Bhrikuti

Brhikuti(Wyl. lha cig khri btsun)—Nepali princess spouse of King Songtsen Gampo.

Atisha says in the Ka khol ma that, one morning the king Songtsen Gampo told his ministers Thönmi Sambhota and Gartong Tsen, as they were walking into his room, “Give me some chang,” and added, “Last night, I dreamed of the Western land of Nepal, of a beautiful princess named Brhikuti, and the city of Yabu Yagal (ya 'bu ya 'gal, ancient Tibetan name of the city of Kathmandu).” The next day the two ministers met near O Thang lake with the chieftains of the seven cities. They had asked the chiefs to take some food, and they each brought different parts which, together, constituted a complete animal. This was considered a very auspicious sign, and they decided to invite the princess. Thönmi Sambhota and Gartong Tsen then left for Nepal, together with hundred horsemen carrying numerous presents and gold. Songtsen Gampo also gave them three letters in case the Nepali King refused to accede to his request.

When they arrived in Nepal they met with the king. Gartong Tsen offered the presents and asked the princess for the king of Tibet, while Thönmi Sambhota acted as translator. The king of Nepal flew in a terrible rage and told them, “You are insulting me greatly! I will only give my daughter to people of my rank and I am superior to the king of Tibet: I have the holy Dharma and supports of the Buddha's body, speech and mind since Buddha Kashyapa. And, the Dharma is well established here since king Kri Kri, who reigned at the time of the Buddha Shakyamuni. My riches are like the smoke of the eternal fire, plates are never empty of food, the sound of flour mills never ceases. In Tibet, the king of the hungry ghosts, doesn't have all this, and since there is no law, thieves reign and battles strive. I won't give you my daughter!”

Each time he refused the minister presented him with another letter written in Nepali with gold on blue paper. At length, he gave the princess, together with the statues of Mikyö Dorje and Maitreya, the texts Tog, Gra lnga , and the Sutra of the White Lotus, several artists and seven elephants loaded with precious diamonds. The princess herself rode an elephant, holding a sandalwood statue of Tara, and surrounded by her many servants. The king went to in person to see her off up to Mangyul, at the boarder of Nepal and Tibet.