The Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka is a Mahāyāna scripture formed around the 4th century. In its second chapter, “Dhāraṇīmukha-parivarta”, the doctrine of Sarvajñatākāradhāraṇīmukhapraveśa （Sarvajñatā°） is preached. In this paper, I discuss the dhāraṇī found in Sarvajñatā°. The results are as follows:
In the doctrine of Sarvajñatā°, there is the mantrapada called “Dravidian mantra phrase,” Dramiḍa-mantrapada. It is a means to attain the dhāraṇī of Sarvajñata°. By attaining the dhāraṇī, one can attain omniscience （sarvajñajñana） and grasp all the teachings of the Buddha. Therefore, Sarvajñatā° is considered to be the teaching that enters into the dhāraṇī as a mode grasping the essence of omniscience. It can be said that the dhāraṇī is the memory of the teachings to grasp the essence of omniscience.
Thus, it can be said that dhāraṇī in this sūtra, as in early Mahāyāna scriptures, means memory of the teachings. The dhāraṇī was not equated with the mantrapadas, but rather the dhāraṇī was the goal and the mantrapadas were the means. The mantrapadas are a symbolic expression of Buddhist doctrine, and it is difficult to recognize any magical element therein. In this respect, it differs from the use of “dhāraṇī[-mantra-]pada” in the Lotus Sūtra, in which the devas protect the dharmabhāṇaka.
