Chapter 1 - Jetavana-vihāra-varṇana

Avalokiteśvaraguṇa Kāraṇḍyavyūha
Oṃ-Homage to Ratnatraya!,
Śrī Ārya Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva
Mahāsattva Mahākārunika!

Thus have I heard: At one time the Bhagavat was dwelling, with a great Saṅgha of 1,250 Bhikṣus and a multitude of Bodhisattvas, at Jetavana, the monastery of Anāthapiṇḍika, in Śrāvastī.

Eight hundred million Bodhisattva Mahāsattvas had assembled there, they are namely Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrapāni, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Jñānadarśana, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrasena, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Guhyagupta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ākaśagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sūryagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Anikṣiptadhura, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ratnapāṇi, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvaśūra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Bhaiṣajyasena, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajramati, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sāgaramati, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Dharmadhara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Pṛthivīvaralocana, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Aśvāsahasta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Maitreya.

The thirty two classes of Devas had also assembled there, the principal ones being Maheśvara and Nārāyaṇa. Śakra, who is the lord of the Devas, Brahmā, who is the lord of Sahā world, Candra, Āditya, Vāyu, Varuṇa, and other deities were also gathered there.

Many hundreds of thousands of Nāga kings has also assembled there in that retinue, such as Nāga king Utpala, Nāga king Elapatra, Nāga king Timimgira, Nāga king Gavāṃpati, Nāga king Śataśīrṣa, Nāga king Hullura, Nāga king Vahūdaka, Nāga king Takṣaka, Nāga king Gośīrṣa, Nāga king Mṛgaśīrṣa, Nāga kings Nanda and Upananda, Nāga king Vātsīputra, Nāga king Sāgara, Nāga king Anavatapta, and many hundreds of thousands of other Nāga kings were assembled there.

Many hundreds of thousands of Gandharva kings had also gathered there whose names are–Gandharva king Dundubhisvara, Gandharva king Manojñasvara, Gandharva king Sahasrabhuja, Gandharva king Sahāpati, Gandharva king Śarīraprahlādana, Gandharva king Nirnāditabhūrya, Gandharva king Alaṃ Kārabhūsita, Gandharva king Kumāradarśana, Gandharva king Subāhuyukta, Gandharva king Dharmapriya and many hundreds of thousands of Gandharva kings were assembled there in that retinue.

Many hundreds of thousands of Kiṃnara kings has also gathered there in that retinue, they are namely-Kiṃnara king Sumukha, Kiṃnara king Ratnakirītī, Kiṃnara king Svātimukha, Kiṃnara king Prahasita, Kiṃnara king Cakravyūha, Kiṃnara king Puṣpāvakīrṇa, Kiṃnara king Maṇi, Kiṃnara king Pralambodara, Kiṃnara king Dṛdhavīrya, Kiṃnara king Suyodhana, Kiṃnara king Śatamukha, and many hundreds of thousands of other Kiṃnara kings were assembled there.

Many hundreds of thousands of Apsaras had assembled there, they are namely–the Apsara named Tilottamā, the Apsara named Suvyūhā, the Apsara named Suvarṇamekhalā, the Apsara named Vibhūṣitā, the Apsara named Karṇadhārā, the Apsara named Amṛtabindu, the Apsara Pariśobhitakāyā, the Apsara named Maṇiprasthanā, the Apsara named Cuḍakā, the Apsara named Mṛdukā, the Apsara named Pañcabhūryābhimukhā, the Apsara named Ratikarā, the Apsara named Kañcanamālā, the Apsara named Nīlotpalā, the Apsara named Dharmābhimukhā, the Apsara named Sakrīḍā, the Apsara named Kṛtsnākarā, the Apsara named Suvyūhamukhā, the Apsara named Keyūradharā, the Apsara named Dānaṃdadā, the Apsara named Śaśī, and many hundreds of thousands of other Apsaras were assembled there.

Many hundreds of thousands of female Nāgas were gathered there, such as the female Nāga named Vibhūṣaṇadharā, the female Nāga named Svātimukhā, the female Nāga named Jayaśrī, the female Nāga named Vijayaśrī, the female Nāga named Mucilindā, the female Nāga named Trijaṭā, the female Nāga named Vidyullocanā, the female Nāga named Svātigiri, the female Nāga named Śataparivārā, the female Nāga named Vidyutprabhā, the female Nāga named Mahauṣadhi, the female Nāga named Jalabindu, the female Nāga named Ekaśīrṣā, the female Nāga named Śatabāhu, the female Nāga named Grasatī, the female Nāga named Anākṛcchragatā, the female Nāga named Subhūṣaṇa, the female Nāga named Pāṇḍalamedhā, the female Nāga named Rathābhiruḍhā, the female Nāga named Tyāgagatā, the female Nāga named Abhinnaparivārā, the female Nāga named Pulindā, the female Nāga named Sāgarakukṣi, the female Nāga named Chatramukhā, the female Nāga named Dharmapīṭhā, the female Nāga named Mukharā, the female Nāga named Vīryā, the female Nāga named Sāgaragambhīrā, the female Nāga named Meruśrī, and many hundreds of thousands of other female Nāgas were assembled there.

Many hundreds of thousands of female Gandharvas had also gathered there, they are namely–the female Gandharva named Priyamukhā, the female Gandharva named Priyaṃbadā, the female Gandharva named Sudarśana, the female Gandharva named Vajraśrī, the female Gandharva named Vajramālā, the female Gandharva named Anādarśanā, the female Gandharva named Samālini, the female Gandharva named Vanaspati, the female Gandharva named Śatapuṣpā, the female Gandharva named Mukulitā, the female Gandharva named Ratnamālā, the female Gandharva named Muditapuṣpā, the female Gandharva named Sukukṣi, the female Gandharva named Rājaśrī, the female Gandharva named Dundubhi, the female Gandharva named Śubhamālā, the female Gandharva named Vibhūṣitālaṃkārā, the female Gandharva named Abhinamitā, the female Gandharva named Dharmakāṅkṣiṇī, the female Gandharva named Dharmaṃdadā, the female Gandharva named Audumbarā, the female Gandharva named Śatākārā, the female Gandharva named Padmāvatī, the female Gandharva named Phalaṃdadā, the female Gandharva named Padmālaṃkārā, the female Gandharva named Pariśobhitakāyā, the female Gandharva named Vilāsendragāminī, the female Gandharva named Pṛthivīṃdadā, the female Gandharva named Siṃhagāminī, the female Gandharva named Kumudapuṣpā, the female Gandharva named Manoramā, the female Gandharva named Dānaṃdadā, the female Gandharva named Kṣāntipriyā, the female Gandharva named Nirvāṇapriyā, the female Gandharva named Ratnāṅkurā, the female Gandharva named Indraśrī, the female Gandharva named Indramaghaśrī, the female Gandharva named Prajāpatinivāsinī, the female Gandharva named Mṛgarājinī, the female Gandharva named Sphurantaśrī, the female Gandharva named Jvalantaśikharā, the female Gandharva named Rāgaparimuktā, the female Gandharva named Dveṣaparimuktā, the female Gandharva named Mohaparimuktā, the female Gandharva named Sujanaparivārā, the female Gandharva named Ratnapīṭhā, the female Gandharva named Āgamanagamanā, the female Gandharva named Agniprabhā, the female Gandharva named Candrabimbaprabhā, the female Gandharva named Sūryalocanā, the female Gandharva named Subacā, and many hundreds of thousands of other female Gandharva were gathered there in that retinue.

Many hundreds of thousands of female Kiṃnaras had assembled there, such as–the female Kiṃnara named Manasā, the female Kiṃnara named Mānasī, the female Kiṃnara named Vāyuvegā, the female Kiṃnara named Varuṇavegā, the female Kiṃnara named Ākāśaplavā, the female Kiṃnara named Vegajavā, the female Kiṃnara named Lakṣmīṃdadā, the female Kiṃnara named Sudaṃṣṭrā, the female Kiṃnara named Acalaśriyā, the female Kiṃnara named Dhātupriyā, the female Kiṃnara named Avalokitalakṣmī, the female Kiṃnara named Kuṭila, the female Kiṃnara named Vajramuṣṭi, the female Kiṃnara named Kapilā, the female Kiṃnara named Subhūṣaṇabhūṣitā, the female Kiṃnara named Vistīrṇalalātā, the female Kiṃnara named Sujanaparisevitā, the female Kiṃnara named Sahāṃpati, the female Kiṃnara named Ākāśarakṣitā, the female Kiṃnara named Vyūharājendra, the female Kiṃnara named Maṇicūḍā, the female Kiṃnara named Maṇidhāriṇī, the female Kiṃnara named Maṇirocanī, the female Kiṃnara named Vidvajjanaparisevitā, the female Kiṃnara named Śatākārā, the female Kiṃnara named Āyurdadā, the female Kiṃnara named Tathāgatakośaparipālitā, the female Kiṃnara named Dharmadhātuparirakṣinī, the female Kiṃnara named Satataparigraha Dharmakāṅkṣiṇī, the female Kiṃnara named Sadānukāladarśinī, the female Kiṃnara named Nūpurottamā, the female Kiṃnara named Lakṣaṇottamā, the female Kiṃnara named Āśvāsanī, the female Kiṃnara named Vimokṣakarā, the female Kiṃnara named Sadānuvṛtti, the female Kiṃnara named Saṃvegadhāriṇī, the female Kiṃnara named Khaṅgajvalanā, the female Kiṃnara named Pṛthivyupasaṃkramaṇā, the female Kiṃnara named Surendramālā, the female Kiṃnara named Surendrā, the female Kiṃnara named Asurendrā, the female Kiṃnara named Munīndrā, the female Kiṃnara named Gotrakṣānti, the female Kiṃnara named Yogānugatā, the female Kiṃnara named Bahvāśrayā, the female Kiṃnara named Śatāyudhā, the female Kiṃnara named Vibhūṣitālaṃkārā, the female Kiṃnara named Manoharā, and many hundreds of thousands of other female Kiṃnaras were gathered there.

Many hundreds of thousands of upāsakas and upāsikās had assembled there.

Many hundreds of thousands of tīrthika mendicant renunciants had also gathered there.

At the time of this great gathering, light rays shone in the great Avīci hell. Having shone there, they came to the Jetavana Monastery, where they became adornments for the monastery. All are appeared as pillars adorned with heavenly Mani treasures. The huge buildings adorned with gold and treasures appeared. There appeared buildings with doors made of gold and silver. Buildings with steps made of gold and silver appeared there. Palaces made of gold and silver, the silver palaces having gold pillars adorned with divine jewels and the gold palaces having silver pillars adorned with divine jewels.

In the gardens around Jetavana, there appeared various kinds of wishfulfilling trees. They had trunks of gold and leaves of silver and were bedecked with a variety of adornments, with beautiful monastic robes, with Kaśika cloth, with hundreds of thousands of pearl necklaces, and with hundreds of thousands of crowns, earrings, braided ribbons, armlets, and anklets. Outside the monastery there appeared hundreds of trees, which, like the wishful filling trees, were made from precious metals and were bedecked with precious bracelets.

In the Jetavana Monastery, there appeared stairs made from diamonds and entrance chambers hung with pearls and silks.

Many hundreds of thousands of pools appeared there. Some were completely filled with water that had the eight qualities. Some were completely filled with a variety of flowers, which are called blue lotuses, red lotuses, night lotuses, white lotuses, tigher claw flowers and great tigher claw flowers, and udumbara flowers.

Moreover, there were a variety of tree blossoms, which are called Campaka flowering trees, Ashoka flowering trees, Kalavela flowering trees. Pātala flowering trees, wonderful liberation flowering trees, wonderful mind flowering trees, Fragrant rain flowering trees, etc. Those flowering trees are very pleasing.

Thus the Jetavana Monastery appeared completely beautified.

End of the chapter one named Jetavanavihāravarṇanam