`_v 0- 0

' J =^ |_
\e.
|ce\c-.o< \ - `
j '3. e I. \
\'O
THE BENEFIT OF CAITY A WORSHIP
BY
RATNA HANDURUKANDE, B.A. Cey.), M.A., ph.D. (Caa:.l.j
I
THE good efects of caitya worship are dscribed at length in the Ahoratravrata-caityasevi
nusa/lsavadana, the tenth chapter of the Asokavadanamila, found in manuscript form. A
selection of verses from this text and the accompanying translation are ofered as a tribute to the
memory of Professor Senarat Paranavitana, wo devoted much of his time to the study of
caityas.
The text of the verses is based on three manuscripts referred to as A, B and C in the notes.
A. Ms. no. B 24 of the Asiatic Society of Bengal described on pp. 221 f. in the Sanskrit
Buddhist Literature of Nepal, Rajendralala Mitra, Calcutta, 1882.
B. Ms. no. 37 in the Library of the University ofToky02 referred to on pp. 18 and 213 in
A Catalogue o{the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library, compiled by Seiren Mat
sunami, Tokyo, 1965.
C. Ms. no. 55 in the Library of the University of Tokyo, ibid., pp. 24 and 213.
The manuscripts attribute the verses in question to a teacher called Vasubandhu, who taught
them to a king by the name oflndrapna, claiming to repeat what he heard from the Buddha
Vipasyin.3 Vasubandhu begins his enumeration of specifc benefcial results of performing the
Ahoratra rite, a rite which inculcates caitya worship, with the verses we quote below.
1. paf!c amrtai4 pafcasugandhitoyair5
ye sn a payantiha inendracaityaf!
Mand akinidivyasugandhitoye6
snatvamarais te satataf! ramante
2. kurvanti caitye7 j!lama99alaf8 ye
supigavasena9 tatha manuya
te hemavar99 a rpavafsaj a t a
samrddhimanta subhaga bhavanti
1. Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit, University of Sri Lanka, Peradeni y. Campus, Sri Lanka.
2. My thanks are due to Professor Minoru Hara and the Librarian of the University of Tokyo for arranging easy access to the
original Mss. in Tokyo.
3. Cf. Mss. which read as follows:
VasubaITldhur niamyaivam IndrapaITl lam abravit
Sru raj an yathikhyataJ munindrena Vipasyini
tathahaITl M pravakHami vratarljavidhiITl kramat
- . . . . . . .
evar Vipasyini sistri samakhyataJ snltaJ maye
bhi yaJ SPfU maharaja tal phahini vieaul
4. C !llrtah
5. C dhitft ,ai
6. A tOoyarp, B tOoyai
7. C tya
8. COle
9. B mpilao, C supitavasane
76 RATNA HANDURUKANDE
3. sugandhadhipaJ jinacaityabimbe
ye dhupayanti pratimodayantaIO
sugandhadeha surasaJghavandyas
te suddhacitta manuj a bhavanti
4. ye paicagandhair anulepayanti
sambuddhacaityaJ manuj a prasanna
saugandhitanga baladiptimantas
te saJlbhavante paramarthalok:
5. yajnopavitaJll varararpjitaJ12 ca
sucivarani13 pradadanti caitye
te divyavastr av rtasaumyadeh al4
sarvarthasampadbharita15 bhavanti
6. ye sarvapupair varagaJdhavadbhir
abhyarcayanti pratinamya16 caityaI117
nairogil. las te sucirayua syu
saubhagyavanta suvisalavaJsa
7.
ye capi18 caityaJ parimal!<layanti
sragbhi19 supupair2 acitabhir evam21
te bhagyavanta paribhuitanga
deva bhavanti prathita nrpas Ca
8. ye dipamala22 racayanti22 caitye23
te ratnasampatparipirlakosa24
netrabhirama sudrso bhavanti
te jianadipahatamohajala25
II
I. They who sprinkle the caitya of the Victorious Lord, here (in this world), with th fivc
kinds of celestial food, the water made fragrant with the fve (substances), will bathe ill thc
heavenly and sweet smelling water of the Mand akini and rejoice forever with the god.
2. Even so, those who make a "jala-mal!9ala" on a caitya with f inely powdered peliuillc
will be born in the families of kings, gold-complexioned, prosperous and fortunate.
10. A pratiodao. 1 yantil:l. C
0
yante}:l
11. C
0
vitraJ
12. A VaTaf; : garal'jita'l
13. A SUclfarn '. i
14. e vastrovftJo
15. B bhavit'l
16. B pratiraJmya
17. I cai tyai I:
It. A ca
19. A bhir
20. e supupcr
21. C evaJh
22. C milararcayanti
23.
o
C tya
24. 1 koil, C pirnakumah
52. A dipyahataO
THE BENEFIT OF CAITYA WORSHIP
77
. They whQ, rejoicing, burn fragrant incellS at the orb of a cutYJ of the Victorious One
,,ill be bor as men with bodies fragrant and minds pure, meriting the homage of the hosts of
gods.
- Those happy men who anoint the caitya of the Enlightened One with the ftve fngrances
\-\ill become excellent people, fragrant in body, vigorous and majestic.
s. They, who ofer at a caitya a sacred thread coloured with the choicest dye and robes fllle,
will be born blessed with an abundance of wealth, their soft bodies robed with garments divine.
6. They who bend low at a caitya and pay reverence with fowers of excellent smell will
Ii ve very long, free of disease, prosperous and very great in lineage.
/ Even so, those who adorn a caitya all around with garlands woven out of beautiful fowers
wlll be born as fortllnate gods with bodies adQrned and as celebrated kings.
1;' They who arrange rows of lamps at a caitya will have their treasuries filled with an
:tbllndance of gems. Their eyes will be beautiful and their vision keen, their veil of ignorance
dispelled by the lamp of wisdom.