Toh 552The Eight Maidens’ Praise of Mañjuśrī, Lord of Speech

Summary

This scripture is a praise to the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. The eight maidens indicated by the title may be
inferred as each speaking a different verse, together providing a range of perspectives.

Acknowledgements

Translated by David Mellins, Kaia Fischer, and Geshé Lobsang Dawa, with Phakyab Rinpoche (Geshé Ngawang
Sungrab), under the auspices of the Tibetan Classics Translators Guild of New York. Introduction by David
Mellins and Kaia Fischer. Special thanks to Paul Hackett for generously sharing his bibliographic expertise
and resources. This translation would not have been possible without the kind and dedicated tutelage of Gen
Lozang Jamspal, Executive Director, Tibetan Classics Translators Guild of New York.

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

Introduction

This scripture is a praise to the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. Each of the eight maidens indicated by the
title may be inferred as each speaking a different verse, together providing a range of perspectives.
These figures do not themselves appear in the body of the text, which lacks an introductory narrative.
The first two verses are praises of Mañjuśrī’s radiance. The third verse praises the glittering jewels
of his uṣṇīṣa, the fourth his ambrosial voice, the fifth his purifying agency, the sixth his fearsome
appearance and manner, the seventh his beatific visage, and the eighth verse concludes the encomium
with a presentation of immense offerings. While the text is relatively straightforward in its
description of Mañjuśrī’s physical and metaphysical attributes, it has several striking turns of
phrase that present his features as indicative of the teachings themselves, which serve to inform
devotional practice.

This popular praise appears twice in the Tengyur in the works of Saṃvarabhadra. The opening verse
appears in his A Ritual for Offering a Maṇḍala
(Maṇḍalavidhi, Toh 2121), and the scripture in its entirety is found in his A Sādhana of “Reciting the Names of Mañjuśrī”
(Āryamañjuśrīnāmasaṅgītisādhana, Toh 2108). The opening verse has also been cited
by prominent masters from all the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and continues to be found in
prayer liturgies memorized and recited by monastics to this day.

The text’s absence from the Denkarma and Phangthangma imperial catalogs suggests that it was
translated into Tibetan later than the beginning of the ninth century ce, but before the flourishing of the scholar Butön Rinchen Drup
(bu ston
rin chen grub, 1290–1364), who listed its title in his History of Buddhism. The Tibetan translation lacks both a Sanskrit title and a colophon, so
we have no information regarding its origin, transmission history, or translation into Tibetan. It
also appears that the text was never translated into Chinese.

This English translation is based on the Degé Kangyur version (Toh 552) in consultation with the
variant readings recorded in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur
ma), with all major divergences recorded in the notes.

The Translation

##
The Eight Maidens’ Praise of Mañjuśrī, Lord of Speech

Possessor of youthful body,

Adorned by the lamp of wisdom

That removes the darkness of delusion from the world—

Homage to Mañjughoṣa.

Your flood of radiance

Outshines the full moon

And banishes ignorance—

Homage to Mañjuśrī.

Upon whose topknot, uncreated and vivid,

Rests a form glittering with gems,

Whose body is a delight to all—

Homage to you, Mañjuśrī.

Like ambrosia, soft and deep,

The pleasing sound of your voice,

O holy one, trove of Dharma jewels —

Homage and praise to you, Mañjuśrī.

Countless as drops of water in the Ganges

Are the stains of affliction

You dispel in every world—

Homage and praise to you, Mañjuśrī.

Terrifying is your body’s manner

When, fangs bared in fearsome pose,

You shatter the Lord of Death’s arrogance—

Homage and praise to you, Mañjuśrī.

You are beautified by a blue utpala

That is like your eyes in luster,

As you bear an alms bowl in your
hand —

Homage to you, Mañjuśrī.

With immense offerings and praise

To the buddhas dwelling in the ten directions

We pay homage to you, Mañjuśrī,

Teacher of the path to liberation.

This concludes “The Eight Maidens’ Praise.”

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan Sources

Western Language Sources