Mahā Prajñā Pāramitā Hṛdaya Sūtra

A word-by-word translation from the Sanskrit by Michael Eido Luetchford. Page numbers refer to Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Monier-Williams, and Pali-English Dictionary by the Pali Text Society (PTS).

Namaḥ sarvajñāya.

Evaṃ mayā śrutaṃ. Ekasminsamaye bhagavānrājagṛhe viharati sma gṛdhrakūṭe parvate mahatā bhikṣusaṃghena sārdhaṃ mahatā ca bodhisattvasaṃghena. Tena khalu samayena bhagavāngaṃbhīrāvasaṃbodhaṃ nāma samādhiṃ samāpannaḥ. Tena ca samayenāryāvalokiteśvaro bodhisattvo mahāsattvo gaṃbhīrāyāṃ prajñāpāramitāyāṃ caryāṃ caramāṇa evaṃ vyalokayati sma. Paṃca skaṃdhāstāṃśca svabhāvaśūnyaṃ vyavalokayati. Athāyuṣmāñchāriputro buddhānubhāvenāryāvalokiteśvaraṃ bodhisattvametadavocat. Yaḥ kaścitkulaputro gaṃbhīrāyāṃ prajñāpāramitāyāṃ caryāṃ cartukāmaḥ kathaṃ śikṣitavyaḥ. Evamukta āryāvalokiteśvaro bodhisattvo mahāsattva āyuṣmaṃtaṃ śāriputrametadavocat. Yaḥ kaścicchāriputra kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā gaṃbhīrāyāṃ prajñāpāramitāyāṃ caryāṃ cartukāmastenaivaṃ vyavalokayitavyaṃ. Paṃca skaṃdhāstāṃśca svabhāvaśūnyānsamanupaśyati sma. Rūpaṃ śūnyatā śūnyataiva rūpaṃ. Rūpānnapṛthak śūnyatā śūnyatāyā na pṛthagrūpaṃ. Yadrūpaṃ sā śūnyatā yā śūnyatā tadrūpaṃ. Evaṃ vedanāsaṃjñāsaṃskāravijñānāni ca śūnyatā. Evaṃ śāriputra sarvadharmā śūnyatālakṣaṇā anutpannā aniruddhā amalā vimalā anūnā asaṃpūrṇāḥ. Tasmāttarhi śāriputra śūnyatāyāṃ na rūpaṃ na vedanā na saṃjñā na saṃskārā na vijñānaṃ. Na cakṣurnaśrotraṃ na ghrāṇaṃ na jivhā na kāyo na mano na rūpaṃ na śabdo na gaṃdho na raso na spraṣṭavyaṃ na dharmāḥ. Na cakṣurdhāturyāvanna manodhāturna dharmadhāturna manovijñānadhātuḥ. Na vidyā nāvidyā na kṣayo yāvanna jarāmaraṇaṃ na jarāmaraṇakṣayaḥ. Na duḥkhasamudayanirodhamārgā. Na jñānaṃ na prāptirnāprāptiḥ. Tasmacchāriputra aprāptirtitvena bodhisattvānāṃ prajñāpāramitāmāśritya viharati cittāvaraṇaḥ. Cittāvaraṇanāstitvādatrasto viparyāsātiktāṃto niṣṭhnirvāṇaḥ. Tryadhvavyasthitā sarvabuddhāḥ prajñāpāramitāmāśrityānuttarāṃ samyaksaṃbodhimabhisaṃbuddhāḥ. Tasmājjñātavyaḥ prajñāpāramitāmahāmaṃtro mahāvidyāmaṃtro 'nuttaramaṃtro 'samasamamaṃtraḥ sarvaduḥkhapraśamanamaṃtraḥ satyamamithyatvāt prajñāpāramitāyāmukto maṃtraḥ. Tadyathā. Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā. Evaṃ śāriputra gaṃbhīrāyāṃ prajñāpāramitāyāṃ caryāyāṃ śikṣitavyaṃ bodhisattvena. Atha khalu bhagavān tasmātsamādhervyutthāyāryāvalokiteśvarasya bodhisattvasya sādhukāramadāt. Sādhu sādhu kulaputra evametatkulaputra. Evametadgaṃbhīrāyāṃ prajñāpāramitāyāṃ caryaṃ cartavyaṃ yathā tvayā nirdiṣṭamanumodyate tathāgatairarhadbhiḥ. Idamavocadbhagavānāṃnadamanā āyuṣmāñchāriputra āryāvalokiteśvaraśca bodhisattvaḥ sā ca sarvāvatī parṣatsadevamānuṣāsuragaṃdharvaśca loko bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanaṃdan iti prajñāpāramitāhṛdayasūtraṃ samāptaṃ.

Namaḥ	f. homage, veneration 528
sarvajñāya	all-knowing, omniscient 1185

Homage to the Omniscient

Evaṃ	thus, in this way 232
mayā	by me (instr of aham)
śrutaṃ	heard, listened to, taught, transmitted 1101

Thus was heard by me:

Ekasmin	at one (loc sg)
samaye	at/in meeting place, time 1164
bhagavān	the Revered One (nom sg)
rājagṛhe	in Rajagriha (loc sg) 873
viharati sma	he spent or passed time, was staying 1003
gṛdhrakūṭe	on Vulture Peak (loc sg) 361, 299
parvate	m. mountain (loc sg) 609
mahatā	with great (instr sg) 794
bhikṣu+saṃghena	with assembly of bhiksus (instr sg)
sārdhaṃ	along with, together with (+instr) 1210
mahatā	with great (instr sg)
ca	and
bodhisattva+saṃghena	with assembly of bodhisattvas (instr sg)

At one time, the Revered One was staying at Rajagriha on Vulture Peak mountain together with a great assembly of bhiksus and a great assembly of bodhisattvas.

Tena samayena	By that time (instr sg) 1164
khalu	ind. indeed, certainly, further 338
bhagavān	Revered One (nom sg)
gaṃbhīra+āva	profound (ava 96, āva 154 ???) 346
saṃbodhaṃ	m. perfect wisdom (acc sg)
nāma	ind. by name, called 536
samādhiṃ	putting together, practice, samadhi (acc sg)
samāpannaḥ	arrived, come, happened, accomplished, completed (nom sg) 1161

Further, by that time the Revered One had completed the practice called profound perfect wisdom.

Tena samayena	By that time
ca	and
āryas	m. Buddha, Buddhist master (nom sg) 152
āvalokiteśvaras	Avalokitesvara (nom sg)
bodhisattvas	one whose essence is perfect wisdom, bodhisattva (nom sg)
mahāsattvas	one whose essence is greatness, mahasattva (nom sg)
gaṃbhīrāyāṃ	f. in deep, profound (loc sg) 346
prajñāpāramitāyāṃ	f. in prajna paramita (loc sg)
caryāṃ	f. conduct, practice (acc sg) 390
caramāṇa	while practicing
evaṃ	in this way
vyalokayati sma	recognized, perceived 906, 1033

And by that time Master Avalokitesvara, the one whose essence is greatness and wisdom, recognized while practicing in the profound prajna paramita practice in this way.

Paṃca	Five
skaṃdhās	skandhas (nom pl)
tāṃs	f. they (acc pl)
ca	and
svabhāva+śūnyaṃ	empty of essence, empty of own identity
vyavalokayati.	he recognizes, perceives, beholds 1033

There are five skandhas and he recognizes that they are empty of identity.

Athā	Then, moreover 17
yuṣmān	venerable (nom sg)
Shāriputras	Sariputra (nom sg)
buddha+anubhāvena	with the dignity of a buddha 36
ārya+āvalokiteśvaraṃ	Master Avalokitesvara (acc sg)
bodhisattvam	one whose essence is wisdom
etad	this (nom/acc sg)
avocat	spoke, said, told (aorist of vac) (+acc)

Then, the venerable Sariputra, with the dignity of a buddha said this to Master Avalokitsvara, the one whose essence is wisdom.

Yaḥ	In that (nom)
kaścit	a certain
kulaputras	m. son of noble family 295
gaṃbhīrāyāṃ	in profound (loc sg)
prajñāpāramitāyāṃ	prajna paramita (loc sg)
caryāṃ	practice, practicing
cartukāmaḥ	wishes 271
kathaṃ	how, in what way, why
śikṣitavyaḥ.	to be learned from (abl), to be taught 1070

In that that a certain son of a noble family desires to practice in the profound prajna paramita, how can they be taught?

Evam+ukta	Thus addressed
āryāvalokiteśvaras	Master Avalokitesvara
bodhisattvas mahāsattvas	one whose essence is wisdom and greatness
āyuṣmaṃ	venerable (honorific) (acc sg) 149
taṃ	this (acc sg)
śāriputram	Sariputra (acc sg)
etad	he (nom sg)
avocat	said, spoke, told

Thus addressed, Master Avalokitesvara, the one whose essence is wisdom and greatness, said this to the venerable Sariputra:

Yaḥ	In as much as (nom sg)
kaścit	a certain
shāriputras	Sariputra (voc sg)
kulaputras	son of noble family (nom sg)
vā	or
kuladuhitā	daughter of noble family (nom sg) 294
vā	or
gaṃbhīrāyāṃ	in profound (loc sg)
prajñāpāramitāyāṃ	in prajna paramita (loc sg)
caryāṃ	practice
cartukāmas	wishes
tena	in that case
evaṃ	indeed
vyavalokayitavyaṃ	f. shall/must recognize, perceive behold (absolutive)

O Sariputra, in as much as a certain son or daughter of noble family wishes to practice in the profound prajna paramita, in that case he shall indeed recognize...

Paṃca	Five
skaṃdhās	skandhas
tāṃśca	and they (acc pl)
svabhāva+śūnyān	empty of identity (acc pl)
samanupaśyati sma	he will have observed, noticed 1154

He will have noticed that the five skandhas are empty of identity.

Rūpaṃ	Physical form (nom sg)
śūnyatā	emptiness
śūnyata	emptiness
eva	is
rūpaṃ	form (acc sg)

Form is emptiness and emptiness is form.

Rūpāt	form (abl sg)
na pṛthak	ind. not other than (+abl)
śūnyatā	f. emptiness (nom sg)
śūnyatāyā	f. emptiness (abl sg)
na pṛthag	not other than
rūpaṃ	form

Emptiness is not other than form, and form is not other than emptiness.

Yadrūpaṃ	Which form (acc sg)
sā	f. that (nom sg)
śūnyatā	f. emptiness (nom sg)
yā	f. that (nom sg)
śūnyatā	emptiness (nom sg)
tadrūpaṃ	that form (acc sg)

That which is form, that is emptiness; that which is emptiness, that is form.

Evaṃ	In this way
vedanā+saṃjñā+saṃskāra+vijñānāni	feeling, perception, forming (conceptualization), consciousness (nom pl)
ca	and (enclitic)
śūnyatā	emptiness

In this way, feeling, perception, conceptualization and consciousness are all emptiness.

Evaṃ	In this way
śāriputra	Sariputra (voc sg)
sarvadharmā	all entities/conceptual existences
śūnyatā+lakṣaṇā	have attributes of emptiness
anutpannā	not arising
aniruddhā	not ceasing
amalā	f. not impure 81, 792
vimalā	f. not pure 979
anūnā	f. whole, not deficient 41, 221
asaṃpūrṇāḥ	not replete 119, 1173

In this way, O Sariputra, all entities have the attributes of emptiness; they are neither arising nor ceasing, neither impure nor pure, neither deficient nor replete.

Tasmāt	From this
tarhi	ind. at this moment 440
śāriputra	Sariputra (voc sg)
śūnyatāyāṃ	emptiness
na rūpaṃ	not form
na vedanā	not feeling
na saṃjñā	not perception
na saṃskārā	not conceptualization
na vijñānaṃ	not consciousness

From this, O Sariputra, at this moment emptiness is neither form, nor feeling, nor perception, nor conceptualization, nor consciousness.

Na cakṣus	no eye
na śrotraṃ	no ear
na ghrāṇaṃ	no nose
na jihvā	no tongue
na kāyas	no body
na manas	no mind
na rūpaṃ	no appearance
na śabdas	no sound
na gaṃdhas	no smell 345
na rasas	no taste 869
na spraṣṭavyaṃ	no touch 1296
na dharmāḥ	no properties 510

There is neither eye, nor ear, nor nose, nor tongue, nor body, nor mind, nor form, nor sound, nor smell, nor taste, nor touch, nor properties.

Na cakṣus dhātus	no visual property
yāvat	while
na manas dhātus	mental property
na dharma dhātur	no objective property
na manas vijñāna dhātuḥ	no property of mental comprehension 961

While there is no visual property, there is neither subjective property, nor objective property, nor property of mental comprehension.

Na vidyā	no knowledge 962
na avidyā	no ignorance
na kṣayas	no abode
yāvat	while
na jarāmaraṇaṃ	no aging and death
na jarāmaraṇa+kṣayaḥ	no abode of aging and death

While there is neither knowledge, ignorance, nor abode, there is no aging and death and no abode of aging and death.

Na duḥkha+samudaya+nirodha+mārgā

comp. no unhappiness, producing cause 1167, cessation, way

No suffering, producing cause, cessation, or way.

Na jñānaṃ	no becoming knowledgable 426
na prāptis	no attainment 707
na aprāptiḥ.	no lack of attainment

No becoming knowledgable, no attainment, no lack of attainment.

Tasmat	Therefore
shāriputra	Sariputra
aprāptitvena	by non attainment (instr sg) since
bodhisattvānāṃ	of the bodhisattvas (gen pl)
prajñā pāramitām	prajna paramita (acc sg)
āśritya	ind. practicing
viharati	disperses
citta+āvaraṇaḥ	mental illusion 156

Therefore, O Sariputra, by non-attainment practicing the prajna paramita of the bodhisattvas disperses mental illusion.

Citta+āvaraṇas	mental illusion
na astitvād	not part of reality (abl sg)
atrastas	unafraid 457 (pp of tras)
viparyāsa	delusion 974
atikrāṃtas	overcome
niṣṭha+nirvāṇaḥ	grounded in nirvana 563

Since mental illusion is not part of reality, unafraid they overcome delusion and are grounded in nirvana.

Try+adhva+vyasthitā	the three distinct times
sarvabuddhāḥ	all buddhas (nom pl)
prajñā+pāramitām	f. prajna paramita (acc sg)
āśritya	having sought refuge in 158
anuttarāṃ+samyak+saṃbodhim	excellent, supreme 33 true, right 1181 perfect knowledge, enlightenment 1178
abhisaṃbuddhāḥ	deeply versed in, fully awake to 73 (nom sg)

All buddhas of the three distinct times, having sought refuge in the prajna paramita, are fully awake to the supreme right perfect wisdom.

Tasmāt	From this, therefore
jñātavyaḥ	shall/to be known 425
prajñā+pāramitā+mahā+maṃtras	great prajna paramita mantra
mahā+vidyā+maṃtras	mantra of great insight 963
anuttara+maṃtras	supreme mantra
asamasama+maṃtraḥ	unequalled mantra 119
sarva+duḥkha+praśamana+maṃtraḥ	mantra of tranquilizing, pacifying, curing, healing all suffering 695
satyam	true, real (nom sg) 1135
amithyatvāt	n. not unreality, without deception (nom sg)
prajñā+pāramitāyām	f. in the prajna paramita (loc sg)
uktas	spoken
maṃtraḥ	mantra, incantation
Tadyathā	in the following manner:

Therefore the great prajna paramita mantra, the mantra of great insight, the supreme mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra that can heal all suffering, shall be known as true and without deception; the mantra is spoken in the prajna paramita in the following manner:

Gate	Gone (3rd perf)
gate	gone
pāragate	gone to the other shore 619
pārasaṃgate	joined, united to the other shore
bodhi	perfect wisdom 734
svāhā	ind. hail, may a blessing rest on 1284

Gone, gone, gone to the other shore, gone united to the other shore; hail to perfect wisdom.

Evaṃ	in this way, thus
śāriputra	Sariputra
gaṃbhīrāyāṃ	in profound
prajñāpāramitāyāṃ	f. in prajna paramita (loc sg)
caryāyāṃ	f. in the practice (loc sg)
śikṣitavyaṃ	shall/to be learned from, to be taught
bodhisattvena	by the bodhisattva (instr sg)

Thus, O Sariputra, shall be learned by the bodhisattva in the practice of the profound prajna paramita.

Atha	Now
khalu	then
bhagavān	the Revered One (nom sg)
tasmāt	from that
samādhes	from/of practice (abl/gen sg)
vyutthāya	turning away from, arising from (+abl)
ārya avalokiteśvarasya	of Master Avalokitesvara (gen sg)
bodhisattvasya	of bodhisattva (gen sg)
sādhukāramadāt.	he praised (+gen).

Then the Revered One, arising from that practice, praised Master Avalokitsvara, the one whose essence is wisdom.

Sādhu	good
sādhu	good
kulaputra	son of noble family (voc sg)
evam	thus
etat	this, it is
kulaputra.	son of noble family

Good, good, O son of noble family thus it is, O son of noble family.

Evam	Thus
etat	this, it is
gaṃbhīrāyāṃ	in profound (loc sg)
prajñāpāramitāyāṃ	in prajna paramita (loc sg)
caryaṃ	practice, practicing
cartavyaṃ	shall/must/to be practiced (absolutive)
yathā	as, according to (enclitic)
tvayā	by you (instr)
nirdiṣṭam	pointed out, taught 555
anumodyate	there will be rejoicing 37
tathāgatais	by the tathagatas (instr pl)
arhadbhiḥ	by the venerable (instr pl)

Thus it is that the practice in the profound prajna paramita is to be practiced as taught by you, and there will be rejoicing by the venerable tathagatas.

Idam	This
avocat	having spoken, said (aorist)
bhagavān	the Revered One (nom sg)
āṃnadam	rejoiced ??? [Pali: ānandati, to be pleased or delighted PTS100]
anā	ind hereby, thus, indeed 27
āyuṣmān	m. venerable (nom sg)
shāriputra	Sariputra (nom sg)
ārya+āvalokiteśvaraśca	and Master Avalokitesvara (nom sg)
bodhisattvaḥ	bodhisattva (nom sg)
sā	f. that (nom sg)
ca	and (enclitic)
sarvāvatī	f. whole (nom sg) 1187
parṣat	f. assembly (nom sg) 609
sad	dwelling in 1139
evam	thus, and
ānuṣa+asura+gaṃdharvaśca	human beings, demons and gandharvas 140, 121, 346
lokas	space, the world (nom sg)
bhagavatas	of the Revered One (gen sg)
bhāṣitam	what was spoken, words 755
abhyanaṃdan	praised ??? [Pali: abhinandati, to rejoice PTS64]
iti	thus
prajñā+pāramitā+hṛdaya+sūtraṃ	the Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra
samāptaṃ	ended, concluded, completed, finished 1161

The Revered One having said this, the venerable Sariputra and bodhisattva Master Avalokitsvara, the whole assembly and the world with its human beings, demons, and gandharvas thus rejoiced and praised the words of the Revered One.
Thus is concluded the Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra.