Diamond Cutter Sutra

This famous verse is the final stanza of the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (The Diamond-Cutter Sūtra). It serves as a summary of the entire teaching on the nature of reality.

Sanskrit Verse

तारका तिमिरं दीपो मायावश्यायबुद्बुदम् । स्वप्नं विद्युदभ्रं च एवं द्रष्टव्यं संस्कृतम् ॥

Transliteration

tārakā timiraṃ dīpo māyā-avaśyāya-budbudam | svapnaṃ vidyud-abhraṃ ca evaṃ draṣṭavyaṃ saṃskṛtam ||

Translation

“As stars, a fault of vision, as a lamp, A mock show, dew drops, or a bubble, A dream, a lightning flash, or cloud, So should one view all conditioned things.”

Word-by-Word Meaning

Sanskrit Word	Literal Meaning	Metaphorical Meaning
tārakā	Stars	Distant, fading as the sun (wisdom) rises
timiraṃ	Fault of vision	A cataract or optical illusion; seeing things incorrectly
dīpo	A lamp	Consumes itself; flicker of light in the dark
māyā	Magical illusion	A phantom or “mock show” with no substance
avaśyāya	Dew drops	Evanescent; disappearing quickly in the morning
budbudam	A bubble	Fragile and momentary; pops upon contact
svapnaṃ	A dream	Vivid while occurring, but unreal upon waking
vidyud	Lightning flash	Intense but extremely brief
abhraṃ	A cloud	Ever-changing in shape and passing away
ca	and	(Connective)
evaṃ	In this way / Thus	(Instruction)
draṣṭavyaṃ	Should be viewed	To be contemplated or seen
saṃskṛtam	Conditioned things	Anything created by causes and conditions

Context

The Diamond Sūtra focuses on Subhūti (a disciple) asking the Buddha how a Bodhisattva should “stand” and “control the mind.” Throughout the text, the Buddha uses a “logic of negation,” famously stating: “What is called the Dharma is not the Dharma, therefore it is called the Dharma.”

This closing verse provides the practical application of that philosophy. The term *Saṃskṛtam* (conditioned/compounded things) refers to everything in our physical and mental world—our bodies, thoughts, and even the teachings themselves. The Buddha provides these nine metaphors to help the practitioner detach from the "solidity" of the world. By seeing reality as a fleeting, illusory "flash," one cuts through the "diamond" of ignorance and attains a mind that does not cling to any fixed concept of a "self" or an "object."

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Cross-references:

• Dhammapada Verse 13.4 (World as bubble and mirage)