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1 DH \
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TRIRATNABHAJANAN USA MSi\
RATNA HANDURUKANDE
.
The
advantage;
gained by revering the Three Jewels (triratna), viz. the
E
nlightened
One
(Buddha), the doctrine (Dharma) and the community
of
monks (Sargha) are liste frequently in the class of narrative Literature
ca
lled
the avad
anamala, whIch are mostly metrical adaptations of older
works. The period of composition of the GJladanamilas is said to be about
t
h
e
si
x
th
century A.C. and l
ater. 1 While emphasizing the value of paying
homage
to the Three Jewels, the avadanamfla texts set forth quite dearly
the
ideaL of th Mahayana Buddhist, which i
s
the attainment of Buddhahood
for
the
em
ancipation of all beings.
I give below (f) a selection from an avadanamalf describing the advantages
gai
ned
by those who pay homage to the Three Jewcis, followed by (1I)
a synopsis in English of its contents, in this speciaL volume _issued to honour
a 'sarpgharatna . The text quoted from is the Triratnabhajananusarpsa
vadana, a Sanskrit text written in the Newari script, a microfilm copy of
which is available in The [nstituie for Advanced Studies of World Retigions
at Stony Brook, New York.2 The king addressed to in the text is Asoka,
and t
h
e speaker, a celestial dei ty. A group of merchants approach the king
and inform him that their ship was shattered, an.d the wealth destroyed,
by nagas living in the ocean. The king is distressed as he cannot counteract
the destructive activities of the nigas. Then a deity appears and advises hirn
to take recourse to the Buddha, detailing the advantages resulting from
paying homage to the Buddha, f)harma and SUlpgha, in the following
- verses:
yc pujayanti saqlbuddhe satkrtya sraddhaya muda
team ajiakaral) sarve lraidhatukadhipa spi
tatha brahmadayas capi prarakanti subhaqlkara1)3
Sakradayal) surendras ca Iokapata maharddhikab
Dhrtara$tradayas capi gandharvas taddhitarpkarai)
prarak$anti sada nityarp dadallti ca yathepsitam
tathJ ca palayanty eva Vaisvananldayo 'gnayal
dahotpatar na kurvanti grhadi$u kadacana
tatha pretJdhipal) kala! kumbhJIJQas ca mahabalab
Viru<hakadayo naiva vighnanty api katharcana
Naiq-tyadi mahavIra rak$asas ca sadanugal
palayanti sada dU$tin hatva nityaI1 samantatah
104 FESTSCHRIFT FOR HAMMALAVA SADDHATISSA
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,
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l'
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|CBdIVd SUdIu| 8dVC u]I\u!) |dIU;Id
.ATNA HANDURUKANDE
tasyaiva te jinaD. sarve paritutal) prasadital)
bodh
icaryabaiarp datva palayanti sadadarat
evar
buddhaprasadena sarvamaran vinirjayan
sarvaklesavinirmuktal sarpbodhirp samavapnuyat
iti mat va maharaja sadgural samupasrayan
saddharma: sangataT nityal satkrtya sraddhaya SP)U
srutva GaiVafl rlunindrasya sarpghanam arhatarp saUim
s
a
tkrtya sraddhayabhyarcya bhojanais ca sada bhaja
etat pUDyaphala:p rajann asarpkhyeyaI11 mahattaram
etena durgatirp naiti sadgatim evam apnuyat
kr 1n5d bodhicarirp pra pya pari suddhatrima Talah
:akad arhatpadaql prapya nirv!,!ipadClm apnuyat
iti matva maharaja yady asti sadgata rcil
satkrtya sraddhay[t blu.ktya sarpghasya bha
J
a sadaral11
,
yavantai praJinal) santi traidh:tubhuvanei api,.
tan sarvan pujayed yas tat pUl.yaI11 tasya mahattararn
tato bahutara111 pUl.yarp prapnuyat sa mahamati l
satkrtya sraddhaya yas ca bhikum ekrp praplljayer
te sarve pral.ino 'rhantvi bhaveYllr bhikavo yadl
satkrtya sraddhaya nitya:p tan sarvan api pujayet
tato 'dhikataraql pUlyalp prapnuyat sa na sarpsayal)
pratyekabuddham ekarp yai ckavara: praplljayet
bhaveyul) praJ)inab sarve rratyekasugata yadi
tan sarvan plijayed yas ca satkrtya sraddh"ya sadii
tato 'dhi katara: pUJ.yal11 p rapn II yit sa Sl bhasayal)
bodhi sattvarl mahaprajnam ekaT1 yas ca samarcayet
bhaveyul praJinal} sarve bodhisattva gUl,akaral
satkrtya sraddhaya nityaf tan sarvan yal) prapujayct
tato bahutararp srethal1 pUI)yar)1 sa prapnuyat dhruvaI11
ckarp yab sugatal11 smrtva tathaikarll yal) samarcayet
bhaveyub praninal} sarvc slrbuddha\ sugata yadi
satkrtya sradda,Iya nityarp sarvams tal' papujayet
.
tato mahattaral)1 punyarp prapnuyat sa sudhIS ca ya\
kayakale munTndrasya sPoti dharmam adaraT
105
106
FESTSCHRIFT FOR HAMMALAVA SADDHATiSSA
tenaiva sugatab sarv
e pujitas tutim agaUib
prabhaate manayanasutraf Y$ bodhayan naran
tasyaiva hi triratnani paritu$tani sarvada
yathepsitaI- varaI- dadyub saIPbodhipadasadhane
ili matva mahlpala satkrt
y
a sraddhaya mudi
triratnani samabh
y
arya prabhajasva samadarat
: J
1J
Even the lords of the tnree worLds carl'y out the commands of those
wh
worship the Buddhas, perfectly enlightened Ones, with faith and joy. Brahm;
Sakra, the world-protectors like Dhrtaragra, and the gandharvas pro
teI
them at aU times, granting them thei r de:j res. The Fre-deities led by Vaisv
!lara guard them. never causing the calamity of' buring ill their 10 mes an
the like. or do Kala, the lord of ihe dead, or the kumbhindas who hal
Viruchaka as their head, hinder them in an
y
way. The rakasas such as Naif{
take care of them, following them constantly and destroying the wick
The naga-lords, VaruQa, Virupak$a and others keep watch over them whi
the Maruts, the gods of the winds, refrain from causi ng them any misfortUfi l
. VajrapaIi (Indra), MaheSana (Siva), the sun, the moon, the stars, neve
hostile, aford them protection, white the lords of the daityas like Vemacitr
follow them, killing their enemies. MahakaIa, Kumara, and groups of beifil
like the divine mothers, bhairavas, vi d
y
udharas, siddhas, sadhyas, kinnara
vasus, putanas, beings moving in the air, Oil earth, and icgions under
tt
earth, beings of all the three worlds follow their command and protect ther
So do sages like Manu, universal monarchs and other kngs, minister
leaders of armies, friends, kinsmen, servants and atten.dants. Therefor
o king, honour the Buddhas at all times, for
y
ou will be blessed and yO!
desires will be fulfilled. The LUprit gained b
y
honouri ng the Buddhas
innumerable, i mmeasurable and very great.
The
y
who listen to the doctrine of the Buddhas with reverence, reve
rhe Buddhas themselves. Pleased with them the Buddhas protect ther
conferring upon them the power of the cours of conduct leading to enlighte
ment. Favoured by the Buddhas, they overcome aU obstacles and atta
perfect enlightenment free of aU deflements. Beari ng this in mind, 0 gre
king, listen to the good doctri ne of the Blessed Ones, with reverence, ar
with faith.
Likewise, honour the community of monks, th
e
venerable ones, oieril
them alms with devotion and paying homage to them at aU times. The me
resulting therefrom is innumerable and very great. They who honour t
' saIgha ' are never born in evil states. Bor in happy states, reaching t
course of conduct leading to enlightenment, they become arhants and atta
the state of bliss. Bear this in mind, 0 king, and pay homage tOihe COl
munity of monks, with faith and with devotion.
RATNA HANDURUKANDE
107
T
rit
gai
ne
d by
honouring a si ngle monk is greater than that gained
e
i

ng
as
m
a
ny people as there are in the three worlds; the merit
bi
n
h
onouring a single '
pra

ye
k
ab
uddha
' jst once is ndo

btely
g
than
tha
t gai ned by
honourIng all arhats ahve; the ment gamed by
areater .
h h . d b h
.
:
ring
a
sin
gle
bodh
isattva IS greater t an t at game y onounng all
h
o
noU
. . d b h . .
d
, r
aty
eka
bud
dhas ' ;
and. the ment game y onounng a smgle Bu dha is
(
eater than
that gained by
honouring all extant bodhisattvas. A wise person,
o,h
o
li
ste
n
s
t
o
the doctrine 'vith respect whe
n there are no Buddhas gains
\\ 'It
greater than that of h01louring all livi ng Buddhas. The Buddhas ,
mCI
. .
.
h
ono
ured
by
that
act of listenmg, become pleased with him. In l i ke manner,
the
Th
ree Jewels become pleased with him who recites a text belonging
to
the
Great Vehicle awakening the minds of meo. Being pleased, the Three
Jew
els confer up
o
n him desired boons leading to the goal of Perfect Enlighten
I Il:
ill.
Bear this in mind, 0 king, and pay homage to the Three Jewels, with
fa
ith, joy and zeal.
NOT
!. Winternitz, A History of Sanskrit Literature II, Calcutta 1933, p. 291.
MBB II 94 in: Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts. A Title List of the Micro/i1m CoI
hdion of The Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions. 1975. MBB II 94
forms folios 98 b1-103 a2 of a manuscript of 125 folios, classifed as MBB I 90-95,
in this list. The seletion quoted in this paper occurs on folios 99 b-}b.
m. subhakara
ms? ahlvaha
m. jyavanty
ms? sradadayo
fS. smudged here