A Tun-huang Prelude to the Karandavyuha
By Marcelle Lalou
Summary
This brief article analyses a Tibetan manuscript (Pelliot Tibetan Collection No. 241) that appears to prefigure themes of the Karandavyuha, a Mahayana sutra extolling Avalokiteśvara. The text, which can be rendered in Sanskrit as bhata‑marga‑nirdeśa, opens with a Buddhist invocation and then addresses a deceased individual, describing the Great Hell, the realm of pretas (hungry ghosts) and the world of animals—the three evil destinies. Each realm’s location is given in yojanas below Jambudvipa. The instructor tells the dead that salvation is possible by invoking compassionate bodhisattvas: Avalokiteśvara using the mantra om bri busn pad ma pri ya, Gaganaganja with a separate formula, and Durgasodhana for the animal realm. The article notes that the mantra variant differs from the later famous six‑syllable om mani padme hum and may predate its adoption, placing the manuscript before circa 1000 CE. Thus the text provides evidence for an earlier stage of Avalokiteśvara devotion and helps trace the development of Mahayana liturgy.
Conclusion
This note uncovers a Tibetan text that anticipates themes of the Karandavyuha, describing a salvific path for the deceased through invocations of compassionate bodhisattvas. Its use of an early mantra variant suggests it predates the widespread 'om mani padme hum' formula, positioning it as a valuable witness to evolving Avalokiteśvara devotion. The analysis underscores the manuscript’s importance for tracing the history of Buddhist liturgy and the diffusion of key mantras, inviting further study of Tun‑huang materials and their relation to Sanskrit originals.