Chapter 9 - The Tibetan emperors prophesied in the Mūlatantra

[Full title: The Tibetan emperors prophesied in the Mūlatantra (bod kyi rgyal po rnams rtsa rgyud las lung bstan pa’i skabs. Chandra 44; Chengdu 70-73; Roerich 44).]

From srong btsan to ‘od srungs: in the Mañjuśrīmūlatantra it is said:

"To this Doctrine of the Tathāgata various persons will give support. They will appear in the region of the North at that time, in a country called lha ldan or "The Abode of Gods" (devavān), situated within the Snowy Mountains (Himalayas). There will appear a king named "God of men" (the Tibetan text has mi'i lha or Mānavadeva, the Sanskrit text has Mānavendra), born in the race of the Licchavīs. He will achieve the object of his mantras (mantrārthasiddha) and will be very prosperous.

The king will master the spell (vidyā, rig pa) named Bhogavatī (longs spyod ldan), and will rule for eighty years, abstaining from brigandage. (In the next life also) he will achieve success with the mantras called Śītalā, Śāntikā, Pauṣṭikā, the one known to the World as the Tārā, the Devī Paṇḍaravāsinī (lha mo gos dkar mo), Mahāśveta-parahitodyuktā (dkar mo chen mo gzhan phan brtson), and Akhinnamanasāṃ sadā (rtag tu yid ni mi skyo ba). The above and others had been taught (by the Buddha to Mañjuśrīkumāra).

Also several kings are mentioned of different colours, forms and appearances, as well as the mleccha-rājas who dwell in the Himālayas, and who also worship the Teacher, the kings Vṛṣa (khyu mchog) and Suvṛṣa (khyu mchog bzang po), Bhūbhāsa (sa 'od; Bhāvasu in the text of the MMK)^[1] also sa 'od bzang (Subhūbhāsa; Śubhasu in the MMK), also Parākrama (pha rol gnon nyid; Bhākrama in the MMK), Padākrama (rkang pa'i 'gros), Bhūgupta (sa srung; Bhāgupta in the MMK), also Vatsaka (be'u), and Bhāsvat (‘od ldan),^[2] the Last (the Tibetan translator rendered paścima of the Sanskrit text by "last", instead of "Westerner").

In the end (the kings) Udaya (‘char rgyal) and Jiṣṇu (ngang tshul; Jihnuna in the MMK). (Then) there will be different kinds of mlecchas (kla klo), and after them morals will deteriorate, and the country will be enjoyed by foreigners."

Thus it was prophecised. The Northern Region (byang gi phyogs) and Himavat (kha ba can, the Abode of Snows) are very famous (and therefore do not require a description). Lha ldan means lha sa.

"He will rule for eighty years" (means) "lived for eighty-two years". (Because) during this period gung srong gun btsan also ruled for a short time. The Tārā (sgrol ma) Paṇḍaravāsinī (gos dkar mo) and Mahāśvetā (dkar mo chen mo) /are/ the three chief queens (of king srong btsan): the Imperial Princess (Ch. Kung-chu> T. Kong jo), the Nepalese Princess (bal mo bza') and the ‘bring gza' ma thod dkar.^[3]

"Born in the race of the Licchavīs" (means) that (the king) will belong to the royal house of Vaiśalī (yangs pa can).

"Mleccha-rāja" (means) that the king will rule also in the ta zhig (

(The words) "several kings" (mean) the kings that followed after him: Vṛṣa (khyu mchog) /means/ mang srong, Suvṛṣa (khyu mchog bzang po)—klung nam (i.e. The king klung nam 'phrul gyi rgyal po), Bhūbhāsa (sa 'od)—mes ag tshom, Subhūbhāsa (sa 'od bzang)—khri srong lde btsan, Parākrama (pha rol gnon)—mu ne btsan po, Padākrama (rkang pa'i 'gros)—khri lde srong btsan, Bhūgupta (sa srungs)—ral pa can, Vatsaka (be'u)—glang dar ma, Bhāsvat' (‘od ldan)—’od srungs. (The words) ldan pa and bsrungs pa (the text has bsrung pa) have the meaning of āpti (gain, acquisition).

"In the end (the kings) Udaya (‘char rgyal, "Rising King") and Jiṣṇu (ngang tshul")—while some (authors) maintain that by these words a Mongol king (hor rgyal) who (will appear) from the quarter of the rising sun and will hold sway over Tibet (bod) /was meant/, in my opinion this may also mean (king) dpal 'khor btsan, who was murdered by snyags in the valley of shar kha ("Valley facing the rising sun", according to ‘gos lo tsā ba the name shar kha indicates here the king Udaya, ‘char rgyal or "Rising King"). After that, because there was no sovereign king in the whole of Tibet, "morals deteriorated" (lugs rnam par zhig go).

The Chapter on the Prophecy about Tibetan kings contained in the (Mañjuśrī)-mūlatantra.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

K. P. Jayaswal: "Imperial History of India" (Lahore, 1934) p. 20ff. p. 40 of the Sanskrit text of the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa corrected by Rāhula Sānkṛtyāyana, appended to the volume. ‘gos lo tsā ba, author of the "Blue Annals," understood the passage of the MMK to refer to Tibet.

[2]:

According to ‘gos lo tsā ba Vatsaka and Bhāsvat ("the Luminous") were different kings.

[3]:

Here ‘gos lo tsā ba misunderstood the names of the mantras, and took them to represent the three queens of king srong btsan. ‘bri bza' thod dkar is often given as the name of srong btsan’s mother.