The Heart Sūtra · Prajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya

The Heart Sūtra is a single page of dense Mahāyāna Buddhist teaching — a condensation of the much longer Prajñāpāramitā ("Perfection of Wisdom") literature. In East Asia, the 260-character Chinese translation by Xuanzang (玄奘, 602–664 CE) is recited daily in temples from Beijing to Kyoto. This page presents the short text in five languages, aligned phrase-by-phrase, with literal word-by-word glosses of the Sanskrit and a flowing English translation.

《心經》是大乘佛教《般若波羅蜜多》系列的精煉之作，全文僅約二百六十字。玄奘法師（602–664）的漢譯本千百年來於東亞諸國寺院朝夕誦讀。本頁將短本心經以五種語文並列呈現，逐句對照，並附梵文逐字解析與英文流暢譯文。

Tip: hover or tap any underlined word to see how it lines up across languages.

Title

Skt

प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयPrajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya

漢

般若波羅蜜多心經

和

般若波羅蜜多心經Hannya Haramitta Shingyō

Tib

བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་མ་ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པའི་སྙིང་པོ།bcom ldan 'das ma shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i snying po

Eng

The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom

prajñā: wisdom · understanding
pāramitā: perfection · gone-to-the-other-shore
hṛdaya: heart · essence · core

The Tibetan title invokes the "Blessed Mother" (bcom ldan 'das ma) — Prajñāpāramitā personified as the mother of all Buddhas.

Verse 1

Skt

आर्यावलोकितेश्वरो बोधिसत्त्वो गम्भीरां प्रज्ञापारमिताचर्यां चरमाणो व्यवलोकयति स्म। पञ्च स्कन्धाः। तांश्च स्वभावशून्यान्पश्यति स्म॥āryāvalokiteśvaro bodhisattvo gambhīrāṃ prajñāpāramitā-caryāṃ caramāṇo vyavalokayati sma: pañca skandhāḥ; tāṃś ca svabhāva-śūnyān paśyati sma.

漢

觀自在菩薩，行深般若波羅蜜多時，照見五蘊皆空，度一切苦厄。

和

觀自在菩薩、行深般若波羅蜜多時、照見五蘊皆空、度一切苦厄。Kan-ji-zai bo-satsu, gyō jin han-nya ha-ra-mit-ta ji, shō-ken go-on kai kū, do is-sai ku-yaku.

Tib

'phags pa spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug byang chub sems dpa' / shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa zab mo spyod pa la rnam par lta zhing / phung po lnga po de dag la yang rang bzhin gyis stong par rnam par lta'o //

Eng

The bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, while practicing the deep Perfection of Wisdom, looked clearly upon the five aggregates and saw them to be empty of inherent nature — and so was delivered from all suffering and distress.

ārya: noble
avalokiteśvara: the lord who looks down (in compassion)
bodhisattva: awakening-being; one bound for buddhahood
gambhīrāṃ: deep · profound
prajñā-pāramitā-caryāṃ: the practice (caryā) of the perfection of wisdom
caramāṇo: practicing · engaged in
vyavalokayati sma: thoroughly observed · looked upon
pañca skandhāḥ: the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, formation, consciousness)
svabhāva-śūnyān: empty (śūnya) of own-being (svabhāva)
paśyati sma: saw

觀自在 = Avalokiteśvara ("the one who freely observes"); 五蘊 = five skandhas; 皆空 = "all are empty"; 度一切苦厄 = "crossed over all suffering and calamity" — this last phrase has no Sanskrit parallel and was added by Xuanzang.

「度一切苦厄」 is one of the famous additions in the Chinese text without a direct Sanskrit equivalent — a clue Jan Nattier (1992) used to argue the Sanskrit short text may have been back-translated from Chinese.

Verse 2

Skt

इह शारिपुत्र रूपं शून्यता शून्यतैव रूपम्। रूपान्न पृथक् शून्यता शून्यताया न पृथग्रूपम्। यद्रूपं सा शून्यता या शून्यता तद्रूपम्। एवमेव वेदनासंज्ञासंस्कारविज्ञानानि॥iha śāriputra rūpaṃ śūnyatā śūnyataiva rūpam; rūpān na pṛthak śūnyatā śūnyatāyā na pṛthag rūpam; yad rūpaṃ sā śūnyatā yā śūnyatā tad rūpam. evam eva vedanā-saṃjñā-saṃskāra-vijñānāni.

漢

舍利子，色不異空，空不異色，色即是空，空即是色，受想行識，亦復如是。

和

舍利子、色不異空、空不異色、色即是空、空即是色、受想行識、亦復如是。Sha-ri-shi, shiki fu i kū, kū fu i shiki, shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki, ju sō gyō shiki, yaku bu nyo ze.

Tib

shA ri'i bu / gzugs stong pa'o // stong pa nyid gzugs so // gzugs las stong pa nyid gzhan ma yin / stong pa nyid las kyang gzugs gzhan ma yin no // de bzhin du tshor ba dang / 'du shes dang / 'du byed dang / rnam par shes pa rnams stong pa'o //

Eng

Here, Śāriputra, form is emptiness; emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness; emptiness is not other than form. Whatever is form, that is emptiness; whatever is emptiness, that is form. The same holds for feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness.

iha: here · in this matter
śāriputra: Śāriputra (the Buddha's chief disciple, addressed throughout)
rūpaṃ: form · matter · the material aggregate
śūnyatā: emptiness · the absence of inherent existence
śūnyataiva: emptiness itself · precisely emptiness
pṛthak: separate · distinct from
yad ... sā / yā ... tad: whatever (is X) that (is Y) — equational
evam eva: just so · in the same way
vedanā: feeling · sensation
saṃjñā: perception · recognition
saṃskāra: formation · volitional impulse
vijñāna: consciousness

色 (rūpa) = form; 空 (śūnyatā) = emptiness; 不異 = "not different from"; 即是 = "is precisely"; 受想行識 = the remaining four skandhas.

色即是空空即是色 ("form is emptiness, emptiness is form") is perhaps the single most-quoted line of East Asian Buddhism. The chiasmus prevents either side from being mistaken for the privileged term.

Verse 3

Skt

इह शारिपुत्र सर्वधर्माः शून्यतालक्षणा अनुत्पन्ना अनिरुद्धा अमला अविमला अनूना अपरिपूर्णाः॥iha śāriputra sarva-dharmāḥ śūnyatā-lakṣaṇā: anutpannā aniruddhā, amalā avimalā, anūnā aparipūrṇāḥ.

漢

舍利子，是諸法空相，不生不滅，不垢不淨，不增不減。

和

舍利子、是諸法空相、不生不滅、不垢不淨、不增不減。Sha-ri-shi, ze sho hō kū sō, fu shō fu metsu, fu ku fu jō, fu zō fu gen.

Tib

shA ri'i bu / de lta bas na chos thams cad stong pa nyid de / mtshan nyid med pa / ma skyes pa / ma 'gags pa / dri ma med pa / dri ma dang bral ba med pa / bri ba med pa / gang ba med pa'o //

Eng

Śāriputra, all dharmas are marked by emptiness: not arising, not ceasing; not stained, not pure; not deficient, not complete.

sarva-dharmāḥ: all dharmas (phenomena, things, mental and physical events)
śūnyatā-lakṣaṇāḥ: having emptiness as their characteristic (lakṣaṇa)
an-utpannāḥ: not arisen · unborn
a-niruddhāḥ: not ceased · unextinguished
a-malāḥ: not stained · undefiled
a-vimalāḥ: not free-of-stain (i.e. not pure either)
an-ūnāḥ: not deficient · not less
a-paripūrṇāḥ: not complete · not fully filled

諸法 (sarva-dharmāḥ) = all phenomena; 空相 = empty mark/character; the six 不-negations cancel three pairs of opposites — arising/ceasing, defiled/pure, increasing/decreasing.

These six negations dismantle the conventional dualisms used to describe phenomena. They echo Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā opening: "neither arising nor ceasing, neither permanent nor impermanent…"

Verse 4

Skt

तस्माच्छारिपुत्र शून्यतायां न रूपं न वेदना न संज्ञा न संस्काराः न विज्ञानम्॥tasmāc chāriputra śūnyatāyāṃ na rūpaṃ na vedanā na saṃjñā na saṃskārāḥ na vijñānam.

漢

是故空中，無色，無受想行識，

和

是故空中、無色、無受想行識、Ze ko kū chū, mu shiki, mu ju sō gyō shiki,

Tib

shA ri'i bu / de lta bas na stong pa nyid la gzugs med / tshor ba med / 'du shes med / 'du byed rnams med / rnam par shes pa med /

Eng

Therefore, Śāriputra, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness.

tasmāt: therefore · from that
śūnyatāyāṃ: in emptiness (locative)
na rūpaṃ ...: no form, no feeling, no perception, no formations, no consciousness

是故 = therefore; 空中 = within emptiness; 無 = no/none. The five skandhas (色受想行識) are each negated.

Verse 5

Skt

न चक्षुःश्रोत्रघ्राणजिह्वाकायमनांसि। न रूपशब्दगन्धरसस्प्रष्टव्यधर्माः॥na cakṣuḥ-śrotra-ghrāṇa-jihvā-kāya-manāṃsi; na rūpa-śabda-gandha-rasa-spraṣṭavya-dharmāḥ;

漢

無眼耳鼻舌身意，無色聲香味觸法，

和

無眼耳鼻舌身意、無色聲香味觸法、Mu gen ni bi zes-shin ni, mu shiki shō kō mi soku hō,

Tib

mig med / rna ba med / sna med / lce med / lus med / yid med / gzugs med / sgra med / dri med / ro med / reg bya med / chos med do //

Eng

no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, mental object;

cakṣus / śrotra / ghrāṇa / jihvā / kāya / manas: eye / ear / nose / tongue / body / mind — the six sense faculties
rūpa / śabda / gandha / rasa / spraṣṭavya / dharma: form / sound / smell / taste / tangible / mental object — the six sense fields, objects of the faculties

Negation of the 六根 (six faculties) and 六塵 (six objects). 法 here means "mental object" — the object of the mind faculty (意).

Verse 6

Skt

न चक्षुर्धातुर्यावन्न मनोविज्ञानधातुः॥na cakṣur-dhātur yāvan na mano-vijñāna-dhātuḥ;

漢

無眼界，乃至無意識界，

和

無眼界、乃至無意識界、Mu gen kai, nai shi mu i shiki kai,

Tib

mig gi khams med pa nas yid kyi khams med / yid kyi rnam par shes pa'i khams kyi bar du yang med do //

Eng

no realm of eye-element, and so on, up to no realm of mind-consciousness;

cakṣur-dhātuḥ: eye-element · the field/realm of the eye
yāvat ... na: and so on, up to ... not
mano-vijñāna-dhātuḥ: mind-consciousness element

Negation of the eighteen 界 (dhātus) — the six faculties + six objects + six consciousnesses. "乃至" (yāvat) compresses the middle of the list.

Verse 7

Skt

न अविद्या न अविद्याक्षयो यावन्न जरामरणं न जरामरणक्षयो॥na avidyā na avidyā-kṣayo yāvan na jarā-maraṇaṃ na jarā-maraṇa-kṣayo;

漢

無無明，亦無無明盡，乃至無老死，亦無老死盡。

和

無無明、亦無無明盡、乃至無老死、亦無老死盡。Mu mu-myō yaku mu mu-myō jin, nai shi mu rō shi, yaku mu rō shi jin.

Tib

ma rig pa med / ma rig pa zad pa med pa nas / rga shi med / rga shi zad pa'i bar du yang med do //

Eng

no ignorance and no ending of ignorance, and so on, up to no aging-and-death and no ending of aging-and-death;

avidyā: ignorance — the first of the twelve links of dependent origination
kṣaya: ending · destruction · exhaustion
jarā-maraṇa: aging-and-death — the twelfth and final link

Negation of the 十二因緣 (twelve nidānas / pratītyasamutpāda). Both the chain and its cessation are negated.

Verse 8

Skt

न दुःखसमुदयनिरोधमार्गा। न ज्ञानं न प्राप्तिः॥na duḥkha-samudaya-nirodha-mārgā; na jñānaṃ na prāptiḥ.

漢

無苦集滅道，無智亦無得。

和

無苦集滅道、無智亦無得。Mu ku shū metsu dō, mu chi yaku mu toku.

Tib

sdug bsngal ba dang / kun 'byung ba dang / 'gog pa dang / lam med / ye shes med / thob pa med / ma thob pa yang med do //

Eng

no suffering, no origin, no cessation, no path; no wisdom and no attainment.

duḥkha: suffering — the first noble truth
samudaya: origin · arising — the second noble truth
nirodha: cessation — the third noble truth
mārga: path — the fourth noble truth
jñāna: knowledge · gnosis
prāpti: attainment · obtaining

Negation of the 四聖諦 (Four Noble Truths) and even of 智 (wisdom) and 得 (attainment) — the most radical move in the sutra.

Verse 9

Skt

तस्मादप्राप्तित्वाद्बोधिसत्त्वाणां प्रज्ञापारमितामाश्रित्य विहरत्यचित्तावरणः। चित्तावरणनास्तित्वादत्रस्तो विपर्यासातिक्रान्तो निष्ठानिर्वाणः॥tasmād aprāptitvād bodhisattvāṇāṃ prajñāpāramitām āśritya viharaty acittāvaraṇaḥ. cittāvaraṇa-nāstitvād atrasto viparyāsātikrānto niṣṭhā-nirvāṇaḥ.

漢

以無所得故，菩提薩埵，依般若波羅蜜多故，心無罣礙；無罣礙故，無有恐怖，遠離顛倒夢想，究竟涅槃。

和

以無所得故、菩提薩埵、依般若波羅蜜多故、心無罣礙。無罣礙故、無有恐怖、遠離顛倒夢想、究竟涅槃。I mu sho-tok-ko, bo-dai sat-ta, e han-nya ha-ra-mit-ta ko, shin mu kei-ge. Mu kei-ge ko, mu u ku-fu, on-ri ten-dō mu-sō, kū-kyō ne-han.

Tib

de lta bas na thob pa med pa'i phyir / byang chub sems dpa' rnams shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa la brten cing gnas te / sems la sgrib pa med cing skrag pa med de / phyin ci log las shin tu 'das nas / mya ngan las 'das pa'i mthar phyin to //

Eng

Because there is nothing to attain, bodhisattvas, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, dwell with minds free of obstruction. With no obstruction, there is no fear; far beyond all distorted views, they reach the final nirvāṇa.

a-prāpti-tvāt: from the state of non-attainment · because there is no attainment
āśritya: having taken refuge in · relying on
viharati: dwells · abides
a-citta-āvaraṇaḥ: without (a-) mental (citta) obstruction (āvaraṇa)
a-trastaḥ: unfrightened · fearless
viparyāsa: inversion · distorted view (the four: taking impermanent for permanent, suffering for happiness, non-self for self, impure for pure)
atikrāntaḥ: having gone beyond
niṣṭhā-nirvāṇa: final nirvāṇa · the ultimate quenching

罣礙 (kei-ge / guà'ài) = obstruction, hindrance — what entangles the mind. 顛倒夢想 = "upside-down dreaming-thoughts" — the four viparyāsa.

This verse turns the negations into a positive teaching: precisely because there is nothing to grasp, the mind becomes unobstructed and fearless.

Verse 10

Skt

त्र्यध्वव्यवस्थिताः सर्वबुद्धाः प्रज्ञापारमितामाश्रित्य अनुत्तरां सम्यक्संबोधिमभिसम्बुद्धाः॥tryadhva-vyavasthitāḥ sarva-buddhāḥ prajñāpāramitām āśritya anuttarāṃ samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhāḥ.

漢

三世諸佛，依般若波羅蜜多故，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。

和

三世諸佛、依般若波羅蜜多故、得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。San-ze sho butsu, e han-nya ha-ra-mit-ta ko, toku a-noku-ta-ra san-myaku san-bo-dai.

Tib

dus gsum du rnam par bzhugs pa'i sangs rgyas thams cad kyang shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa la brten nas / bla na med pa yang dag par rdzogs pa'i byang chub tu mngon par rdzogs par sangs rgyas so //

Eng

All buddhas of the three times, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment.

tryadhva: three times (past, present, future)
vyavasthitāḥ: established · abiding
sarva-buddhāḥ: all buddhas
anuttarāṃ: unsurpassed (an-uttara, "none higher")
samyak-sambodhim: right (samyak) complete (sam-) enlightenment (bodhi)
abhi-sambuddhāḥ: fully awakened to

阿耨多羅三藐三菩提 is a transliteration, not translation, of anuttarā samyaksambodhi — perhaps the most famous transliteration in Chinese Buddhism.

Verse 11

Skt

तस्माज्ज्ञातव्यः। प्रज्ञापारमिता महामन्त्रो महाविद्यामन्त्रोऽनुत्तरमन्त्रोऽसमसममन्त्रः सर्वदुःखप्रशमनः सत्यममिथ्यत्वात्॥tasmāj jñātavyaḥ: prajñāpāramitā mahā-mantro mahā-vidyā-mantro 'nuttara-mantro 'samasama-mantraḥ, sarva-duḥkha-praśamanaḥ, satyam amithyatvāt.

漢

故知般若波羅蜜多，是大神咒，是大明咒，是無上咒，是無等等咒，能除一切苦，真實不虛。

和

故知般若波羅蜜多、是大神咒、是大明咒、是無上咒、是無等等咒、能除一切苦、真實不虛。Ko chi han-nya ha-ra-mit-ta, ze dai jin shu, ze dai myō shu, ze mu jō shu, ze mu tō dō shu, nō jo is-sai ku, shin jitsu fu ko.

Tib

de lta bas na shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i sngags / rig pa chen po'i sngags / bla na med pa'i sngags / mi mnyam pa dang mnyam pa'i sngags / sdug bsngal thams cad rab tu zhi bar byed pa'i sngags / mi rdzun pas na bden par shes par bya ste /

Eng

Therefore know: the Perfection of Wisdom is the great mantra, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequalled — it allays all suffering. It is true, for it is not false.

jñātavyaḥ: should be known
mahā-mantra: great mantra · great chant
mahā-vidyā-mantra: great knowledge-mantra · great spell-of-wisdom
an-uttara: unsurpassed
a-sama-sama: equal-to-the-unequalled (a paradox: nothing equals it, yet it equals itself)
sarva-duḥkha-praśamana: allayer of all suffering
satyam: true
a-mithyātvāt: because of non-falseness

咒 (mantra) — sometimes translated 真言 "true word". The four epithets: 大神咒、大明咒、無上咒、無等等咒.

Verse 12

Skt

प्रज्ञापारमितायामुक्तो मन्त्रः। तद्यथा। गते गते पारगते पारसंगते बोधि स्वाहा॥prajñāpāramitāyām ukto mantraḥ. tadyathā: gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā.

漢

故說般若波羅蜜多咒，即說咒曰：揭諦揭諦，波羅揭諦，波羅僧揭諦，菩提薩婆訶。

和

故說般若波羅蜜多咒、即說咒曰：羯諦羯諦、波羅羯諦、波羅僧羯諦、菩提薩婆訶。Ko setsu han-nya ha-ra-mit-ta shu, soku setsu shu watsu: Gya-tei gya-tei, ha-ra gya-tei, ha-ra-sō gya-tei, bo-ji so-wa-ka.

Tib

shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa'i sngags smras pa / tadyathā: ga te ga te pā ra ga te pā ra saṃ ga te bo dhi svā hā

Eng

So the Perfection-of-Wisdom mantra is spoken — it goes thus: gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā.

uktaḥ: spoken · uttered
tadyathā: thus · in this manner (formula introducing a quoted mantra)
gate: gone (feminine vocative — addressing prajñā/wisdom herself)
pāra-gate: gone-beyond · gone-to-the-other-shore
pāra-saṃ-gate: gone-completely-beyond
bodhi: awakening · enlightenment (vocative)
svāhā: so be it · ritual closing exclamation

揭諦 (gate) etc. is pure transliteration — Xuanzang preserved the Sanskrit sounds rather than translating, since mantras are held to work through sound itself.

The mantra is traditionally untranslated in liturgy. A common rendering: "Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond — awakening, hail!"

Glossary

prajñā般若 (bōrě)

Wisdom — specifically the wisdom that sees emptiness directly, not merely conceptual knowledge.

pāramitā波羅蜜多 (bōluómìduō)

Perfection. Folk-etymologized as pāra-ita "gone to the other shore," giving the mantra its imagery.

śūnyatā空 (kōng)

Emptiness — not nothingness, but the absence of inherent, independent existence in things.

skandha蘊 (yùn)

Aggregate — one of five constituents of experience: form, feeling, perception, formation, consciousness.

dharma法 (fǎ)

Phenomenon · teaching · constituent of experience. Context-dependent.

bodhisattva菩薩 (púsà)

An awakening-being who postpones final nirvāṇa to liberate all sentient beings.

Avalokiteśvara觀自在 / 觀世音 (guānzìzài / guānshìyīn)

The bodhisattva of compassion — "the one who looks down" or "observes freely." In East Asia, often female (Guanyin / Kannon).

Śāriputra舍利子 / 舍利弗 (shèlìzǐ / shèlìfú)

The Buddha's chief disciple, renowned for wisdom — the addressee throughout the sutra.

nirvāṇa涅槃 (nièpán)

Quenching — the extinction of the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion.

mantra咒 / 真言 (zhòu / zhēnyán)

Sacred sound-formula. Held to operate through the sound itself, hence preserved untranslated.

Notes

On the text's origin

In a 1992 paper that reshaped the field, the Buddhologist Jan Nattier argued that the short Heart Sūtra was likely composed in China — drawing extensively on Kumārajīva's earlier Chinese translation of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā — and only later "back-translated" into Sanskrit. Phrases without Sanskrit parallels (like 度一切苦厄 in the opening) are among the supporting evidence. The hypothesis remains debated but has not been overturned. The teaching, of course, stands either way.

Short and long versions

The text exists in two recensions. The short version (presented here) is the East Asian standard, opening directly with Avalokiteśvara's vision. The long version — preserved canonically in Tibetan as Toh 21 — frames the same core in a setting at Vulture Peak: the Buddha enters samādhi, Śāriputra asks a question, Avalokiteśvara answers, and the Buddha confirms the teaching at the end. The Tibetan Wylie shown above is from the parallel core within the long version.

Sources

Sanskrit: standard short-version reconstruction (Edward Conze, 1948). Chinese: Xuanzang, Taishō no. 251 (T08.848c). Japanese reading: standard Sōtō / Rinzai liturgical romanization. Tibetan: Toh 21, Bhagavatī Prajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya, Kangyur (Lhasa edition); see 84000.co. English semantic translation: composed for this page, consulting Conze, Red Pine, and the Lapis Lazuli Texts version on Wikisource.