Mañjuśrī’s Sworn Oath provides instruction in an incantatory practice focused on Mañjuśrī, in the form of a vidyā that Mañjuśrī himself pronounces. The vidyā unfolds in a series of forceful imperatives suggestive of battle, conquest, and celebration, and after enunciating it, Mañjuśrī explains that its recitation will lead to virtuosity in the memorization of scriptural verses. The benefits of recitation are then enumerated in more detail, relative to the number of times it is recited and whether the recitation is accompanied by ritual performance. As indicated by the title, Mañjuśrī then swears an oath to assure the vidyā’s efficacy, pledging to take on the karmic burden of the five misdeeds with immediate retribution should its promised benefits fail to ensue.
The Translation
Homage to the Three Jewels!
Homage to the Gentle Protector!
Thereupon Mañjuśrī the ever youthful rose from his seat, draped his upper garment over one shoulder, and knelt down on his right knee, and bowing toward the Blessed One with palms joined, he lowered his head to the Blessed One’s feet and enjoined the Blessed One thus:
“Blessed One, I have seen the vidyā—how wonderful if this sublime vidyā were to be spoken!” [F.14.a]
The entire retinue applauded the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī, “Very good, Mañjuśrī, very good indeed. O Mañjuśrī, speak the vidyā!”
“It is by means of the Blessed One’s speech that I shall do so,” he said. Then the bodhisattva mahāsattva Mañjuśrī bowed to all dharmas, the essence of all buddhas,6 and spoke the vidyā:
namaḥ sarvatathāgatebhyo | namo mañjuśriye bodhisattvāya || oṁ mañjuvara mañjughoṣa hana hana | paca paca | mata mata | matha matha | vidhvaṃsaya vidhvaṃsaya | kara kara | truṭa truṭa | bhañja bhañja | āviśa āviśa | tuṭa tuṭa | truṭa truṭa | sphuṭa sphuṭa | hṛdayabandhani namaḥ sambodhani praveśa praveśa | lota lota | kṛta kṛta | krida krida | krīḍa krīḍa7 | hasa hasa | prabandha prabandha | āviśa āviśa | hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ | phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā ||8
“Those who recite this thrice at midnight, or alternatively seven times during the day, will acquire the great vidyā. Such persons will be able to memorize three hundred ślokas.
“As for the associated ritual, having made a maṇḍala from sandalwood and offered lamps of clarified butter, if one recites the vidyā eight thousand times, it will be accomplished. Even if it is not accomplished, one will memorize two hundred stanzas each day.
“O Blessed One, if what I have declared does not ensue even for someone who has committed the five misdeeds with immediate retribution, then I, too, will have committed the five misdeeds with immediate retribution.”
This concludes the noble dhāraṇī “Mañjuśrī’s Sworn Oath.”