Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Praise of the Stūpas of the Eight Great Sites is a devotional composition designed to facilitate the accumulation of merit through the veneration of sacred monuments. The text begins by establishing the necessary spiritual prerequisites for the practitioner, specifically the generation of bodhicitta and the accumulation of merit. It then transitions into a series of homages to the caityas (stūpas) located at the eight primary sites associated with the Buddha's life. The fragments provided indicate that the work employs a narrative-liturgical structure, linking the physical monument to the specific historical event it commemorates, such as the Buddha's descent from the god realm and his final passing. By engaging with the text, the reader is committed to a practice of visualization and remembrance, transforming the act of praise into a method for disciplining the mind and acknowledging the impermanence of sentient beings.
Provenance
About this text
A praise to the stūpas of the eight great sites, the Aṣṭamahāsthānacaityastotra is a work of the Indo-Tibetan tradition attributed to Nāgārjuna. The text was translated into the Tibetan language by Tilakakalaśa of Kaśmīr and pa tshab lo tsa ba nyi ma grags pa. It is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཀ, where it is situated within the Eulogy collection and extends over two pages. In its classical Tibetan form, the work is titled gnas chen po brgyad kyi mchod rten la bstod pa. The composition enacts a series of homages to the caityas associated with the Buddha's life, beginning with an invocation to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta. It links the physical monuments to specific historical events, such as the Buddha's attainment of buddhahood, his descent from the god realm, and his final passing into nirvāṇa at the request of Cunda. By framing these homages within the context of generating the mind of supreme awakening and the accumulation of collections over three incalculable eons, the work serves as a means for the practitioner to discipline sentient beings and accumulate merit. A scholar or serious reader consults this text to examine the narrative-liturgical structure used to commemorate the Buddha's earthly trajectory through the veneration of sacred sites.
Sanskrit title
Aṣṭamahāsthānacaityastotra
Indian author
Nāgārjuna
Tibetan translators
Tilakakalaśa (Kaśmīr), pa tshab lo tsa ba nyi ma grags pa
Cite thisAnuvāda, “Praise of the Stūpas of the Eight Great Sites (2)” (Toh 1134), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1134
Summary & commentary
Significance
This work is significant as it reflects the Indo-Tibetan tradition of pilgrimage and the ritual importance of stūpas as living presences of the Buddha. For the modern reader, it illustrates how historical biography is codified into liturgical praise to serve as a tool for spiritual cultivation.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction
Invocation to Mañjuśrī and the establishment of the practitioner's intent.
2
Homage to the Stūpas
Praise directed at the caityas, referencing the Buddha's discipline of beings and his final days.
Themes
Veneration of Stūpas (2)
Impermanence (2)
Bodhicitta and Merit (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaPraise of the Stūpas of the Eight Great Sites (2)·
In the language of India: Aṣṭamahāsthānacaityastotra. In the language of Tibet: Gnas chen po brgyad kyi mchod rten la bstod pa (Praise to the Stūpas of the Eight Great Sites). Homage to Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta!
First, having generated the mind of supreme awakening, and having accumulated the collections for three incalculable eons, you attained buddhahood at the heart of awakening and subdued Māra. Homage to the Stūpa of Great Awakening!
In the city of Kapilavastu, the foundation of the Dharma, you were born from the illusory mother to the Śākya clan of Śuddhodana. As you arose, Brahmā received you on the palm of his right hand. Homage to the Auspicious Stūpa!
In Vārāṇasī and other places, you went for alms. Having subdued the mad elephant of Bimbisāra with the power of your fingers, you tamed the city. Homage to the Stūpa that Tames the City!
While you were resting in a grove, Hālāhalu Mañju offered you honey. He who died in a well was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Homage to the Stūpa of Arising Compassion!
When Brahmā offered the wheel, you turned the wheel of Dharma. You subdued the six non-Buddhist teachers by your power. Homage to the Stūpa of Displaying Miracles, which satisfies gods and humans with emanations!
Nanda and the hosts of nāgas offered service and respect; the daughters drew milk for you. Homage to the Stūpa of the Victorious One’s Peaceful Abiding, which subdues the entire world without exception!
To the bodhisattvas, the pratyekabuddhas, and...
Surrounded by a host of hearer arhats,
You established them in vows and discipline;
To the pure caitya, I pay homage.
With the intention to discipline sentient beings who are impermanent,
After descending from the god realm and completing all your deeds,
At the request of Cunda, three months later you reached the end;
To the caitya of your passing into nirvāṇa, I pay homage.
The Praise to the Caityas of the Eight Great Sites, composed by the great master Nāgārjuna, is complete.