Clay sealings from Perlis, Malaysia, and the wider world of the Bodhigarbhālaṅkāralaksa-Dhāranī

Abstract

Multiple copies of a particular clay sealing bearing the Buddhist Bodhigarbhālaṅkāralaksa-dhāranī (mantra) inscription were discovered in Gua Berhala - a cave in Perlis, Malaysia. These sealings can be roughly assigned to the tenth century and they appear to have been stamped with an identical seal. However, critical reading of the textual rendition of the dhāranī had not yet been done despite several attempts to study it. Therefore, based on several fragments of these sealings, this article provides a detailed reading and translation of the dhāranī and considers the cultural significance of their production. The article also examines the textual structure of this Perlis dhāranī and compares it with similar dhāranīs preserved in a palm-leaf manuscript and other materials found across Asia. This includes a survey on the wider transmission of the dhāranī in the continent. In this comparative exercise, the physical characteristics of the Perlis sealing appear to be unique and express a distinct artistic style, while its textual tradition is slightly compressed compared with others, with no identical equivalent found elsewhere. This observation suggests that Perlis, with its proximity to the Bujang Valley, participated in the wider network of dhāranī culture rooted in Eastern India and was just not a passive recipient of this practice.