The Heart Sutra

प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसूत्रम्।

Opening Homage

अवाच्ये अचिन्त्ये प्रज्ञापारमितेऽवर्णनीये ।

avācye acintye prajñāpāramite’varṇanīye |

Beyond words, beyond thought, beyond expression, O Prajñāpāramitā  !

अनुत्पादे अनिरोधे आकाशस्वभावात्मके ॥

anutpāde anirodhe ākāśasvabhāvātmake ||

Unborn and unceasing, the very essence of space,

स्वसंवेदनज्ञानस्यै गोचराऽसि निरामये ।

svasaṃvedanajñānasyai gocarā’si nirāmaye |

Experienced as the pristine wisdom of one’s own awareness, [O, Unstained One!]

नमस्तुभ्यं भगवति त्रिकालजिनमातायै ॥

namastubhyaṃ bhagavati trikālajinamātāyai ||

Homage to you, [the Great Luminosity], the mother of the buddhas of the three times!

भगवतीप्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसूत्रम्।

Bhagavatīprajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya Sūtram

 The Heart-essence of the Transcendental Perfection of Wisdom

[विस्तरमातृका]
[vistaramātṛkā]
(Extensive version)

नमो भगवत्यै प्रज्ञापारमितायै |

namo bhagavatyai prajñāpāramitāyai

एवं मया श्रुतम्। एकस्मिन् समये भगवान् राजगृहे विहरतिस्म गृध्रकूटे पर्वते महता भिक्षुसंघेन सार्धं महता च बोधिसत्त्वसंघेन।

evaṃ mayā śrutam| ekasmin samaye bhagavān rājagṛhe viharatisma gṛdhrakūṭe parvate mahatā bhikṣu-saṃghena sārdhaṃ mahatā ca bodhisattva-saṃghena|

Thus I have heard. Once, Bhagavān (the Buddha) was dwelling at Rajagriha on Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a great assembly of Bhikshus and a great assembly of Bodhisattvas.

तेन खलु समयेन भगवान् गम्भीरावसंबोधं नाम धर्मपर्याय समाधिं समापन्नः।

tena khalu samayena bhagavān gambhīra-avasaṃbodhaṃ nāma dharmaparyāya samādhiṃ samāpannaḥ |

At that time Bhagavān entered the samadhi of the enumeration of dharma called “Knowing the Profound”.

तेन च समयेन आर्यावलोकितेश्वरो बोधिसत्त्वो महासत्त्वो गम्भीरायां प्रज्ञापारमितायां चर्यां चरमाणः एवं व्यवलोकयति स्म। पञ्च स्कन्धांस्तांश्च स्वभावशून्यं व्यवलोकयति॥

tena ca samayena ārya-avalokiteśvaro bodhisattvo mahāsattvo gambhīrāyāṃ prajñā-pāramitāyāṃ caryāṃ caramāṇaḥ evaṃ vyavalokayati sma | pañca skandhāṃstāṃśca svabhāva-śūnyaṃ vyavalokayati ||

At that time, the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara, while engaging in the practice of the profound Prajñāpāramitā (transcendental perfection of wisdom), was thoroughly seeing this way – He thoroughly sees the five skandhās as empty of inherent nature.

अथायुष्मान् शारिपुत्रो बुद्धानुभावेन आर्यावलोकितेश्वरं बोधिसत्त्वमहासत्त्वमेतदवोचत्-

atha-āyuṣmān śāriputro buddha-anubhāvena ārya-avalokiteśvaraṃ bodhisattva-mahāsattvam-etad-avocat-

Then, through the power of the Buddha, the venerable Śāriputra said this to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara –

यः कश्चित् कुलपुत्रो गम्भीरायां प्रज्ञापारमितायां चर्यां चर्तुकामः कथं शिक्षितव्यः  

yaḥ kaścit kulaputro gambhīrāyāṃ prajñā-pāramitāyāṃ caryāṃ cartukāmaḥ kathaṃ śikṣitavyaḥ 

“How should a son of the noble lineage, who wishes to practice the profound transcendental perfection of wisdom, train?”.

एवमुक्ते आर्यावलोकितेश्वरो बोधिसत्त्वो महासत्त्वः आयुष्मन्तं शारिपुत्रमेतदवोचत्-

evamukte ārya-avalokiteśvaro bodhisattvo mahāsattvaḥ āyuṣmantaṃ śāriputram-etad-avocat –

Thus addressed, the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara said this to the venerable Śāriputra-

यः कश्चिच्छारिपुत्र कुलपुत्रो व कुलदुहिता वा अस्यां गम्भीरायां प्रज्ञापारमितायां चर्यां चर्तुकामः तेनैवं व्यवलोकितव्यम्- पञ्च स्कन्धांस्तांश्च स्वभावशून्यान् समनुपश्यति स्म।

yaḥ kaścit-śāriputra kulaputro va kuladuhitā vā asyāṃ gambhīrāyāṃ prajñā-pāramitāyāṃ caryāṃ cartukāmaḥ, tenaivaṃ vyavalokitavyam – pañca skandha-aṃstāṃś-ca svabhāva-śūnyān sam-anupaśyati sma|

“O Śāriputra, a son or daughter of the noble lineage – or whosoever wishes to practice the profound transcendental  perfection of wisdom – should thoroughly see in this way – Clearly perceive the five skandhas as empty of inherent nature. 

रूपं शून्यता शून्यतैव रूपम्।

rūpaṃ śūnyatā śūnyataiva rūpam |

Form is empty; emptiness itself is form.

रूपान्न पृथक् शून्यता शून्यताया न पृथग् रूपम्।

rūpān na pṛthak śūnyatā śūnyatāyā na pṛthag rūpam |

Emptiness is not other than form; form is also not other than emptiness.

एवं वेदनासंज्ञासंस्कारविज्ञानानि च शून्यता।

evaṃ vedanā-saṃjñā-saṃskāra-vijñānāni ca śūnyatā |

Likewise, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are empty.

एवं शारिपुत्र सर्वधर्माः शून्यतालक्षणा अनुत्पन्ना अनिरुद्धा अमलाविमला अनूना असंपूर्णाः।

evaṃ śāriputra sarva-dharmāḥ śūnyatā-alakṣaṇā anutpannā aniruddhā amalā avimalā anūnā asaṃpūrṇāḥ |

Thus, Śāriputra, all dharmās are emptiness. They are without characteristics, 
unborn, unceasing, unstained, not purified, undiminished and not fulfilled.

तस्मात्तर्हि शारिपुत्र शून्यतायां न रूपम् न वेदना न संज्ञा न संस्काराः न विज्ञानम् 

tasmāt-tarhi śāriputra śūnyatāyāṃ na rūpam na vedanā na saṃjñā na saṃskārāḥ na vijñānam

Therefore, Śāriputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formations, no consciousness;

न चक्षुर्न श्रोत्रं न घ्राणं न जिह्वा न कायो न मनो 

na cakṣur na śrotraṃ na ghrāṇaṃ na jihvā na kāyo na mano

No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind;

न रूपं न शब्दो न गन्धो न रसो न स्प्रष्टव्यं न धर्मः।

na rūpaṃ na śabdo na gandho na raso na spraṣṭavyaṃ na dharmaḥ |

No form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no tactile object, no dharma;

न चक्षुर्धातुर्यावन्न मनोधातुर्न मनोविज्ञानधातुः।

na cakṣur-dhātur yāvan na mano-dhātur namanovijñānadhātuḥ |

No eye-element (dhātu of eye), up to no mind-element, and further, up to no element of mental consciousness;

नाविद्या न क्षयो यावन्न जरामरणं न जरामरणक्षयः

na avidyā na kṣayo yāvan na jarā-maraṇaṃ na jarā-maraṇa-kṣayaḥ 

No ignorance, no exhaustion of ignorance, up to no aging and death, and no exhaustion of aging and death;

न दुःखसमुदयनिरोधमार्गा

na duḥkha-samudaya-nirodha-mārgā 

No suffering, no origin (of suffering), no cessation (of suffering), and no path (to cessation of suffering);

न ज्ञानं न प्राप्तिर्नाप्राप्तिः।

na jñānaṃ na prāptir na aprāptiḥ |

No pristine wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment.

तस्माच्छारिपुत्र अप्राप्तित्वेन बोधिसत्त्वानां प्रज्ञापारमितामाश्रित्य विहरति ।

tasmāt-śāriputra aprāpti-tvena bodhisattvānāṃ prajñā-pāramitām-āśritya viharati |

Therefore, Śāriputra, since Bodhisattvas have nothing to attain, they abide in reliance upon the Transcendental Perfection of Wisdom.

चित्तावरणनास्तित्वादत्रस्तो विपर्यासातिक्रान्तो निष्ठनिर्वाणः।

cittāvaraṇa na astitvād-atrasto viparyāsa-atikrānto niṣṭha-nirvāṇaḥ  |

Since there is no obscuration of mind, there is no fear.  
Utterly transcending delusion, they attain the perfect nirvana.

त्र्यध्वव्यवस्थिताः सर्वबुद्धाः प्रज्ञापारमितामाश्रित्य अनुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसंबुद्धाः।

tryadhva-vyavasthitāḥ sarva-buddhāḥ prajñā-pāramitām-āśritya anuttarāṃ samyak-saṃbodhim abhi-saṃbuddhāḥ|

All the Buddhās of the three times, by relying on the Transcendental Perfection of Wisdom, fully awaken to the unsurpassed, perfect and complete enlightenment.

तस्माद् ज्ञातव्यः प्रज्ञापारमितामहामन्त्रः महाविद्यामन्त्रः अनुत्तरमन्त्रः असमसममन्त्रः सर्वदुःखप्रशमनमन्त्रः

tasmād jñātavyaḥ prajñāpāramitā mahā-mantraḥ mahā-vidyā-mantraḥ anuttara-mantraḥ asama-sama-mantraḥ sarva-duḥkha-praśamana-mantraḥ

Therefore, the great mantra of Transcendental Perfection of Wisdom, the mantra of great awareness, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra that equalizes the unequal, the mantra that utterly pacifies all suffering, is to be known,

सत्यममिथ्यत्वात् प्रज्ञापारमितायामुक्तो मन्त्रः।

satyam-amithya-tvāt prajñā-pāramitāyām-ukto mantraḥ |

as truth, for it is not deceptive. The mantra of the transcendental perfection of wisdom is uttered in this way-

तद्यथा- ॐ गते गते पारगते पारसंगते बोधि स्वाहा।

tadyathā- oṃ gate gate pāra-gate pāra-saṃgate bodhi svāhā |

tadyathā oṃ gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāha 

एवं शारिपुत्र गम्भीरायां प्रज्ञापारमितायां चर्यायां शिक्षितव्यं बोधिसत्त्वेन महासत्त्वेन॥

evaṃ śāriputra gambhīrāyāṃ prajñā-pāramitāyāṃ caryāyāṃ śikṣitavyaṃ bodhisattvena mahāsattvena||

Śāriputra, Bodhisattva Mahasattvas should train in the practice of the profound Prajnāpāramita in this way.”

अथ खलु भगवान् तस्मात्समाधेर्व्युत्थाय आर्यावलोकितेश्वरस्य बोधिसत्त्वस्य महासत्त्वस्य साधुकारमदात्-

atha khalu bhagavān tasmāt-samādher-vyutthāya ārya-avalokiteśvarasya bodhisattvasya mahāsattvasya sādhu-kāramadāt –

At that time, the Bhagavān, having arisen from that samadhi, expressed his approval to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara-

साधु साधु कुलपुत्र। एवमेतत् कुलपुत्र एवमेतद् गम्भीरायां प्रज्ञापारमितायां चर्यं चर्तव्यं यथात्वया निर्दिष्टम्। अनुमोद्यते तथागतैरर्हद्भिः॥

sādhu sādhu kulaputra | evametat kulaputra, evametad gambhīrāyāṃ prajñā-pāramitāyāṃ caryaṃ cartavyaṃ yathā tvayā nirdiṣṭam |  anumodyate tathāgatair-arhadbhiḥ ||

 “Excellent! Excellent! O son of the noble lineage! Thus it is!  O son of the noble lineage, thus it is. The profound Prajnāpāramita should be practiced exactly as you have taught and all Tathāgata-Arhats will rejoice!”

इदमवोचद्भगवान्। आनन्दमना आयुष्मान् शारिपुत्रः आर्यावलोकितेश्वरश्च बोधिसत्त्वो महासत्त्वः सा च सर्वावती परिषत् सदेवमानुषासुरगन्धर्वश्च लोको भगवतो भाषितमभ्यनन्दन्॥

idam avocat bhagavān |  ānanda-manā āyuṣmān śāriputraḥ ārya-avalokiteśvaraśca bodhisattvo mahāsattvaḥ sā ca sarvāvatī pariṣat sa-deva-mānuṣa-asura-gandharvaś-ca loko bhagavato bhāṣitam abhyanandan ||

When the Bhagavān had spoken thus, the venerable Śāriputra, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara, the entire assembly and the whole world with its devās, humans, asurās and gandharvās rejoiced and praised the words of the Bhagavān.

इति भगवती प्रज्ञापारमिता हृदय सूत्रं समाप्तम् ।

iti  bhagavatī prajñāpāramitā hṛdaya sūtraṃ samāptam | 

This concludes the Sutra of the Heart-essence of the Transcendental Perfection of Wisdom

(This critical edition of the Sanskrit text and its translation were prepared by Yogi Prabodha Jnana and Yogini Abhaya Devi. Available Sanskrit versions were compared and made compatible with the authentic Tibetan translation done by Mahapandita Vimalamitra. May all be auspicious!)