Toh 1137Praise of the One who Extricates Beings from the Hells
Pāli / Sanskrit:Narakoddhāra
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The Scripture Praising the One Who Liberates Beings from Hell
Background
Narakoddhāra (Narakoddhāra Stotra), or "The Scripture Praising the One Who Liberates Beings from Hell," is a verse of praise belonging to the Tengyur, the commentarial canon of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition. This scripture is recorded in the collection of verses praising bodhisattvas and buddhas, reflecting the practice tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, where praise is considered a form of practice that accumulates great merit.
The profound background of the scripture lies in the Mahayana understanding of the power of compassion and the vows (誓願) of the bodhisattvas. In particular, this scripture honors bodhisattvas or buddhas who have a special power to liberate beings who have fallen into the three lower realms, especially hell (Naraka). In the Northern Tibetan tradition, this figure is often understood as a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara or other bodhisattvas who have vows to rescue suffering beings.
Main Content
The Narakoddhāra scripture honors the one who has the power and compassion to draw beings out of hell, the place where the most terrible torments in saṃsāra are endured. Hell in Buddhism is not eternal; it is the result of evil karma, but one may also be rescued through the compassionate power of the bodhisattvas.
This verse praises the exalted one who is able to see, hear, and feel the suffering of beings who have fallen into the darkest depths of the three lower realms. This is not merely passive pity, but active conduct, using the power of compassion to draw them out of the cycle of suffering. This reflects the Mahayana principle that a bodhisattva cannot attain complete nirvana while even one being remains unliberated.
The scripture honors the means of escaping hell not through abstract prayers, but through direct connection with the compassion and transcendent power of these beings. It affirms that no being is too vile, too deeply immersed in suffering, to be beyond rescue.
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