The Āryamañjuśrī­mūlakalpa (The Noble Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī) is a Mahāyāna sūtra and a Mantrayāna ritual manual (kalpa) affiliated with the bodhisattva of wisdom, Mañjuśrī. In Tibetan Buddhism it is classified as a Kriyā-tantra.Keown, Damien (editor) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p.172. According to Sanderson (2009: 129) and the study by Matsunaga (1985), the text is datable to about 775 CE.

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa is often cited as the earliest example of an extant Indian Buddhist Tantra. Some scholars identify it as a compilation of a core verse text dated circa 6th century CE with later accretions and additions. The Sanskrit version, significantly longer than its corresponding Chinese and Tibetan renderings, is still extant.

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa states that mantras taught in the Shaiva, Garuda and Vaishnava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Mañjuśrī.Sanderson, Alexis. "The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period." In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 129-131. The attribution to Mañjuśrī is an attempt by its author(s) to counter the objection that the teachings in this text are of non-Buddhist origin.

The bulk of the text deals with chants and mantras useful for spiritual purposes as well as material gain. Some chapters discuss fierce and sexual tantric rituals.

Editions The editio princeps of the mixed Sanskrit text was published by T. Ganapati Sastri in three volumes (Trivandrum, published 1920, 1923, and 1925 respectively)., 3 vols, 1920, 1923, 1925, Trivandrum Sanskrit Series no. 70, 76, 84, new reprint ed. in one vol. University of Kerala 2008, Trivandrum Sanskrit Series no. 269 (Sri Satguru Publications reprint in 1989, Delhi; 1992 combined CBH reprint edition at Archive org.)

Rahul Sankrityayana's edition appeared in 1934. Ganapati Sastri's edition with some modifications was reprinted by P. L. Vaidya in 1964.

An English translation was published online in 2020 by the 84000 organization.

External links

English translation of the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa by 84000 Paper from The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies on the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa by Glenn Wallis

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