Mañjuśrī’s Increasing of Insight and Intelligence is a short dhāraṇī scripture centered on the figure of Mañjuśrī. It opens with a salutation to the Three Jewels, followed by the Sanskrit dhāraṇī proper, and concludes with an enumeration of the benefits accrued by its memorization. These include the swift attainment of intelligence, a melodious voice, and a beautiful appearance. It also extols physical contact with the material text, which is said to enable recollection of one’s former lives. The scripture concludes with a brief statement of the benefits accrued by extensive recitation, which culminate in beholding the very face of Mañjuśrī.Summary
The Translation
Homage to the Three Jewels!
namo mañjuśriye kumārabhūtāya4 ||
tadyathā | oṁ araje viraje | śuddhe viśuddhe | śodhani5 viśodhani6 | śodhaya viśodhaya | amale vimale | jayavati ru ru cale | hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ | phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā ||7
Those who memorize this will become intelligent within one month. Their voice will be melodious. Their appearance will be beautiful. After a single reading they will turn their back on cyclic existence for a thousand eons. By merely holding it in their hands they will recall former lives. After a hundred thousand recitations they will become erudite. After two hundred thousand recitations they will become vidyādharas. After three hundred thousand recitations they will behold the face of Mañjuśrī.
If one who has committed the five misdeeds with immediate retribution does not thus succeed, then may I myself become guilty of committing the five misdeeds with immediate retribution and of deceiving the blessed buddhas.
This concludes “The Noble Lord Mañjuśrī’s Dḥāraṇī for Increasing Insight and Intelligence.”