The Great Compassion Mantra: Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī
The Great Compassion Mantra Dhāranī; Sanskrit: Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī and sometimes also referred to as the Mahā Karuna Dhāranī. It was spoken by bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara before an assembly of Buddhas, other bodhisattvas, devas and kings according to the Mahakarunikacitta Sutra. Nīlakaṇṭha means blue-throated, while Mahākaruṇīka means Greatly Compassionate.
Twelve scrolls of Nīlakaṇṭha Lokeśvara "blue-necked Lord of the world" texts were found in ancient China and is often used for protection or purification to invoke Avalokiteśvara's Thousand Armed form.
The blue throat is related to an ancient Indian myth of churning the ocean of milk (samudra manthan) - a contest between the devas and asuras - with the goal of producing amṛta, the nectar of immortality. There are several versions of this story but in some the amṛta becomes poisoned (by the asuras) and in order to prevent all life being destroyed someone drinks it. In some versions is it Śiva who drinks it, in Buddhist legends Vajrapāṇi or Avalokiteśvara. Whoever drinks it, it turns their throat (or in Vajrapāṇi's case his whole body) blue. Hence the name blue (nīla) throated (kaṇtha). Note that the peacock has a blue throat and because it occasionally eats snakes is thought to be immune to poison.
When reciting the Dhāraṇī, begin from the Initial Salutation and continue all the way to Final Salutation.
I. Initial Salutation Namo Ratna Trayāya / Nama Āryāvalokiteśvarāya Bodhisattvāya Mahasattvāya Mahākāruṇikāya Sarva Bandhana Chedana Karāya Sarva Bhava Samudram Śoṣaṇa Karāya Sarva Vyādhi Praśamana Karāya Sarva Mrtyu Upadrava Vināśana Karāya Sarva Bhayeṣu Trāṇa Karāya
II. Name of Avalokite-śvarā
Tasmāt Namas Kṛtvā Idaṁ Āryāvalokiteśvara Bhāṣitaṁ Nīlakaṇṭha Pi Nama
III. Śloka Enunication of the Merit of the Hṛdaya-Dhāranī
Hṛdayaṁ Āvarta Iṣyāmi Sarvārtha Sādhanaṁ śubham/ Ajeyaṁ Sarva Bhūtānāṁ Bhava Mārga Viśodhakam
IV. Dhāranī
Tadyathā: Oṁ Āloke Āloka Mati Lokāti Krānte He Hāre Āryāvalokitesvara Mahābodhisattva He Bodhisattva He Mahābodhisattva He Vīrya Bodhisattva He Mahākāruṇika Smara Hṛdayam / Hī, Hī, Hāre Āryāvalokiteśvara Maheśvara Parama Maitracitta Mahākāruṇika / Kuru Kuru Karma / Sādhaya Sādhaya Vidyām / Ni Hi Ni Hi Varaṃ Kāmam Gama Vitta Gama Vigama Siddha Yogeśvara / Dhuru Dhuru Vīryanti Mahā Vīryanti / Dhara Dhara Dharendreśvara / Cala Cala Vimala Amala Mūrte Āryāvalokiteśvara Jina/ Kṛṣṇa Jaṭā Makuṭa Vālam Mā Pralamba Mahāsiddha Vidyādhara/ Vara Vara Mahāvara Bala Bala Mahābala Cāla Cāla Mahā Cāla / Kṛṣṇa Varṇa Nīgha Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa Nir Ghātana He Padma Hasta / Cāra Cāra Deśa Careśvara Kṛṣṇa Sarpa Kṛta Yajñopavīta/ Ehyehi Mahā Varāha Mukha Tripura Dahaneśvara Nārayaṇa Va Rūpa Vara Mārga Ari / He Nīlakaṇṭha He Mahākāra Halāhala Viṣa Nir Jita Lokasya Rāga Viṣa Vināśana Dveṣa Viṣa Vinasana Moha Viṣa Vināśana Huru Huru Māla / Huru Hāre Mahā Padma Nābha/ Sāra sāra Srī, Srī, Suru Suru Bhuruc Bhuruc / Budhya Budhya Bodhaya Bodhaya Maitri Nīlakaṇṭha / Ehyehi Vāma Sthita Siṁha Mukha / Hāsa Hāsa Muñca Muñca Mahāṭṭahāsam/ Ehyehi Pā Mahā Siddha Yogeśvara / Bhaṇa Bhaṇa Vāco / Sādhaya Sādhaya Vidyām ̣ Smara Smaratāṃ Bhagavantaṃ Lokita Vilokitaṃ Lokeśvaraṃ Tathāgataṃ / Dadāhi Me Darśana Kāmasya Darśanaṃ / Pra Hlādaya Mana Svāhā/ Siddhāya Svāhā/ Mahā Siddhāya Svāhā/ Siddha Yogeśvarāya Svāhā/ Nīlakaṇṭhāya Svāhā/ Varāha Mukhāya Svāhā/ Mahādara Siṁha Mukhāya Svāhā / Siddha Vidyādharāya Svāhā / Padma Hastāya Svāhā / Kṛṣṇa Sarpa Kṛta Yajñopavītāya Svāhā / Mahā Lakuṭa Dhāraya Svāhā/ Cakrāyudhāya Svāhā / Śaṅkhaśabdani Bodhanāya Svāhā / Vāma Skandha Deśa Sthita Kṛṣṇā Jināya Svāhā / Vyāghra Carma Nivāsanāya Svāhā/ Lokeśvarāya Svāhā / Sarva Siddhesvarāya Svāhā/
V. Final Salutation
Namo Bhagavate Āryāvalokitesvarāya Bodhisattvāya Mahāsattvāya Mahākārṇikaya/ Siddhyantu Me Mantra Padāya Svāhā
English Translation of the Great Compassion Dhāraṇī by D.T. Suzuki
Adoration to the Triple Treasure! Adoration to Avalokiteśvara the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva who is the great compassionate one! Om, to the one who performs a leap beyond all fears! Having adored him, may I enter into the heart of the blue-necked one known as the noble adorable Avalokitesvara! It means the completing of all meaning, it is pure, it is that which makes all beings victorious and cleanses the path of existence. Thus: Om, the seer, the world-transcending one! O Hari the Mahabodhisattva! All, all! Defilement, defilement! The earth, the earth! It is the heart. Do, do the work! Hold fast, hold fast! O great victor! Hold on, hold on! I hold on. To Indra the creator! Move, move, my defilement-free seal! Come, come! Hear, hear! A joy springs up in me! Speak, speak! Directing! Hulu, hulu, mala, hulu, hulu, hile! Sara, sara! siri, siri! suru, suru! Be awakened, be awakened! Have awakened, have awakened! O mercifule one, blue-necked one! Of daring ones, to the joyous, hail! To the successful one, hail! To the great successful one, hail! To the one who has attained master in the discipline, hail! To the blue-necked one, hail! To the boar-faced one, hail! To the one with a lion's head and face, hail! To the one who holds a weapon in his hand, hail! To the one who holds a wheel in his hand, hail! To the one who holds a lotus in his hand, hail! To the blue-necked far-causing one, hail! To the beneficient one referred to in this Dharani beginning with "Namah," hail! Adoration to the Triple Treasure! Adoration to Avalokiteśvara! Hail! May these [prayers] be successful! To this magical formula, hail!
The clip below is of Imee Ooi singing and reciting the dhāraṇī with subtitled lyrics.
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