Great Compassion Mantra 大悲咒
如何修觀音法門 (大悲咒) 聖嚴法師-大法鼓 1122
Chinese version (CBETA)
[0107b21] 觀世音菩薩說是語已，於眾會前，合掌正住，於諸眾生，起大悲心，開顏含笑，即說如是「廣大圓滿無礙大悲心大陀羅尼神妙章句陀羅尼」曰：
[0107b25] 「南無喝囉怛那哆囉夜[口*耶](一) 南無阿唎[口*耶](二) 婆盧羯帝爍鉢囉[口*耶](三) 菩提薩跢婆[口*耶](四) 摩訶薩跢婆[口*耶](五) 摩訶迦盧尼迦[口*耶](六) 唵(上聲)(七) 薩皤囉罰曳(八) 數怛那怛寫(九) 南無悉吉利埵伊蒙阿唎[口*耶](十) 婆盧吉帝室佛囉[口*楞]馱婆(十一) 南無那囉謹墀(十二) 醯唎摩訶皤哆沙咩(羊鳴音)(十三) 薩婆阿他豆輸朋(十四) 阿逝孕(十五) 薩婆薩哆那摩婆伽(十六) 摩罰特豆(十七) 怛姪他(十八) 唵阿婆盧醯(十九) 盧迦帝(二十) 迦羅帝(二十一) 夷醯唎(二十二) 摩訶菩提薩埵(二十三) 薩婆薩婆(二十四) 摩羅摩羅(二十五) 摩醯摩醯唎馱孕(二十六) 俱盧俱盧羯懞(二十七) 度盧度盧罰闍耶帝(二十八) 摩訶罰闍耶帝(二十九) 陀羅陀羅(三十) 地利尼(三十一) 室佛囉耶(三十二) 遮羅遮羅(三十三) 摩摩罰摩囉(三十四) 穆帝囇(三十五) 伊醯移醯(三十六) 室那室那(三十七) 阿囉嘇佛囉舍利(三十八) 罰沙罰嘇(三十九) 佛羅舍耶(四十) 呼嚧呼嚧摩囉(四十一) 呼嚧呼嚧醯利(四十二) 娑囉娑囉(四十三) 悉利悉利(四十四) 蘇嚧蘇嚧(四十五) 菩提夜菩提夜(四十六) 菩馱夜菩馱夜(四十七) 彌帝利夜(四十八) 那囉謹墀(四十九) 地唎瑟尼那(五十) 波夜摩那(五十一) 娑婆訶(五十二) 悉陀夜(五十三) 娑婆訶(五十四) 摩訶悉陀夜(五十五) 娑婆訶(五十六) 悉陀喻藝(五十七) 室皤囉耶(五十八) 娑婆訶(五十九) 那囉謹墀(六十) 娑婆訶(六十一) 摩囉那囉(六十二) 娑婆訶(六十三) 悉囉僧阿穆佉耶(六十四) 娑婆訶(六十五) 娑婆摩訶阿悉陀夜(六十六) 娑婆訶(六十七) 者吉囉阿悉陀夜(六十八) 娑婆訶(六十九) 波陀摩羯悉哆夜(七十) 娑婆訶(七十一) 那囉謹墀皤伽囉[口*耶](七十二) 娑婆訶(七十三) 摩婆利勝羯囉夜(七十四) 娑婆訶(七十五) 南無喝囉怛那哆囉夜耶(七十六) 南無阿唎[口*耶](七十七) 婆嚧吉帝(七十八) 爍皤囉夜(七十九) 娑婆訶(八十) 唵悉殿都曼哆囉鉢馱耶(八十一) 娑婆訶(八十二)」
The following is a reconstruction of the original Sanskrit text of Bhagavaddharma's version by Chandra (1988) based on a comparison with other versions:
Namo ratna trayāya | namo āryĀvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākaruṇikāya |
Oṃ sarva-bhayeṣu trāṇa-karāya tasya namaskṛtvā imaṃ āryĀvalokiteśvara-stavanaṃ Nīlakaṇṭha-nāma |
Hṛdayaṃ vartayiṣyāmi sarv-ārtha-sādhanaṃ śubhaṃ |
ajeyaṃ sarva-bhutānāṃ bhava-mārga -viśodhakam ||
TADYATHĀ | Oṃ apaloka lokātikrānta ehi Hare mahābodhisattva sarpa-sarpa | smara smara mama hṛdayam | kuru-kuru karma | dhuru-dhuru vijayate mahāvijayate | dhara-dhara dharāṇi-rāja | cala-cala mama vimala-mūṛtte re | ehy-ehi kṛṣṇa-sarp-opavīta | viṣa-viṣaṃ praṇāśaya | hulu-hulu malla | hulu-hulu Hare | sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru | bodhiya-bodhiya bodhaya-bodhaya maitriya Nīlakaṇṭha | darśanena prahlādaya manaḥ svāhā |
siddhāya svāhā | mahāsiddhāya svāhā | siddha-yogeśvarāya svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā | Vāraha-mukhāya svāhā | Narasiṃha-mukhāya svāhā | padma-hastāya svāhā | cakra-hastāya svāhā | padma-hastāya? svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭha-vyāghrāya svāhā | Mahābali-Śankarāya svāhā ||
Namo ratna-trayāya | namo āryĀvalokiteśvarāya svāhā ||
(Oṃ siddhyantu mantra-padāni svāhā ||)
Sōtō Zen version
Hiragana
なむからたんのう。とらやーやー。なむおりやー。ぼりょきーちー。しふらーやー。ふじさとぼーやー。もこさとぼーやー。もーこーきゃーるにきゃーやー。えん。さーはらはーえーしゅーたんのうとんしゃー。なむしきりーといもー。おりやー。ぼりょきーちー。しふらー。りんとうぼー。なむのーらー。きんじーきーりー。もーこーほーどー。しゃーみーさーぼー。おーとうじょーしゅーべん。おーしゅーいん。さーぼーさーとー。のーもーぼーぎゃー。もーはーてーちょー。とーじーとー。えん。おーぼーりょーきー。るーぎゃーちー。きゃーらーちー。いーきりもーこー。ふじさーとー。さーぼーさーぼー。もーらーもーらー。もーきーもーきー。りーとーいんくーりょーくーりょー。けーもーとーりょーとーりょー。ほーじゃーやーちー。もーこーほーじゃーやーちー。とーらーとーらー。ちりにー。しふらーやー。しゃーろーしゃーろー。もーもーはーも－らー。ほーちーりー。いーきーいーきー。しーのーしーのー。おらさんふらしゃーりー。はーざーはーざん。ふらしゃーやー。くーりょーくーりょー。もーらーくーりょーくーりょー。きーりーしゃーろーしゃーろー。しーりーしーりー。すーりょーすーりょー。ふじやー。ふじやー。ふどやーふどやー。みーちりやー。のらきんじー。ちりしゅにのー。ほやもの。そもこー。しどやー。そもこー。もこしどやー。そもこー。しどゆーきー。しふらーやー。そもこー。のらきんじー。そもこー。もーらーのーらーそもこー。しらすーおもぎゃーやー。そもこー。そぼもこしどやー。そもこー。しゃきらーおしどーやー。そもこー。ほどもぎゃしどやー。そもこー。のらきんじーはーぎゃらやー。そもこー。もーほりしんぎゃらやーそもこー。
なむからたんのうとらやーやー。なむおりやー。ぼりょきーちーしふらーやー。そもこー。してどーもどらー。ほどやー。そーもーこー。
Romaji
Namu karatannō. Torayāyā. Namu oriyā. Boryokīchī. Shifurāyā. Fujisatobōyā. Mokosatobōyā. Mōkō kyārunikyāyā. En. Sāharahāē shūtannō tonshā. Namu shikirī toimō. Oriyā. Boryokīchī shifurā. Rintōbō. Namu nōrā. Kinjī kīrī. Mōkō hōdō. Shāmī sābō. Ōtō jōshūben. Ōshūin. Sābō sātō. Nōmō bōgyā. Mōhā tēchō. Tōjītō. En. Ōboryōkī. Rūgyāchī. Kyārāchī. Īkiri mōkō. Fujisātō. Sābō sābō. Mōrā mōrā. Mōkī mōkī. Rītōin kūryō kūryō. Kēmō tōryō tōryō. Hōjāyāchī. Mōkōhōjāyāchī. Tōrā tōrā. Chirinī shifurāyā. Shārō shārō. Mōmōhāmōrā. Hōchīrī. Īkī Īkī. Shīnō shīnō. Orasan furashārī. Hāzā hāzān. Furashāyā. Kūryō kūryō. Mōrā kūryō kūryō. Kīrī shārō shārō. Shīrī shīrī. Sūryō sūryō. Fujiyā fujiyā. Fudoyā fudoyā. Mīchiriyā. Norakinjī. Chiri shuninō. Hoyamono. Somokō. Shidoyā. Somokō. Mokoshidoyā. Somokō. Shidoyūkī. Shifurāyā. Somokō. Norakinjī. Somokō. Mōrānōrā somokō. Shirasū omogyāyā. Somokō. Sobomoko shidoyā. Somokō. Shakirā oshidōyā. Somokō. Hodomo gyashidoyā. Somokō. Norakinjī hāgyarayā. Somokō. Mōhori shingyarayā somokō.
Namu karatannō torayāyā. Namu oriyā boryokīchī shifurāyā. Somokō. Shitedō modorā. Hodoyā. Sōmōkō.
大悲呪 [Nilakantha Dharani] (string quartet ver.) Ikkyu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan - Japanese Zen Music
Chandra's translation (1988)
1. Adoration to the Triple Gem. Adoration to ārya Avalokiteśvarā, bodhisattva, mahāsattva, the Great Compassionate One. Oṃ. Having paid adoration to One who protects in all dangers, here is the [recitation] of the names of Nīlakaṇṭha, as chanted by ārya Avalokiteśvarā.
2. I shall enunciate the 'heart' [dhāraṇī] which ensures all aims, is pure and invincible for all beings, and which purifies the path of existence.
3. THUS. Oṃ. O Effulgence, World-Transcendent, come, oh Hari, the great bodhisattva, descend, descend. Bear in mind my heart-dhāraṇī. Accomplish, accomplish the work. Hold fast, hold fast, Victor, oh Great Victor. Hold on, hold on, oh Lord of the Earth. Move, move, oh my Immaculate Image. Come, come, Thou with the black serpent as Thy sacred thread. Destroy every poison. Quick, quick, oh Strong Being. Quick, Quick, oh Hari. Descend, descend, come down, come down, condescend, condescend. Being enlightened enlighten me, oh merciful Nīlakaṇṭha. Gladden my heart by appearing unto me.
To the Siddha hail. To the Great Siddha hail. To the Lord of Siddha Yogins hail. To Nīlakaṇṭha hail. To the Boar-faced One hail. To the One with the face of Narasiṃha hail. To One who has a lotus in His hand hail. To the Holder of a cakra in His hand hail. To One who sports a lotus(?) in His hand hail. To Nīlakaṇṭha the tiger hail. To the mighty Śaṇkara hail.
4. Adoration to the Triple Gem. Adoration to ārya Avalokiteśvarā, hail.
Dr. Montoneri's rendering and translation
南無喝囉怛那哆囉夜耶 南無阿唎耶 婆盧羯帝爍缽囉耶
Nāmō hē là dá nà duō là yè yé nāmō ā lì yě pó lú jié dì shuò bó là yě
Namo ratna trayāya | namo āryĀvalokiteśvarāya
Homage to the Three Jewels. Homage to the Noble Avalokiteśvara
菩提薩埵婆耶 摩訶薩埵婆耶 摩訶迦盧尼迦耶
pútí sā duò pó yě móhē sā duò pó yě móhē jiā lú ní jiā yě
bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākaruṇikāya |
Bodhisattva, the Great One, the Great Compassionate One.
唵 薩皤囉罰曳 數怛那怛寫 南無悉吉慄埵伊蒙阿唎耶 婆盧吉帝室佛囉愣馱婆
ān sā pó là fá yì shù dá ná dá xiè nāmō xī jí lì duò yí méng ā lì yě pó lú jí dì shĭ fó là léng tuó pó
oṃ sarva-bhayeṣu trāṇa-karāya tasya namaskṛtvā imaṃ āryĀvalokiteśvara-stavanaṃ |
oṃ!
南無那囉謹墀 醯利摩訶皤哆沙咩
nāmō ná là xiě chí xī lì móhē pó duō shā miē
Nīlakaṇṭha-nāma Hṛdayaṃ vartayiṣyāmi
薩婆阿他豆輸朋 阿逝孕 薩婆薩哆那摩婆薩哆那摩婆伽
sāpó ā tā dòu shū péng ā shì yùn sàpó sà duō nàmó pósā duō nāmó póqié
sarv-ārtha-sādhanaṃ śubhaṃ | ajeyaṃ sarva-bhutānāṃ bhava-mārga -viśodhakam ||
摩罰特豆 怛姪他 唵阿婆盧醯 盧迦帝 迦羅帝 夷醯唎 摩訶菩提薩埵
mó fá tè dòu dá zhí tā ān ā pó lú xī lú jiā dì jiā luó dì yí xī lì mó hē pú tí sā duǒ
TADYATHĀ |Oṃ apaloka lokātikrānta ehi Hare mahābodhisattva
薩婆薩婆 摩囉摩囉 摩醯摩醯唎馱孕 俱盧俱盧羯蒙 度盧度盧罰闍耶帝
sà bó sà bó mó là mó là mó xī mó xī lì tuó yùn jù lú jù lú jié méng dù lú dù lú fá shé yé dì
sarpa-sarpa smara smara mama hṛdayam | kuru-kuru karma dhuru-dhuru vijayate
摩訶罰闍耶帝 陀囉陀囉 地唎尼 室佛囉耶 遮囉遮囉 摩麼罰摩囉 穆帝隸
mó hē fá shé yé dì tuó là tuó là dì lì ní shì fó là yé zhé là zhé là mó mó fá mó là mù dì lì
mahāvijayate | dhara-dhara dharāṇi-rāja | cala-cala mama vimala-mūṛtte re |
伊醯伊醯 室那室那 阿囉參佛囉舍利 罰沙罰參 佛囉舍耶 呼嚧呼嚧摩囉
yí xī yí xī shì nà shì nà ā là shēn fó là shě lì fá shā fá shēn fó là shě yé hū lú hū lú mó là
ehy-ehi kṛṣṇa-sarp-opavīta | viṣa-viṣaṃ praṇāśaya | hulu-hulu malla |
呼嚧呼嚧醯利 娑囉娑囉 悉唎悉唎 蘇嚧蘇嚧 菩提夜菩提夜 菩馱夜菩馱夜
hū lú hū lú xī lī suō là suō là xī lī xī lī sū lú sū lú pú tí yè pú tí yè pú tuó yè pú tuó yè
hulu-hulu Hare | sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru | bodhiya-bodhiya bodhaya-bodhaya
彌帝唎夜 那囉謹墀 地利瑟尼那 波夜摩那 娑婆訶 悉陀夜 娑婆訶 摩訶悉陀夜
mí dì lī yè nă là jĭn chí dì lī sè ní nà bō yè mó nà suō pó hā xī tuó yè suō pó hā mó hā xī tuó yè
maitriya Nīlakaṇṭha | darśanena prahlādaya manaḥ svāhā | siddhāya svāhā | mahāsiddhāya
娑婆訶 悉陀喻藝 室皤囉耶 娑婆訶 那囉謹墀 娑婆訶 摩囉那囉 娑婆訶
suō pó hā xī tuó yù yì shì bó là yè suō pó hā nă là jĭn chí suō pó hā mó là nă là suō pó hā
svāhā | siddha-yogeśvarāya svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭhāya svāhā Vāraha-mukhāya svāhā |
悉囉僧阿穆佉耶 娑婆訶 娑婆摩訶阿悉陀夜 娑婆訶 者吉囉阿悉陀夜 娑婆訶
xī là sēng ā mù qū yé suō pó hā suō wó mó hā a xī tuó yé suō pó hā zhě jí là a xī tuó yè suō pó hā
Narasiṃha-mukhāya svāhā | padma-hastāya svāhā | cakra-hastāya svāhā |
波陀摩羯悉陀夜 娑婆訶 那囉謹墀皤伽囉耶 娑婆訶 摩婆利勝羯囉夜
bō tuó mó jié xī tuó yè suō pó hā nă là jĭn chí bó qié là yé suō pó hā mó wó lì shèng jié là yè
padma-hastāya? svāhā | Nīlakaṇṭha-vyāghrāya svāhā | Mahābali-Śankarāya
娑婆訶 南無喝囉怛那哆囉夜耶 南無阿唎耶 婆嚧吉帝 爍皤囉夜 娑婆訶
suō pó hā nā mō hē là dá nà duō là yè yé nā mo a lī yé pó lú jí dì shuō bó là yè suō pó hā
svāhā || Namo ratna-trayāya | namo āryĀvalokiteśvarāya svāhā ||
唵 悉殿都漫多囉跋陀耶 娑婆訶
ān xī diàn dū màn duō là bá tuó yé suō pó hā
Oṃ siddhyantu mantra-padāni svāhā ||
Vocabulary
喝囉怛那·哆囉夜耶 hē là dá nà duō là yè yé transliterates the Sanskrit ratna-trayāya (three treasures) but "three treasures" would be translated as 三寶 sān bǎo. The three Jewels, that is the Buddha (the fully enlightened one), the Dharma (the Doctrine, the Teaching, and the Sayings of the Buddha) and the Sangha (the monastic community of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns)). Also called the Triple Gem or the Three Refuges.
菩提薩埵婆耶 tansliterates the Sanskrit bodhisattvāya. A Bodhisattva 菩提薩埵 (菩薩púsà) pútísàduǒ (sentient being or sattva that develops bodhi or enlightenment) is anyone who has generated bodhicitta, a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Svāhā 娑婆訶 suō pó hā An exclamation uttered at the time of making an offering to the gods, (used with a noun in the dative.) f. hail. Svāhā (स्वाहा).—I. indecl. An exclamation on offering to the gods. hail! hail to! may a blessing rest on!
Explanation
The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī, also known as the Mahākaruṇā (-citta) Dhāraṇī, Mahākaruṇika Dhāraṇī or Great Compassion Dhāraṇī, (or Mantra) (大悲咒) is associated with the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.
The dhāraṇī is thought to have originally been a recitation of names and attributes of Harihara (a composite form of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva; Nīlakaṇṭha 'the blue-necked one' is a title of Shiva) said to have been recited by Avalokiteśvara.
The standard in most of East Asia is the shorter version, specifically the one found in the so-called 'Sūtra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī (千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經; Qiānshǒu qiānyǎn Guānshìyīn púsà guǎngdà yuánmǎn wúài dàbēixīn tuóluóní jīng； T. 1060, K. 0294) translated by a monk from western India named Bhagavaddharma (伽梵達摩; Jiāfàndámó, birth and death dates unknown) between 650-660 CE.
Twelve scrolls of Nīlakaṇṭha Lokeśvara texts in Chinese were found at Dunhuang along the Silk Road in today's Gansu province of China. One of the texts contains a colophon at the end: "Translated at Khotan by the śramaṇa Bhagavaddharma of Western India" (西天竺伽梵達摩沙門於于闐譯).
Bhagavaddharma was a monk who came to China from western India around the mid-7th century, about whom nothing else is known; the Taishō Tripitaka has only two works in Chinese by him, both on the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara (T. 1059, 1060). The latter of these two works, the 'Sūtra of the Vast, Perfect, Unimpeded Great-Compassionate Heart of the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara's Dhāraṇī', made at Khotan around 650-661 CE, has made him immortal. The popularity of his version is attested by surviving Dunhuang manuscripts dated to the 8th century, some of which are excerpts of the ten great vows contained in the sūtra.
The reason behind the subsequent popularity of Bhagavaddharma's sūtra is thought to be due to its relative simplicity compared to other versions: while other sūtras on the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara contained detailed rules on how to visualize and depict this form of the bodhisattva, the very lack of such instructions in Bhagavaddharma's text might have contributed to its democratic appeal for ordinary people. In addition, Bhagavaddharma's version is the only one that contained the sections on the ten great vows and the blessing of the fifteen kinds of good deaths as well as protection from fifteen kinds of bad deaths. The dhāraṇī's concrete power over death and the comprehensiveness of Avalokiteśvara's vows might have been another factor that appealed to the masses.
Because of the great popularity enjoyed by this sūtra, the epithet 'Great Compassionate One' (大悲 Dàbēi) became identified specifically with the sahasra-bhuja Avalokiteśvara from the Tang period on, though previously it was used in other sūtras to describe Avalokiteśvara in general.
Bhagavaddharma's text begins with Śākyamuni Buddha in Avalokiteśvara's palace on the island Potalaka about to preach to a congregation of bodhisattvas, arhats, devas and other beings. Suddenly there is a great illumination and the three thousand realms become golden in color, shaking all over while the sun and moon become dull by comparison. One of the bodhisattvas present, Dhāraṇī King (總持王菩薩), asks the Buddha why this is happening; the Buddha reveals that Avalokiteśvara secretly emitted this light "in order to comfort and please all living-beings."
Avalokiteśvara then begins to speak, revealing that innumerable kalpas ago, the Thousand-light King Tathāgata of Tranquil Abode (千光王靜住如來) entrusted to him the 'Dhāraṇī of the Great Compassionate Heart' (大悲心陀羅尼呪). As soon as he heard the dhāraṇī, Avalokiteśvara - who had then been a bodhisattva of the first stage - quickly advanced to the eighth stage, and after reciting a vow, became endowed with a thousand hands and eyes.
Aside from such spiritual and mundane benefits as removing grave sins caused by heinous acts such as the five crimes or the ten evil acts or curing 84,000 kinds of illnesses, the sincere keeping of the dhāraṇī is said to also result in fifteen kinds of good rebirth (e.g. being ruled by a virtuous king wherever one is born, fully endowed with money and food, can see the Buddha and listen to the Dharma in the place of birth) and the avoidance of fifteen kinds of evil deaths (e.g. suicide, death on the battlefield, death by starvation).
References
Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī Wiki
T20n1060_001 千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經 第1卷 (CBETA)
千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經 (Wiki Source)
Picture
The Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī engraved on a stele. Temple Fo Ding Shan Chao Sheng in Sanyi Township, Taiwan. Erected in June 2005. 佛頂山朝聖寺三義道場大悲咒石碑，2005年6月立，釋地清題。
