Translated by the North Indian Kāśmīrī Trepiṭaka Maṇicinta during the Great Tang Dynasty (702)

Translated by imperial decree by the Trepiṭaka Yijing of the Tang (703)

a1. Thus have I heard:

a2. At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the heaven of the Pure Abodes, in the jewelled and adorned bodhimaṇḍa, together with great bodhisattvas and the assembly of devas of the Pure Abodes. 

b1. At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha was in the Pure Abode Heaven.

a3. Then the Bhagavān, out of great loving-kindness and great compassion, addressed the entire gathering of devas, saying: "You should all listen carefully to the mantra-wheel rite of the Youth Mañjuśrī. It is intended to protect all sentient beings. This is the secret heart great vidyā mantra king possessed by all tathāgatas. I shall now reveal and explain it to you. Whoever recites it, I affirm that such a person has already upheld and fulfilled all dhāraṇīs, and whatever they do will be accomplished without error. You should know that this dhāraṇī is the great king among vidyā mantras, possessing great power. If sons or daughters of good family can take up and bear it, the Youth Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva will constantly come to protect them, either in waking or in dreams, manifesting in bodily form and showing them auspicious events, bringing them great joy. 

b2. Amongst the heavenly assembly, he sat cross-legged in right mindfulness, universally regarding the multitude, and said to them: "O devaputras! You should listen with utmost sincerity to the subtle practice of the Youth Mañjuśrī, namely the rite of the vidyā mantra of the maṇḍala. This is the supreme secret heart mantra for curing illnesses and protecting the body, proclaimed by all the tathāgatas, universally praised by them. It is the Great King of Mantras. If a son or daughter of good family can recite this dhāraṇī, it is as if they took up and bore all vidyā mantras. O devas! This Great King of Mantras cannot be opposed.

a4. “O sons of good family! This king of mantras can even summon the Youth Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, how much more so other bodhisattvas, sages, and noble ones of the world and beyond. Further, sons of good family! This dhāraṇī can dispel all calamities, all evil dreams, all enemies, all karmic offences of the five heinous deeds, the four grave transgressions, and the ten evils. It dispels all harmful and inauspicious mantra rites, and it can accomplish all wholesome undertakings, bringing forth great vigour. You should know that among worldly and supramundane mantras, this is the most supreme. It is the heart of the buddhas, able to fulfil all wishes. 

b3. “Even if the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Youth Mañjuśrī himself were to command it, this dhāraṇī would freely conform to his wishes, drawing near and rendering service before him. How much more so with other bodhisattvas! All worldly and supramundane vidyā mantras and obstacles are entirely dispelled by it. It possesses extraordinary heroism, great majestic power, the foremost in divine efficacy, and is the highest among one-syllable dhāraṇīs. This one syllable can accomplish all undertakings and fulfil all wholesome dharmas. Consistently superior to all worldly and supramundane vidyās and spells, it cannot be destroyed. It is the heart of all buddhas, fully satisfying all their wishes. O devas! You should all single-mindedly listen to this inconceivable, most supreme divine vidyā mantra of great majestic power.

a5. “If a cord of five colours is tied while empowered with this dhāraṇī and worn around the neck, it will maintain and protect the body and ensure that all aspirations are completely fulfilled without fail.”

a6. The Buddha then recited the dhāraṇī:

b4. The Buddha then recited the dhāraṇī:

a7. "oṃ śrūṃ![1]

𑖌𑖼 𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖳𑖽

b5. "oṃ śrūṃ![1]

𑖌𑖼 𑖫𑖿𑖨𑖳𑖽

a8. "O children of the Buddha! This mantra dispels all evil spirits, demons, and ghosts. It is the auspicious rite of all buddhas, and it perfects all vidyā mantras. Whoever recites it gives rise to great loving-kindness and great compassion, and all obstacles are extinguished. Whatever they aspire to will be fulfilled. Even before performing rites, it brings about success. 

b6. "O you devas! This is the victorious King of One-Syllable Mantras, the highest among all secrets. No sentient being dares oppose it. No demon or spirit dares approach it. All buddhas use it for auspicious purposes. Among all dhāraṇīs, it is the one that most effectively accomplishes whatever one wills, the most honoured in the world. For those who seek wealth, it grants great freedom, making them prosperous. In situations of anger, it brings forth kindness. For all sentient beings, it is compassionate in nature—those who resist become compliant. In short, whatever one undertakes will be accomplished. Even without performing a rite in the maṇḍala, merely reciting and bearing it, one can touch things with one's hand and immediately bring them under one's will.

a9. “If one arouses the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi and recites it once, it protects oneself. Reciting it twice protects one's companions. Reciting it three times protects the people of a household. Four times protects the people of a city. Five times protects the people of a country. Six times protects the people of a whole continent. Seven times protects the beings of the four continents. 

[See section b23]

a10. “If one recites it once in the morning, says the mantra over water with it and washes one's face, then whoever sees one will be delighted. 

a11. “If one says the mantra over incense and with it perfumes clothing, those who see one will likewise rejoice. 

b7. "When one recites over clothing and wears it, people love and delight in the one who does so.

a12. “If suffering from a toothache, say the mantra over a tooth-stick, chew it, and the pain will be relieved. 

b8. "When recited over a tooth stick and used, the toothache ceases.

b9. "When one suffers from eye disease, grind saindhava salt into powder, recite the mantra seven times, place a little in the eye, and the pain will cease.

b10. “When one suffers from ear disease, take mushrooms from the dung of an elephant or horse, together with oil of bottle gourd and saindhava salt, a little of each, and recite the mantra over it seven times, grind them to a paste, extract the juice, warm it, and drip it into the ear, and the pain ceases.

a13. “If a woman is experiencing difficult childbirth, take the root of *āṭaluśaka or *laṅgālika, recite the mantra over it seven times, mix it with pure water free from insects, and apply it to the mother's navel. The child will then be born easily. 

b11. "When a woman is about to give birth and has worries about her womb, or there is obstruction and pain in her womb and she cannot give birth, take the root of *āṭaluśa or of aramanth, grind with clean water, recite the mantra over it seven times, and apply it below the navel, and delivery will be easy.

a14. “If an arrow pierces a man and the tip is stuck in muscle or bone and cannot be removed, recite the mantra over three ounces of ghee that is more than ten years old one hundred and eight times, apply it to the wound and ingest it; the arrow tip will come out. 

b12. "When a person has been struck by an arrow and the arrowhead is lodged in the body and won't come out, recite the mantra one hundred and eight times over old ghee, give it to the sufferer to drink, and the arrowhead will come out.

b13. "When one suffers from indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, and fear of death, one can take black salt or saindhava salt, or any other kind of salt, recite the mantra over it seven times, grind it, mix it with warm water, and drink it, and one will be cured.

b14. "Or, if chronic dysentery cannot be stopped, take citrus roots and quince roots, grind and pound them, and recite the mantra over them seven times, mix them with water, and one will be cured.

a15. “If a woman has been unable to conceive for five, twenty, or thirty years, whether due to her own illness, the illness of the man, possession by spirits, or poisoning, prepare five ounces of aged ghee with one ounce of peacock feathers ground into it, recite the mantra over it twenty-one times, boil and pound it into powder, mix it with one ounce of rock honey and three grains of great harītakī,[2]  without the kernels or skin, recite the mantra over it one hundred and eight times. Taking it at dawn on an empty stomach for seven days will result in conception. 

b15. "If a barren woman has no potential for childbirth, and desires to have children, she should obtain aśvagandhā root, fry it well in ghee, pound it to make it crushed, and mix it with yellow cow's milk, chanting the mantra over it twenty-five times. When that woman's body is pure, let her drink that medicine. The wife must not violate another man, and the husband must not violate another woman. Before long, she will become pregnant.

b16. "Or, if a woman has stopped menstruating and has no children, after three, five years, or many years, or if she is affected by curses from others, or due to imprecations, or due to various illnesses, or afflicted by others, or encounters poisonous drugs, and encounters these evil conditions, resulting in no offspring, she should take a small amount of peacock tail feathers, insert several arrowheads into aged ghee, and boil it until it melts, then grind them together until they are combined, add a little sugar, about the size of a jujube, chant the mantra over it twenty-seven times and take it all. After that, for seven days, mix sugar and milk daily, each time chanting the mantra seven times and drinking it. The woman's body will be purified, and all illnesses will be healed; she will then become pregnant.

b17. "If a woman's menstrual flow does not stop, she should take a handful of araṃbu root or indigo root, pound it, mix it with milk, and fry it well. She should then chant the mantra one hundred and eight times, and taking it will heal her.

a15. “If suffering from a headache, recite the mantra over a crow's feather seven times and brush the head, and the illness will be cured. 

b18. "If one suffers from a headache, one should use crow feathers, chant the mantra seven times, sweep and dust the painful area, and then the pain will be permanently relieved.

a16. “If suffering from malaria for one to seven days or of a chronic type, boil rice gruel with pure milk, add one ounce of ghee, recite the mantra over it one hundred and eight times, and administer it to the patient, and they will recover. 

b19. "If someone suffers from malaria, which may last one, two, three, or four days, or experiences a constant or temporary fever, they should mix milk porridge with ghee, recite the mantra one hundred and eight times, and consume it to heal the illness.

a17. “O sons of good family! In summary, whatever medicine is to be prepared or taken, first sincerely recite this heart [mantra] twenty-one times, and it will quickly bring the desired effect. 

a18. “Further, sons of good family! If there are sentient beings who are seized by a flying-head spirit,[3]  one should rub the face with one's hand, recite the mantra one hundred and eight times with a terrifying expression, form the "original-birth mudrā" with the left hand (folding the thumb into the palm and pressing it tightly with the four fingers to make a fist), glare with the eyes while inwardly reciting the mantra and gaze at the patient, the illness will be cured.

b20. "If someone is afflicted by another's vetāla, poison, or similar things, one should create a reverse contingent mind, recite the mantra on one's own face one hundred and eight times, observe that sick person, and the ailment suffered will then be cured.

a19. “If one is afflicted by ghostly illness, recite the mantra over the right hand one hundred and eight times, infuse it with guggula incense, form the "original-birth mudrā" with the left hand, and rub the patient's head with the right hand, and the illness will be cured. 

b21. "If someone is afflicted by evil spirits, kaṭapūtanas, or other ghosts, or if children have various illnesses caused by non-human entities, or if mutually troubled by common afflictions, one should recite the mantra on one's own hand one hundred and eight times, and rub the sick person's head; then all the illnesses will be cured.

a20. “If one has enemies, bad dreams, fears, or distress of body and mind, take a cord of seven colours, tie it into the form of a lotus, wheel, or vajra, recite the mantra over it one hundred and eight times, infuse it with guggula incense, and wear it around the neck for seven days, and all misfortunes will be dispelled. 

a21. “If one grinds gorocanā[4]  into ink and draws on clean paper or cloth the image of what one fears, surrounding it with the "śrūṃ" syllable, or draws a lotus, wheel, svastikā, conch, fish, vajra-hook, or jewelled vase, and recites the mantra over it seven times, the fear will be removed. 

a22 “O sons of good family! If you must pass through dangerous places with lions, tigers, wolves, poisonous snakes, enemies, or robbers, purify body and mind, abstain from women, the five pungent herbs, alcohol, meat, mustard, and coriander, generate a thought of great compassion towards all sentient beings, and sincerely recite this mantra forty-nine times, then all dangers will disperse, and even when encountering such threats, they will bring you joy. 

b22. "If someone is stung by a snake or scorpion, or injured by a mad dog, one should urgently blow air onto the wound and recite the mantra forty-nine times; then it will be cured.

  [5]"If someone is suffering from leprosy or wasting disease, one should bathe and purify oneself, and constantly recite this mantra in a quiet place, then all will be healed. In general, those who recite the mantra must always stay away from evil people, impure and foul-smelling places, avoid approaching wine, meat, and the five pungent roots, and single-mindedly uphold it; there is no case where it is not effective.

[See section a9]

b23. "If one recites it once a day, one can protect oneself. If one recites it twice, one can defend companions. Reciting it three times can protect a family; Four times can protect a village; Five times can defend a city. If one recites it one hundred times, one can protect a country. If one recites it one thousand times, one can defend the four continents.

a23 “O sons of good family! Regarding this mantra, even if all sentient beings go through one kalpa or countless kalpas without even hearing the name of it, let alone seeing it, [how can they] single-mindedly recite it? Even if one filled all Jambudvīpa with elephants and horses of the seven treasures, such things are dharmas of impermanence and destruction. But this dhāraṇī mantra grants sentient beings peace and safety in this life and future lives, always accompanied by tathāgatas and great bodhisattvas as companions. Whether for oneself or others, all aspirations will be fulfilled. Therefore, you should earnestly regard it as rare and difficult to encounter. Do not treat it lightly or give rise to doubt.”

b24. "In summary, as explained, it offers benefits for healing illnesses and protecting the body at any time. If there are other things to be done, all may be done at will, and nothing will be unaccomplished.

b25. At that time, the great assembly of all the devas, having heard the Buddha speak this Sūtra of the King of One-Syllable Mantras, rejoiced and practised it with reverence.

Original Note

If there is someone who aspires to liberation, desires great benefit, and hopes to realize the result, then one should pay close attention and rely on the great mantra methods within the mantrakośa,[6] as explained at length in the sutra.