The Heart Stra | Devangar and romanized texts; word by word

meaning


Hdayastram


o nama sarvajya||

nama | bowing || sarvajya | to the one who knows (ja) everything (sarva)

Om, I bow to the Omniscient One.


eva may rutam|

evam | in this way || may | by me || rutam | heard

Thus have I heard.



ekasmin samaye bhagavn rjaghe viharati sma gdhrake parvate mahat
bhikusaghena srdha mahat ca bodhisattvasaghena |

ekasmin samaye | at one (ekasmin) time (samaye) || bhagavn | the Blessed one ||
rjaghe | at Rajgir ||viharati sma | was residing || gdhrake parvate | at the
mountain (parvate) of Vulture Peak (gdhra-ke) || mahat bhikusaghena srdham |
together with (srdham) a great (mahat) assembly of monks (bhiku-saghena) ||
mahat ca bodhisattvasaghena | and (ca) a great (mahat) assembly of bodhisattvas
(bodhisattva-saghena)

At one time, the Blessed one was residing in Rajgir at the mountain of Vulture Peak,
together with a great assembly of monks and a great assembly of Bodhisattvas.


tena khalu samayena bhagavn gambhrvasambodhanma samdhi
sampanna|

tena samayena | at that (tena) time (samayena) || khalu | indeed || bhagavn | the
Blessed One || gambhra-avasambodha-nma | by the name (nma) 'Profound-
Realisation' (gambhra-avasambodham) || samdhim | absorption
sampanna | entered

Just at that time, the Blessed One entered the absorption called 'Profound-Realisation'.

~
~
tena ca samayenryvalokitevaro bodhisattvo mahsattvo gambhry
prajpramity cary carama eva vyavalokayati sma |

tena ca samayena | and (ca) at that time || rya-avalokitevara | the Noble
Avalokitevara || bodhisattva mahsattva | Bodhisattva, Great Being ||
gambhry prajpramitym | in the profound (gambhrym) Perfection of
Wisdom (prajpramitym) || cary carama | practicing (carama) the
conduct (carym) || evam | in this way || vyavalokayati sma | observed

Also at that time, Noble Avalokitevara, Bodhisattva and Great Being, practicing the
conduct within the profound Perfection of Wisdom, observed in this way:

( > ~
paca skandhstca svabhvanya vyavalokayati |

paca | five || skandhn | aggregates || tn | those || ca | and || svabhva-nyam |
empty of own-being || vyavalokayati | observed

he observed the five aggregates, and the same as empty of own-being.

; ~
athyum chriputro buddhnubhvenryvalokitevara bodhisattvam etad
avocat |

atha | then || yumn | Long Lived (title of respect) || riputra | riputra || buddha-
anubhvena | through the inspiration (anubhvena) of the Buddha || rya-
avalokitevaram | to Noble Avalokitevara || bodhisattvam | Bodhisattva || etat | this ||
avocat | said

Then, Long Lived riputra, through the inspiration of the Buddha, said this to Noble
Avalokitevara, the Bodhisattva:

> ~
ya kacit kulaputro gambhry prajpramity cary cartukma katha
ikitavya |

ya kacit | any, whosoever || kula-putra | son of noble family || gambhry
prajpramitym | in the profound Perfection of Wisdom || carym | conduct ||
cartu-kma | desirous of practicing || katham | how || ikitavya | should be trained

How should a son of noble family, who wishes to practice the conduct within the
profound Perfection of Wisdom, be trained?

~
eva ukta ryvalokitevaro bodhisattvo mahsattva yumanta chriputram etad
avocat |

evam | in this way || ukte | having being said || rya-avalokitevara | the Noble
Avalokitevara || bodhisattva mahsattva | Bodhisattva Great Being || yumanta
chriputram | to the Long Lived riputra || etat | this || avocat | said

This being said, Noble Avalokitevara, Bodhisattva and Great Being, said this to the
Long Lived riputra:

>
~~
ya kacic chriputra kulaputro v kuladuhit v gambhry prajpramity
cary cartukmas tenaiva vyavalokayitavyam |

ya kacit | any, whosoever || riputra | oh riputra || kula-putra | son of noble
family || v | or || kula-duhit | daughter of noble family || v | or || gambhry
prajpramitym | in the profound Perfection of Wisdom || carym | conduct ||
cartu-kma | desirous of practicing || tena | by that one || evam | in this way ||
vyavalokayitavyam | it should be observed

Oh riputra, any son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the conduct
within the profound Perfection of Wisdom, should observe in this way:

( >
paca skandhs t ca svabhvanyn samanupayati sma |

paca | five || skandhn | aggregates || tn | those || ca | and || svabhva-nyn | empty
of own-being || samanupayati sma | has properly seen

he properly sees the five aggregates, and the same as empty of own-being,


rpa nyat nyataiva rpam |

rpam | form || nyat | emptiness || nyat | emptiness || eva | indeed, just || rpam |
form

Form is emptiness, that very emptiness is form.


rpn na pthak nyat nyaty na pthag rpam |

rpt | from form || na | not || pthak | separate || nyat | emptiness || nyaty |
from emptiness || na | not || pthak | separate || rpam | form

Emptiness is not apart from form; form is not apart from emptiness.


yad rpa s nyat y nyat tad rpam |

yat | that which || rpam | form || s | that || nyat | emptiness || y | that which ||
nyat | emptiness || tat | that || rpam | form

That which is form, is emptiness; that which is emptiness, is form.


eva vedan-saj-saskra-vijnni ca nyat |

evam | in the same way || vedan-saj-saskra-vijnni | feelings, notions,
formations, consciousness || ca | and || nyat | emptiness

In the same way, feelings, notions, formations and consciousness too are emptiness.

;

eva riputra sarvadharm nyatlaka anutpann aniruddh amalvimal
ann asapr |

evam | in this way || riputra | oh riputra || sarva-dharm | all phenomena ||
nyat | emptiness || a-laka | without characteristics || an-utpann | not arisen ||
a-niruddh | not ceased || a-mala-a-vimal | without stains nor with stains removed
|| a-nn | not lacking || a-sapr | not filled

In this way, riputra, all phenomena are emptiness, without characteristics, non-
arisen, non-ceased, without stains nor with stains removed, not lacking, not filled.


tasmt tarhi riputra nyaty na rpa na vedan na saj na saskr na
vijna |

tasmt tarhi | therefore || riputra | oh riputra || nyatym | in emptiness || na
rpam | no form || na vedan | no feeling || na saj | no notion || na saskr | no
formations || na vijnam | no consciousness

Therefore, riputra, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no notion, no
formations, no consciousness;


?~
na cakur na rotra na ghra na jihv na kyo na mano na rpa na abdo na
gandho na raso na spraavya na dharm |

na caku | no eye || na rotram | no ear || na ghram | no olfactory organ, nose || na
jihv | no tongue || na kya | no body || na mana | no mind || na rpam | no form || na
abda | no sound || na gandha | no smell || na rasa | no flavour || na spraavyam |
nothing to be touched || na dharm | no (mental) phenomena

no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no form, no sound, no smell, no
flavour, nothing to be touched, no phenomena;


na cakurdhtur yvan na manodhtur na dharmadhtur na manovijnadhtu |

na caku-dhtu | no eye-sphere || yvat | upto || na mana-dhtu | no mind-sphere ||
na dharma-dhtu | no sphere of (mental) phenomena || na mana-vijna-dhtu |
no sphere of mental consciousness

no eye-sphere up to no mind-sphere, no sphere of phenomena, no sphere of mental
consciousness;

U U
na vidy nvidy na kayo yvan na jarmaraakaya |

na vidy | no knowledge || na avidy | no ignorance || na kaya | no destruction ||
yvat | upto || na jar-maraa-kaya | no destruction of old age and death

no knowledge, no ignorance, no destruction, up to no destruction of old age and
death;

HH
na dukhasamudayanirodhamrg na jna na prptir nprpti |

na dukha-samudaya-nirodha-mrg | no pain (dukha) arising (samudaya)
cessation (nirodha) or path (mrga) || na jnam | no cognition || na prpti | no
attainment || na a-prpti | no non-attainment

no pain, arising, cessation or path, no cognition, no attainment, no non-attainment.


H

tasmc chriputra aprptitvena bodhisattvn prajpramit ritya viharati
cittvaraa |

tasmt | therefore || riputra | oh riputra || a-prptitvena | by means of non-
attainment || bodhisattvnm | of the Bodhisattvas || prajpramitm | the Perfection
of Wisdom || ritya | having resorted to || viharati | he dwells || cittvaraa | with
mental obscuration (cittasya varaa yasya sa); or, without mental obscuration
(cittasya avaraa yasya sa); or, with mind as obscuration (cittam eva varaa
yasya sa); or, with mind as a non-obscuration (cittam eva avaraa yasya sa). (This
word is only in the Sanskrit: varaa is more likely than a-varaa).

Therefore, riputra, by means of non-attainment, having resorted to the Perfection of
Wisdom of the Bodhisattvas, he dwells with mind-obscuration.

S
cittvaraanstitvd atrasto viparystikrnto nihanirva |

citta-varaa-nstitvt | because of the non-existence (nstitvt) of mental
obscurations (citta-varaa); or because of the non-existence of one who has mental
obscurations; or, because of the non-existence of lack of mental obscurations; or,
because of the non-existence of one who lacks mental obscurations || a-trasta |
unafraid || viparysa-atikrnta | gone beyond (atikrnta) distortions (viparysa) ||
niha-nirva | (his) nirva is fixed

Since mental obscurations are not there, he is unafraid, gone beyond distortion, his
nirva is fixed.

~ ; ;
tryadhvavyasthit sarvabuddh prajpramit ritynuttar
samyaksambodhim abhisambuddh |

tri-adhva-vyasthit | placed (vyasthit) in the three times (tri-adhvan) || sarva-
buddh | all the Buddhas || prajpramitm ritya | relying upon the Perfection of
Wisdom || anuttarm | unsurpassed || samyak-sambodhim | perfect complete
awakening || abhisambuddh | awakened to

All the Buddhas, placed in the three times, relying upon the Perfection of Wisdom are
awakened to unsurpassed perfect complete awakening.



~ U

tasmj jtavya prajpramitmahmantro
mahvidymantro'nuttaramantro'samasamamantra sarvadukhapraamanamantra
satyam amithyatvt prajpramitym ukto mantra |

tasmt | therefore || jtavya | should be known || prajpramit-mahmantra | the
great mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom || mahvidy-mantra | the mantra of great
knowledge || anuttara-mantra | unsurpassed mantra || a-sama-sama-mantra | the
mantra equal to no equal || sarva-dukha-praamana-mantra | the mantra pacifying
(praamana) all pain (sarva-dukha) || satyam | truth || amithyatvt | because of non-
falsity || prajpramitym | in the Perfection of Wisdom || ukta | said || mantra |
mantra

Therefore, the great mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom, the mantra of great
knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to no equal, the mantra
pacifying all pain, should be known as truth, because of non falsity - the mantra said
in the Perfection of Wisdom.

U
tadyath | gate gate pragate prasagate bodhi svh |

tadyath | in this way || gate gate | gone gone || pra-gate | gone to the other shore ||
pra-sagate | completely gone to the other shore || bodhi | awakening || svh |
(indeclinable found at the end of mantras)

As follows:

Gone, gone, gone to the other shore, perfectly gone to the other shore, awakening,
svh.

~
eva riputra gambhry prajpramity caryy ikitavyam
bodhisattvena |

evam | in this way || riputra | oh riputra || gambhry prajpramitym | in
the profound Perfection of Wisdom || caryym | in the conduct || ikitavyam | should
be trained || bodhisattvena | by a Bodhisattva

In this way, riputra, a Bodhisattva should train in the conduct within the profound
Perfection of Wisdom.



~ ~

atha khalu bhagavn tasmt samdher vyutthyryvalokitevarasya bodhisattvasya
sdhukram adt |

atha | then || khalu | indeed || bhagavn | the Blessed One || tasmt samdhe | from
that absorption || vyutthya | having arisen || rya-avalokitevarasya | of Noble
Avalokitevara || bodhisattvasya | of the Bodhisattva || sdhu-kram | praise
(lit.'making good') || adt | gave

Just then, the Blessed One arose from that absorption and praised Noble
Avalokitevara, the Bodhisattva.


sdhu sdhu kulaputra evam etat kulaputra |

sdhu sdhu | good good || kula-putra | oh son of noble family || evam etat | just like
this || kula-putra | oh son of noble family

Good, good, son of noble family, just like this, son of noble family,

] ~ ? U

evam etad gambhry prajpramity carya cartavyam yath tvay
nirdiam anumodyate tathgatair arhadbhi |

evam etat | just like this || gambhry prajpramitym | in the profound
Perfection of Wisdom || caryam | conduct || cartavyam | should be practiced || yath |
like || tvay | by you || nirdiam | indicated || anumodyate | it is rejoiced at, it is
approved || tathgatai | by the Tathgatas || arhadbhi | the Arhats

the conduct in the profound Perfection of Wisdom should be practiced just like this;
the Tathgatas, the Arhats, approve the manner you have indicated.


idam avocad bhagavnn attaman |

idam | this || avocat | said || bhagavn | the Blessed One || atta-man | with a pleased
mind

This said the Blessed One, with a pleased mind.

~>
>
yum chariputra ryvalokitevara ca bodhisattva s ca parat
sadevamnusuragandharva ca loko bhagavato bhitam abhyanandan |

yumn riputra | the long lived riputra || rya-avalokitevara ca bodhisattva
| and the Bodhisattva Noble Avalokitevara || s ca parat | and that assembly || sa-
deva-mnua-asura-gandharva ca loka | and the world (loka) together with (sa)
gods (deva) men (mnua) demigods (asura) and gandharvas || bhagavata | of the
Blessed One || bhitam | speech || abhyanandan | rejoiced at

The Long Lived riputra and Noble Avalokitevara, the Bodhisattva, that assembly
and the world together with its gods, men, demigods and gandharvas, rejoiced at the
speech of the Blessed One.

H
iti prajpramithdayastra samptam |

iti | thus || prajpramit-hdaya-stram | the Heart Sutra on the Perfection of
Wisdom || samptam | finished

Thus, the Heart Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom is finished.

Input by Mattia Salvini