Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text is a devotional hymn, titled The Praise of the Buddha in both Sanskrit and Tibetan, dedicated to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. The work functions as a series of prostrations that enumerate the extreme hardships and altruistic sacrifices undertaken by the Buddha in his previous lives. By highlighting specific acts of self-sacrifice—such as the offering of his own head and the assumption of an elephant's form to alleviate the suffering of others during a famine—the text emphasizes the Buddhist ideal of the bodhisattva's path. The narrative structure links the Buddha's current enlightened state to a history of compassionate endurance. It commits the reader to a posture of perpetual reverence and recognition of the moral weight of the Buddha's previous incarnations, framing enlightenment not as an innate quality but as the result of rigorous, compassionate effort for the benefit of sentient beings.
Provenance
About this text
A praise of the Buddha titled the Buddhastotra, this work originates from the Indian tradition and is attributed to the author Vasudhārā. It entered the Tibetan corpus through the efforts of the translators Jayabhadra and shakya’i dge slong nyi ma rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po. The work is preserved in the Tengyur, specifically in volume ཀ, where it is situated within the Eulogy collection and spans two pages. In the classical Tibetan translation, titled sangs rgyas kyi bstod pa, the work enacts a series of prostrations dedicated to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. It focuses on the extreme hardships and altruistic sacrifices the Buddha undertook in previous lives, such as offering his own head and eyes or assuming the form of an elephant to alleviate the suffering of others during a famine. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the Buddhist ideal of the bodhisattva's path, as it frames enlightenment as the result of rigorous, compassionate effort and a history of endurance for the benefit of wandering beings.
Sanskrit title
Buddhastotra
Indian author
Vasudhārā
Tibetan translators
Jayabhadra, shakya’i dge slong nyi ma rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po
Cite thisAnuvāda, “Praise of the Buddha” (Toh 1114), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1114
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its illustration of the jataka-style narratives of the Buddha's previous lives, which serve as ethical exemplars in the Indo-Tibetan tradition. For the modern reader, it demonstrates the intersection of devotional poetry and the philosophical commitment to universal compassion.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction and First Prostration
Includes the title in Sanskrit and Tibetan, an invocation to Mañjuśrī, and the beginning of a prostration focusing on the Buddha's physical sacrifices.
2
Second Prostration
Describes the Buddha's incarnation as an elephant in a famine-stricken wilderness to relieve the suffering of others.
Themes
Bodhisattva sacrifices (1-2)
Compassion for sentient beings (2)
Devotional prostration (1-2)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Buddhasya Stotra-nāma. In the language of Tibet: Sangs rgyas kyi bstod pa zhes bya ba (The Praise of the Buddha). Homage to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.
I prostrate forever to the Buddha, the Blessed One, who performed such hardships: he gave away a head that surpassed the size of Mount Meru; he gave away hundreds of eyes, more numerous than the stars; and he gave away flesh and blood as vast as the earth and the ocean.
I prostrate forever to the Buddha, the Blessed One, who performed such hardships: he brought under control the mind that is like flickering, darting lightning; he perfectly delivered the three worlds from the ocean of misfortune; and he entered existence again for the sake of destroying cyclic existence and vanquishing Māra.
I prostrate forever to the Buddha, the Blessed One, who performed such hardships: out of joy for the welfare of sentient beings, he bore the burden of the vow of compassion; he was not distracted by the lords of the three worlds, gods and asuras; and he gave away his body out of supreme love for creatures suffering from hunger.
I prostrate forever to the Buddha, the Blessed One, who performed such hardships: in order to swiftly liberate and protect sentient beings attained through compassion, he dwelt in the wilderness among cattle, fish, and wild animals; he endured long-lasting toil and exhaustion, and gave away his bodies entirely.
I prostrate forever to the Buddha, the Blessed One, who performed such hardships: for the sake of medicine for the physical ailments of many sentient beings...
Driven by love or compassion for wandering beings, in the midst of a supreme wilderness of famine, you took the body of an elephant in the forests and applied yourself to dispelling the suffering of others. To the Blessed Buddha who thus practiced such hardships, I always prostrate.
At a time when the pain of famine was piercing, you cut off the jewel growing upon your head and gave it away, so that brahmins, kings, and others might dwell in comfort. Since your mental activity was thus always easy and directed toward the welfare of all sentient beings, to the Blessed Buddha who thus practiced such hardships, I always prostrate.
Dwelling in various forests, you attained the speech of a true dreamer. For the sake of your mother, the king, and your father, you were born as a six-tusked elephant upon a lion throne to benefit others. For the sake of all wandering beings and all phenomena, to the Blessed Buddha who thus practiced such hardships, I always prostrate.
Through the nature of the qualities of generosity, discipline, and patience, and through the powers of diligence, concentration, and insight, and by the qualities of love and compassion practiced in equal measure, you attained the status of a captain who leads beings dwelling in the wilderness and attained perfect realization. To the Blessed Buddha who thus practiced such hardships, I always prostrate.
This concludes the Praise of the Buddha composed by the Noble Vasudhārā. It was translated in the great and highly praised sacred site of the city of Yambu in Nepal by the master of grammar, Śrī Jayabhadra, and the Śākya monk Sūryadhvajaśrībhadra.