Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

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ThreeVows
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Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by ThreeVows »

I came across the following connected to Vasudhara and was wondering if anyone knew the source. Thank you.

Namo Ratna-trayaya. Om, Vasu Sriye Svaha. Om, Sri Vasu-mati Sriye Svaha. Om, Vasu Svaha. Om, Laksmi Putra Ni-vasiniye Svaha. Namo Vajra-panaye, Sriye Sri-kari, Dhana-kari, Dhanya-kari Svaha.
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by Zhen Li »

Source in what sense?

There are lots of variants on her dhāraṇī, and hundreds of Vasudhārā avadāna manuscripts, which often make up part of vratavidhis for Vasudhārā Vrata performance. There are also dhāraṇīsūtras. To trace these back to an origin point is pretty difficult.

Here's one dhāraṇīsūtra which has been transcribed: http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gre ... hAraNI.htm

A study of Vasudhārā (not to mention Vasundhārā) stories and manuscripts would make for a great dissertation topic.
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by ThreeVows »

Zhen Li wrote: Sat Nov 05, 2022 3:23 pm Source in what sense?
I suppose I was looking for sutras that gave mantras/dharanis. This one in particular but any really, generally.
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by Zhen Li »

Then that linked one should help you. It has about 10 pages of mantras for Vasudhara (133-143).
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by ThreeVows »

Zhen Li wrote: Sat Nov 05, 2022 5:25 pm Then that linked one should help you. It has about 10 pages of mantras for Vasudhara (133-143).
For those of us who cannot read Sanskrit, how would we know what is a mantra/dharani and what is the general text?

Thanks.
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by Zhen Li »

ThreeVows wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:12 pm
Zhen Li wrote: Sat Nov 05, 2022 5:25 pm Then that linked one should help you. It has about 10 pages of mantras for Vasudhara (133-143).
For those of us who cannot read Sanskrit, how would we know what is a mantra/dharani and what is the general text?

Thanks.
From "namo ratnatrayāya ..." (133) to "kailāśanivāsini svāhā" (143) it's all mantras. This is the only intervening text:

"yathā mahoṣadhīnāṃ sarvarogān nāśayanti | dhanado varuṇaś caiva indro vaivasvatas tathā tathā mahatī manonugāminī siddhiṃ cintayantu satataṃ sadyaḥ sarvā prayaccha yathākāmaṃ siddhyantāṃ mantrapadānīha"

One should probably read/translate the whole text to know what the purpose, requirements, and benefits of the dhāraṇī are.

I just had a look at the contents a bit more. For not being harmed by various deities or calamities, you can recite this:
"hūṃ 2 phaṭ vajreṇa sarvaduṣṭān sarvaśatrūn māraya 2 śoṣaya 2 stambhaya 2 bandhaya 2 hana 2 daha 2 paca 2 mara 2 māraya 2 sarvaśatrūn nāśaya 2 hūṃ phaṭ svāhā"
If one memorises it, writes it, keeps it in one's house, or teaches it to others, etc., along with worshipping all the buddhas and bodhisattvas for three days, then Vasudhāra will come and bestow wealth upon that person.

The longer dhāraṇī is for success, destroying illness, wealth, fulfilling desires. It should also be accompanied by worship of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, Avalokiteśvara, etc., along with various offerings and the worship of a maṇḍala. One should not recite it while eating meat or drinking alcohol, and should bathe and wear clean clothes, etc.

It's quite detailed. I think it is probably best to do this under the guidance of a teacher. But simply reciting, copying, or worshipping the text would probably be fine.

The text relates how the poor householder Sucandra begs the Buddha to tell him how to become wealthy. After being taught the dhāraṇīs, Ānanda goes to his house and inspects it, and finds that it is completely filled with riches and grain. The Buddha reveals that after practicing the dhāraṇī Vausdhāra blessed Sucandra with wealth. He encourages good practitioners to copy out the text and worship it.
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by ThreeVows »

Thank you, that's quite helpful/enriching.

One question - what are the 2s for, here?
Zhen Li wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:01 pm "hūṃ 2 phaṭ vajreṇa sarvaduṣṭān sarvaśatrūn māraya 2 śoṣaya 2 stambhaya 2 bandhaya 2 hana 2 daha 2 paca 2 mara 2 māraya 2 sarvaśatrūn nāśaya 2 hūṃ phaṭ svāhā"
If one memorises it, writes it, keeps it in one's house, or teaches it to others, etc., along with worshipping all the buddhas and bodhisattvas for three days, then Vasudhāra will come and bestow wealth upon that person.
:anjali:
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

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ThreeVows wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:01 pm Thank you, that's quite helpful/enriching.

One question - what are the 2s for, here?
Zhen Li wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:01 pm "hūṃ 2 phaṭ vajreṇa sarvaduṣṭān sarvaśatrūn māraya 2 śoṣaya 2 stambhaya 2 bandhaya 2 hana 2 daha 2 paca 2 mara 2 māraya 2 sarvaśatrūn nāśaya 2 hūṃ phaṭ svāhā"
If one memorises it, writes it, keeps it in one's house, or teaches it to others, etc., along with worshipping all the buddhas and bodhisattvas for three days, then Vasudhāra will come and bestow wealth upon that person.
:anjali:
Is it that the word prior to the 2 is repeated twice?

It seems like many dharanis have things like hana hana daha daha paca paca...
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by Virgo »

ThreeVows wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 8:57 pm
Is it that the word prior to the 2 is repeated twice?
It might just be the formatting of the text. It should probably be ignored?

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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by ThreeVows »

Virgo wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:07 pm
ThreeVows wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 8:57 pm
Is it that the word prior to the 2 is repeated twice?
It might just be the formatting of the text. It should probably be ignored?

Virgo
I don't know, it seems a bit weird to say hana daha paca maraya... I've said a decent amount of dharanis, and such words are often repeated twice. And the 2s aren't found in other parts of the same text, other than in particular places where again it seems like oft-repeated words, like cara, ciri, curu, hulu, mulu, tishta, bandha, etc. I'm fairly certain it's saying to repeat the prior word.
“Whoever wants to find the wisdom beyond intellect without praying to his guru is like someone waiting for the sun to shine in a cave facing the north. He will never realize appearances and his mind to be one.”
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by Zhen Li »

Yes, the 2 means it is repeated twice. This is common in manuscripts, but usually in printed editions they repeat the word.

You also see 3 for things like śrī 3 bhagavān: the śrī śrī śrī bhagavān.
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by ThreeVows »

Zhen Li wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:11 pm Yes, the 2 means it is repeated twice. This is common in manuscripts, but usually in printed editions they repeat the word.

You also see 3 for things like śrī 3 bhagavān: the śrī śrī śrī bhagavān.
Thank you, that seemed to be the case based on the words that the number was next to. I appreciate it. :anjali:
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by pemachophel »

When I received the transmission for this dharani, the Teacher did not say anything about "midnight," sandalwood," or "mandalas." Personally, I just say the dharani while facing the west and with faith in and devotion to Vasudhara.
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Re: Vasudhara Mantras/Dharani

Post by Zhen Li »

pemachophel wrote: Tue Jan 31, 2023 1:30 am When I received the transmission for this dharani, the Teacher did not say anything about "midnight," sandalwood," or "mandalas." Personally, I just say the dharani while facing the west and with faith in and devotion to Vasudhara.
Yeah, as I suggested, one should probably do this with a teacher's guidance. The text of the sūtra is directed at particular audiences at particular times, and a kalyaṇamitra should know what practice suits our temperaments.
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