Genshin Dottore OST Music and Appearance Design Analysis

The Nod-Krai Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 has finally been released. The official lyrics for that incredibly captivating battle theme from Dottore's Trounce Domain (Weekly Bosses) have also been unveiled. As suspected, the track is indeed a mix of Sanskrit and Latin, which explains its strong Sumeru flavor. The lyrics, presented as a duet and chorus between male and female voices, depict "Heretic of the False Moon" Dottore preaching his doctrine to a world bound by suffering in the guise of a "savior." The benevolent (yet malevolent) physician seeks to "cure" the world's most incurable affliction—"fate. "Both the track's title and its lyrics are profoundly intriguing, warranting a deeper analysis.

Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities Analysis

First, the track title: "Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities." The word "Prajnaparamitopadesa" has Sanskrit origins, formed by combining "Prajñāpāramitā" (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञापारमिता, meaning "Perfection of Wisdom") and "Upadeśa" (Sanskrit: उपदेश, meaning "instruction" or "teaching").

Both terms originate from Buddhist concepts. "Prajñāpāramitā" literally translates to "reaching the other shore of liberation through wisdom." It represents attaining prajñā (wisdom) through textual study, hearing, and cultivation, transcending the sea of suffering in the cycle of birth and death and reaching the ultimate state of liberation that is neither born nor extinguished. It can be understood as the "great perfection of wisdom" and "transcendent supreme knowledge." "Upadeśa" literally means "instruction" or "guidance." In Hinduism and Buddhism, it refers to the practice instructions, direct transmission, or philosophical teachings given by a guru or master. It often denotes debates, annotations on sutra meanings, systematic expositions of doctrine, or the most essential cultivation methods. Therefore, the literal meaning of "Prajnaparamitopadeśa" can be interpreted as "instruction on the perfection of wisdom."

This name points to the important Mahāyāna Buddhist Madhyamaka treatise, the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa (Sanskrit: महाप्रज्ञापारमितोपदेश), a commentary centered on explaining the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra.

It is traditionally believed that this text was written around the 2nd century CE by Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन), the great Mahāyāna Buddhist scholar and founder of the Madhyamaka school, revered as the "Second Buddha" and "Master of the Eight Schools." The work elucidates the Prajñāpāramitā view of emptiness (śūnyatā) and the true nature of phenomena, covering topics such as the six pāramitās and Bodhisattva practice theory. The text is extensively referenced, encompassing diverse content related to Buddhist thought, history, geography, and vinaya, earning it the title "Buddhist Encyclopedia."

In 402 CE, the Chinese Buddhist translator Kumārajīva began translating this treatise at the Xiaoyao Garden in Chang'an, completing the 100-volume translation after three years. Later, Huiyuan, the founding patriarch of the Pure Land school and a renowned Eastern Jin dynasty monk, found the content of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa excessively vast and complex for beginners. He therefore compiled an abridged version focusing on key points, titled the Great Wisdom Treatise Excerpts. The "Zhì Lùn Chāo" (智论抄) in the Chinese track title corresponds to this.

As for the latter part of the track title, "Quell Seven Calamities," it points to an alternative title for the Heavenly Principles: "Lord of the Seven Calamities."

The "Seven Views" (七见) in the Chinese track title refer to the seven heterodox attachments in Buddhist thought, where adherents of other paths stubbornly cling to their own views as right and reject the correct ones as wrong. These include: 1) Wrong View (denying cause and effect), 2) View of Self (clinging to the five aggregates as a self), 3) View of Eternalism (clinging to the world as permanent), 4) View of Annihilationism (clinging to annihilation after death), 5) View of Rigid Morality (blindly following false precepts), 6) View of Falsely Attained Results (mistaking wrong attainments for true results), and 7) View of Doubt (indecision and hesitation). They are contrasted with Right View (the Four Noble Truths, dependent origination, emptiness, etc.). Buddhism posits that the root of these seven views is ignorance. Practitioners must eradicate these foolish, harmful views to attain the liberation of Right View.

The "Seven Views" not only pay homage to Buddhist classics but are also closely connected to the game's worldbuilding. Observant individuals may have noticed that in this album, there are three tracks related to The Doctor. Besides "Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities," the other two are "Threefold Falsehood" and "Four Unspeakables." Three plus four equals seven, which precisely corresponds to the key theory proposed by Rene in his "World Formula" research: "Three pertains to appearance, while four pertains to the intrinsic." Seven, obtained through their overlap, constitutes the number of paths for vertical transcendence."

Specifically, in Buddhism, the "Three Realms" (三有) refer to "the cycle of birth and death within the Three Realms." Because these states have both cause and effect, they are called "realms of existence," namely: 1) the Realm of Desire, 2) the Realm of Form, and 3) the Formless Realm. "Threefold Falsehood" expresses that all phenomena of worldly birth, death, and transmigration are ultimately illusory in nature.

Within the game's worldview, the number three corresponds to the apparent, phenomenal world of Teyvat. It can refer to tangible, visible orders such as the "Three Realm Energies" (Light, Void, and Human Realm powers) and the "Three Moons and the Three Moon Goddesses." From The Doctor's perspective, these are all "false, deconstructible appearances."

"Four Unspeakables" is also derived from Buddhist concepts, originating from the "fourfold unspeakable" presented in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra: "non-arising of the unarisen," "arising of the arisen," "arising of the unarisen," and "non-arising of the unarisen." These refer to ultimate truths that transcend linguistic interpretation, advocating that the supreme emptiness of the first truth must be realized beyond conceptual discrimination, as worldly language cannot fully express it.

Within Teyvat's worldview, the number four represents the four fundamental laws of "birth, death, time, and space." The Four Shades corresponding to these are indeed objects that cannot be spoken of in this world (as referenced in Before Sun and Moon, where the scribe did not dare to directly utter the true name of the Ruler of Time, Istaroth, and only dared to record it once in reverse). Simultaneously, the number four can also refer to the four cycles of civilization, the fourfold evolution of the human soul, and the perfect fourfold cycle of elemental flow. All of these correspond to the intrinsic qualities of Teyvat, representing the "unspeakable underlying truths of the world" that The Doctor seeks.

"Threefold Falsehood" aims to negate appearances and dismantle the world's lies. "Four Unspeakables" seeks to explore the essence, personally uncovering the world's truth that transcends language. "Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities" aims for transcendence. The Doctor believes that only by merging appearance and essence can one reach the ultimate truth represented by the number "seven," completely surpassing Teyvat's existing laws and ascending the divine stairway to the "New World."

In summary, the full meaning of the track title "Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities" can be understood as "Through the teaching of my wisdom, I challenge and question the divine laws of the heavens and the fate ordained by the gods, thereby attaining tangible, transcendent true knowledge." Truly, The Doctor is audacious beyond measure, yet he is undeniably an extraordinary seeker of knowledge who breaks boundaries.

Reviled far and wide as a heretic, The Doctor — Second of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers — has seized the authority of the three moons and now ascends the long steps toward the divine throne of the "new world."

All should have belonged to us.

But reason cast out all that exceeded its limits, leaving humanity blind to its true nature.

Life and death bound us into mortal shells, shackling every spark of aspiration.

Time and space closed in last of all, fencing the mind into meek obedience, so no one would dare imagine breaking free.

From that point on, false gods governed the world, each one declaring their own truth as the sole, unassailable gospel — though none deserved the mantle they so loudly coveted.

There is no inherent structure to life's flow — order was merely imposed upon it. Strip away every shackle laid across this world, and the essence of all things will at last come into view.

And that revelation... is the first light of the new world.

 Dottore OST Lyrics Analysis

Part of the Sanskrit lyrics in the battle theme directly quote the opening verse from the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Sanskrit: मूलमध्यमककारिका), one of the foundational texts of the Madhyamaka school, authored by Nāgārjuna and considered a cornerstone of Mahāyāna Buddhism. The text is commonly abbreviated as the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, or Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way:

Not arisen, not ceased; not permanent, not annihilated; not identical, not different; not coming, not going.

Able to explain dependent origination, skillfully ending all frivolous debate, I bow to the Buddha, supreme among all speakers.

The core viewpoint expounded throughout the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā can be summarized in one phrase: "Using dependent origination to explain emptiness, using the Middle Way to refute the two extremes."

The concept of "dependent origination and emptiness" means: "All phenomena arisen from causes and conditions, I declare are empty." It asserts that all things (dharmas) arise dependent on causes and conditions, coming into being and ceasing under specific circumstances, lacking any permanent, unchanging essence (intrinsic nature), and are therefore fundamentally "empty."

Through negating the four pairs of interdependent extreme views—"arising and ceasing," "permanence and annihilation," "identity and difference," and "coming and going"—known as the "Eight Negations of the Middle Way" (corresponding to the verse quoted at the beginning of the lyrics), Nāgārjuna reveals the wisdom of the "Middle Way" that transcends both extremes. He also employs the "harmony of the two truths" (conventional truth and ultimate truth) to show that everyday experience and supreme truth are not in conflict but are a unity of opposites. In this way, he teaches that the world is not permanent but constantly changing, advising against attachment to the extremes of "existence" or "non-existence." Instead, one should follow the Middle Way to comprehend the truth, which is the origin of the school's name, "Madhyamaka" (Middle Way).

The core methodology of the Madhyamaka school is "deconstruction without reconstruction." It employs the teaching of "emptiness" to dismantle attachment to "intrinsic nature," using logical reasoning to eliminate the worldly clinging to "substantial existence" (the clinging to self and the clinging to phenomena). This leads to a state aligned with emptiness and the peace of Nirvana, reaching the ineffable realm of truth where language and conceptual thought cease.

This is the origin of the Buddhist philosophical concept of "Shattering Ātmāgrāha" (breaking the clinging to self). Within the game's worldview, Sumeru's "Shattering Ātmāgrāha," Liyue's "Tri-Factor Excision," and Fontaine's "Renunciation of the Ego" are all methods to separate oneself from the fate system, attempting to embark on the path to becoming a "Transcender."

As you may have also noticed, the content discussed above is closely related to the highly revered Buddhist figure, Nāgārjuna. Is there a character in the game based on this great master? The answer is yes. The "Seventh School" of the Akademiya, the "Nagarjunites," also known as the "Order of Skeptics," was founded by the "One-Armed Sage" Nagarjuna, whose prototype is indeed Nāgārjuna.

In fact, the lyrics quoting the Mūlamadhyamakakārikāin Dottore's battle theme had already appeared in the game three years ago in Version 3.6. Deep within the Sumeru desert, a Khvarena Monument is inscribed with these two verses in the Sumeru rainforest script. This monument was personally erected by Nagarjuna five hundred years ago.

Five hundred years ago, when the Khaenri'ah Calamity erupted, the Khaenri'ah "Schwanenritter" contingent, led by Knight Marshal Anfortas, rushed to Sumeru's aid. They fought side by side with the sages of the Sumeru Akademiya, striving with all their might to contain the spread of the Opera of Noirceur. In the end, the entire contingent perished heroically. The Sumeru scholars, led by The Wise Nagarjuna, were deeply moved by the righteousness of the Khaenri'ah warriors, who, despite bearing infamy, still acted according to their original vows. Determined to carry on their unfulfilled wishes and to completely eradicate the scourge of Hollow, they embarked on an expedition deep into the desert, following the path once taken by those brave warriors.

Meanwhile, on another front, the deity who had rushed to the battlefield had already suppressed the Abyss, but not without sacrifice. As the divine bird was reborn from ashes, scattering Khvarena that mingled with waters transformed from the previous Hydro Archon, the Field of Blessings blossomed gloriously around the Mother of All Trees. The First Pari, "Zurvan," was born from the Khvarena. Upon awakening, Zurvan soon began gathering the power of Khvarena, guided by the divine bird's final wish. She left the Field of Blessings to suppress the monsters on the earth, until she encountered a comatose "golden-haired man" (Dainsleif) in the wilderness.

Half of this man's body had taken on a monstrous form, yet he bore no aura of a monster. When Zurvan found him, the man was still clutching a ring tightly in his hand (the magic ring left to Dainsleif by his brother, the "Visionary" Vedrfolnir, one of the Five Sinners, meant to "reset his physical state"). Brought back to the Field of Blessings by Zurvan, the man soon regained consciousness. He introduced himself to Zurvan as a swordsman from the Valley of Dahri, who had survived only because he was burdened with a curse (the curse of immortality). For a time after that, Zurvan traveled alongside this swordsman, fighting together against the dark beasts attacking the Field of Blessings.

Not long after, the scholars led by Nagarjuna finally arrived at the Khaenri'ah battlefield and subsequently encountered Zurvan and Dainsleif. After stating their purpose, a joint team consisting of the One-Armed Sage, the First Pari, and the Khaenri'ah swordsman began working together to find a method to extinguish the Abyssal Strange Phenomenon.

Deep within the ruins of Khaenri'ah, Nagarjuna discovered research documents left behind by the Khaenri'ahns concerning the Abyss. By analyzing these records, he eventually found a method that would later be called the "Rite of Chinvat"—a way to safely traverse Tunigi Hollow and enter the Mother Tree. With this breakthrough, the team successfully entered the Mother Tree and used the power of Khvarena to purify the corruption in the sky and on the ground. Afterwards, Pari began to be born continuously in the Field of Blessings, while the demonic creatures on the earth gradually disappeared.

After everything was settled, Dainsleif bid farewell to the Field of Blessings, accompanied by a golden-haired companion (the Traveler's sibling). The sage Nagarjuna, for reasons unknown, discovered something. One day, he ventured alone into the deepest part of the ruins and never returned.

Even after losing their leader, many of the scholars who had joined the expedition with passionate ideals were unwilling to return to the comfortable ivory towers of the rainforest. Instead, they decided to make fighting Abyssal monsters their lifelong mission, vowing to become guardians steadfast on the front lines against the corruption. These noble scholars formed partnerships with the newborn Pari, established an organization, and remained in the forbidden zone. They honored Nagarjuna as the first "Master of Knowledge"—and thus, the Order of Skeptics was born.

However, over a hundred years later, due to the betrayal of a traitor within the order—Klingsor (whose true identity was a descendant of the Khaenri'ah survivors, specifically a descendant of the "Sentinel of the Golden Hall" Hadura, the Schwanenritter traitor executed by Marshal Anfortas back then)—who, swayed by the Abyss, betrayed his comrades, the order suffered heavy losses in a great upheaval, and its classics were completely destroyed by fire. In the following centuries, with its line of transmission was broken, the Order of Skeptics' beliefs grew increasingly rigid and eccentric, and its stance became more isolated. Their disagreements with the Sumeru Akademiya widened, and they even developed their own set of "conflict" doctrines, ultimately severing all ties with the rainforest faction.

As fewer and fewer people set foot in the Girdle of the Sands, the presence of the Order of Skeptics grew increasingly faint, until today it has become half a legend. It wasn't until the anomalous celestial phenomenon in the sky, which had not appeared for centuries, reignited once more, and a golden-haired traveler arrived, that this long-dormant tale of inheritance and guardianship began to circulate anew... This is the adventure we experienced in the Sumeru version's major world quest, "Khvarena of Good and Evil."

Considering that previous stories about Dottore's origins contain only scattered and fragmented descriptions within the artifact set "Pale Flame":

Now, the combat theme for Dottore heavily incorporates content related to the Order of Skeptics (Nagarjunites). The fate of the sage Nagarjuna also came to an abrupt end with a mysterious disappearance. This inevitably raises questions: could Zandik, who possessed exceptional talent yet held views on knowledge-seeking that diverged from the mainstream, have some connection to the Order of Skeptics in his origins? Whether this is the case will depend on whether future storylines bring us surprising revelations and narrative payoffs.

Note: Apart from Buddhist culture, Zoroastrianism elements also play a significant role in the prototype of the Order of Skeptics (and are one of the primary cultural sources for the entire nation of Sumeru). Dottore's true name, "Zandik," is a term derived from Zoroastrianism, referring to any heretic who does not follow orthodox doctrine. The word originates from pre-Islamic Persian, initially referring only to Manichaeans, but its meaning later expanded to include various heretical sects such as Gnostics, agnostics, and atheists. Dottore's adoption of this name represents both his ideology and may also serve as a hint towards his potential connection with the Order of Skeptics.

A fascinating angle for appreciation is to compare Dottore's battle theme with the battle theme for Shouki no Kami, "Polumnia Omnia." Both are themes for false gods, and they actually form a clear intertextual contrast. Here is an exceptionally well-analyzed excerpt I came across in a music review section:

In "Polumnia Omnia," The Wanderer is completely the "performed character." In "Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities," Dottore is absolutely the "director." The Wanderer is the protagonist in someone else's script; his tragedy lies in his inability to control the narrative. Dottore is the writer of his own script; his tragedy lies in his willingness to transform himself into the most ruthless character in order to write that script.

The Wanderer's false god theme guides listeners to look inward, examining the emptiness and truth within. Dottore's false god theme guides listeners to look outward, questioning the very foundations and rules of the world. The Wanderer uses pain to negate the "false self." Dottore uses logic to negate the "false world."

The core of "Polumnia Omnia" is "mourning." It mourns the abandoned, mourns the deceived, mourns all souls struggling within fate. Beneath its grandiosity lies deep sorrow and nihilism. The core of "Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities" is "unbinding." It fervently declares the intent to break all old bindings and create a new world. Beneath its solemnity lies cold logic and madness.

Dottore Appearance Design Analysis

Additionally, regarding Dottore's character design inspirations, besides ancient India, ancient Egypt serves as another primary cultural reference for Sumeru. Dottore's appearance likely draws inspiration from the ancient Egyptian male moon god, "Khonsu."

This deity is often depicted as a young mummy wearing a lunar disc atop his head and holding a divine staff. Sometimes, his head is portrayed as a falcon head similar to Horus, while later representations feature a darker, fully bandaged appearance—all of which align with Dottore's Heretic of the False Moon form. As a core member of the Theban Triad, Khonsu is the son of the sun god "Amun" and the mother goddess "Mut." Interestingly, Dottore's normal attack patterns bear distinct characteristics reminiscent of King Deshret's Primal technology. In ancient Egyptian mythology, beyond governing nocturnal order through lunar phases, Khonsu was also regarded as the "Lord of Truth," possessing the authority to preside over fate and judgment—a fitting parallel to Dottore's identity as a "seeker of truth."

It is worth noting that after completing the story segment in Luna IV where Dottore expounds his philosophy to the Traveler, the achievement "The Wanderer and His Shadow" is unlocked. The name of this achievement originates from the third part of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's work Human, All Too Human(German: Menschliches, Allzumenschliches). In the book, a dialogue between the "Wanderer" (a free-thinker) and his "Shadow" (exiled thoughts, instincts, or the denied self) reflects on vanity, truth, and individual existence, revealing the limitations of rationalism. From this, it proposes the core argument that "conceptually constructed truth is only a small part of the world."

The reason for specifically mentioning this achievement here is that the literal meaning of the name Khonsu is precisely "Wanderer." This creates a clever double entendre.

Finally, although we have "eliminated" Dottore in the main storyline, it is quite clear that this fanatic of truth, this heretical scholar, is not truly done yet. The flickering circuit-pattern error image at the end of the eighth act practically announces that Dottore is not dead.

Several strange details and unresolved plot threads in the main story also hint that matters are not so simple. For example, the loading screen during Dottore's story segment displayed a special "save in progress" message. Furthermore, the final two planted plot threads were not actually utilized in the subsequent story, seemingly "forgotten." Given the high level of ensemble-cast storytelling and the strength of foreshadowing payoff demonstrated in the "Song of the Welkin Moon" arc, this is undoubtedly quite abnormal. Dottore's character also doesn't support the idea that he would engage in "futile" actions.

All of this leads to a speculation: the false god Dottore we defeated in the main storyline might still be just one of Dottore's segments. The real Dottore likely remains hidden in the shadows, secretly observing and "recording" the grand "deification experiment" unfolding in Nod-Krai.

Even if Dottore attained the power of the three moons and became the False Moon God, the essence of the power he wields is still Light Realm energy. Based on the analysis of Dottore's motivations through the lyrics above, as well as the character traits he has shown in past stories, it's hard to believe that Dottore wouldn't delve into the more unknown and blasphemous research of Abyssal power. Since Dottore has already used his gathered intelligence and manipulated Rerir to achieve his goals, how could he not be interested in the transcendent power held by the "Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah"? This might very well be a key point around which Dottore's future storyline revolves.

From a perspective outside the story itself, our battle with Dottore is certainly not over. After all, every Fatui Harbinger we've fought before has had a second phase, yet Dottore this time only had one combat stage. This means Dottore hasn't even gone all out yet.

So, in the very end, dear readers, do you recall the discussion from the first half of the article about "Threefold Falsehood, Four Unspeakables, Prajnaparamitopadesa to Quell Seven Calamities"—that "three pertains to appearance, four to the intrinsic, and seven to the truth"? If you apply this framework to the overarching narrative structure of the "Song of the Welkin Moon" arc, you'll discover something quite intriguing.

The theme of Luna III was the "False Moon," and the theme of Luna IV was the "True Moon"... So then, what will Luna VII bring us? Could the storyline be designed with such intricate symbolism? It's truly something to look forward to.