'Siva and Avalokite'svara

[John Dunne]

To add a bit to the 'siva / avalokite'svara fray, I though I would send in
the following draft translation of the *Sarvaj~namahe'svarastotra*  of
Udbha.t.tasiddhisvaamin  (Mtho btsun grub rjes, possibly also known as
Mudgaragomin).  

According to my notes, I prepared the translation below from the Derge
edition of the Tibetan canon, bstod tshogs ka 42b5-43b3 (Tibetan
Translation attributed to Jalandhara and Rin chen bzang po). I am obliged
to say "according to my notes" because I prepared this translation some ten
years ago, and I can scarcely remember the details of my efforts. My notes
indicate that this draft is deliberately somewhat literal, and that a few
lines (i.e., those marked with asterisks=*) were particularly baffling to
me. Unfortunately, I do not have immediate access to the aforementioned
Tibetan translation, so I cannot check my translation (perhaps someone else
could post it?).

Despite the provisional nature of the translation, I think you will find
the stotra rather interesting, since it offers what may amount to an
explicit equation of Avalokite'svara and Mahe'svara.

Naturally, I would welcome anyone who could identify Sanskrit fragments or
formulae that might correspond to the Tibetan.

Yours,

John

*********

Homage to the three jewels!

He is the god of gods (devaatideva), 
The guru of the gods,
The guru of gurus--
In him I seek refuge.

He has such  greatness,
Might and lordliness,
Yet he is free from the three worlds--
Homage to the Great Lord (mahe'svara)

With the blaze of wisdom's fire 
He incinerated the triple city
Whose nature is  desire and confusion --
I bow to him who burned the triple city.

He always bears the skull of love,
And he is smeared with the ashes of compassion;
The moon of morality ('siila) adorns his head--
I bow to that Great Lord.

The great lord rides on the Mahaayaana bull
Whose horns are love and compassion
And whose eyes are joy and equanimity;
In this way he travels with his wives-
Generosity, morality, patience,
Perseverance, meditation and such --
With the host (ga.na) and the foremost,
Homage to that Great Lord.

His curved horns are all pervasive;
His blazing gaze has burned
*the wild son of existence (bhavaatmaja)  who [compells beings]
*To go onward into the midst of afflicted sa.msaara.
*He has a mind suitable to a cemetery
*and a form (ruupa) of various emanations (nirmaa.na);
*He is alway embraced by the one with the host;
Homage to that Great Lord.

Due to the three worlds' desire,
He destroyed yearning; through accomplishing 
His instruction there is no sa.msaara;
Homage to that Great Lord.

He keeps the eight-fold precepts
And accompanied by Ga.nanapati, the miracles' support (.rddhipaada) ,
He, completely pure, shattered the door
Of the land of Mahaabhaya ;
He holds the river of the dharma
In which flows the waters of compassion:
Homage to that Great Lord.

With his trident of wisdom
He pierced the demon of ignorance
Who had terrified all the world --
He is the Great Lord.

> From all that is unpeaceful he liberates
Those in whatever state-whether high, low or in between,
Whether peaceful or unpeaceful.
Homage to that Great Lord.

Through his distinctive, supreme compassion
He has utterly stolen away
All of birth's suffering --
I bow to that Thief.

The lord is replete with goodness;
He has given up thirsting for desire's waters -
I bow to the Great Lord
Who makes all beings blissful.
And since all follow him
He gathers all beings together; 
Desire's demon could not defeat him -
Homage to the conqueror of desire.

He is the good, Great Lord, 
The remover of sins -
Homage to the Great Lord
Who has promised to aid all beings.

Although he is harm's enemy,
Through love he is attached;
He has perfected all good qualities -
Homage to the Great Lord.

With a mere word  quickly he calms
Beings who are sorely afflicted
By astral misfortune, plague and poverty -
I bow to the Peaceful One.

Through whatever merit I might have gathered
By praising the lord of all
May the entire world
Become Great Lords of wisdom.






______________________________

John Dunne
Section de langues et civilisations orientales
Université de Lausanne