{"id":266,"date":"2012-04-06T06:10:39","date_gmt":"2012-04-06T04:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/?p=266"},"modified":"2012-04-21T16:14:38","modified_gmt":"2012-04-21T14:14:38","slug":"the-dharmadhatu-stava-by-nagarjuna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/the-dharmadhatu-stava-by-nagarjuna\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dharmadh\u0101tu-stava by N\u0101g\u0101rjuna"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jacques has called our attention to what is the single most important text by N\u0101g\u0101rjuna for the so-called \u201cGreat Madhyamaka\u201d tradition, the Dharmadh\u0101tu-stava<\/em>. The dharma-dh\u0101tu is the \u201cdh\u0101tu of dharmas\u201d; i.e., the \u201celement\u201d or \u201cbasic space\u201d or \u201crealm\u201d of the dharmas, the \u201celements of existence\u201d or \u201cphenomena\u201d or \u201cfactors\u201d that make up our world. A stava, also called a stotra, is a \u201chymn\u201d or \u201csong\u201d or \u201cpraise.\u201d As might be expected, the stavas by N\u0101g\u0101rjuna are not typical songs of praise; they are full of philosophical ideas. Here he speaks of something that cannot be directly described in words, or reasoned about like the topics of his other writings, so he just sings his praises of it.<\/p>\n

The Sanskrit original has not yet been published, and was presumed lost. However, it is reported to have been found among the Sanskrit manuscripts preserved in Tibet, only recently becoming accessible to scholars. In the meantime, until this is edited and published, we have six verses of the original Sanskrit that were quoted in N\u0101rop\u0101\u2019s K\u0101lacakra commentary, the Sekodde\u015ba-\u1e6d\u012bk\u0101<\/em>. These are given below, quoted from the excellent 2006 edition prepared by Francesco Sferra (Serie Orientale Roma, vol. XCIX, p. 188). I have also compared the pioneering 1941 edition by Mario E. Carelli (Gaekwad\u2019s Oriental Series, vol. XC, p. 66). The only significant difference is the superior reading \u201cagni-\u015bauca\u1e43\u201d in verse 20a in the 2006 edition, rather than the reading \u201cagni\u1e25 \u015bauca\u1e43\u201d in the 1941 edition.<\/p>\n

Also given below is an English translation of these verses made from the Tibetan translation by Donald S. Lopez, Jr., found in the 2004 book he edited, Buddhist Scriptures<\/em> (Penguin), pp. 467-468. Jacques has already informed us of the 2007 translation by Karl Brunnholzl with full commentary. Another translation by Jeffrey Hopkins of these verses (but not the whole text) may be found in Mountain Doctrine<\/em> (2006), pp. 102-105, where they were quoted by Dolpopa. Of these, note especially verse 22, which is of much significance. A fairly literal translation of N\u0101g\u0101rjuna\u2019s verse from the original Sanskrit is: \u201cWhichever (ye kecid) s\u016btras (s\u016btr\u0101\u1e25) that bring in (\u0101h\u0101rak\u0101\u1e25) emptiness (\u015b\u016bnyat\u0101) were spoken (bh\u0101\u1e63it\u0101\u1e25) by the Jinas (jinai\u1e25), by all those (sarvais tai\u1e25) the afflictive emotions are turned back (kle\u015ba-vy\u0101v\u1e5bttir). Not at all (naiva) is the dh\u0101tu destroyed (dh\u0101tu-vin\u0101\u015banam).\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

nirmalau candra-s\u016bryau hi \u0101v\u1e5btau pa\u00f1cabhir malai\u1e25 |<\/p>\n

abhra-n\u012bh\u0101ra-dh\u016bmena r\u0101hu-vaktra-rajo-malai\u1e25 || 18 ||<\/p>\n

eva\u1e43 prabh\u0101svara\u1e43 cittam \u0101v\u1e5bta\u1e43 pa\u00f1cabhir malai\u1e25 |<\/p>\n

k\u0101ma-vy\u0101p\u0101da-middhena auddhatya-vicikitsay\u0101 || 19 ||<\/p>\n

agni-\u015bauca\u1e43 yath\u0101 vastra\u1e43 malina\u1e43 vividhair malai\u1e25 |<\/p>\n

agni-madhye yath\u0101ksipta\u1e43 mala\u1e43 dagdha\u1e43 na vastrat\u0101 || 20 ||<\/p>\n

eva\u1e43 prabh\u0101svara\u1e43 citta\u1e43 malina\u1e43 r\u0101gajair malai\u1e25 |<\/p>\n

j\u00f1\u0101n\u0101gnin\u0101 mala\u1e43 dagdha\u1e43 na dagdha\u1e43 tat-prabh\u0101svaram || 21 ||<\/p>\n

\u015b\u016bnyat\u0101h\u0101rak\u0101\u1e25 s\u016btr\u0101 ye kecid bh\u0101\u1e63it\u0101 jinai\u1e25 |<\/p>\n

sarvais tai\u1e25 kle\u015ba-vy\u0101v\u1e5bttir naiva dh\u0101tu-vin\u0101\u015banam || 22 ||<\/p>\n

p\u1e5bthivy-antarhita\u1e43 toya\u1e43 yath\u0101 ti\u1e63\u1e6dhati nirmalam |<\/p>\n

kle\u015bair antarhita\u1e43 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e43 tath\u0101 ti\u1e63\u1e6dhati nirmalam || 23 ||<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the sun and moon are stainless, they are blocked by the five obstacles, such as clouds, mist, smoke, eclipses and dust. (18)<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the same way, the mind of clear light becomes blocked by the five obstructions: desire, enmity, laziness, agitation and doubt. (19)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a fireproof garment, stained by various stains, is placed in fire, the stains are burned but the garment is not. (20)<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the same way, the mind of clear light is stained by desire. The stains are burned by the fire of wisdom; just that clear light is not. (21)<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the s\u016btras<\/em> setting forth emptiness spoken by the teacher turn back the afflictions; they do not impair the element. (22)<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as the water in the earth remains untainted, wisdom is within the afflictions, yet remains unstained. (23)\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jacques has called our attention to what is the single most important text by N\u0101g\u0101rjuna for the so-called \u201cGreat Madhyamaka\u201d tradition, the Dharmadh\u0101tu-stava. The dharma-dh\u0101tu is the \u201cdh\u0101tu of dharmas\u201d; i.e., the \u201celement\u201d or \u201cbasic space\u201d or \u201crealm\u201d of the dharmas, the \u201celements of existence\u201d or \u201cphenomena\u201d or \u201cfactors\u201d that make up our world. A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dhatu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":267,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions\/267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/prajnaquest.fr\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}