.’ ”

n.188At this point the narrative changes back to first person.

n.189… “inside [who] heard me” is absent in the manuscript; it has been added to make the narrative clearer in English.

n.190The herb is unidentified and may be fictional. The Vinaya version (’dul ba gzhi) has “the wild rice that does not need to be farmed” (ma smos ma btab pa’i ’bras sa lu’i ’bru), which is considered superior to farmed rice. “Wild rice” there translates taṇḍula­phalaśa. Other names for rice include śetaśala, sarva­saṃgata, and śvetaṇḍula. Therefore this may be the origin of the name for this mythical herb.

n.191According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “they all rested.”

n.192According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only two repetitions.

n.193In the original this passage began with the plural for both “rākṣasī” and “merchant,” but then changed to singular.

n.194According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and the delightful bathing pools.”

n.195According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and a variety of delightful bathing pools.”

n.196According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only two repetitions.

n.197According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “adorned by red lotuses,” presumably translating from a corruption of padmarāga to padmarakta.

n.198According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “leaf huts.”

n.199According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “the suffering and happiness of beings in saṃsāra.”

n.200According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “deeply contemplate emptiness in that way.”

n.201According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “cause to be written out.”

n.202According to the Sanskrit, caṇḍāla, a term that is used for all those outside the caste system or those with the lowest status among them, or more specifically, those who deal with dead bodies. The Tibetan translates as phyag dar pa (“sweeper”).

n.203According to the Sanskrit, kukkura. The Tibetan translates as rme sha can (“one with spotted flesh”), which has various definitions including “butcher.”

n.204According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “lame, hunchbacked, bent, knock-kneed, large-bodied, and having leprosy.”

n.205According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “he did not even see those who live in each of those pores, let alone any other bodhisattvas [being able to see them].”

n.206According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “and did not even see [them], why should I go?”

n.207According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Noble son, I am unwavering, without illusion, and appear as subtle.” The reading of “I” is from a corruption of ayam (“this [bodhisattva]”) to aham (“I”).

n.208According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “imperceptible.”

n.209According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “without form.”

n.210According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “without mind.”

n.211According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Lord of the family.” The family is that of the bodhisattvas or Mahāyāna.

n.212According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “and becomes a shadow on/in all phenomena.”

n.213According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “or hear.”

n.214According to the Cambridge (svabhāvakāyaṃ) and the Tibetan (rang bzhin gyi lus). The Vaidya has svabhāvakā (“nature”).

n.215According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit omits “inconceivable.”

n.216According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “rested his cheek on his hand.” This is a gesture of despondency.

n.217According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “following the three paths.”

n.218The Tibetan has only bdud rtsi ( amṛta ).

n.219According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “first mind.”

n.220See n.­71.

n.221Translated into Tibetan as “Vajra Door.”

n.222According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “adorned by red lotuses,” presumably translating from a corruption of padmarāga to padmarakta.

n.223According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “rested.”

n.224This is presumably the name of a hell. Translated into Tibetan literally as “Vajra Mountain.”

n.225The list of hells is according to the Tibetan.

n.226According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “there would be none who know.”

n.227Naga King Vāsuki omitted in the Tibetan.

n.228According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “the ground.”

n.229According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “seven, eight generations will obtain [it].”

n.230According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “or on their throat.”

n.231According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “with their hand.”

n.232According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “which pacifies desire and hatred.”

n.233According to the Cambridge (dharma­gaṃjasya) and Tibetan (chos kyi mdzod). The Vaidya has dharma­rājasya (“Dharma king”).

n.234According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “imperishable.”

n.235According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. The Vaidya adds the dubious “the realm named Padmottama.”

n.236According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “I can calculate.”

n.237Unidentified. Tibetan texts refer to the source of the Indus by this name. There is also a river of that name in South India, though it is not likely to be referred to here. This does not refer to the Tarim River of Sinkiang, which is also known as the Sītā.

n.238The Tibetan transliterates as “Gaṅga.”

n.239The Tibetan transliterates as “Sindhu.”

n.240Unidentified, though Tibetan texts use this name for the source of the Brahmaputra.

n.241The Tibetan transliterates as “Śatadru.”

n.242The Tibetan transliterates as “Candrabhaga.”

n.243The Tibetan transliterates as “Airavati.” The Sanskrit has “Erāvatī,” though it is primarily known as Irāvatī.

n.244Unidentified. Possibly the Son River.

n.245Unidentified. “Himarati” in Vaidya. “Himakala” in Tibetan. Possibly the Kali Gandaki.

n.246Written as “Kodapari” in the Tibetan; “Kalaśodari” in the Sanskrit; and “Kalasodarī” in the Cambridge.

n.247According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates jambuka as “fox.”

n.248“Hour” here translates muhurta, but as there are thirty muhurta in a day, this “hour” is forty-eight minutes long.

n.249According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “I can count the number of years, months, days, hours, and minutes of time that would take.”

n.250According to the Tibetan, sa bdun pa, and the Cambridge manuscript saptami­bhūmi. The Vaidya has daśa­bhūmi (“tenth bhūmi”).

n.251This is according to the lunisolar calendar. When the year of twelve lunar months falls thirty days behind the solar year, an extra month, a leap-month, is added.

n.252According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “bowls.”

n.253See n.­98.

n.254According to the Tibetan.

n.255According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “through eight maṇḍalas” through a corruption in Sanskrit that has loss of the negative and adṛṣta (“not-seen”) becoming aṣṭa (“eight”).

n.256According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only “lotus” and omits “hook.” Amitābha’s hand gesture (mudrā) is portrayed in the maṇḍala.

n.257This hand gesture is portrayed in the maṇḍala as being performed by Mahāmaṇidhara.

n.258This hand gesture is portrayed in the maṇḍala as being performed by Ṣaḍakṣarī.

n.259According to the Sanskrit.

n.260According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “four corners.”

n.261According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “individual implements.”

n.262According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “mantras.”

n.263In the original text the narrative suddenly changes here from Padmottama’s first-person narration to Śākyamuni’s narration.

n.264According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “queen of.”

n.265According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the vighnas and vināyakas being frightened and the others fleeing.

n.266According to the Cambridge and Sāmaśrami. The Tibetan has only Padma. Vaidya, though it had Padmottama earlier, has Patrottama at this point.

n.267According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “statues.”

n.268According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan and Cambridge have this further on in the list, before “the samādhi of Seeing All the Tathāgatas.”

n.269According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Possessing the Six Perfections.”

n.270According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “recites, and is completely focused on.”

n.271According to the Cambridge (jaṃgamayuṣyatitha, corruption of jagadāyuṣyatitha). Omitted in the Vaidya. The Tibetan has “should be seen as the shore of the merit of beings.”

n.272According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “merit,” which was conjoined with the preceding phrase.

n.273According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “should be seen as being like the Ganges and all sacred places.”

n.274According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits.

n.275According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Dharma treasury.”

n.276According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “his conduct is not controlled.”

n.277According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “cloth from China.” The Sāmaśrami and Vaidya follow this with dhyuṣitāni, which is not included in the Cambridge or Tibetan.

n.278See n.­71.

n.279According to the Sanskrit vārṣika. The Tibetan has vāraṣikā. The name means “a monsoon flower.” It is described as white and fragrant. Though the Sanskrit dictionary gives Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac), the description matches gardenia (Gardenia gummifera).

n.280According to the Tibetan compound kunda (Jasminum multiflorum) and dhyuṣita (white). The Sanskrit has śakunakā­dhyuṣita. The Cambridge has śakuntā­dhyuṣita.

n.281According to the Sanskrit, vimalika. The Tibetan has vimānaka.

n.282Transliterated into Tibetan as vyaśārika. The Vaidya has śālika, but the Cambridge has śārikā. The myna is a vocalizer that has always been a popular house pet in India, the Gracula religiosa or the Turdus salica.

n.283According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “his conduct was not controlled.”

n.284According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “I lack the highest complete enlightenment, so…”

n.285According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Give me the completely pure state of great stability.”

n.286According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “unequalled.”

n.287Literally “Indra garments.” This obscure term is found only in this sūtra. It appears in the Sanskrit to be a kind of compound called madhyama­pada­lopī, “omission of the middle word.” As this appears to be in a list referring to colors of cloth, the first part of the compound is presumably short for indradhanu, indrayudha, or indrakārmuka, all meaning “rainbow.”

n.288According to the Sanskrit. The obscure word dhyuṣita is found only in this sūtra. It is also used to describe star jasmine earlier in the sūtra, which has been interpreted as “bright white.” It has also been interpreted as a variant of a word meaning “dwell,” and therefore the Tibetan translates it as “dwelling” (literally “based”) garments. Edgerton sees it as related to duṣya, which he interprets as meaning “very fine” when applied to cloth.

n.289According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit has just divasa (“day”), which is presumably short for divasakara (“day-maker”), a common term for the sun.

n.290The Sāmaśrami has nagna­śravaṇeṣu and the Vaidya has nagna­śramaneṣu, which are here synonymous. This could refer to Jains‍—monks of the Digambara sect are always naked‍—but nakedness was also a common feature among Śaivite and Vaiśnavite ascetics. The Cambridge has nagna­śávareṣu (“naked savages”), referring to the tribal people living in the mountains of present day Orissa. The Tibetan is based on a similar version, but with the compound divided into two, “naked ones and mountain men” (gcer bu pa dang ri mi).

n.291This is the traditional division of the twelve kinds of teachings given by the Buddha. See “twelve wheels of the Dharma.”

n.292According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “What is the essence?”

n.293According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “with their hands.”

n.294See n.­98.

n.295According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has mkhan po for dharma upādhyāya , or “preceptor.”

n.296This is referring to Amitābha.

n.297The mantra itself has seven times ten million buddhas. The compiler must have been aware of the apparent contradiction and is presumably stating that in this sūtra a greater number of buddhas are reciting this mantra than did so in the Cundī sūtra. See also n.­299.

n.298According to the Tibetan and Cambridge. The Vaidya and Sāmaśrami have cunye.

n.299This is the mantra of the Goddess Cundi in the form written in The Dhāranī Named Goddess Cunde (folio 46b7). However, it is oṁ cale cule cundi svāhā, the form that is popular in Chinese Buddhism, in the same text as repeated in the Dhāraṇī section of the Kangyur (The Dhāranī Named Goddess Cunde, folio 143a5). Cale cule cunde are the vocative forms of Calā, Culā, and Cundā, three variations of her name. Cundi is the vocative for Cundī. The words seventy million buddhas are a reference to her being the mother of seventy million buddhas as described in her sūtra, which was not translated into Tibetan, but was translated into Chinese (The Dhāraṇī of Cundī). This sūtra was evidently popular in India at the time of the creation of the Kāraṇḍa­vyūha­sūtra, at least in its present form.

n.300Here the narrative abruptly changes to continue on directly from the description of the previous pore (Vajramukha). No attempt has been made to smooth this fracture of the original.

n.301According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan did not translate but transliterated it as śaridaka.

n.302According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “many hundreds of thousands.”

n.303According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and jewels.”

n.304According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “many.”

n.305According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “ninety thousand.”

n.306According to the Sanskrit, cittarāja. The Tibetan had sna tshogs kyi rgyal po (“King of Variety”), translating citrarāja. The Chinese has “Painting King,” which was also translating citrarāja.

n.307Not the same as the identically named “seven jewels of the cakravartin.” The seven jewels were associated with the seven heavenly bodies: ruby, moonstone or pearl, coral, emerald, yellow sapphire, diamond, and blue sapphire.

n.308According to the Sanskrit and the Chinese. The Cambridge has “the trunks are red, and the leaves are red-gold.” Tibetan has “the trunks are red pearl, and the leaves are gold and silver.” For consistency in the description of the trees, the Vaidya and Sāmaśrami versions have been followed.

n.309According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has the verb “hung” used for both the jewels and the adornments.

n.310According to the Tibetan (rgyal mtshan gyi rgyal po). The Vaidya and Sāmaśrami have Dhvajāgra.

n.311According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “ninety-nine thousand multistoried palaces.”

n.312According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “divine.”

n.313According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit omits “and jewels.”

n.314According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “they face Jambudvīpa and teach the Dharma.”

n.315According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits mahoragas.

n.316According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “in a realm within this universe.”

n.317The preceding two paragraphs were absent in the Tibetan, and could easily have been omitted in the copying of the Sanskrit manuscripts.

n.318According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “divine magnolia trees appeared and divine lotus pools appeared.”

n.319According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits.

n.320According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “who holds a lotus.”

n.321“Lord of Ashes,” according to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has only Iśvara (“Lord”).

n.322According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “who creates the eyes of the world.”

n.323According to the Cambridge (śubha-padma-hastāya) and Tibetan (pad ma bzang po phyag na mnga’ ba). Omitted in the Vaidya and Sāmaśrami.

n.324According to the Sanskrit.

n.325Himavat (“having snow”) is also an alternative name for the Himalayas.

n.326“Noble son” is from the Sanskrit, which makes it clear that this sentence is a continuation of Śākyamuni’s speech. Otherwise it could seem to be the description of a conclusion of a section of the book. The uncommon word nirvyūha, used for the two parts this sūtra is divided into, was translated in the Tibetan version as le’u, which is more commonly used to translate parivarta and normally means a chapter. Neither the Cambridge manuscript nor the Tibetan has a chapter division at this point in the text‍—unlike later Sanskrit manuscripts, which have here and elsewhere a number of additional divisions into chapters, which they call prakaraṇa. The text from which the Chinese translation was made included neither this Maheśvara episode, nor the preceding description of the oceans coming from Avalokiteśvara’s toe. This strange final sentence of the Maheśvara episode, therefore, in which the Buddha is giving a title and text division to what has occurred, is probably indicative of yet another case of unskillful compilation in this sūtra.

n.327The Tibetan has translated this freely as “my path is without obstacles.”

n.328These are probably synonymous with Cakravāḍa and Mahācakravāḍa in other sūtras, which can refer either to the submarine mountain that contains the hells or the circle of mountains around the edge of the world.

n.329According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Mahāmucilinda.”

n.330According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Mahāsaṃsṛṣṭa.”

n.331According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “Pralambodhara.”

n.332A pala is said to be the equivalent to the weight of 640 grains of rice. The weight of four rice grains is called one guñjā; five guñjās are one paṇa; eight paṇas are one karṣa; and four karṣas are one pala. In practice the actual weight of the pala varied in different regions and when used for different purposes, ranging in modern equivalents from 30 to 50 grams. The Tibetan srang is roughly equivalent to the pala, and is often translated into English as “ounce,” although it is somewhat more (an avoirdupois ounce is 28 grams, a troy ounce 31 grams).

n.333According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has just “ink.”

n.334According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “write on the endless.”

n.335According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “Eyes of Lightning.”

n.336According to the Cambridge (anantavyūha) and Tibetan (bkod pa mtha’ yas pa). The Vaidya and Sāmaśrami have andhavyūha.

n.337According to the Sanskrit, Prati­bhāna­kūṭa. The Cambridge has Prati­bhāsa­kūṭa, “Mountain of Brilliant Light”; the Sāmaśrami has the corrupt Prati­hāsa­kūṭa, “Mountain of Laughter.” The Tibetan has spobs pa’i phung po, agreeing with Vaidya; spobs pa is the standard Tibetan translation of prati­bhāna.

n.338According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “the samādhi named Vajra Wall.”

n.339According to the Tibetan and Sāmaśrami. The Cambridge has “purification of the senses” (-śodhano instead of -mocano).

n.340The Tibetan translates locana (“illumination”) as “eyes.” The Cambridge has śodhana (“purification”). The Vaidya and Sāmaśrami have candra-(instead of indriya) vara-locana (“The Moon’s Sublime Illumination”).

n.341“Day-maker” (Sanskrit: divakara, Tibetan: nyin byed) is an epithet for the sun.

n.342According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “The Sun’s Sublime Eyes.”

n.343According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “The Complete Eyes of the World.”

n.344According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “The Sacred Eyes of the Buddha Realms.”

n.345According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “Facing the Deeds to Be Done.”

n.346According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits.

n.347According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits.

n.348According to the Tibetan. The Sanskrit omits.

n.349According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits.

n.350According to the Tibetan.

n.351According to the Cambridge (vikirṇa) and Tibetan (’thor ba). The Vaidya has the corrupt vividhamādhi, and the Sāmaśrami has viviṇamādhi.

n.352According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “Sacred Eyes of the Moon.”

n.353According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “Sacred Eyes of the Sun.”

n.354This paragraph omitted in the Tibetan.

n.355This paragraph only in the Tibetan.

n.356According to the Tibetan. The Vaidya has bhadra­rāja (“excellent king”), the Sāmaśrami has rāja (“king”), and the Cambridge has Indra­rāja (“Indra king”).

n.357The Tibetan uses the same word for “open” while the Sanskrit has two different synonyms.

n.358According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan translates as “the right hand side,” another meaning of the word dakṣiṇa.

n.359According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan has “six buddhas.”

n.360Literally “blue,” but in Sanskrit this is a euphemism for “black.”

n.361According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “gandharvas.”

n.362Bhadanta, a relic from the Middle Indic language of the original monastic communities, which in its Sanskritized form would be bhadrānta, “one who has the utter limit of goodness.” It is translated into Tibetan as btsun po, “noble one.”

n.363According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan here is particularly obscure: “They should not do the supplication and the fourth.” See also n.­364.

n.364The announcement that someone wishes to take ordination, followed by three inquiries as to whether any bhikṣu present has an objection, are together called “the four motions.”

n.365According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and they will be reborn as insects in a cesspool of feces and urine in the great city of Vārāṇasī.”

n.366“Kodrava” is specifically Paspalum scrobiculatum, which is kodo millet. The Tibetan has rgya shug, or “jujubes.”

n.367Generally in Indian mythology the Vaitarāṇi River is analogous to the River Styx, as it separates the living from the dead. However, in the context of the hells it is simply another place of suffering.

n.368According to the Sanskrit. The Tibetan omits “and who have wisdom.”