1832.] Analysis of the Kah-gyur. 389 



XJttama Sutra Indra Rdjd nama Mahtiydna Sutra, or the great holy 

 Ydna Sutra, the prince of the best of Sutras, resplendent as the radi- 

 ance of gold. This is one of the nine Dhermas of the Nepalese, and 

 is very popular with all Buddhists. It contains a course of dogmatic 

 instruction delivered by Sakya at Gridhra-kuta, to his disciples and 

 hearers, including the goddesses Saraswati and Lakshmi, and the four 

 kings of Mount Meru, Vaisravana, Dhritarashtra, Virtj'dhaka, 

 and Viru'paksha. 



The 13th volume contains 71 different works : many of them are 

 but of small extent ; some of them not more than two or three verses, 

 the greater number being Dhdranis, short incantations, or prayers of 

 supposed protective efficacy, and not unfrequently carried as amulets 

 about the person. Thus the 25th article, the Apardjita Dhdratu, 

 which occupies about eight leaves, is a collection of formulae address- 

 ed to the different Buddhas, which are preservatives against thieves, 

 water, fire, poison, weapons, foes, famine, disease, lightning, sudden 

 death, earthquakes, meteors, princes, evil spirits,and gods. Articles 28, 

 29, and 30 are Dhdranis for the cure of fever, ophthalmia, and hoemor- 

 rhoids, whilst they are preceded by theSarva roga prasamini, No. 27 

 a cure for every malady. Some of these are ceremonial, to be used on 

 circumambulating or consecrating a temple or mausoleum. In 42, is a 

 Dharani for the augmentation of the understanding, Prajnd verdhani ; 

 this occupies but one page. The chief secret lies in the repetition of the 

 Mantra, Namo retna traydya, Namo aryd Avalokiteswardya, Bodhi- 

 satwdya, Mahd Satwdya Mahd Karunikdya, " Salutation to the Three 

 Holies. Salutation to the venerable Bodhisatwa, the purified and com- 

 passionate Avalokiteswara.'''' No. 65 is a Dharani of two verses. No. 71 

 is a great Dharani, Mahd Dhdrani, delivered by Sakya to his disciple 

 Ananda, as a defence against all sorts of evils. These works are 

 mostly ascribed to the same translators, as those of the large and more 

 standard works ; but Mr. Csoma thinks they had no part in these trans- 

 lations, the subjects being so dissimilar, and it being universally 

 admitted by Tibetan writers, that the princes of the 9th and succeed- 

 ing centuries discouraged the promulgation of Tdntrika works. 



The 14th volume contains 53 works of a similar character in general 

 as the preceding. From No. 3 to 10, they are lists of the names, 108 

 in number (like those of Siva), of different characters, in the Buddhist 

 mythology, or Avalokiteswara, Maitreya, Akdsa-gerbha, S&manta- 

 bhadra, Vajrapdni, Manju Sri, Sarvdvarana, Vishkambhi, Kshetra- 

 gerbha. No. 1 5 is called the Mahdmegha, the great cloud, being 

 the name of a Buddha. In this a rather unusual office is assigned to 



