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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
68 SARVATATHĀGATĀDHIȘTHĀNAVYOHAM
The second point of interest is the name of the donor, Sulivajra, at whose instance this ms, was copied. The name occurs thrice in the ms., every time it being mentioned in the concluding line of the Dhārani, by which invocation is made for the protection and well-being of the donor. The name of the person and, probably, that of his gotra are non-Sanskritic. It may be that he was a Dard about whom we read so much in Kalhana's Rājatarangini.
The third point of interest is that the Dhāraņis in the ms. are found transliterated and not translated in the Tibetan and Chinese versions, pointing thereby to the belief current among the Buddhists, both Indian and non-Indian, of the 6th or 7th century A.D. about the efficacy of the mantras by their proper intonation.
Lastly, it is of interest to note the remark occurring in p. 80 that this Sūtra will become popular in the south and not in the north, east or west, where the people will not give it its due honour and as a result will go to hell. The author of this Sūtra never dreamt that it would gain popularity more in the north than in the south and that a mahārājā of the farthest north would be instrumental in propagating its copy in the 20th century.
Potalaka the scene of the sūtra The scene of this Sūtra is located at Potalaka as is the case with many other Dhāraṇis (see, e.g. Dhārani-Sangraha, ASB. Ms. I. ub). Yuan Chwang refers to this mountain as a place of great sanctity, being the abode of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. He locates it on the east of the Malaya mountain, the scene of the wellknown Mahāyāna sūtra, Lankāvatāra.' It was very near the sea, and a stream of water after a long winding course Aowed into the sea from the lake on the Potalaka mountain." The port of India
I
Lankavatāra, p. I.
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