聞分館君 Ask BunKanKun

北斗七元金玄羽章

3 min read

Text ID
KR5c0149
Date
800–1200
Dynasty
唐-宋

Běi dǒu qī yuán jīn xuán yǔ zhāng 北斗七元金玄羽章

Jade-Golden Mysterious Feather-Stanzas of the Seven Primordials of the Northern Dipper

Anonymous; TángSòng period

A short (1-juàn) Daoist liturgical hymn-collection to the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. Preserved as DZ 753 / CT 753 (Dòngshén bù, Yù jué lèi 洞神部玉訣類). Forms the principal hymnal apparatus to the Dipper longevity-cult (KR5c0146, KR5c0147, KR5c0148, DZ 622 main scripture).

About the work

The text comprises seven hymns (yǔ zhāng 羽章, “feather-stanzas” — suggesting celestial flight), one for each of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, in the canonical order:

  1. Tān láng 貪狼 xīng jūn
  2. Jù mén 巨門 xīng jūn
  3. Lù cún 祿存 xīng jūn
  4. Wén qū 文曲 xīng jūn
  5. Lián zhēn 廉貞 xīng jūn
  6. Wǔ qū 武曲 xīng jūn
  7. Pò jūn 破軍 xīng jūn

Plus the two attendant stars: 8. Zuǒ fǔ 左輔 9. Yòu bì 右弼

Each hymn is in four-character verse (typical of Daoist liturgical poetry), and articulates the star’s cosmic function and its relationship to the devotee’s personal longevity and spiritual cultivation.

Sample (Tān láng hymn, the opening):

Běi dǒu yán shēng, huí zhēn sì líng, liú huī xià yìng, lǎng dá xuán míng. Qī yuán jì jí, míng liè zǐ qióng, bǎo shēn xù shòu, yǒng hēng lì zhēn. Ěr mù kāi shuǎng, hún pò cháng níng, shè yǎng jīng qì, yǔ shén tóng míng. Yán shēng zì rán, shàng shēng Yù qīng. (北斗延生，回真四靈，流輝下映，朗達玄冥。七元紀籍，名列紫瓊，保身續壽，永亨利貞。耳目開爽，魂魄長寧，攝養精炁，與神同明。延生自然，上昇玉清。)

“The Northern Dipper extends life; [the Star] turns to the true Four Numina. Streaming radiance beams downward, illuminating the dark-silent. The Seven Primordials record in their registers; the name is enrolled in the Purple Jade. Preserving the body and extending the years, eternally penetrating auspicious purity. Ears and eyes opened and clear, hún and pò long at rest. Absorbing and nourishing essence and qì, becoming bright with the divinity. Life extended spontaneously; ascending to the Jade Clarity.”

Function

The hymns are ritual invocations to be recited as part of the Dipper-cult liturgy. They:

  1. Praise each Star’s cosmic function (extending life, preserving the mandate, etc.).
  2. Request specific blessings (longevity, clarity of senses, spiritual union).
  3. Articulate the soteriological goal of ascending to the Yù qīng 玉清 (Jade Purity) realm.

Abstract

DZ 753 is a minor but widely-used Daoist liturgical text, forming part of the core hymnal apparatus of the Dipper-cult. It would have been recited in combination with the main scripture (DZ 622) in the standard Dipper-cult ritual frame.

Dating. Undated. The text is mentioned in multiple TángSòng Daoist compilations, so it predates the late Sòng at minimum. Per the project’s dating rule, the frontmatter gives 800–1200 as a conservative TángSòng window. Dynasty: 唐-宋.

Translations and research

  • Schipper, Kristofer, and Franciscus Verellen, eds. The Taoist Canon: A Historical Companion to the Daozang. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004, DZ 753 entry.

Graph View

Backlinks