MĀ 35 asurasūtram

[Translated originally from the Sanskrit Sarvāstivāda Madhyamāgama to Classical Chinese by a team led by Sarvāstivāda scholar Gautama Saṃghadeva of Kāśmīra in 398CE.
Translated from the Chinese Taisho Tripiṭaka back to Sanskrit by Ramakrishnan Suryanarayanan in 2024-26.]

madhyamāgame'dbhutadharmavarge'surasūtraṃ caturtham.

evaṃ mayā śrutam. ekasminsamaye bhagavānvairantyāṃ viharati sma picumandamūle.

tasminsamaye prahārādo'surendro marīcaścāsuraputro'bhikrāntāyāṃ rātrāvabhikrāntavarṇau kevalaṃ picumandamūlamudāreṇāvabhāsya yena bhagavāṃstenopajagmatuḥ. upetya bhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvaikānte tasthatuḥ.

bhagavānapṛcchat—prahārāda, kaccidmahāsamudre'surā na parīhīyante'surāyuṣāsuravarṇenāsurasukhenāsurabalena ca, kaccidasurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

prahārādo'surendro marīcaścāsuraputraḥ pratyavocatām—bhagavannasmākaṃ mahāsamudre'surā na parīhīyante'surāyuṣāsuravarṇenāsurasukhenāsurabalena ca, amī cāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

bhagavānpunarapṛcchat—prahārāda, kati mahāsamudre'dbhutadharmā yāndṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

prahārāda uvāca—bhagavannaṣṭāvime mahāsamudre'dbhutadharmā yāndṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante. katame'ṣṭau?

bhagavannasmākaṃ mahāsamudra ūrdhvaṃ samantādānupūrvyeṇa vistīrṇaḥ samatvena coparigato velāṃ nirmimīte sadā pūrṇajalaśca na velāmatikrāmati. bhagavan, yadasmākaṃ mahāsamudra ūrdhvaṃ samantādānupūrvyeṇa vistīrṇaḥ samatvena coparigato velāṃ nirmimīte sadā pūrṇajalaśca na velāmatikrāmati, ayaṃ mahāsamudre prathamo'dbhutadharmo yandṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, mahāsamudre velā na kadācitkālamatikrāmati. bhagavan, yadmahāsamudre velā na kadācitkālamatikrāmati, ayaṃ mahāsamudre dvitīyo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, mahāsamudrasya jalamatigambhīramatālamativistīrṇamanantaṃ ca bhavati. bhagavan, yadmahāsamudrasya jalamatigambhīramatālamativistīrṇamanantaṃ ca bhavati, ayaṃ mahāsamudre tṛtīyo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, mahāsamudrasya jalaṃ lavaṇaṃ bhavati kevalamekarasam. bhagavan, yadmahāsamudrasya jalaṃ lavaṇaṃ bhavati kevalamekarasam, ayaṃ mahāsamudre caturtho'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, mahāsamudre prabhūtāni ratnāni santyaprameyairvicitrairnānāvidhairnānāratnaiḥ paripūrṇo bhavati, ratnānāṃ nāmāni tadyathā suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ sphaṭiko vaiḍūryaṃ maṇirmuktā marakataṃ śvetaśaṅkhaḥ śuktiḥ pravālaṃ karketanamaśmagarbho musāragalvo lohitikā maṇiratnaṃ ca. bhagavan, yadmahāsamudre prabhūtāni ratnāni santyaprameyairvicitrairnānāvidhairnānāratnaiḥ paripūrṇo bhavati, ratnānāṃ nāmāni tadyathā suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ sphaṭiko vaiḍūryaṃ maṇirmuktā marakataṃ śvetaśaṅkhaḥ śuktiḥ pravālaṃ karketanamaśmagarbho musāragalvo lohitikā maṇiratnaṃ ca, ayaṃ mahāsamudre pañcamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, mahāsamudre maheśākhyāḥ prāṇinaḥ prativasanti, maheśākhyānāṃ nāmāni tadyathāsurā gandharvā rākṣasā makarāḥ kūrmāḥ kumbhīlā varuṇāstimayastimiṅgilāstimitimiṅgilāśca. punaraparaṃ mahāsamudre tvāścaryādbhutāḥ prāṇinaḥ santi yeṣāṃ śarīrāṇi śatayojanāni dviśatayojanāni triśatayojanāni yāvatsaptaśatayojanāni bhavanti śarīrāṇi ca teṣāṃ sarvāṇi samudre prativasanti. bhagavan, yadmahāsamudre maheśākhyāḥ prāṇinaḥ prativasanti, maheśākhyānāṃ nāmāni tadyathāsurā gandharvā rākṣasā makarāḥ kūrmāḥ kumbhīlā varuṇāstimayastimiṅgilāstimitimiṅgilāśca, yeṣāṃ cāścaryādbhutānāṃ prāṇināṃ śarīrāṇi śatayojanāni dviśatayojanāni triśatayojanāni yāvatsaptaśatayojanāni bhavanti śarīrāṇi ca teṣāṃ sarvāṇi samudre prativasanti, ayaṃ mahāsamudre ṣaṣṭho'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, mahāsamudraḥ śuciḥ kuṇapaṃ na dhārayati, yatkiñcidmṛtamahorātrādeva vāyustatkūle kṣipati. bhagavan, yadmahāsamudraḥ śuciḥ kuṇapaṃ na dhārayati yatkiñcidmṛtamahorātrādeva vāyustatkūle kṣipati, ayaṃ mahāsamudre saptamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ bhagavan, jambūdvīpe pañca mahānadyaḥ santi tadyathā gaṅgā yamunā sarayūrajiravatī mahī ca, tāḥ sarvā mahāsamudramanupraviśanti praviśya ca svakāni nāmāni tyajanti mahāsamudra ityeva saṅkhyāṃ gacchanti. bhagavan, yajjambūdvīpe pañca mahānadyaḥ santi tadyathā gaṅgā yamunā sarayūrajiravatī mahī ca, tāḥ sarvā mahāsamudramanupraviśanti praviśya ca svakāni nāmāni tyajanti mahāsamudra ityeva saṅkhyāṃ gacchanti, ayaṃ mahāsamudre'ṣṭamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante.

bhagavan, ime'ṣṭau mahāsamudre'dbhutadharmā yāndṛṣṭvāsurā mahāsamudre'bhiramante. bhagavan, tathāgatasya dharmavinaye katy adbhutadharmā yāndṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

bhagavānpratyavocat—prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye'pyaṣṭāvadbhutadharmāḥ santi yāndṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante. katame'ṣṭau?

prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudra ūrdhvaṃ samantādānupūrvyeṇa vistīrṇaḥ samatvena coparigato velāṃ nirmimīte sadā pūrṇajalaśca na velāmatikrāmati. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye'pyānupūrvakriyānupūrvaśikṣānupūrvakṣayo'nupūrvadeśanā ca bhavati. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye'nupūrvakriyānupūrvaśikṣānupūrvakṣayo'nupūrvadeśanā ca bhavati, ayaṃ dharmavinaye prathamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudre velā na kadācitkālamatikrāmati. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye bhikṣubhikṣuṇyupāsakopāsikānāṃ śikṣāpadaṃ prajñaptaṃ, kulaputrā yāvajjīvaṃ na vyatikrāmanti. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye bhikṣubhikṣuṇyupāsakopāsikānāṃ śikṣāpadaṃ prajñaptaṃ kulaputrā yāvajjīvaṃ na vyatikrāmanti, ayaṃ dharmavinaye dvitīyo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudrasya jalamatigambhīramatālamativistīrṇamanantaṃ ca bhavati. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye dharmā atigambhīrā atālā ativistīrṇā anantāśca bhavanti. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye dharmā atigambhīrā atālā ativistīrṇā anantāśca bhavanti, ayaṃ dharmavinaye tṛtīyo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudrasya jalaṃ lavaṇaṃ bhavati kevalamekarasam. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye virāgaraso bodhirasaḥ praśamaraso mārgarasaśca. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye virāgaraso bodhirasaḥ praśamaraso mārgarasaśca, ayaṃ dharmavinaye caturtho'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudre prabhūtāni ratnāni santyaprameyairvicitrairnānāvidhairnānāratnaiḥ paripūrṇo bhavati, ratnānāṃ nāmāni tadyathā suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ sphaṭiko vaiḍūryaṃ maṇirmuktā marakataṃ śvetaśaṅkhaḥ śuktiḥ pravālaṃ karketanamaśmagarbho musāragalvo lohitikā maṇiratnaṃ ca. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye'pi prabhūtāni ratnāni santyaprameyairvicitrairnānāvidhairnānāratnaiḥ paripūrṇo bhavati, ratnānāṃ nāmāni tadyathā catvāri smṛtyupasthānāni catvāri samyakprahāṇāni catvāra ṛddhipādāḥ pañcendriyāṇi pañcabalāni sapta bodhyaṅgānyāryāṣṭāṅgamārgaśca. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye prabhūtāni ratnāni santyaprameyairvicitrairnānāvidhairnānāratnaiḥ paripūrṇo bhavati, ratnānāṃ nāmāni tadyathā catvāri smṛtyupasthānāni catvāri samyakprahāṇāni catvāra ṛddhipādāḥ pañcendriyāṇi pañcabalāni sapta bodhyaṅgānyāryāṣṭāṅgamārgaśca, ayaṃ dharmavinaye pañcamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudre maheśākhyāḥ prāṇinaḥ prativasanti, maheśākhyānāṃ nāmāni tadyathāsurā gandharvā rākṣasā makarāḥ kūrmāḥ kumbhīlā varuṇāstimayastimiṅgilāstimitimiṅgilāśca. punaraparaṃ mahāsamudre tvāścaryādbhutāḥ prāṇinaḥ santi yeṣāṃ śarīrāṇi śatayojanāni dviśatayojanāni triśatayojanāni yāvatsaptaśatayojanāni bhavanti śarīrāṇi ca teṣāṃ sarvāṇi samudre prativasanti. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye'pi maheśākhyāḥ prāṇinaḥ prativasanti, maheśākhyānāṃ nāmāni tadyathārhannarhattvapratipanno'nāgāmyanāgāmipratipannaḥ sakṛdāgāmī sakṛdāgāmipratipannaḥ srotāpannaḥ srotāpattipratipannaśca. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye maheśākhyāḥ prāṇinaḥ prativasanti, maheśākhyānāṃ nāmāni tadyathārhannarhattvapratipanno'nāgāmyanāgāmipratipannaḥ sakṛdāgāmī sakṛdāgāmipratipannaḥ srotāpannaḥ srotāpattipratipannaśca, ayaṃ dharmavinaye ṣaṣṭho'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā mahāsamudraḥ śuciḥ kuṇapaṃ na dhārayati, yatkiñcidmṛtamahorātrādeva vāyustatkūle kṣipati. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye'pyāryasaṅghaḥ śuciḥ kuṇapaṃ na dhārayati. yadi kaścitkusīdaḥ pāpadharmābrahmacārī brahmacāripratijño'śramaṇaḥ śramaṇapratijño bhavati, sa yadyapyāryasaṅghamadhye niviṣṭo bhavati tathāpyāryasaṅghāddūre bhavatyāryasaṅgho'pi tasmāddūre bhavati. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye'pyāryasaṅghaḥ śuciḥ kuṇapaṃ na dhārayati, yadi kaścitkusīdaḥ pāpadharmābrahmacārī brahmacāripratijño'śramaṇaḥ śramaṇapratijño bhavati, sa yadyapyāryasaṅghamadhye niviṣṭo bhavati tathāpyāryasaṅghāddūre bhavatyāryasaṅgho'pi tasmāddūre bhavati, ayaṃ dharmavinaye saptamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

punaraparaṃ prahārāda, tadyathā jambūdvīpe pañca mahānadyaḥ santi tadyathā gaṅgā yamunā sarayūrajiravatī mahī ca, tāḥ sarvā mahāsamudramanupraviśanti praviśya ca svakāni nāmāni tyajanti mahāsamudra ityeva saṅkhyāṃ gacchanti. evameva prahārāda, mama dharmavinaye kṣatriyakulaputrā brāhmaṇakulaputrā gṛhapatikulaputrā śilpikulaputrāśca keśaśmaśrvavatārya kāṣāyāṇi vastrāṇyācchādya samyageva śraddhayāgārādanagārikāṃ pravrajya svakāni nāmāni tyajanti śramaṇa ityeva saṅkhyāṃ gacchanti. prahārāda, yadmama dharmavinaye kṣatriyakulaputrā brāhmaṇakulaputrā gṛhapatikulaputrā śilpikulaputrāśca keśaśmaśrvavatārya kāṣāyāṇi vastrāṇyācchādya samyageva śraddhayāgārādanagārikāṃ pravrajya svakāni nāmāni tyajanti śramaṇa ityeva saṅkhyāṃ gacchanti, ayaṃ dharmavinaye'ṣṭamo'dbhutadharmo yaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante.

prahārāda, ime dharmavinaye'ṣṭāvadbhutadharmā yāndṛṣṭvā bhikṣavo dharmavinaye'bhiramante. prahārāda, tatkiṃ manyase, yadi mama dharmavinaye'ṣṭāvadbhutadharmāḥ santi, yadi ca te mahāsamudre'ṣṭāvadbhutadharmāḥ santi, anayordvayoradbhutadharmayoḥ katamo'graḥ katamo viśiṣṭaḥ katamaḥ pravaraḥ katama uttamaḥ?

prahārādo'vocat—bhagavan, ye mahāsamudre'ṣṭāvadbhutadharmāste tathāgatasyāṣṭāvadbhutadharmān na prāpnuvanti, na sahasratamīṃ kalāmupayanti na śatasahasratamīṃ na saṅkhyāṃ na kalāṃ na gaṇanāmupamāmapi na kṣamante, kevalaṃ bhagavato'ṣṭāvadbhutadharmā agrā viśiṣṭāḥ pravarā uttamāśca. so'haṃ bhagavan, bhagavantaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi dharmaṃ ca bhikṣusaṅghaṃ ca. upāsakaṃ māṃ bhagavāndhārayatvadyāgreṇa yāvajjīvaṃ prāṇopetaṃ śaraṇagataṃ prasannam.

idamavocadbhagavān. āttamanāḥ prahārādo'surendraste ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanandan.

asurasūtraṃ caturthaṃ samāptam.