Song for the King of Bhutan

The Newly Arrived Traveller's Song from Afar

A Message for the Great Dharma-King of Bhutan

by Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok

May the one who embodies all the buddhas' activity,
The uniquely heroic conqueror of this dark age's ills,
Orgyen Guru together with his lineage of vidyādharas,
Watch over and protect Your Majesty at all times.

The stature of the monarch is higher than the sky;
His subjects dwell in freedom, happiness and virtue.
All enjoy the splendour of the profound Mahāyāna—
How delightful is this kingdom so rich with Dharma!

The white-domed snow mountain stands magnificent,
But the light of friendship in joy and sorrow is inconstant.
Should the radiance that's borne by Varuṇa in the West
Embrace it for too long, it will be reduced to water.

If you can summon clouds of siddhis from the practice[1]
Of Orgyen Tötreng,[2] who embodies the Three Jewels of refuge,
And of the supreme deity Vajrakīlaya,
The magnificent snow mountain will endure till the end of existence.

If, through the dependent force of a terrible event in the past,
A life-governing spirit (sokdak) should pose a threat to survival,
It will be hard to find another source of protection in this world
But the jewel of humankind, Mañjughoṣa's heart-emanation.

If the golden victory banner of the Kagyü teachings
With the cintāmaṇi[3] of the Ancient Translations[4] at its tip
Is raised ever higher, then the force of this will cause
Spiritual and temporal virtues to increase like the waxing moon.

Through the power of the truth of the infallible Three Jewels
And of my own pure altruistic intention,
May all be auspicious, so that throughout this land
Virtue and goodness spontaneously increase as adversity is pacified.

These verses, corresponding in number to the seven emblems of royalty, were written down by Khenpo Sonam Dargye just as they arose in the mind of Ngawang Lodrö Tsungme when he met the King of Bhutan[5] and his retinue at the great 'Further Subduing' temple of the dharma-king Songtsen Gampo.[6] May virtue and excellence increase! Written on the 22nd day of the seventh month in the Iron Horse year of the seventeenth calendrical cycle.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2024.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

'jigs med phun tshogs 'byung gnas. "'brug chos rgyal chen po la gtam du bya ba gsar byung mgron po'i rgyang glu/" In gsung 'bum/_'jigs med phun tshogs 'byung gnas/. 3 vols. xiang gang: xiang gang xin zhi chu ban she, 2002. (BDRC W00KG03976). Vol. 3: 111–112

Version: 1.0-20241206