Tucci 2 Hymns Catuhstava Nagarjuna JRAS 1932

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Two Hymns of the Catu-stava ofNgrjuna

Giuseppe Tucci

Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society / Volume 64 / Issue 02 / April 1932,pp 309 - 325DOI: 10.1017/S0035869X00112079, Published online: 15 March 2011

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0035869X00112079

How to cite this article:

Giuseppe Tucci (1932). Two Hymns of the Catu-stava ofNgrjuna. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 64, pp 309-325doi:10.1017/S0035869X00112079

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Two Hymns of the Catuh-stava of NagarjunaB Y GIUSEPPE TUCCI

two hymns here edited are respectively the first andthe last of the four stavas attributed to Nagarjuna, andgenerally known and quoted under the comprehensive nameCatuh-stava or Catu-stava ; the other two stotras, missing inour manuscript, are the Lolcdtita-stava and the Citta-vajra-stava. As to their authorship, there is but little doubt; thestyle itself is the same as that of the kdrikas of the Mula-mddhyamika-kdrikds. Moreover, Candraklrti in his Prasanna-padd quotes from the Catuh-stava, attributing one of them,viz. the Lokdttta-stava to the Master, dcdrya-pdddh (p. 413).

We are naturally inclined to attach little importance tothe hymnology of the Hindus, because, even if some of thestotras are very beautiful from the literary point of view,we think that they do not add very much to our knowledgeof Hindu thought. But I venture to disagree. Many of thestotras are not mere prayers or hymns in praise of God. In acertain way they cannot be dissociated from the dhydnas,which very often are embodied in them, that is to say, theiraim is to produce an inner ecstasy by which the vision ofGod is made possible. They are therefore essential momentsof the complex process of sddhana, just as the pujd, thendma-japa, the kirlana, etc. ; they are, in other words,instruments by which the intelligence grasps the religioustruth therein expounded, while in a second moment the spiritfocuses and visualizes, as it were, that same truth in a directexperience. I t is therefore evident that the immense stotra-literature has a great bearing upon the study of Indianmysticism, and must be thoroughly investigated by thestudents of religious psychology or by those who want tounderstand the true and fundamental characters of Hindureligious experience.


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3 1 0 TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGARJUNA

In the Catuh-stava we are confronted, no doubt, with oneof the best specimens of this kind of literatu re. As a matterof fact, the four stotras contain in a great synthesis the entireMahayana dogmatics conducive to the supreme realization of 1the sunyatd, considered as paramartha, viz. as the Absolute. jAt' the same time they show, paradoxical as this might appear jat first sight, th at Buddhism even in its Mahayana derivatives ;remained fundamentally what it was at its very beginning ; |I mean a kind of mysticism which does not adm it the existenceof any god as an absolute entity. Of course its Olympus isfull of gods and divine beings, crowned by the Buddhas and 'Bodhisattvas, bu t all these gods have only a relative reality, :they exist in so far as prapanca exists, viz. in so far as theplay of vikalpas and samlcalpas, the synthetic and analyticimaginations, takes place in our mind. Even the dhydni-Buddhas of later Mahayana-mysticism are subjective pro-jections of the purified mind of the Bodhisattvas or of theYogins. Their vision can be enjoyed in the highest stages ofdhyana and samddhi ; but, when all impressions of the greatcosmic ignorance representing the negative bu t necessary sideof the Eternal are destroyed, even Buddhas and Tathagatasdisappear, since any activity of mind is lost in the paramartha.This^ paramartha is the Absolute beyond words, which may becalled void only in so far as no predicate can be applied to it.In. the sphere of relative existence there is place for allsorts of gods, but in the plane of truth even the Tathagatavanishes (v. Haribhadra's Abhisamaydlanhdrdloha, p. 542,of m y edition).This process is indicated by the Catuh-stava ; the four partsinto which it is divided cannot be dissociated. There mustbe four stavas because the truth can be realized in a fourfoldgradation of different intensity corresponding to the fourfoldbody of the Buddha. Each stava is therefore to be relatedto a particular aspect of the truth, of which one of the fourbodies of the Buddha is to be considered as the symbol. I tseems to me that the Catuh-stava codifies, as it were, the


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TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGA RJUNA 3 1 1

buddhology of Nagarjuna, showing at the same tim e thatthe great doctor knew the system of the four bodies of Buddha,though he gives each one of them a name different from theusual one. But, reading the hymns, we shall easily recognizebehind the difference of denomination the analogy of doctrine,and it will not be difficult to identify nirupama with nirmdna,lokdtita with sambhoga, dtta-vajra with dharma-Jcdya, para-martha with svdbhdvika-kdya. This implies analogy betweenNagarjuna and Maitreya, and it shows that the iova-kdya-theory is much older and more diffused than is generallysupposed.My tex t is based on a Nepalese paper manuscript, not veryold, which I bought in Nepal; the te xt is accompanied by aTikd, which is a mere bdla-bodhirii, giving the grammaticalconstruction of the sentences, nothing more.

The Tibetan translation is contained in bsTan qgyur, mDo(Narthang edition), i, 74, b, 4 ff.


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3 12 TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGABJUNA

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1 The MS. reads vadine, but the Tika vedine, which is supported by theTibetan text.' MSS. na ca nasatvaya.


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TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGARJTJNA 3 1 3

TH E HYMN TO THE INCOMPARABLE ONE1. 0 incomparable One, homage unto Thee, who knowest(the truth that phenomena) have no essence of their own!Thou art eager of the benefit of this world, misled by differenttheories.2. Nothing is seen by Thyself with the eye of the enlightened

One. Sublime, 0 Lord, is Thy view which perceives thetruth.13. From the standpoint of metaphysical truth there isneither knower nor thing to be known. Oh ! .Thou knowest thereality very difficult to be known.4. Thou dost neither create nor destroy any thing; havingperceived the sameness of everything, thou reachedst themost sublime condition.

1 Inasmuch as you do not see anything, because everything is void,just for this you see the truth, viz. the sunyatd sarvadharmarf&m.


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3 1 4 TWO HYMNS OP THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGA EJUNA

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1 Quoted by panjika on Bodhicaryavatara, p. 420, an d by Ad vay avajra(in Advayavajra-safigraha, ed. by Haraprasada Shastri) , p. 22.2 Quoted by panjika on Bodhicaryavatara, p. 489.


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TWO HYMNS OF THE CATTTH-STAVA OF NAG ABJUNA 3 1 5

5. Thou dost not take nirvana as the suppression of samsdra ;since thou, 0 Lord, dost not perceive any samsdra, thouobtainedst quiescence.16. Thou knowest that the defilement of passion and thepurification of virtue have the same ta ste ; since no dis-crimination is possible in the reality thou ar t completely pure .

7. Thou, 0 Master, didst not utter a single syllable, and(yet) the entire [mass of] people fit to be converted wasgratified with the shower of the law.8. Thou art not adherent to the skandhas, to the dhdtus,or to the dyatanas. Thou art mind only (as infinite andpure) as the ether, nor dost Thou reside in any contingentthing (dharma).9. The notion of being does not occur to Thee at all, andyet Thou art exceedingly compassionate towards all beings

tortured by sorrow and pain.

1 Nirvana is not the result of suppression of sanisara; suppressionof something implies previous existence of som eth ing; bu t sanisara isnot existenceinasmuch it is pratttya-samutpanna, relative; nirvanaalso is relative, if it is considered as the result of suppression of Mesas, viz.of sanisara. As a matter of fact, neither merit nor demerit exist, becauseany judgment of values as well as any notion is vikalpa or samkalpa. Buttruth is beyond the two; nirvana and samsara are therefore equivalent,since they are imagined as reciprocally connected, but in the realization ofparamartha they must disappear just as all contraries must necessarilyvanish.


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14 ST^'syn-Jp-qoi'^e; I ^ * ^ V * ' ^ * S ' i i * ' ^ ' ^ '1 MS. yato.2 Quoted by Candraklrti, commenting on Mula-madhyamika-kdrikds,p. 215, where in a we read ekatvanyatva"; in c Candraklrti's reading isdefective.


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TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGABJUNA 3 1 7

10. Thy mind, 0 Lord, is not attached to those multifariousopinions as regards pleasure and pain, existence of an ego,non-existence of an ego, affirmation of some eternal being,negation of some eternal being.

11. Thy belief is that things do not go (changing into someother condition), nor do they come (into existence by theagency of some force): nor dost Thou admit that there is awhole as the conglomeration of many parts . Therefore Thouknowest the absolute truth.12. Thou art followed everywhere, but Thou art bornnowhere; oh great ascetic, Thou art beyond our thought,as regards attributes of birth and corporeity.13. Thou, the irreproachable One, didst understand thatthis world is neither unity nor multipl icity ; it is like an

echo, it is subject neither to changing [into other forms]nor to destruction.14. Thou, my Lord, didst know that the cycle of existenceis neither eternal nor impermanent, that in it there is nopredicable nor predicate, (since it is) similar to a dream or toa magic play.


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My xylograph is effaced here, and the reading is doubtful.


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TWO HYMNS OP THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGAKJUNA 319

15. All defilements which have their root and their fruitin the faculty of projecting new karmic series have beencompletely overcome by Thee, immaculate One. By (realizing)the nature of the defilements thou obtainest immortality.

16. 0 Thou, firm in thy resolve, Thou didst see the worldof material appearances as devoid of any predicate and likethe immaterial. Still in the material sphere Thou appearestwith a body shining with the (thirty-two) marks of thegreat man.

17. But even if Thy appearance has been seen, it cannot besaid that Thou hast been seen. When the object has beenseen, Thou art well seen, but reality is not the object ofvision.1

18. Thy body has not the nine holes (as mortal beings have),it has no flesh, no bones, no blood; still Thou manifestedsta body (which is a mere reflex) just as the rainbow in the sky.

19. Neither disease nor impurity are in Thy body; it isnot subject to hunger or thirst and still in order to complywith the world, Thou hast shown a worldly behaviour.

20. 0 impeccable One, no fault whatsoever (caused) by theobstruction of the actions can be found in Thee ; still onaccount of thy pity for this world Thou hast shown (anapparent) diving into karman.

1 The various ways of worshipping the Buddhas are the first moment in thelong anupurvi or krama, which leads to the supreme realization. The sametheory is accepted by the Saiva system of Kashmir, and generally by allIndian systems following Vedanta philosophy. The idea of God and themeditation on God as a personal being are mere upayas for the suddhi,which makes the sadhakafitfor higher stages of mystic realizations.


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3 2 0 TWO HYMNS OP THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGARJUNA

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1 Quoted by Advayavajra, p. 22.2 Quoted by Advayavajra, p. 1.


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TWO HYMNS OP THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGARJUNA 3 2 1

21. Since the reality cannot be differentiated, there are nodifferent vehicles (of liberation); only in order to convertliving beings (according to their different tendencies andmaturity) Thou preachedst the three vehicles.

1

22. Thy body is eternal, imperishable, auspicious. I t isthe very law, it is the Victorious one. Still on account of thepeople to be converted (to the path of salvation) Thoushowedst Thy passing away into nirvana.23. In the infinite universe Thou art now and then beheldby those who have faith in Thee, and are anxious [to become

Buddhas and to imitate Thy] descending upon earth, Thybirth, Thy illumination, Thy preaching, Thy entering intonirvana.24. No feeling, 0 Lord, no ideation, no motion are in Thee.Thou art accomplishing in this world the duty of a Buddha,without participating in it.25. I have spread over the perfect One, who is beyond ourthoughts and any limitation, theflowersof his very attr ibu tes.Through the merit which I have begot may all living beingsin this world participate in the extremely deep law of thesublime ascetic.2

1 Viz. elcayana theory, as opposed to the thiee-ydna theory; the truthbeing one, the vehicle to its realization m ust be one. But the tru th appearsto beings in a different way according to their different preparation andmaturity.2 The usual puriyapariftfimaria is contained in thia verse.JBAS. APRIL 19 32 . 21


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322 TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGARJUNA

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TW O HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGARJUNA 323

THE HYMN TO THE SUPREME EEALITY1. How can I praise Thee, 0 Lord, (since Thou art) unborn,residing in no place, surpassing any worldly comparison,

abiding in the sphere which is beyond the path of words ?12. Anyhow, having recourse to worldly convention, I shallpraise my Master with devotion, as Thou art, [only] accessiblein the sense of reality.3. Since Thou hast the nature of the unborn, for Thee thereis no birth, no coming, no going. Homage unto Thee, 0 Lord,

who art devoid of any essence!4. Thou art neither existence nor non-existence, neitherimpermanent nor perennial,2 neither eternal nor non-eternal.Homage unto Thee who art beyond any duality!5. No colour is perceived in Thee, neither red nor green norscarlet, neither yellow nor black nor white. Homage untoThee, who art without colour!

1 The paramartha is beyond words ; how can it be praised ? It is theAbsolute and therefore, by definition, no further determination is possible.When we want to say something about it we cannot help limiting it withinour ideas. But it is always through words and ideas that truths becomepresent to our spirit and are afterwards realized. The following versesinsist therefore on the negative description of the paramartha, of which thebest determination is complete negation of all predicables; omnisdeterminatio est negatio.

2 Sasvata, when used with nitya, indicates that being which, having hadan origin, is never destroyed ; nitya is the being without beginning or end,aadasatparinamasunya.


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3 2 4 TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGAEJUNA

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TWO HYMNS OF THE CATUH-STAVA OF NAGAEJUNA 3 2 5

6. Thou art neither big nor small, neither long nor globular.Thou hast reached the stage of the limitless. Homage untoThee, the unlimited One.

7. Thou art neither far away nor near, neither in the skynor in the earth, neither in the cycle of existences nor inNirvana. Homage unto Thee, who dost reside in no place!8. Thou dost not stay in any dharma, but art gone into the

condition of the Absolute and hast obtained the sublimedeepness. Homage unto Thee, the deep One.9. Praised in this way, let Him be praised ; but has Hebeen praised ? When all dharmas are void who is praised orby whom can he be praised ?10. Who can praise Thee, as Thou art devoid of birth and

decay, and since neither end nor middling, neither perceptionnor perceived exist for Thee ?11. I have praised the Well-gone (Sugata). who is neithergone nor come, and who is devoid of any going. Through themerit so acquired may this world go along the path of theWell-gone.

63.

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Tucci 2 Hymns Catuhstava Nagarjuna JRAS 1932