Toh 42The Sūtra of the Moon (1)

Summary

The Sūtra of the Moon (1) is a short
discourse providing a Buddhist account of a lunar eclipse. On one occasion while
the Buddha is residing in Śrāvastī, the moon is seized by Rāhu, lord of the
asuras, which causes an eclipse. The god of the moon asks the Buddha for refuge,
after which the Buddha urges Rāhu to release the moon. When questioned by
Vemacitra, another lord of the asuras, Rāhu explains that if he had not let the
moon go, his head would have split into seven pieces. This sūtra enjoys some
popularity today and appears in Tibetan collections of mantras and texts for
protection.

Acknowledgements

This sūtra was translated by Giuliano Proença, who also prepared the
introduction, the glossary, and the notes. The English translation and ancillary
materials were proofread by Daniela Espíndola.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

The Sūtra of the Moon (1) is a short
discourse set in Śrāvastī that presents a Buddhist account of a lunar
eclipse. It describes the asura king Rāhu seizing the moon and the Buddha
calling for its release. When the eclipse
begins, the god of the moon asks the Buddha for refuge, prompting the Buddha
to demand that Rāhu let the moon go. When questioned by the asura Vemacitra,
Rāhu explains that if he had not released the moon, his head would have
split into seven pieces.

The Sūtra of the Moon (1) is a Tibetan
translation of a canonical Theravāda text and thus was probably translated
from Pali. It belongs to a group of thirteen late-translated sūtras (gsar du ’gyur ba), as noted in Butön Rinchen
Drup’s
History of Buddhism and in the Lithang, Degé,
and Urga Kangyurs. One of these sūtras, The Sūtra
of the Sun (Toh 41) , presents an almost identical narrative
concerning a solar eclipse. It features one additional verse not found in
The Sūtra of the Moon (1), and the same is
true of the Pali counterparts of these two texts. The equivalent of The Sūtra of the Moon in the Pali canon, the
Candimasutta, is included in the
Saṃyutta Nikāya (SN 2.9). Except for some words and one short phrase, the
Tibetan and Pali are very similar.

There is another text in the Kangyur titled The
Sūtra of the Moon (2) (Toh 331), which was translated from Sanskrit in the time of
the early diffusion (eighth–ninth centuries). This text has Sanskrit,
Chinese, and Old Uyghur parallels. It shares much of the same
content as the sūtra translated here, but it differs in its wording, the
number of verses and passages of its prose, its setting, and the characters
depicted.

The Sūtra of the Moon (1) and The Sūtra of the Sun are popular among Tibetans
today, appearing in Tibetan collections of mantras and protective
texts. In the Theravāda tradition, they are included in Paritta collections,
which have the function of providing protection through recitation.

Peter Skilling dates the translation of the thirteen late-translated
sūtras to the first decade of the fourteenth century.
The Sūtra of the Moon (1) is found in the
Kangyurs of the Tshalpa, the Thempangma, and the mixed lines, as well as in
some canonical collections from Western Tibet.

The colophons of all versions of the Tshalpa line only indicate the
conclusion of the sūtra, while the other collections mention the translators
and the place where they worked: Ānandaśrī and Tharpa Lotsāwa Nyima Gyaltsen
Palsangpo at the monastery of Tharpa Ling in Central
Tibet.

Ānandaśrī is described in the colophon of the Āryamaitrīsūtra, which
he also translated together with Künga Gyaltsen Thupten Palsangpo, as a prominent paṇḍita from Sri Lanka, but
little is known about how or why he came to be in fourteenth century Tibet
or how long he stayed there. Tharpa Lotsāwa, apart from these thirteen
sūtras, also translated several other texts that are preserved in the tantra
section of the Kangyur, working mainly with Indian and Nepalese
paṇḍitas. Notably, he was one of the teachers of Butön Rinchen
Drup (1290–1364).

It is interesting to note that this Tibetan translation gives the
Sanskrit title Candrasūtra, while its
presumed Theravāda source would have had the title Candimasutta. It is possible that the translators and later
editors Sanskritized the title in accordance with the translation practices
of the time. The title Candrasūtra is not
attested in Sanskrit works, but the title Candramaṇḍalasūtra is documented in a Sanskrit fragment from
Central Asia that lists different sūtras.

The French Sanskritist and Orientalist Léon Feer studied Buddhist
accounts of eclipses, including the legend of Rāhu according to Hindu and
Buddhist texts. He translated Daniel John Gogerly’s English translation of
the Candimasutta into French and produced
his own French translations of Toh 42 and Toh 331. His notes are detailed
and rich in explanations. He also finalized and published the unfinished
work of Paul Grimblot on some paritta texts, presenting the Pali equivalent to Toh 42,
excerpts of its commentary in the Aṭṭhakathā, and its translation into French.

Peter Skilling has studied the thirteen late-translated sūtras (Toh
31–43) in detail,
examining the location of these texts in the Kangyur, and their colophons,
contents, translators, and possible original language. He notes parallels,
dates the translations, and reviews scholarship on these works.

Feer translated Toh 42 from Tibetan into French in 1865. However,
there are many translations from Pali. There is Feer’s translation into
French (1871), Wilhelm Geiger’s translation into German (1930), Rhys Davids’
translation into English (1950), and a recent translation into English by
Bhikkhu Sujato (2018).

Our translation is based on the Tibetan text as found in the sūtra
section of the Degé Kangyur, but we note variant readings from the witnesses
of the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma),
the Stok Palace Kangyur, and the Bardan Collection. In addition, we have
compared the Pali with the Tibetan and noted cases where the Pali presents
different readings. We occasionally refer to Toh 331 and its Sanskrit
parallel.

Our translation benefited from Feer’s notes on Toh 42 and Toh 331,
as well as from his translations. We also consulted Geiger’s translation of
the Pali Candimasutta into German, and
Sujato’s translation into English.

The Translation

The Sūtra of the Moon (1)

Respectful homage to the noble Three Jewels!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. At that time the
god Candramas was seized by Rāhu, lord of the asuras. Then the god
Candramas,
recollecting and taking the Blessed One to heart,
recited this verse:

“I bow to the heroic Buddha.

May you swiftly liberate all beings!

As I have come into confinement

I take refuge in you.”

Then the Blessed One, for the sake of the god Candramas, addressed
Rāhu, lord of the asuras, with this verse:

“Since buddhas have compassion for the world,

Candramas took refuge

In the Worthy One, the Tathāgata;

Therefore, Rāhu, set the moon free!”

Thereupon Rāhu, lord of the asuras, set the god Candramas free and
hurriedly approached Vemacitra, lord of the
asuras. He then sat to one side, displeased, agitated, and
with all his body hairs bristling. Vemacitra, lord of the asuras, now
questioned Rāhu, lord of the asuras, in verse:

“Why, Rāhu, did you release

The moon in such a fright?

You are a very miserable sight.

Why did you approach in fear?”

Rāhu replied:

“Had I, hearing the Buddha’s verse,

Not then released the moon

My head would have split into seven pieces

And my life would be without happiness.”

This concludes “The Sūtra of the
Moon.”

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Source Texts

Related Primary Sources

Western Translations and References