Mañjuśrī，文殊師利之略，舊稱文殊師利，滿殊尸利，新稱曼殊室利。新舊有六譯：無量壽經、涅槃經曰妙德，無行經曰妙首，觀察三昧經，大淨法門經曰普首，阿目佉經、普超經曰濡首，無量門微密經、金剛瓔珞經曰敬首（以上舊譯）；大日經曰妙吉祥、文殊或曼殊，是妙之義；師利或室利，是頭之義，德之義，吉祥之義也。此菩薩與普賢為一對，常侍釋迦如來之左，而司智慧（普賢在右司理，但當以右智左理，今違之，一依勝劣之次第，二示理智融通之義也）。心地觀經八曰：「三世覺母妙吉祥。」放鉢經曰：「今我得佛，皆是文殊師利之恩也。過去無央數諸佛，皆是文殊師利弟子。當來者亦是其威神力所致。譬如世間小兒有父母，文殊者佛道中父母也。」此菩薩頂結五髻，以表大日之五智，手持劍，以表智慧之利劍，駕師子以表智慧之威猛。此文殊有種種之差別，如一字文殊，五字文殊，六字文殊，八字文殊，一髻文殊，五髻文殊，八髻文殊，兒文殊等。此中以五字五髻文殊為本體。法華文句二曰：「文殊師利，此云妙德。大經云：了了見佛性，猶如妙德。」法華嘉祥疏二曰：「文殊，此云妙德。以了了見佛性，故德無不圓，累無不盡，稱妙德也。」西域記四曰：「曼殊室利，唐言妙吉祥，舊曰濡首，又曰文殊師利，或言曼殊尸利，譯曰妙德，訛也。」探玄記四曰：「梵語喚頭為室利、吉祥、德等，亦為室利，故致翻譯不同也。」慧苑音義上曰：「文殊師利，正云曼殊室利，言曼殊者此云妙也，室利者德也。」
(文殊師利) Mañjuśrī 滿殊尸利 -later 曼殊室利. 文殊 is also used for Mañjunātha, Mañjudeva, Mañjughoṣa, Mañjuṣvara, et al. T., hjamdpal; J., Monju. Origin unknown; presumably, like most Buddhas and bodhisattvas, an idealization of a particular quality, in his case of Wisdom. Mañju is beautiful, Śrī; good fortune, virtue, majesty, lord, an epithet of a god. Six definitions are obtained from various scriptures: 妙首 (or 頭 ) wonderful or beautiful) head; 普首 universal head; 濡首 glossy head (probably a transliteration); 敬首 revered head; 妙德 wonderful virtue (or power); 妙吉祥 wonderfully auspicious; the last is a later translation in the 西域記. As guardian of wisdom 智慧 he is often placed on Śākyamuni's left, with 普顯 on the right as guardian of law 理, the latter holding the Law, the former the wisdom or exposition of it; formerly they held the reverse positions. He is often represented with five curls or waves to his hair indicating the 五智 q. v. or the five peaks; his hand holds the sword of wisdom and he sits on a lion emblematic of its stern majesty: but he has other forms. He is represented as a youth, i. e. eternal youth. His present abode is given as east of the universe, known as 清涼山 clear and cool mountain, or a region 寶住 precious abode, or Abode of Treasures, or 寶氏 from which he derives one of his titles, 寶相如來. One of his dhāraṇīs prophesies China as his post-nirvāṇa realm. In past incarnations he is described as being the parent of many Buddhas and as having assisted the Buddha into existence; his title was 龍種上佛 the supreme Buddha of thenāgas, also 大身佛 or 神仙佛; now his title is 歡喜藏摩尼寶精佛 The spiritual Buddha who joyfully cares for the jewel: and his future title is to be 普現佛 Buddha universally revealed. In the 序品 Introductory Chapter of theLotus Sutrahe is also described as the ninth predecessor or Buddha-ancestor of Śākyamuni. He is looked on as the chief of the Bodhisattvas and represents them, as the chief disciple of the Buddha, or as his son 法王子. Hīnayāna counts Śāriputra as the wisest of the disciples, Mahāyāna gives Mañjuśrī the chief place, hence he is also styled 覺母 mother, or begetter of understanding. He is shown riding on either a lion or a peacock, or sitting on a white lotus; often he holds a book, emblem of wisdom, or a blue lotus; in certain rooms of a monastery he is shown as a monk; and he appears in military array as defender of the faith. His signs, magic words, and so on, are found in various sutras. His most famous centre in China is Wu-tai shan in Shansi. where he is the object of pilgrimages, especially of Mongols. The legends about him are many. He takes the place in Buddhism of Viśvakarman as Vulcan, or architect, of the universe. He is one of the eight Dhyāni-bodhisattvas, and sometimes has the image of Akṣobhya in his crown. He was mentioned in China as early as the fourth century and in theLotus Sutrahe frequently appears, especially as the converter of the daughter of the Dragon-king of the Ocean. He has five messengers 五使者 and eight youths 八童子 attending on him. His hall in the Garbhadhātu maṇḍala is the seventh, in which his group numbers twenty-five. His position is northeast. There are numerous sutras and other works with his name as title, e. g. 文殊師利問菩提經 Gayaśīrṣa sūtra, tr. by Kumārajīva 384-417: and its 論 or .Tīkā of Vasubandhu, tr. by Bodhiruci 535. see list in B. N.
文殊師利的簡稱，菩薩名，以大智著稱，與普賢常侍於釋迦如來的左右。