The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla consists of a dialogue between Mahākāla and the Goddess on a broad range of topics including the consecration rites, deity generation practices, and rituals for attaining various siddhis associated with the deity Mahākāla. The opening section of the tantra focuses on topics related to the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras (yoganiruttaratantra, bla na med pa’i rgyud kyi rnal ’byor), such as how one generates the deity, how the consecration rites are performed, and how the advanced practitioner manipulates the vital winds of the subtle body to attain perfect spontaneous union as Mahākāla. The conversation then turns to ritual instructions for the attainment of siddhis as it integrates mastery of the two-stage union practices associated with the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras with those rituals more commonly associated with the Action Tantras (kriyātantra, bya ba’i rgyud) and Conduct Tantras (caryātantra, spyod pa’i rgyud).
This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. Adam Krug produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text.
We would like to thank Paul Hackett for providing copies of the two Sanskrit witnesses of the Mahākālatantrarāja held at the University of Tokyo and Péter-Dániel Szántó for providing a copy of the twelfth-century Sanskrit manuscript discovered in Tibet by Rāhul Sāṅkṛtyāyana and for pointing us in the right direction to access additional Sanskrit witnesses located in the Royal Asiatic Society’s Hodgson Collection and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Thank you also to Wiesiek Mical for kindly sharing his list of materia medica from his translation of The Tantra of Caṇḍamahāroṣana (Toh 431).1
The generous donation that made the translation work on this text possible was dedicated to DJKR, HH Dodrupchen IV, Khenchen Pema Sherab, Choje Togdan, Gyalse Tulku, Dagpo Tulku, Dorje Bhum, Khenpo Hungtram, and Gakar Tulku by the sponsors Herlintje, Lina Herlintje, Hadi Widjaja, Ocean, Asia, Star and Gold Widjaja.
The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla consists of a dialogue between Mahākāla and the Goddess on a broad range of topics, including the consecration rites, deity generation practices, and rituals for attaining various siddhis associated with the deity Mahākāla. The introductory line of the tantra notes that this dialogue takes place while the Blessed One, Mahākāla, is surrounded by an array of goddesses. While the primary Goddess who directs most of the dialogue in the tantra is never identified by name, she should perhaps be understood as the goddess Umā, who in this text is Mahākāla’s primary consort. The dialogue throughout this tantra is not restricted to these two parties, and several goddesses and other beings also pose questions to Mahākāla.
The topics discussed by Mahākāla and his interlocutors in this text are, for the most part,2 focused on the meditative and ritual applications of Mahākāla and his maṇḍala of yoginīs.3 The tantra’s dialogic structure does not always adhere to a clear organizational scheme, but it is possible to divide the general subject matter in the text into a few topical categories.
The dialogue in chapters 1 through 7 outlines instructions for the generation and completion stage yogas, constructing the various fire pits, reciting the mantras for all the forms of Mahākāla and the goddesses in his maṇḍala, performing the consecration rites, and practice instructions for the fully initiated advanced practitioner.
In chapters 8 through 14, the dialogue focuses primarily on instructions for making various collyria, pills, salves, and alchemical preparations of mercury that grant siddhis such as being able to locate subterranean chambers containing hidden treasure, rendering oneself invisible, and flight.
The dialogue in chapter 15 turns to Mahākāla’s account of the rise and fall of past, current, and future royal lineages across the Indian subcontinent and beyond. It then returns in chapters 16 through 25 to a discussion of the application of Mahākāla’s mantras for the performance of a number of ritual actions such as enthralling or paralyzing a target, making and halting rainfall, and controlling and repelling celestial deities.
Chapters 26 to 50 cover a broad range of topics. These chapters are all relatively short, with the exception of chapter 33, which occupies five folios of the text and discusses a number of different rites for making offerings to the seven kumārīs and the goddess Sarasvatī. The tantra concludes with a short chapter on the goddess Atharvaśabarī’s mantra.
The tantra’s chapter on mantras (chapter 2) contains mantras for eight different forms of Mahākāla (the two-, four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve-, fourteen-, and sixteen-armed forms), while chapter 7, the main chapter on the deity generation practices, focuses on six forms of the deity (the two-, four-, six-, eight-, twelve-, and sixteen-armed forms).
There is significant variation in the identity and number of yoginīs or goddesses who are said to accompany different forms of Mahākāla throughout the tantra. Chapter 1 provides the following list of eight goddesses:
Carcikā
Kālikā
Kulikeśvarī
Khaṇḍaruhī
Dantotkaṭī
Pracālī
Maheśvarī
The goddess mantras included in chapter 3 reflect a different list of seven goddesses:
Caṇḍeśvarī
Kulikeśvarī
Maheśvarī
Kālikā
Carcikā
Khaṇḍā
Umā
Finally, in the description of the goddesses that accompany the sixteen-armed form of Mahākāla in chapter 7, the tantra provides the following slightly different set of eight goddesses:
Caṇḍeśvarī
Carcikā
Kālikā
Kulikeśvarī
Caurī
Lañjanī
Mahānandi
Nandeśvarī
The number of goddesses or yoginīs who accompany Mahākāla can vary depending on the particular visualization practice, but one core group of four goddesses—Caṇḍeśvarī, Carcikā, Kālikā, and Kulikeśvarī—is fairly consistent across the various forms of the deity. These goddesses are located to the east, south, west, and north, respectively. Some exceptions to this configuration are the four- and two-armed forms of Mahākāla, which are flanked by a set of unnamed goddesses, and the sixteen-armed form of Mahākāla, which is surrounded by the core group of four goddesses in the inner circle of the maṇḍala and the goddesses Caurī, Lañjanī, Mahānandi, and Nandeśvarī in the east, south, west, and north of the outer circle, respectively. In those instances in which Mahākāla’s primary consort is mentioned, she is identified as the goddess Umā.
The Tibetan Kangyurs contain three tantras related to the deity Mahākāla: one in eight chapters (Toh 667),4 one in twenty-five chapters (Toh 416),5 and the text translated here, which consists of fifty chapters. All three works appear in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) of the Degé Kangyur. The current work, The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, and the twenty-five chapter Vajramahākālatantra are found in separate volumes among other texts of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra genre, while the eight-chapter Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla appears in the Action Tantra section. All three of these texts are products of the later translation period and do not appear in the Denkarma (ldan kar ma) or Phangthangma (’phang thang ma) Tibetan catalogs of translated works. They were each translated by a different team of Indian (or Nepalese, in the case of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla) and Tibetan translators, and their style and content reflect three separate textual lineages of the deity Mahākāla. In addition to these three tantras, the Tibetan Kangyurs also contain two Dhāraṇī texts devoted to Mahākāla, The Dhāraṇī of Glorious Mahākāla6 and The Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses.7 Finally, the Tibetan Tengyurs contain no fewer than twenty-seven works devoted to Mahākāla that consist of different sādhana instructions and praises, and at least one extensive commentary, the *Rudrakalpamahāśmaśānanāmaṭīkā attributed to Aśvaghoṣa,8 on a separate and presently unknown Mahākālatantra. None of the three tantras devoted to Mahākāla in the Tibetan Kangyurs appear to have been translated into Chinese.
Of the three tantras devoted to Mahākāla in the Tibetan Kangyurs, The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla demonstrates the greatest correlation with Śaiva tantric literature. Unlike the other tantras and dhāraṇīs associated with Mahākāla, the introductory material in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla follows a dialogical format between Mahākāla and several goddesses that finds close parallels in those Śaiva texts that belong to the Mantrapīṭha (Mantra Corpus), which are structured as dialogues between Śiva in his form of Bhairava and the Goddess or a host of goddesses.9 Mahākāla is referred to as Mahābhairava several times in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla. In the following passage from the opening of the Mantra chapter, the tantra also directly addresses the fact that Śiva, presumably in the form of Mahākāla, is a protector of the Buddhist teachings:
Now I will present the chapter on the mantras. Of the two types of mantras, the system of mantras related to Śiva are identified in this tantra by the syllable oṁ. These mantras represent Śiva’s delight as a protector of the Buddha’s teachings.10
Later, in the ritual instructions for the mercury siddhi in chapter 13, Mahākāla states that any yogin who consumes a particular alchemical preparation of mercury “will become Śiva’s equal” (śivasamam, zhi ba dang mnyam par ’gyur).
In his dissertation on The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, George Stablein identifies twelve extant Sanskrit witnesses to the text.11 The majority of these Sanskrit witnesses preserve a version of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla that contains just over twenty-nine chapters of material, and it is this version of the text that was known to the Newar vajrācāryas Stablein consulted throughout the Kathmandu Valley.12 Stablein also notes that he witnessed a rite at the main Mahākāla temple in Tuṇḍikhel, Kathmandu, in which the text of the Mahākālatantra was worshiped and used to bless devotees.13
Six of the seven Sanskrit witnesses consulted for this translation belong to versions of the twenty-nine-chapter recensions of the text. The oldest among this group is ND 44-5, which is held by the National Archives of Nepal and dated to c. 1633
The oldest known Sanskrit witness for The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla is a palm leaf manuscript of Indic origin that was photographed by Rahul Sāṅkṛtyāyana in Tibet in the 1930s.15 The colophon to this Sanskrit witness notes that it was “completed in the fifth year of the reign of His Majesty the glorious emperor Madanapāla, a devotee of the supreme Sugata and the supreme venerable ones.”16 The years of Madanapāla’s reign (c. 1143–62
The colophon to the Tibetan translation of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla tells us that the text was translated at the Ramoché temple in Lhasa by the paṇḍita Samantaśrī, who was from Nepal, and the Tibetan editor and translator Ra Gelong Chörap, both of whom were active during the eleventh century. The Tibetan translation preserves a fifty-chapter recension of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, but it demonstrates a rather inconsistent degree of correlation with the fifty-chapter recension preserved in the twelfth-century Sanskrit manuscript witness.18 Our preliminary observations have found the Tibetan witness corresponds much more closely to the twenty-nine-chapter Sanskrit witnesses, with the material in this witness demonstrating direct and approximate parallels to the material in the first twenty-nine chapters of the Tibetan translation.
Two important conclusions can be drawn from these observations. First, the translation of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla in the Tibetan Kangyurs is undoubtedly part of the same textual lineage as the twenty-nine-chapter Sanskrit witnesses, which places it within the same textual lineage as the contemporary Newar cult of Mahākāla. Second, the high level of divergence between Sāṅkṛtyāyana’s palm leaf manuscript and the Tibetan translation suggests that there may have been two separate textual traditions of a fifty-chapter recension of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla by the twelfth century. The twenty-nine chapter and fifty-chapter Sanskrit texts are not entirely unrelated, and we do find material that is shared across all the available Tibetan and Sanskrit witnesses. In some cases, to make matters more complicated, the Sanskrit fifty-chapter version preserves readings that are closer to the Tibetan translation than corresponding passages in the twenty-nine-chapter recensions. The relationship between the Tibetan and Sanskrit witnesses for The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla is undoubtedly more complex than the few observations made here, and it is our hope that this translation might provide some support for further research on this textual tradition.
The English translation that follows is based on the Tibetan translation of the text preserved in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the versions in the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, and the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur. Seven Sanskrit manuscript witnesses were consulted for the translation, and Stablein’s Sanskrit edition of the first eight chapters of the text provided an extremely helpful introduction to working with these sources.
While this translation relies primarily on the Tibetan witnesses, the Sanskrit sources were often an invaluable resource, and it would not have been possible to accurately translate a great deal of the Tibetan text without them. The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla contains an enormous number of references to various substances that are used in its ritual instructions for attaining siddhis and performing various ritual actions, and in many cases the Tibetan translators chose to transliterate rather than translate these terms. Many of these transliterated terms in the Tibetan are corrupted readings of Sanskrit terminology or, perhaps, were derived from other Sanskritic dialects or entirely different languages. In many cases (but certainly not all), the readings in the Sanskrit sources contained important corrections to the Tibetan transliterations of the hundreds of different ingredients featured in the ritual instructions throughout the text. Interestingly, there were also instances in which the Tibetan transliterations of these terms were closer to their classical Sanskrit spelling than the readings in the Sanskrit witnesses. Where possible, we have attempted to identify these ingredients based on available resources, but these identifications should be regarded as tentative.
The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla also contains a handful of passages composed in Apabhraṃśa. Two of these passages were reproduced and translated in Stablein’s dissertation on The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, and his translations are included in the notes to this translation. In the translation itself, however, all these passages have been rendered in their original language (or languages) following the transliteration given in the Degé Kangyur.
[F.45.b]Homage to Glorious Mahākāla.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in the company of the goddesses. The Goddess asked him, “What method saves beings who are drowning in the ocean of cyclic existence, and how does the deity liberate them from cyclic existence?”[F.46.a]
The Blessed One replied, “I will address those points in terms of the means by which wisdom19 is present during the generation and completion stage yogas. Listen well, Goddess. The generation stage leads one to abide in cessation and reveals the correct path that grants the result. Then one should perform with certainty the type of consecration that involves the use of a consort. One should then practice the elimination of movement20 and then focus on that. The generation stage is endowed with the correct path through correlation with the physical person.
“Blessed One,” asked the goddess, “what is required to generate the vajra being, and why are the individual vases necessary?”
The Blessed One replied, “The fact of arising refutes nonexistence; this is the space vajra. It is utterly devoid of self and is the moment of bliss. It arises like the expansive feeling of happiness that arises when the entire population of a city that has been oppressed by force is released from bondage.”
“Blessed One,” asked the Goddess, “why is it necessary to stabilize the body?21 Is it not the case that it is no longer present after the blood and bodhicitta have combined in the pathway and one has been liberated from false appearances? Does it grant the result, or did you describe it in terms of practical application for those who wish to reveal it?”22
The Blessed One replied, “The body is called ‘vajra.’ This is similar to the correlation between the illusory being23 and the physical person. ‘The blood after it has combined in the pathway’ means that blood has combined in the vajra’s pathway at the time that understanding of complete equality dawns through the movement of blood in the five aggregates via the lalanā, rasanā, and avadhūtī. ‘The functional body’ refers to the body that moves, lacks endurance, and is subject to impulses. That is the functional body. I spoke of having performed a function for those who are confused about functionality.”
“What is the Dharma?” asked the Goddess. “What teachings have you given from the collection of Dharma? Was this done for the happiness and welfare of human beings,[F.46.b] for a specific purpose, or so that they might gain the desirable result of eliminating disease?”
The Blessed One replied, “I will explain how beings who have taken a human birth can easily attain the siddhis for whatever Dharma they practice. The eight great siddhis are the sword, collyrium, pill, and swift feet siddhis, together with rendering medicines effective, competence in mantras, and mercury and alchemy. In addition to attaining the eight great siddhis, a person can attain any other siddhi using the tantras of Mahākāla, and they will surely do so with ease.”24
The Goddess requested, “Please speak, however briefly, about binding the target when it is employed for the collyrium siddhi.”
The Blessed One replied, “Its concealing is widely described as an excellent means of protection and the proper way to conceal oneself, even from the drumming of horse hooves.”25
“Blessed One,” the Goddess asked, “how many channels are there in the vajra body, and how many moments of inhalation and exhalation are there?”
The Blessed One replied, “There are thirty-two channels. There is restraining inhalation and exhalation and releasing the breath that has arisen within the body, which is set in motion by the sun and the moon. To express the exact calculation, there are twenty-one thousand six hundred movements of breath, with a moment consisting of an inhalation and exhalation.”
“Blessed One,” asked the Goddess, “did you sanction what Kāmadeva revealed, the conditions that ensued26 when Nārāyaṇa, the fulfiller of desire, took on an illusory form and, for the sake of Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī, became a protector deity who delivered the destitute from darkness?”
“Goddess,” the Blessed One replied, “as the beings of Jambudvīpa cycle through cyclic existence, they give rise to delusion, desire, jealousy, and slander. Since that is the case, and since they have faith in what glorious Mahākāla has taught,[F.47.a] like Nārāyaṇa, I have taught the practice of generating Kāmadeva and his retinue of sixty-four ḍākinīs.”
“Blessed One,” asked the Goddess, “what is the significance of the term mahākāla?”
The Blessed One replied, “The term mahākāla27 refers to the long duration of time that it takes to visualize and remain as Mahākāla, as well as the fact that one performs this every day and at the best time for doing so. Alternately, the term mahākāla refers to something that requires a long time, namely, performing the rites for Mahākāla in their entirety.”
“What do the syllable ma and the syllables hā and kāla signify?” asked the Goddess.
The Blessed One replied, “Ma refers to the fact that he is a compassionate being, and hā refers to the fact that he possesses insight, and to insight itself. Kāla is a combination of two syllables that together mean ‘time’ and that signify method and insight in union as great compassion.
“There are eight yoginīs who appear in this tantra and are respectively identified as the queens of the yogas28 of paralyzing, expelling, paralyzing an army, and hostile rites. They are generated through the visualization of Caṇḍeśvarī, Carcikā, Kālikā, Kulikeśvarī, Khaṇḍaruhī, Dantotkaṭī, Pracālī, and Maheśvarī.
“Someone with insight into grasping, for whom time is essential,29 seeks liberation. For them, there is no meditator and no object of meditation. The visualizations are not produced by anything. Then, through mastery over the afflicted mind, the mind is freed of imputation. They can assume the form of Vetāli30 without generating it, and, when moving among the five families, they can accomplish any rite just as it was taught. They can pursue one after the other whether or not it is the appropriate particular lunar day,[F.47.b] guaranteeing the attainment of any siddhi. Such are the fruits of this Dharma instruction.”
This is the first chapter in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, “An Elucidation of Ultimate Reality.”
“Now I will present a chapter on the features of the fire pits.”31
“My Lord,” the Goddess asked, “how should one accomplish, for the sake of beings, the rites associated with the eight siddhis that eliminate suffering?”
The Blessed One replied, “The exhalation is blocked as it flows in the lunar channel and then held. By doing this one will undoubtedly attain the eight great siddhis. When someone intent on bringing this to fruition does this, they will attain siddhi.
“For a killing rite, one should perform a fire offering with dark-blue flowers in a square fire pit that is one cubit wide. For a paralyzing rite, the pit should be circular and two cubits wide. For an enthralling rite, one should build a triangular fire pit one cubit high in a hole one cubit deep that has been excavated from purified ground. The fire offering, made using red flowers, should be performed by well-trained officiants who are seated on a bearskin.
“The explanation of the specifications for the fire offering pit used to attain the foot salve siddhi are to purify the ground32 for a circular pit measuring one cubit high and then excavate to a depth of five cubits. The explanation of the fire offering for the collyrium siddhi are to purify the ground33 in the shape of a snake’s head measuring two and a half cubits and excavate to a depth of seven cubits. This is the fire pit for the collyrium siddhi. The instructions for the pill siddhi are to purify the ground measuring the size of an elephant’s foot and excavate to a depth of ten cubits. This is the fire pit for the pill. For the alchemy siddhi, one should purify an area of ground measuring two and a half cubits and shaped like an earring and then excavate to a depth of three cubits. This is the fire pit for the alchemy siddhi. The fire pit for becoming a king is one cubit high and circular in shape. Once the ground has been purified, one should excavate to a depth of eight cubits. This is done to accomplish the siddhi. By following these procedures, the siddhis are certain. If one uses white flowers for any of the fire offering rites described here, one will gain the results related to each of these siddhis.”
This is the second chapter in The Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, “The Features of the Fire Pits.”
“Now I will present the chapter on the mantras.[F.48.a] Of the two types of mantras, the system of mantras related to Śiva34 are identified in this tantra by the syllable oṁ. These mantras represent Śiva’s delight as a protector of the Buddha’s teachings. He pronounced the following mantras of great wisdom as part of his promise to the Buddha:
“The mantra for the two-armed form is oṁ mahākāla hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
“The mantra for the four-armed form is oṁ hrīṃ hrīṃ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ.
“The mantra for the six-armed form is oṁ mahābhairava sarvasiddhidāyaka ḍaṃ hūṁ kuṃ dhvaṇṭaḥ.
“The mantra for the eight-armed form is oṁ āḥ hūṁ phaṭ hrīḥ haḥ.
“The mantra for the ten-armed form is oṁ hī kaṃ hūṁ kīla kīla mahānādākārālavikarālakṣīgṛīhaḥ daha daha paca paca siddhidākāya svāhā.
“The mantra for the twelve-armed form is oṁ daṃṣṭrotkaṭabhair avāya saṃ saṃ saṃ ru ru ru ru hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.35 It can be used for any rite, is revered by all the buddhas, is effective throughout the threefold world, and will accomplish whatever one wishes.
“Present a bali offering every day with this mantra of the fourteen-armed form to attain any siddhi: oṁ yama jagatakṣobhaya kṣobhaya tāla patāla khāhi khāhi gṛhṇa bali grahāḥ grahāḥ | oṁ maṁ caṁ mahābhairavāya svāhā.
“The mantra for protecting oneself is oṁ maṁ maṁ raṁ hūṁ hūṁ maṃ rakṣa pālāya hūṁ vajra phaṭ.
“The mantra for protecting others is oṁ dharaṇī dhara dhara hūṁ hūṁ [insert name]36 rakṣā kuru svāhā.
“The mantra for the sixteen-armed form is oṁ hrāṃ hrāṃ yaṃ maṃ karāla virālākṣa vaṃ karāla mahāyogeśvara sarvadāyaka svāhā.
“One should thoroughly cook black gram, fill it generously with alcohol, meat, and blood, and present it every evening as a bali offering while reciting the following mantra:37
oṁ śrīṃ kṣīṃ gṛhṇa baliṃ hūṁ phaṭ | madyamāṁsapuṣpadhūparaktatalapātale aṣṭanāgadevayakṣarākṣasa gṛhna idaṃ baliṃ hā hā hā hūṁ khāhi khāhi kha kha hūṁ jaḥ pheṃ pheṃ haṃ haṃ mahāḍadharahāsa garjja garjja kṛṣṇavarṇī ehe hūṁ svāhā.
“If one does this for twenty-one days, an auspicious sign will appear. If one does this for one month, siddhi will be granted. If one does this for a year, one will be granted whatever one wants.[F.48.b]
“All one’s misdeeds will be exhausted by simply reading the king of mantras oṁ hrīṃ hrīṃ hūṁ phaṭ, and if one continually recites it, one will easily attain any siddhi.38 If one recites it five thousand times, one will accomplish the pacification rite. If one recites it ten thousand times, one will enthrall a woman. If one recites it one hundred thousand times, one can enthrall a king. If one recites it five hundred thousand times, one can undoubtedly enthrall any of the gods and yakṣas. If it will attract them, it goes without saying that one can use it on a man or woman. This is the enthralling mantra.
“The general mantra is oṁ mahākāla hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā.
“The fire mantra is39 oṁ mahānandeśvara hūṁ phaṭ svāhā. If one visualizes the target in the mouth of the flames, they will die.
“The mantra for killing is oṁ kṣīṃ śrīṃ ho kṣaḥ [insert name]40 māṁsamāraya41 phaṭ.
“Caṇḍeśvarī’s mantra is oṁ kṣīṃ he caṇḍeśvarī42 hūṁ śrī svāhā.
“Kulikeśvarī’s mantra is oṁ lāṃ kaṃ43 kulikeśvarī he pheṃ svāhā.
“Maheśvarī’s mantra is oṁ māṃ maheśvarī hūṁ śrī heṃ pheṃ.
“Kālikā’s mantra is oṁ kili vikarāla śrīḥ kṣīṃ kṣīṃ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
“Carcikā’s mantra is oṁ caṁ carcaya carcaya hūṁ hrīḥ.
“The goddess Khaṇḍā’s44 bali-offering mantra is oṁ camuṇḍe daha daha paca paca idaṃ baliṃ gṛhṇa gṛhṇa hūṁ pheṃ heṃ phaṭ svāhā.
“The Goddess Umā’s mantra is oṁ hrī hāḥ hūṁ śrī phaṭ svāhā.
“The mantra for consecrating body, speech, and mind is oṃ āḥ hūṃ.45
“The mantra for any act of killing is oṁ hūṁ kṣiṃ śrīṃ oṁ ghaṃ [insert name] hi māraya māraya hūṁ phaṭ.46
“The expelling mantra is oṁ kṣiṃ ha hāṁ [insert name] ucchaṭaya hūṁ phaṭ.
“The mantra for paralyzing an enemy is oṁ maṁ jaṁ kṣaṁ.
“One should incant a mouse’s tail seven times with the mantra oṁ jaṁ hūṁ hastistaṃbhaya phaṭ. An elephant will be paralyzed when struck with it.
“One should incant the flesh of a cow with the mantra oṁ khaḥ haḥ phaṭ ghoṭakastambhanam. A horse will be paralyzed when struck with it.
“One should incant tiger skin with the mantra oṁ muḥ hāṁ sarvapaśūn47 staṁbhāya mohāya hūṁ phaṭ. Buffalo, dogs, elephants, cows, jackals, tigers, and bears will undoubtedly be paralyzed when struck with it.[F.49.a]
“The snake-paralyzing mantra is oṁ mahānanta hūṁ haḥ. If one incants silver with this mantra seven times and hits a snake with it, the snake will be paralyzed.48
“The mantra for rendering a person mute49 is oṁ mukhaṃ stambhaya [insert name] vaṃ phaṭ.
“The mantra for paralyzing swords and the like is oṁ hrīḥ maṁ raṁ camuṇḍa haḥ śrī hūṁ phaṭ.
“The mantra for paralyzing a dice player is oṁ mahilala bhilala bhilala ha hoḥ.
“The mantra for bewildering a woman is oṁ ghaṃ hūṁ.
“The great bali offering mantra that subdues enemies is oṁ haḥ kaha kaha malinimukhe prasādhaya prasādhaya mahākāla buddhajñāṃ prahitosi māraya māraya kāraya kāraya sarvaduṣṭāṃ praduṣṭān gṛhṇa gṛhṇa mara mara kha kha khāhi khāhi śīghraṃ daha daha paca paca hūre hūre maṃ raṃ hūṁ phaṭ | idaṃ baliṃ graha graha śrī svāhā.
“This is for hostile and contentious people who act in opposition to the Buddha’s teaching. One should incant a bowl make of a human skull and full of food with this mantra and present the bali offering on the eighth day of the waning moon, and they will instantly die, contract a deadly fever, or be incinerated, or their head will split open. This great bali offering mantra overcomes enemies.
“The killing mantra is oṁ camuṇḍe hana hana daha daha hūṁ phaṭ.
“The mantra for killing enemies is oṁ hūṁ māṁ maṃ māraya svāhā.
“hūṁ phaṭ | atha bhagavān bodhisattvā mahāsattvā mahākāruṇikā | tadyathā | oṁ kārālavikaṭeśvara hūlu hūlu kili kili mahākaṅkālahala kṣāṁ śrīṁ vaṁ caṁ maṁ haṁ hūṁ mahānandeśvarāya svāhā. This mantra should be recited seven times a day while washing the face, and one will be attractive to everyone. All one’s enemies will be pacified, all one’s actions will succeed, and whatever one desires will be granted twofold. This is the mantra for Mahākāla, the dhāraṇī that brings delight in every sādhana.50
“oṁ mahākāla hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā. One brings about the result by accomplishing the entire collection of ritual actions.”
This is the third chapter in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of the Black Protector, “The Mantras.”[F.49.b]
“Now I will present the chapter on consecration. The disciple must first recite the mantra for the two-armed form of Mahākāla ten thousand times and then receive initiation. The sage is first consecrated with the vase following the specific set of five consecrations in which they are furnished with a bell and vajra, sprinkled with water, and so forth. The sixth consecration is bestowed according to the vajra stages. The seventh consecration is the specific point at which they unite with an insight consort. The disciple copulates with the yoginīs during the eighth consecration, during the ninth semen is produced, and during the tenth they are consecrated with sky water. Accomplishing the sequence of these eleven consecrations in the correct way51 will give rise to the respective states. Just like those slain by the tawny-colored one,52 the sage should secretly maintain this sequential accomplishment of quiescent wisdom53 using the five ambrosias and the insight consorts. One should perform this practice with a mother, a sister, a woman with deformed legs,54 a dwarfish woman, or a hunchbacked woman. All these designations should be understood as instructed.55
“Once all that is complete, one should approach the eminent master for the appropriate consecration. The guru should examine the disciple and then give it. Then the disciple should say, ‘Master, since you possess the method, and since, Your Eminence, we have acted according to your every word, please teach us the correct path for abandoning the suffering of beings. Blessed One, please grant us the proper understanding of the consecration rite through its specific stages so that it might benefit beings, and so we might have the correct understanding of the time and duration of the rite.’ ”
This is the fourth chapter in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, “Consecration.”
56“Now I will present the deity consecration. First, the goddesses and the like perform the vase consecration, and the eight goddesses grant the ambrosia. After water to drink and water to cool one’s feet are offered and praises are made,[F.50.a] the vases are empowered with the mantra oṁ kalaśābhinayanaṃ57 snānaṁ oṁ śūnyatādhiṣṭhite svāhā.
“The goddesses, who are given the water consecration and the five ambrosias, will be filled with the six perfections. The goddesses will then let forth a rain of flowers. One will smell musk and sweet fragrances. Then one will be consecrated by Nārāyaṇa and the rest. One will be protected by all these deities’ samayas, and they will not abandon them even if it costs them their lives.”
Thus is the fifth chapter in The Tantra of Mahākāla, “The Deity Consecration.”
At that point, the foremost goddesses such as Vajrabhūtinī and the others experienced doubt and were disheartened. They all asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please clear away our doubts. We have doubts about reaching accomplishment through song and the nine dramatic sentiments as explained in this chapter.58 What is the purpose of song and dance? What is conduct for one who is consecrated as the deity? How are they represented by the mudrās of anger and the like? How do you explain all the seed syllables in the chapter on mantras? What doubts have arisen about the seed syllables of these goddesses? What power do the seed syllables of the embodied beings have? Blessed One, how do samaya holders act?”
The Blessed One responded, “a ko yi gha ṇa pi ṭa ṭa yi ra hā hā kā re ma hā kā la | uccha la ya yi kakko le gha ṇa ḍa ma ru vajra ji yā yi | kā ru ṇe yā yi | na ro li yā yi | ta hiṃ ma hā māṃ sa ni ba bha re khā hi yā yi | pi ba yi ma ya ṇā ghaṇṭe | ha re kā li jñā ja ra pa yi sa yi bā yi yā yi | duṃ du ta ra mā ga pa i patte | ka stu ra kā ta tha ri sihla ca u sa ma lā gā bi yā yi | si li ni | bha ra māṃ sa kī ta hi la hi yā yi | nā ṭe gīṃ taṃ e ko na mu yi | lī lā bha ra ṇa mā lā gha ri yā yi | ta hiṃ pa ṇi yā yi | sa hā gā thi ṇa kun du ru pa yi yā yi |[F.50.b] ḍā ma ru nā da uccha li yā yi.59
“ ‘Dancing’ means to be in union with Mahākāla, in whatever manner is pleasing, at dawn and with a mind immersed in meditative concentration. The mind steeped in familiarity60 refers to nothing other than the mother yoginīs61 who are the suchness of all buddhas. These dances and songs give rise to supreme bliss. This is precisely what protects oneself and protects the gathering. It is the five ambrosias, and it is the mantra focused on power, the recitation of which effortlessly performs activities in the world.62 One should therefore always receive the siddhi.
“They should dance in the middle, over and over.63 The lord of the assembly himself first apprehends the smell of a vulture, and second the smell of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa wafting toward his nose. Third, he enjoys the various smells of musk, saffron, and the like. This is the stage of a lord of yoga. After that, the song’s blessings create the sounds of bees, geese, cuckoos, and frogs. If one dances, all the sounds will be the same.64
“Then there is the song’s65 blessing for the assembly. External beings, beginning with kinnaras and Nārāyaṇa, should follow samaya.66 All the symbols should be continuously displayed at the edge of a town, in a grove, or in a forest. The siddhis will then be certain.”
“Blessed One,” the Goddess asked, “please explain how those who are interested in benefiting the beings of Jambudvīpa and those who are interested in practicing alchemy make correct use of the methods for enthralling rites and so forth.”
The Blessed One replied, “One must correctly understand the four mudrās of the goddesses. I will teach everything only after that.”
The Goddess again said, “Please give a trustworthy explanation of the correct stages. Blessed One, will this not allow beings to gain great benefit?”[F.51.a]
“Goddess, I will explain this beginning in chapter eight. Those dwelling among the five families are guaranteed to attain their siddhis every day.”
This is chapter six in The Tantra of Mahākāla, “The Practice.”
“First, one should perform the ritual offering, confess one’s misdeeds and so forth, cultivate the four abodes of Brahmā, and the rest. Then, using the mantra oṁ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ, one should purify all illusory phenomena.
“Mahākāla has three faces with blazing yellow hair that flows upward. His beard and eyebrows are ablaze, his fangs are bared, and he terrifies with his laughter. His main fearsome face is black, the face on the left is white,67 and the face on the right is blue-black. He wears a tiger skin as his lower garment and is garlanded with human heads. He is short, his belly hangs down, and he is adorned with the ornamented hoods of the eight nāgas.
The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla consists of a dialogue between Mahākāla and the Goddess on a broad range of topics including the consecration rites, deity generation practices, and rituals for attaining various siddhis associated with the deity Mahākāla. The opening section of the tantra focuses on topics related to the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras (yoganiruttaratantra, bla na med pa’i rgyud kyi rnal ’byor), such as how one generates the deity, how the consecration rites are performed, and how the advanced practitioner manipulates the vital winds of the subtle body to attain perfect spontaneous union as Mahākāla. The conversation then turns to ritual instructions for the attainment of siddhis as it integrates mastery of the two-stage union practices associated with the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras with those rituals more commonly associated with the Action Tantras (kriyātantra, bya ba’i rgyud) and Conduct Tantras (caryātantra, spyod pa’i rgyud).
This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. Adam Krug produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text.
We would like to thank Paul Hackett for providing copies of the two Sanskrit witnesses of the Mahākālatantrarāja held at the University of Tokyo and Péter-Dániel Szántó for providing a copy of the twelfth-century Sanskrit manuscript discovered in Tibet by Rāhul Sāṅkṛtyāyana and for pointing us in the right direction to access additional Sanskrit witnesses located in the Royal Asiatic Society’s Hodgson Collection and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Thank you also to Wiesiek Mical for kindly sharing his list of materia medica from his translation of The Tantra of Caṇḍamahāroṣana (Toh 431).1
The generous donation that made the translation work on this text possible was dedicated to DJKR, HH Dodrupchen IV, Khenchen Pema Sherab, Choje Togdan, Gyalse Tulku, Dagpo Tulku, Dorje Bhum, Khenpo Hungtram, and Gakar Tulku by the sponsors Herlintje, Lina Herlintje, Hadi Widjaja, Ocean, Asia, Star and Gold Widjaja.
The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla consists of a dialogue between Mahākāla and the Goddess on a broad range of topics, including the consecration rites, deity generation practices, and rituals for attaining various siddhis associated with the deity Mahākāla. The introductory line of the tantra notes that this dialogue takes place while the Blessed One, Mahākāla, is surrounded by an array of goddesses. While the primary Goddess who directs most of the dialogue in the tantra is never identified by name, she should perhaps be understood as the goddess Umā, who in this text is Mahākāla’s primary consort. The dialogue throughout this tantra is not restricted to these two parties, and several goddesses and other beings also pose questions to Mahākāla.
The topics discussed by Mahākāla and his interlocutors in this text are, for the most part,2 focused on the meditative and ritual applications of Mahākāla and his maṇḍala of yoginīs.3 The tantra’s dialogic structure does not always adhere to a clear organizational scheme, but it is possible to divide the general subject matter in the text into a few topical categories.
The dialogue in chapters 1 through 7 outlines instructions for the generation and completion stage yogas, constructing the various fire pits, reciting the mantras for all the forms of Mahākāla and the goddesses in his maṇḍala, performing the consecration rites, and practice instructions for the fully initiated advanced practitioner.
In chapters 8 through 14, the dialogue focuses primarily on instructions for making various collyria, pills, salves, and alchemical preparations of mercury that grant siddhis such as being able to locate subterranean chambers containing hidden treasure, rendering oneself invisible, and flight.
The dialogue in chapter 15 turns to Mahākāla’s account of the rise and fall of past, current, and future royal lineages across the Indian subcontinent and beyond. It then returns in chapters 16 through 25 to a discussion of the application of Mahākāla’s mantras for the performance of a number of ritual actions such as enthralling or paralyzing a target, making and halting rainfall, and controlling and repelling celestial deities.
Chapters 26 to 50 cover a broad range of topics. These chapters are all relatively short, with the exception of chapter 33, which occupies five folios of the text and discusses a number of different rites for making offerings to the seven kumārīs and the goddess Sarasvatī. The tantra concludes with a short chapter on the goddess Atharvaśabarī’s mantra.
The tantra’s chapter on mantras (chapter 2) contains mantras for eight different forms of Mahākāla (the two-, four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve-, fourteen-, and sixteen-armed forms), while chapter 7, the main chapter on the deity generation practices, focuses on six forms of the deity (the two-, four-, six-, eight-, twelve-, and sixteen-armed forms).
There is significant variation in the identity and number of yoginīs or goddesses who are said to accompany different forms of Mahākāla throughout the tantra. Chapter 1 provides the following list of eight goddesses:
Carcikā
Kālikā
Kulikeśvarī
Khaṇḍaruhī
Dantotkaṭī
Pracālī
Maheśvarī
The goddess mantras included in chapter 3 reflect a different list of seven goddesses:
Caṇḍeśvarī
Kulikeśvarī
Maheśvarī
Kālikā
Carcikā
Khaṇḍā
Umā
Finally, in the description of the goddesses that accompany the sixteen-armed form of Mahākāla in chapter 7, the tantra provides the following slightly different set of eight goddesses:
Caṇḍeśvarī
Carcikā
Kālikā
Kulikeśvarī
Caurī
Lañjanī
Mahānandi
Nandeśvarī
The number of goddesses or yoginīs who accompany Mahākāla can vary depending on the particular visualization practice, but one core group of four goddesses—Caṇḍeśvarī, Carcikā, Kālikā, and Kulikeśvarī—is fairly consistent across the various forms of the deity. These goddesses are located to the east, south, west, and north, respectively. Some exceptions to this configuration are the four- and two-armed forms of Mahākāla, which are flanked by a set of unnamed goddesses, and the sixteen-armed form of Mahākāla, which is surrounded by the core group of four goddesses in the inner circle of the maṇḍala and the goddesses Caurī, Lañjanī, Mahānandi, and Nandeśvarī in the east, south, west, and north of the outer circle, respectively. In those instances in which Mahākāla’s primary consort is mentioned, she is identified as the goddess Umā.
The Tibetan Kangyurs contain three tantras related to the deity Mahākāla: one in eight chapters (Toh 667),4 one in twenty-five chapters (Toh 416),5 and the text translated here, which consists of fifty chapters. All three works appear in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) of the Degé Kangyur. The current work, The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, and the twenty-five chapter Vajramahākālatantra are found in separate volumes among other texts of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra genre, while the eight-chapter Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla appears in the Action Tantra section. All three of these texts are products of the later translation period and do not appear in the Denkarma (ldan kar ma) or Phangthangma (’phang thang ma) Tibetan catalogs of translated works. They were each translated by a different team of Indian (or Nepalese, in the case of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla) and Tibetan translators, and their style and content reflect three separate textual lineages of the deity Mahākāla. In addition to these three tantras, the Tibetan Kangyurs also contain two Dhāraṇī texts devoted to Mahākāla, The Dhāraṇī of Glorious Mahākāla6 and The Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses.7 Finally, the Tibetan Tengyurs contain no fewer than twenty-seven works devoted to Mahākāla that consist of different sādhana instructions and praises, and at least one extensive commentary, the *Rudrakalpamahāśmaśānanāmaṭīkā attributed to Aśvaghoṣa,8 on a separate and presently unknown Mahākālatantra. None of the three tantras devoted to Mahākāla in the Tibetan Kangyurs appear to have been translated into Chinese.
Of the three tantras devoted to Mahākāla in the Tibetan Kangyurs, The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla demonstrates the greatest correlation with Śaiva tantric literature. Unlike the other tantras and dhāraṇīs associated with Mahākāla, the introductory material in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla follows a dialogical format between Mahākāla and several goddesses that finds close parallels in those Śaiva texts that belong to the Mantrapīṭha (Mantra Corpus), which are structured as dialogues between Śiva in his form of Bhairava and the Goddess or a host of goddesses.9 Mahākāla is referred to as Mahābhairava several times in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla. In the following passage from the opening of the Mantra chapter, the tantra also directly addresses the fact that Śiva, presumably in the form of Mahākāla, is a protector of the Buddhist teachings:
Now I will present the chapter on the mantras. Of the two types of mantras, the system of mantras related to Śiva are identified in this tantra by the syllable oṁ. These mantras represent Śiva’s delight as a protector of the Buddha’s teachings.10
Later, in the ritual instructions for the mercury siddhi in chapter 13, Mahākāla states that any yogin who consumes a particular alchemical preparation of mercury “will become Śiva’s equal” (śivasamam, zhi ba dang mnyam par ’gyur).
In his dissertation on The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, George Stablein identifies twelve extant Sanskrit witnesses to the text.11 The majority of these Sanskrit witnesses preserve a version of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla that contains just over twenty-nine chapters of material, and it is this version of the text that was known to the Newar vajrācāryas Stablein consulted throughout the Kathmandu Valley.12 Stablein also notes that he witnessed a rite at the main Mahākāla temple in Tuṇḍikhel, Kathmandu, in which the text of the Mahākālatantra was worshiped and used to bless devotees.13
Six of the seven Sanskrit witnesses consulted for this translation belong to versions of the twenty-nine-chapter recensions of the text. The oldest among this group is ND 44-5, which is held by the National Archives of Nepal and dated to c. 1633
The oldest known Sanskrit witness for The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla is a palm leaf manuscript of Indic origin that was photographed by Rahul Sāṅkṛtyāyana in Tibet in the 1930s.15 The colophon to this Sanskrit witness notes that it was “completed in the fifth year of the reign of His Majesty the glorious emperor Madanapāla, a devotee of the supreme Sugata and the supreme venerable ones.”16 The years of Madanapāla’s reign (c. 1143–62
The colophon to the Tibetan translation of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla tells us that the text was translated at the Ramoché temple in Lhasa by the paṇḍita Samantaśrī, who was from Nepal, and the Tibetan editor and translator Ra Gelong Chörap, both of whom were active during the eleventh century. The Tibetan translation preserves a fifty-chapter recension of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, but it demonstrates a rather inconsistent degree of correlation with the fifty-chapter recension preserved in the twelfth-century Sanskrit manuscript witness.18 Our preliminary observations have found the Tibetan witness corresponds much more closely to the twenty-nine-chapter Sanskrit witnesses, with the material in this witness demonstrating direct and approximate parallels to the material in the first twenty-nine chapters of the Tibetan translation.
Two important conclusions can be drawn from these observations. First, the translation of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla in the Tibetan Kangyurs is undoubtedly part of the same textual lineage as the twenty-nine-chapter Sanskrit witnesses, which places it within the same textual lineage as the contemporary Newar cult of Mahākāla. Second, the high level of divergence between Sāṅkṛtyāyana’s palm leaf manuscript and the Tibetan translation suggests that there may have been two separate textual traditions of a fifty-chapter recension of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla by the twelfth century. The twenty-nine chapter and fifty-chapter Sanskrit texts are not entirely unrelated, and we do find material that is shared across all the available Tibetan and Sanskrit witnesses. In some cases, to make matters more complicated, the Sanskrit fifty-chapter version preserves readings that are closer to the Tibetan translation than corresponding passages in the twenty-nine-chapter recensions. The relationship between the Tibetan and Sanskrit witnesses for The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla is undoubtedly more complex than the few observations made here, and it is our hope that this translation might provide some support for further research on this textual tradition.
The English translation that follows is based on the Tibetan translation of the text preserved in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the versions in the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, and the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur. Seven Sanskrit manuscript witnesses were consulted for the translation, and Stablein’s Sanskrit edition of the first eight chapters of the text provided an extremely helpful introduction to working with these sources.
While this translation relies primarily on the Tibetan witnesses, the Sanskrit sources were often an invaluable resource, and it would not have been possible to accurately translate a great deal of the Tibetan text without them. The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla contains an enormous number of references to various substances that are used in its ritual instructions for attaining siddhis and performing various ritual actions, and in many cases the Tibetan translators chose to transliterate rather than translate these terms. Many of these transliterated terms in the Tibetan are corrupted readings of Sanskrit terminology or, perhaps, were derived from other Sanskritic dialects or entirely different languages. In many cases (but certainly not all), the readings in the Sanskrit sources contained important corrections to the Tibetan transliterations of the hundreds of different ingredients featured in the ritual instructions throughout the text. Interestingly, there were also instances in which the Tibetan transliterations of these terms were closer to their classical Sanskrit spelling than the readings in the Sanskrit witnesses. Where possible, we have attempted to identify these ingredients based on available resources, but these identifications should be regarded as tentative.
The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla also contains a handful of passages composed in Apabhraṃśa. Two of these passages were reproduced and translated in Stablein’s dissertation on The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, and his translations are included in the notes to this translation. In the translation itself, however, all these passages have been rendered in their original language (or languages) following the transliteration given in the Degé Kangyur.
[F.45.b]Homage to Glorious Mahākāla.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in the company of the goddesses. The Goddess asked him, “What method saves beings who are drowning in the ocean of cyclic existence, and how does the deity liberate them from cyclic existence?”[F.46.a]
The Blessed One replied, “I will address those points in terms of the means by which wisdom19 is present during the generation and completion stage yogas. Listen well, Goddess. The generation stage leads one to abide in cessation and reveals the correct path that grants the result. Then one should perform with certainty the type of consecration that involves the use of a consort. One should then practice the elimination of movement20 and then focus on that. The generation stage is endowed with the correct path through correlation with the physical person.
“Blessed One,” asked the goddess, “what is required to generate the vajra being, and why are the individual vases necessary?”
The Blessed One replied, “The fact of arising refutes nonexistence; this is the space vajra. It is utterly devoid of self and is the moment of bliss. It arises like the expansive feeling of happiness that arises when the entire population of a city that has been oppressed by force is released from bondage.”
“Blessed One,” asked the Goddess, “why is it necessary to stabilize the body?21 Is it not the case that it is no longer present after the blood and bodhicitta have combined in the pathway and one has been liberated from false appearances? Does it grant the result, or did you describe it in terms of practical application for those who wish to reveal it?”22
The Blessed One replied, “The body is called ‘vajra.’ This is similar to the correlation between the illusory being23 and the physical person. ‘The blood after it has combined in the pathway’ means that blood has combined in the vajra’s pathway at the time that understanding of complete equality dawns through the movement of blood in the five aggregates via the lalanā, rasanā, and avadhūtī. ‘The functional body’ refers to the body that moves, lacks endurance, and is subject to impulses. That is the functional body. I spoke of having performed a function for those who are confused about functionality.”
“What is the Dharma?” asked the Goddess. “What teachings have you given from the collection of Dharma? Was this done for the happiness and welfare of human beings,[F.46.b] for a specific purpose, or so that they might gain the desirable result of eliminating disease?”
The Blessed One replied, “I will explain how beings who have taken a human birth can easily attain the siddhis for whatever Dharma they practice. The eight great siddhis are the sword, collyrium, pill, and swift feet siddhis, together with rendering medicines effective, competence in mantras, and mercury and alchemy. In addition to attaining the eight great siddhis, a person can attain any other siddhi using the tantras of Mahākāla, and they will surely do so with ease.”24
The Goddess requested, “Please speak, however briefly, about binding the target when it is employed for the collyrium siddhi.”
The Blessed One replied, “Its concealing is widely described as an excellent means of protection and the proper way to conceal oneself, even from the drumming of horse hooves.”25
“Blessed One,” the Goddess asked, “how many channels are there in the vajra body, and how many moments of inhalation and exhalation are there?”
The Blessed One replied, “There are thirty-two channels. There is restraining inhalation and exhalation and releasing the breath that has arisen within the body, which is set in motion by the sun and the moon. To express the exact calculation, there are twenty-one thousand six hundred movements of breath, with a moment consisting of an inhalation and exhalation.”
“Blessed One,” asked the Goddess, “did you sanction what Kāmadeva revealed, the conditions that ensued26 when Nārāyaṇa, the fulfiller of desire, took on an illusory form and, for the sake of Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī, became a protector deity who delivered the destitute from darkness?”
“Goddess,” the Blessed One replied, “as the beings of Jambudvīpa cycle through cyclic existence, they give rise to delusion, desire, jealousy, and slander. Since that is the case, and since they have faith in what glorious Mahākāla has taught,[F.47.a] like Nārāyaṇa, I have taught the practice of generating Kāmadeva and his retinue of sixty-four ḍākinīs.”
“Blessed One,” asked the Goddess, “what is the significance of the term mahākāla?”
The Blessed One replied, “The term mahākāla27 refers to the long duration of time that it takes to visualize and remain as Mahākāla, as well as the fact that one performs this every day and at the best time for doing so. Alternately, the term mahākāla refers to something that requires a long time, namely, performing the rites for Mahākāla in their entirety.”
“What do the syllable ma and the syllables hā and kāla signify?” asked the Goddess.
The Blessed One replied, “Ma refers to the fact that he is a compassionate being, and hā refers to the fact that he possesses insight, and to insight itself. Kāla is a combination of two syllables that together mean ‘time’ and that signify method and insight in union as great compassion.
“There are eight yoginīs who appear in this tantra and are respectively identified as the queens of the yogas28 of paralyzing, expelling, paralyzing an army, and hostile rites. They are generated through the visualization of Caṇḍeśvarī, Carcikā, Kālikā, Kulikeśvarī, Khaṇḍaruhī, Dantotkaṭī, Pracālī, and Maheśvarī.
“Someone with insight into grasping, for whom time is essential,29 seeks liberation. For them, there is no meditator and no object of meditation. The visualizations are not produced by anything. Then, through mastery over the afflicted mind, the mind is freed of imputation. They can assume the form of Vetāli30 without generating it, and, when moving among the five families, they can accomplish any rite just as it was taught. They can pursue one after the other whether or not it is the appropriate particular lunar day,[F.47.b] guaranteeing the attainment of any siddhi. Such are the fruits of this Dharma instruction.”
This is the first chapter in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, “An Elucidation of Ultimate Reality.”
“Now I will present a chapter on the features of the fire pits.”31
“My Lord,” the Goddess asked, “how should one accomplish, for the sake of beings, the rites associated with the eight siddhis that eliminate suffering?”
The Blessed One replied, “The exhalation is blocked as it flows in the lunar channel and then held. By doing this one will undoubtedly attain the eight great siddhis. When someone intent on bringing this to fruition does this, they will attain siddhi.
“For a killing rite, one should perform a fire offering with dark-blue flowers in a square fire pit that is one cubit wide. For a paralyzing rite, the pit should be circular and two cubits wide. For an enthralling rite, one should build a triangular fire pit one cubit high in a hole one cubit deep that has been excavated from purified ground. The fire offering, made using red flowers, should be performed by well-trained officiants who are seated on a bearskin.
“The explanation of the specifications for the fire offering pit used to attain the foot salve siddhi are to purify the ground32 for a circular pit measuring one cubit high and then excavate to a depth of five cubits. The explanation of the fire offering for the collyrium siddhi are to purify the ground33 in the shape of a snake’s head measuring two and a half cubits and excavate to a depth of seven cubits. This is the fire pit for the collyrium siddhi. The instructions for the pill siddhi are to purify the ground measuring the size of an elephant’s foot and excavate to a depth of ten cubits. This is the fire pit for the pill. For the alchemy siddhi, one should purify an area of ground measuring two and a half cubits and shaped like an earring and then excavate to a depth of three cubits. This is the fire pit for the alchemy siddhi. The fire pit for becoming a king is one cubit high and circular in shape. Once the ground has been purified, one should excavate to a depth of eight cubits. This is done to accomplish the siddhi. By following these procedures, the siddhis are certain. If one uses white flowers for any of the fire offering rites described here, one will gain the results related to each of these siddhis.”
This is the second chapter in The Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, “The Features of the Fire Pits.”
“Now I will present the chapter on the mantras.[F.48.a] Of the two types of mantras, the system of mantras related to Śiva34 are identified in this tantra by the syllable oṁ. These mantras represent Śiva’s delight as a protector of the Buddha’s teachings. He pronounced the following mantras of great wisdom as part of his promise to the Buddha:
“The mantra for the two-armed form is oṁ mahākāla hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
“The mantra for the four-armed form is oṁ hrīṃ hrīṃ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ.
“The mantra for the six-armed form is oṁ mahābhairava sarvasiddhidāyaka ḍaṃ hūṁ kuṃ dhvaṇṭaḥ.
“The mantra for the eight-armed form is oṁ āḥ hūṁ phaṭ hrīḥ haḥ.
“The mantra for the ten-armed form is oṁ hī kaṃ hūṁ kīla kīla mahānādākārālavikarālakṣīgṛīhaḥ daha daha paca paca siddhidākāya svāhā.
“The mantra for the twelve-armed form is oṁ daṃṣṭrotkaṭabhair avāya saṃ saṃ saṃ ru ru ru ru hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.35 It can be used for any rite, is revered by all the buddhas, is effective throughout the threefold world, and will accomplish whatever one wishes.
“Present a bali offering every day with this mantra of the fourteen-armed form to attain any siddhi: oṁ yama jagatakṣobhaya kṣobhaya tāla patāla khāhi khāhi gṛhṇa bali grahāḥ grahāḥ | oṁ maṁ caṁ mahābhairavāya svāhā.
“The mantra for protecting oneself is oṁ maṁ maṁ raṁ hūṁ hūṁ maṃ rakṣa pālāya hūṁ vajra phaṭ.
“The mantra for protecting others is oṁ dharaṇī dhara dhara hūṁ hūṁ [insert name]36 rakṣā kuru svāhā.
“The mantra for the sixteen-armed form is oṁ hrāṃ hrāṃ yaṃ maṃ karāla virālākṣa vaṃ karāla mahāyogeśvara sarvadāyaka svāhā.
“One should thoroughly cook black gram, fill it generously with alcohol, meat, and blood, and present it every evening as a bali offering while reciting the following mantra:37
oṁ śrīṃ kṣīṃ gṛhṇa baliṃ hūṁ phaṭ | madyamāṁsapuṣpadhūparaktatalapātale aṣṭanāgadevayakṣarākṣasa gṛhna idaṃ baliṃ hā hā hā hūṁ khāhi khāhi kha kha hūṁ jaḥ pheṃ pheṃ haṃ haṃ mahāḍadharahāsa garjja garjja kṛṣṇavarṇī ehe hūṁ svāhā.
“If one does this for twenty-one days, an auspicious sign will appear. If one does this for one month, siddhi will be granted. If one does this for a year, one will be granted whatever one wants.[F.48.b]
“All one’s misdeeds will be exhausted by simply reading the king of mantras oṁ hrīṃ hrīṃ hūṁ phaṭ, and if one continually recites it, one will easily attain any siddhi.38 If one recites it five thousand times, one will accomplish the pacification rite. If one recites it ten thousand times, one will enthrall a woman. If one recites it one hundred thousand times, one can enthrall a king. If one recites it five hundred thousand times, one can undoubtedly enthrall any of the gods and yakṣas. If it will attract them, it goes without saying that one can use it on a man or woman. This is the enthralling mantra.
“The general mantra is oṁ mahākāla hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā.
“The fire mantra is39 oṁ mahānandeśvara hūṁ phaṭ svāhā. If one visualizes the target in the mouth of the flames, they will die.
“The mantra for killing is oṁ kṣīṃ śrīṃ ho kṣaḥ [insert name]40 māṁsamāraya41 phaṭ.
“Caṇḍeśvarī’s mantra is oṁ kṣīṃ he caṇḍeśvarī42 hūṁ śrī svāhā.
“Kulikeśvarī’s mantra is oṁ lāṃ kaṃ43 kulikeśvarī he pheṃ svāhā.
“Maheśvarī’s mantra is oṁ māṃ maheśvarī hūṁ śrī heṃ pheṃ.
“Kālikā’s mantra is oṁ kili vikarāla śrīḥ kṣīṃ kṣīṃ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
“Carcikā’s mantra is oṁ caṁ carcaya carcaya hūṁ hrīḥ.
“The goddess Khaṇḍā’s44 bali-offering mantra is oṁ camuṇḍe daha daha paca paca idaṃ baliṃ gṛhṇa gṛhṇa hūṁ pheṃ heṃ phaṭ svāhā.
“The Goddess Umā’s mantra is oṁ hrī hāḥ hūṁ śrī phaṭ svāhā.
“The mantra for consecrating body, speech, and mind is oṃ āḥ hūṃ.45
“The mantra for any act of killing is oṁ hūṁ kṣiṃ śrīṃ oṁ ghaṃ [insert name] hi māraya māraya hūṁ phaṭ.46
“The expelling mantra is oṁ kṣiṃ ha hāṁ [insert name] ucchaṭaya hūṁ phaṭ.
“The mantra for paralyzing an enemy is oṁ maṁ jaṁ kṣaṁ.
“One should incant a mouse’s tail seven times with the mantra oṁ jaṁ hūṁ hastistaṃbhaya phaṭ. An elephant will be paralyzed when struck with it.
“One should incant the flesh of a cow with the mantra oṁ khaḥ haḥ phaṭ ghoṭakastambhanam. A horse will be paralyzed when struck with it.
“One should incant tiger skin with the mantra oṁ muḥ hāṁ sarvapaśūn47 staṁbhāya mohāya hūṁ phaṭ. Buffalo, dogs, elephants, cows, jackals, tigers, and bears will undoubtedly be paralyzed when struck with it.[F.49.a]
“The snake-paralyzing mantra is oṁ mahānanta hūṁ haḥ. If one incants silver with this mantra seven times and hits a snake with it, the snake will be paralyzed.48
“The mantra for rendering a person mute49 is oṁ mukhaṃ stambhaya [insert name] vaṃ phaṭ.
“The mantra for paralyzing swords and the like is oṁ hrīḥ maṁ raṁ camuṇḍa haḥ śrī hūṁ phaṭ.
“The mantra for paralyzing a dice player is oṁ mahilala bhilala bhilala ha hoḥ.
“The mantra for bewildering a woman is oṁ ghaṃ hūṁ.
“The great bali offering mantra that subdues enemies is oṁ haḥ kaha kaha malinimukhe prasādhaya prasādhaya mahākāla buddhajñāṃ prahitosi māraya māraya kāraya kāraya sarvaduṣṭāṃ praduṣṭān gṛhṇa gṛhṇa mara mara kha kha khāhi khāhi śīghraṃ daha daha paca paca hūre hūre maṃ raṃ hūṁ phaṭ | idaṃ baliṃ graha graha śrī svāhā.
“This is for hostile and contentious people who act in opposition to the Buddha’s teaching. One should incant a bowl make of a human skull and full of food with this mantra and present the bali offering on the eighth day of the waning moon, and they will instantly die, contract a deadly fever, or be incinerated, or their head will split open. This great bali offering mantra overcomes enemies.
“The killing mantra is oṁ camuṇḍe hana hana daha daha hūṁ phaṭ.
“The mantra for killing enemies is oṁ hūṁ māṁ maṃ māraya svāhā.
“hūṁ phaṭ | atha bhagavān bodhisattvā mahāsattvā mahākāruṇikā | tadyathā | oṁ kārālavikaṭeśvara hūlu hūlu kili kili mahākaṅkālahala kṣāṁ śrīṁ vaṁ caṁ maṁ haṁ hūṁ mahānandeśvarāya svāhā. This mantra should be recited seven times a day while washing the face, and one will be attractive to everyone. All one’s enemies will be pacified, all one’s actions will succeed, and whatever one desires will be granted twofold. This is the mantra for Mahākāla, the dhāraṇī that brings delight in every sādhana.50
“oṁ mahākāla hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā. One brings about the result by accomplishing the entire collection of ritual actions.”
This is the third chapter in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of the Black Protector, “The Mantras.”[F.49.b]
“Now I will present the chapter on consecration. The disciple must first recite the mantra for the two-armed form of Mahākāla ten thousand times and then receive initiation. The sage is first consecrated with the vase following the specific set of five consecrations in which they are furnished with a bell and vajra, sprinkled with water, and so forth. The sixth consecration is bestowed according to the vajra stages. The seventh consecration is the specific point at which they unite with an insight consort. The disciple copulates with the yoginīs during the eighth consecration, during the ninth semen is produced, and during the tenth they are consecrated with sky water. Accomplishing the sequence of these eleven consecrations in the correct way51 will give rise to the respective states. Just like those slain by the tawny-colored one,52 the sage should secretly maintain this sequential accomplishment of quiescent wisdom53 using the five ambrosias and the insight consorts. One should perform this practice with a mother, a sister, a woman with deformed legs,54 a dwarfish woman, or a hunchbacked woman. All these designations should be understood as instructed.55
“Once all that is complete, one should approach the eminent master for the appropriate consecration. The guru should examine the disciple and then give it. Then the disciple should say, ‘Master, since you possess the method, and since, Your Eminence, we have acted according to your every word, please teach us the correct path for abandoning the suffering of beings. Blessed One, please grant us the proper understanding of the consecration rite through its specific stages so that it might benefit beings, and so we might have the correct understanding of the time and duration of the rite.’ ”
This is the fourth chapter in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla, “Consecration.”
56“Now I will present the deity consecration. First, the goddesses and the like perform the vase consecration, and the eight goddesses grant the ambrosia. After water to drink and water to cool one’s feet are offered and praises are made,[F.50.a] the vases are empowered with the mantra oṁ kalaśābhinayanaṃ57 snānaṁ oṁ śūnyatādhiṣṭhite svāhā.
“The goddesses, who are given the water consecration and the five ambrosias, will be filled with the six perfections. The goddesses will then let forth a rain of flowers. One will smell musk and sweet fragrances. Then one will be consecrated by Nārāyaṇa and the rest. One will be protected by all these deities’ samayas, and they will not abandon them even if it costs them their lives.”
Thus is the fifth chapter in The Tantra of Mahākāla, “The Deity Consecration.”
At that point, the foremost goddesses such as Vajrabhūtinī and the others experienced doubt and were disheartened. They all asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please clear away our doubts. We have doubts about reaching accomplishment through song and the nine dramatic sentiments as explained in this chapter.58 What is the purpose of song and dance? What is conduct for one who is consecrated as the deity? How are they represented by the mudrās of anger and the like? How do you explain all the seed syllables in the chapter on mantras? What doubts have arisen about the seed syllables of these goddesses? What power do the seed syllables of the embodied beings have? Blessed One, how do samaya holders act?”
The Blessed One responded, “a ko yi gha ṇa pi ṭa ṭa yi ra hā hā kā re ma hā kā la | uccha la ya yi kakko le gha ṇa ḍa ma ru vajra ji yā yi | kā ru ṇe yā yi | na ro li yā yi | ta hiṃ ma hā māṃ sa ni ba bha re khā hi yā yi | pi ba yi ma ya ṇā ghaṇṭe | ha re kā li jñā ja ra pa yi sa yi bā yi yā yi | duṃ du ta ra mā ga pa i patte | ka stu ra kā ta tha ri sihla ca u sa ma lā gā bi yā yi | si li ni | bha ra māṃ sa kī ta hi la hi yā yi | nā ṭe gīṃ taṃ e ko na mu yi | lī lā bha ra ṇa mā lā gha ri yā yi | ta hiṃ pa ṇi yā yi | sa hā gā thi ṇa kun du ru pa yi yā yi |[F.50.b] ḍā ma ru nā da uccha li yā yi.59
“ ‘Dancing’ means to be in union with Mahākāla, in whatever manner is pleasing, at dawn and with a mind immersed in meditative concentration. The mind steeped in familiarity60 refers to nothing other than the mother yoginīs61 who are the suchness of all buddhas. These dances and songs give rise to supreme bliss. This is precisely what protects oneself and protects the gathering. It is the five ambrosias, and it is the mantra focused on power, the recitation of which effortlessly performs activities in the world.62 One should therefore always receive the siddhi.
“They should dance in the middle, over and over.63 The lord of the assembly himself first apprehends the smell of a vulture, and second the smell of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa wafting toward his nose. Third, he enjoys the various smells of musk, saffron, and the like. This is the stage of a lord of yoga. After that, the song’s blessings create the sounds of bees, geese, cuckoos, and frogs. If one dances, all the sounds will be the same.64
“Then there is the song’s65 blessing for the assembly. External beings, beginning with kinnaras and Nārāyaṇa, should follow samaya.66 All the symbols should be continuously displayed at the edge of a town, in a grove, or in a forest. The siddhis will then be certain.”
“Blessed One,” the Goddess asked, “please explain how those who are interested in benefiting the beings of Jambudvīpa and those who are interested in practicing alchemy make correct use of the methods for enthralling rites and so forth.”
The Blessed One replied, “One must correctly understand the four mudrās of the goddesses. I will teach everything only after that.”
The Goddess again said, “Please give a trustworthy explanation of the correct stages. Blessed One, will this not allow beings to gain great benefit?”[F.51.a]
“Goddess, I will explain this beginning in chapter eight. Those dwelling among the five families are guaranteed to attain their siddhis every day.”
This is chapter six in The Tantra of Mahākāla, “The Practice.”
“First, one should perform the ritual offering, confess one’s misdeeds and so forth, cultivate the four abodes of Brahmā, and the rest. Then, using the mantra oṁ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ, one should purify all illusory phenomena.
“Mahākāla has three faces with blazing yellow hair that flows upward. His beard and eyebrows are ablaze, his fangs are bared, and he terrifies with his laughter. His main fearsome face is black, the face on the left is white,67 and the face on the right is blue-black. He wears a tiger skin as his lower garment and is garlanded with human heads. He is short, his belly hangs down, and he is adorned with the ornamented hoods of the eight nāgas.
The exception to this statement is chapter 15, “An Account of Royal Lineages,” in which Mahākāla provides an account of the rise and fall of various royal lineages, both human and nonhuman, across the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
The female beings who encircle Mahākāla in his maṇḍala are referred to interchangeably as either goddesses (devī, lha mo) or yoginīs (rnal ’byor ma).
Vajramahākālakrodhanātharahasyasiddhibhavatantra (mgon po gsang ba dngos grub byung ba’i rgyud, Toh 416).
The Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses (nag po chen po’i gsungs rims nad thams cad las thar byed, Toh 669).
dpal nag po chen po’i rgyud drag po’i brtag pa dur khrod chen po zhes bya ba’i ’grel pa (Toh 1753).
Stablein 1976, pp. 90–91. All the Newar vajrācāryas consulted by Stablein in the early 1970s noted that their traditions are based on a twenty-nine-chapter recension of The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla.
Stablein 1976, p. 7. Stablein does not specifically identify the text that he saw being used as part of a “book offering” (pustakapūja) in Tuṇḍikhel as the twenty-nine chapter version Mahākalatantrarāja, most likely because he was not allowed to examine it closely.
Both Sanskrit witnesses for The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla in the Bibliothèque nationale de France are signed by Eugène Burnouf and dated to the year 1845. BnFS 85, which does not provide a clear notation of the date it was completed, is nevertheless clearly not a very old manuscript, given that its orthography is perhaps the closest of all to modern Devanāgarī. Unfortunately, neither of the UT manuscripts contain any mention of their specific date of composition.
For Sāṅkṛtyāyana’s own account of his documentation of this and other important Sanskrit manuscripts in Tibet, see Sāṅkṛtyāyana 1935, pp. 21–43 and Sāṅkṛtyāyana 1937, pp. 1–57. For an updated and complete catalogue of these sources see Bandurski 1994.
RST15 reads paramasaugataparamabhaṭṭārakamahārājādhirājaśrīmanmadanapāladevapādīya saṃvat 5. The copy of this manuscript made available to me was unfortunately missing the final plate containing the last two or so folios of text, so this colophon reading is taken from Herr Gustav Roth’s transliteration in Bandurski 1994, p. 47.
Bandurski cites Dines Chandra Sircar, “Three Inscriptions from Valgudar,” Epigraphica Indica 28 (1958): 145, note 3.
The first four chapters in RST15 do not correspond to the other Sanskrit witnesses or to the first four chapters of the Tibetan translation. RST15 begins to align with both the Sanskrit and Tibetan witnesses toward the end of chapter 4, and the correspondence between all three continues through the end of chapter 14. RST15 again diverges from the other witnesses through chapter 28. Chapters 29 through the majority of chapter 32 are unfortunately missing in Sāṅkṛtyāyana’s photographs, but it is clear that the material in chapter 33 of RST15 also diverges from the Tibetan. RST15 then aligns with the Tibetan again in chapter 34. The readings in our copy of RST15 for chapters 35 and 36 were unfortunately not very clear. Chapter 35 does not have a title in RST15, but the title of chapter 36 does match the Tibetan. The readings of these chapters in our copy of this witness are also unfortunately not very clear, and, as noted above, the last few folios of the text are missing from our copy as well. As a result, we have not closely consulted the material in chapters 35 through 50 of RST15, and this remains a topic for future research.
Following Tib. rgyu ba gcod pa la spyod pa. ST reads utsāhayantre caret. UTM 286 reads utsāhayantracaret. UTM 288 reads utsaho yantre caret. ND 44-5 reads utsāho yantre recaḥ. RASH 47 and BnFS 85 read utsāho yantra caret.
Following F lus brtan pa’i dgos pa gang lags. D reads lus bstan pa’i dgos pa gang lags. ST reads śarīradṛḍhena kim prayojanam. UTM 286, ND 44-5, and RASH 47 read śarīradṛḍheṇa prayojanaṃ. UTM 288 reads śarīradṛḍheṇa prajojanaṃ. BnFS 84 reads śariraṃ dṛdhena prayojanaṃ. BnFS 85 reads śarīra dheṇa prayoyanaṃ. The reading śarīradṛḍha in the Sanskrit witnesses is supported by the reading lus brtan pa in the Phukdrak Kangyur.
Following H and N rgyu mar sems dpas. D reads rgyu mar sems pas. BnFS 85, RASH 47, ST, UTM 286, and UTM 288 read mayāsattvaº.
Following BnFS 85, RASH 47, ST, UTM 286, and UTM 288 helayā. The Tibetan witnesses read tshogs med par. The reading helayā from the Sanskrit witnesses suggests that the Tibetan reading tshogs med par is a corruption of tshegs med par.
Translation tentative. ST reads praghatitakhuraravapātho, and D reads rmig pa’i sgra ltar brlag pa.
While the term kāla is often translated in English as “black” (Tib. nag po), this explanation of Mahākāla’s name reflects the fact that the Sanskrit term kāla can also mean “time,” and thus one way of interpreting the term mahākāla is “a great amount of time.”
D and S read rnal ’byor gyi dbang phyug rnams kyis ji ltar rigs pas. N and Y read rnal ’byor gyi dbang phyug rnams kyis ji ltar rig pas. The Sanskrit witnesses read yogeśvarīṇaṃ yathānyāyaṃ. The translation “queens of the yogas” is informed by the Sanskrit witnesses. The Tibetan translation does not preserve the gender of this compound.
Following F, H, K, N, S, and Y dus kyi gtso bo. D reads dus kyis gtso bo, and Skt. reads mulakālo.
Throughout this translation, it is assumed that the opening statements in each chapter that are marked as first-person speech in the Sanskrit are the words of the same Blessed One who spoke in the first chapter.
Following S sa sbyang ba. D reads las sbyang ba. The Sanskrit witnesses read bhūmiṃ śodhayet. This translation follows the reading in S, which allows us to correct a minor scribal error in D and is supported by the Sanskrit witnesses as well as numerous points at which this same phrasing occurs in this text.
The mantras for the ten- and twelve-armed forms of Mahākāla are reversed in Sanskrit manuscript ND 44-5.
The Sanskrit amuka, sometimes rendered in Tibetan as che ge mo, is a term marking the point at which one should insert the name of the intended beneficiary or target of a rite.
The phrase “while reciting the following mantra” is not included in the Tibetan or Sanskrit text, but it has been added for clarity.
D and S read dngos grub thams cad ’grub bo/ sgyid snyoms dang bcas par. K and Y read dngos grub thams cad ’grub bo/ skyid snyom dang bcas par. ST, RASH 47, and BnFS 84 read sarvaṃ sidhyati helayā. ND 44-5, UTM 286, UTM 288, and BnFS 85 read sarvaṃ siddhyati | helayā. The Tibetan reading in D and S preserves a scribal error, while the reading in K and Y reflect what we find in the Sanskrit witnesses. All the Tibetan witnesses, as well as ND 44-5, UTM 286, UTM 288, and BnFS 85, construe the phrase “easily” or “with ease” with the subsequent statement, but it is far more likely that it is intended to be read as an adverbial form modifying the verb that precedes it, as Stablein has rendered it in his edition.
The Tibetan reads de ba da t+taM, and the Sanskrit reads devadatta. Like the phrase amuka (Tib. che ge mo), the name devadatta functions in as a placeholder for the intended target of the rite.
Following K and Y tsan De shwa rI and Skt. caṇḍeśvarī. D reads tsaM ha De shwa rI. S reads tsa De shwa rI.
Following Tib. dum bu can. The Skt. witnesses do not identify the specific goddess to whom this mantra is addressed, and the mantra itself references Camuṇḍā.
ST reads anena niyutaṃ japtvā śmaśānabhasmanā puttalikāṃ kṛtvā tasya dvāre gopayet. The Sanskrit sources preserve a line explaining the use of this mantra that translates as, “If one incants an effigy made of ash from a cremation ground with this mantra many times over, it will protect one’s doorway.” The Tibetan witnesses all omit this line.
Following RASH 47 and BnFS 84 sarvapaśūn. D reads sarba pA shu na. This transliteration follows the readings in RASH 47 and BnFS 84, which preserve the correct Sanskrit spelling.
This mantra does not appear here in the Sanskrit witnesses. In the Sanskrit sources, it follows the sword-paralyzing mantra.
Following Skt. naramukhastambhanamantraḥ. Tib. reads mi’i ngag rengs par bya ba la. This translation follows the Sanskrit witnesses, which include the term mantra. A literal translation of this phrase would be “the mantra for paralyzing a person’s mouth.”
Following F bsgrub pa thams cad la cher dga’ ba’i gzungs and ST, RASH 47, BnFS 85, and UTM 286 sarvasādhanamahānandadhāranīmahākālasya mantraḥ. D and S read sgrub pa thams cad la cher dga’ ba’i gzugs nag po chen po’i sngags so.
J, C, and H read thub pa ka pi la bar+Na shi ba. D reads thub pa ka pi la bar+N+Na shi ba. S and N read thub pa ka pi la bar rna shi ba. ST reads munikapilā iva. ND 44-5, UTM 286, RASH 47, and BnFS 85 read muniṃ kanilāmāritair iva. UTM 288 reads muniṃ kanilāmārair iva. BnFS 84 reads muniṃ kanilāmālitair iva. This translation is tentative as the reference to “the tawny-colored one” (D ka pi la bar+N+Na) could not be identified.
D and S read zhi ba’i ye shes sgrub pa. N reads ye shes sgrub pa. ST reads siddhijñāna. ND 44-5 and UTM 286 read siddhijñānam. UTM 288, RASH 47, BnFS 84, and BnFS 85 read siddhajñānam. The Sanskrit witnesses preserve two alternate readings of this compound that translate as either “the wisdom of siddhi” (if we follow ST, ND 44-5, and UTM 286) or “the wisdom they have attained” (if we follow UTM 288, RASH 47, BnFS 84, and BnFS 85). It is also possible to translate the reading preserved in the Tibetan witnesses as “the wisdom of Śiva” and not “quiescent wisdom.”
A similar but not identical set of women is listed in, for example, Hevajra Tantra 1.5.2, and their symbolic import is explained at 1.5.16–18.
As Stablein notes in his dissertation, the concluding statement in chapter 4 marks the initial point at which all the Tibetan and Sanskrit witnesses begin to match. This includes the Sanskrit witness RST15, which until this point has contained an entirely different set of four opening chapters.
D reads ka la sha a b+hi nA ya naM. S, Y, K, J, N, C, and H read ka la sha a b+hi na ya na. The Sanskrit sources read kalaśābhinayanaṃ. This transliteration corrects the reading in the Degé Kangyur following the reading in the majority of Tibetan witnesses as well as the Sanskrit witnesses.
Compare with Hevajra Tantra 2.4.1–5, where Vajragarbha and a group of ḍākinīs pose a similar set of questions to the deity Hevajra based on material from previous, similarly titled chapters. Here, however, the material causing the goddesses’ confusion has not yet been taught in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla.
Translation tentative. We take goms pa’i rigs pa’i sems as approximately equivalent to ºabhyasanayogacetasā (RST15).
ND 44-5 reads yoginibhiḥ mātṛbhir. RST15 reads yoginībhir mātrabhiḥ. The Tibetan witnesses read rnal ’byor gyi ma rnams. This translation follows the Sanskrit.
RST15 reads nṛtyantu madhyavarttinoḥ bhūya. The Tibetan witnesses read bar du gar yang bya’o/ yang yang du. This translation follows the syntax of the Sanskrit in RST15.
Following F glu, and Skt. gītaº. D and S read klu. This reading agrees with the parallel passage in Hevajra Tantra 2.4.13.
Following F and S la sogs pa dam tshig rnams. D reads la sogs pa dag tshig rnams. C, J, K, and Y read la sogs pa dag tshigs rnams. Skt. reads gaṇeṣu.
D reads shar phyogs kyi snam bu la. S reads shar gyi snam bu la. ST and RST15 read purve. ND 44-5, UTM 286, UTM 288, RASH 47, BnFS 84, and BnFS 85 read purvapūṭe. ST and RST15 read simply “in the east,” while ND 44-5, UTM 286, UTM 288, RASH 47, BnFS 84, and BnFS 85 translate as “in the space to the east,” once we emend pūṭe to puṭe. Here the Tibetan witnesses suggest a Sanskrit equivalent of purvapaṭe, but considering that the Tibetan sources alternate between snam bu (paṭa) and ’phar ma / ’phar ma (puṭa), we believe paṭa to be in error and have followed the reading puṭa here and below.
Following Tib. lha mo bzhis. Skt. reads caturyoginībhiḥ. The Sanskrit witnesses retain the title “yoginīs,” while the Tibetan witnesses read “goddesses.”
This translation follows ST and RST15 in reading the verb bhāvayet here. The Tibetan lacks a final verb for the following passage.
Following S phaT kyi sgra chen po. D reads pheM gyi sgra chen po. ST reads mahāpheṭkāra. UTM 286, UTM 288, RASH 47, and BnFS 85 read mahāphaṭkāraṃ. ND 44-5 and RST15 read mahāphaṭkāraº. This translation follows S and the Sanskrit witnesses in reading phaṭ instead of phem.
Following S phaT kyi sgra. D reads pheM gyi sgra. ND 44-5, UTM 286, UTM 288, RASH 47, and BnFS 85 read mahāphaṭkāra. ST reads pheṭkāra. This translation follows S and the Sanskrit witnesses in reading phaṭ instead of phem.
This translation, which follows the Tibetan, is tentative due to ambiguities in the Tibetan syntax and the wide variation witnessed across the sources.
D and S read dngos po bsgom pa bsgom pa med pa’o. ST reads bhāvam bhāvyaṃ yad abhāvo ’pi bhāvayet. RST15 reads bhāvaṃ bhavyaṃ yad abhāvo ’pi bhāvayet. This translation is informed by ST and RST15.
Tib. reads gang dngos grub thob pa’i rnam pa ji ltar ’gyur. ST reads kathyate yena siddhir yena syāt. RST15 reads kathyate siddhi yena syāt. RASH 47 reads kathyati siddhir yena syāt. ND 44-5 reads kathyati siddhi yena syāt. The Tibetan term rnam pa, for which there is no equivalent in the Sanskrit witnesses, is read here as equivalent to the Sanskrit ākāra. The Tibetan sources also seem to indicate that the Tibetan translators read katham where the Sanskrit witnesses have kathyati/kathyate.
Tib. reads mdun du blta bar bya’o. ST reads purato dṛṣṭva mahābhairavaṃ. ND 44-5, UTM 286, UTM 288, RST15, RASH 47, and BnFS 85 read purato dṛṣṭvā mahābhairavaṃ. BnFS 84 reads purato dṛṣṭā mahābhairava. This translation is informed by the reading in the Sanskrit witnesses, where it is clear that the form one sees in this meditation is Mahābhairava.
While it is not entirely clear in the text itself, the term gnas pa / sthāna is taken to refer to a set of locations on the body that are associated with the sense organs.
Following ST and RASH 47 bhāvayet. UT288, UT286, and BnF85 read prabhāvayet. RST15 omits. D, F, and S read sngar bzhin bya’o. The verb is supplied here from the Sanskrit witnesses, the majority of which read either bhāvayet or prabhāvayet.
Tib. reads dga’ bo dang. Skt. reads ananteṇaiva, recording the name of this nāga king as Ananta.
Following S phaT kyi sgra chen po. D reads pheM gyi sgra chen po. ST and RST15 read mahāpheṭkāraṃ. UTM 286, UTM 288, RASH 47, BnFS 84, and BnFS 85 read mahāphaṭkāraṃ. The reading in the Stok Palace Kangyur is supported by the reading in UTM 286 and UTM 288. ND 44-5 appears to omit this material and skip to the positioning of the yoginīs in the maṇḍala.
Following ST, ND 44-5, UTM 286, RST15, RASH 47, and BnFS 85 purvadiśi. This translation follows the Sanskrit witnesses in reading “to the east.” There is no mention of a specific direction here in the Tibetan witnesses.
Following ND 44-5, UTM 286, RASH 47, and BnFS 85 lañjanī. ST and RST15 read lañchanī. D and S read lan tshwa ni.
Tib. reads go ku da ha na. Skt. reads gokudahana. This term indicates the five kinds of meat using the first letters of the names of the respective animals: go (“cow”), kukura (“dog”), damya (“horse”), hastin (“elephant”), and nara (“human”).
Following ST, RST15, and RASH 47 gopyena pañcakulaṃ viharet. Tib. reads gsang ba’i rigs la gnas na, which translates as “when one dwells among the secret families.”
Tib. reads ’bad pa la ngas byin gyis brlab bo. ND 44-5, ST, and RST15 read prayatnena anuṣṭhanīyam. We understand the Tibetan term byin gyis brlab to translate the attested anu√ṣṭhā, rather than the more expected adhi√ṣṭhā.
Following Tib. ras dmar po. Skt. reads rajovaktra. The alternate reading in the Skt. translates as “soiled cloth.”
ST reads anuṣṭheyam. RST15 reads anuṣṭhet. Tib. reads byin gyis brlabs pa. This translation follows the Sanskrit terminology.
This line translates the reading mantram mantrapaṭale yathoktaṃ karaṇīyam in the Sanskrit witnesses, which is omitted from the Tibetan. The “chapter on mantras” is chapter 2 above.
Following N and S sarba sha truM mukhaM baM d+ha ya. D reads sarba sha trUM Ni mu khaM baM d+ha ya. ST and RST15 read sarvasatrūm mukhabandhaya. The rendering in N and S is supported in ST and RST15.
The procedures and recipes here and below are at times described quite differently in the Sanskrit sources. The English translations that follow generally preserve the Tibetan version unless the Sanskrit improves the clarity of the Tibetan.
Following Tib. til ti la. Skt. reads bhūmilatātaila. The Sanskrit suggest that this oil is derived from bhūmilatā, which appears to be the name of plant but is sometimes also interpreted as referring to an earthworm.
Following RST15 and ST māṣakaniyamena. D reads ji ltar goms pa yis man cha nges par byas nas. F reads ji ltar goms pas mnan che nges par byas nas. This translation follows RST15 and ST, as the Tibetan text is unclear and potentially corrupt.
Following ST and RST15 balañjarīdravaiḥ. Tib. reads ca la ta’i khu ba. This plant could not be identified.
A person who has mastered the mantras, maṇḍalas, and other elements of a particular deity and their ritual practices, usually through being consecrated by and receiving direct instructions from another master of that tradition.
The family to which women who dye cloth are said to belong in The Glorious Sovereign Tantra of Mahākāla.
The name of a king.
The sun and the celestial deity identified as the sun.
Identified as the seventh consciousness in the Yogācāra system, this term refers to the aspect of mind that is responsible for maintaining a subtle sense of self and perpetuating the mental afflictions.
The name of a city.
One of the many names of the god Indra.
The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.
An unidentified ritual ingredient. Possibly a plant of the Pistia genus.
A type of plant.
An unidentified ritual ingredient.
The name of a siddhi.
Aloe vera.
The name of a king.
An unidentified ritual substance.
An unidentified ritual ingredient.
An unidentified medicinal and ritual substance.
An asura king.
An unidentified ritual ingredient.
The name of a lunar mansion.
The name of a king.
An unidentified ritual ingredient.
The name of a lunar mansion and a lunar month.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
The name of a lunar mansion.
The name of a goddess.
A particular class of tantric ritual.
The central channel of the subtle body.
The name of a region.
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.
An unidentified ritual ingredient.
An unidentified ritual ingredient.
Sida cordifolia.
The name of a city located just north of Mount Sumeru.
An unidentified ritual substance.
The name of an asura king.
An offering of various types of food, drink, and other substances that one presents to a specific deity or class of deities.
The name of a king.
The flowers of Pentapetes phoenicea or Terminalia tomentosa.
The regions of India now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh.
Ficus benghalensis.
An alkali made by incinerating barley, boiling the ash in water, and decanting it to isolate the alkali.
A term for any language that is not commonly known or spoken.
Terminalia bellirica. One of the three myrobalan fruits.
Areca catechu.
nag po chen po zhes bya ba’i rgyud kyi rgyal po (Mahākālatantrarājanāma). Toh 440, Degé Kangyur vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), folios 45.b–86.a.
nag po chen po zhes bya ba’i rgyud kyi rgyal po. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House) 2006–9, vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), pp. 154–277.
nag po chen po zhes bya ba’i rgyud kyi rgyal po. Phukdrak Kangyur vol. 119 (rgyud ’bum, zha), folios 1.b–61.a.
nag po chen po zhes bya ba’i rgyud kyi rgyal po. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 95 (rgyud ’bum, nga), folios 439.b–496.b.
kye’i rdo rje’i rgyud (Hevajratantra). Toh 417–18, Degé Kangyur vol. 80 (rgyud ’bum, ka), folios 1.a–30.a.
mgon po gsang ba dngos grub byung ba’i rgyud (Vajramahākālakrodhanātharahasyasiddhibhavatantra). Toh 416, Degé Kangyur vol. 79 (rgyud, ga), folios 263.b–292.a.
nag po chen po’i gzungs rims nad thams cad las thar byed. Toh 669, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba), folio 202.a. English translation The Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses 2023.
dpal dgon po nag po zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Śrīmahākālanāmadhāraṇī). Toh 668, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba), folios 201.b–202.a. English translation The Dhāraṇī of Glorious Mahākāla 2023.
dpal nag po chen po’i rgyud (Śrīmahākālatantra). Toh 667, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba), folios 199.a–201.b. English translation The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla 2023.
Aśvaghoṣa. dpal nag po chen po’i rgyud drag po’i brtag pa dur khrod chen po zhes bya ba’i ’grel pa (*Śrīmahākālatantrarudrakalpamahāśmaśānanāmaṭīkā). Toh 1753, Degé Tengyur vol. 28 (rgyud ’grel, sha), folios 158.a–214.a.
Mahākālatantra. B: Xc 14/15 (S: 81, Ṅor XI.6). c. 1148.
Mahākālatantrarāja. NGMPP D 44/5. Kathmandu: Nepal National Archive. c. 1633.
Mahākālatantrarāja. UT M 286. General Library, University of Tokyo.
Mahākālatantrarāja. UT M 288. General Library, University of Tokyo.
Mahākālatantrarāja. RAS Hodgson MS 47. Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. c. 1800.
Mahākālatantrarāja. BnF S 84. Bibliothèque nationale de France. Départment des Manuscrits. Sanskrit 84. c. 1829.
Mahākālatantrarāja. BnF S 85. Bibliothèque nationale de France. Départment des Manuscrits. Sanskrit 85.
84000. The Dhāraṇī of Glorious Mahākāla (Śrīmahākālanāmadhāraṇī, dpal dgon po nag po zhes bya ba’i gzungs). Translated by the Dharmachakra translation committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023.
84000. The Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses (nag po chen po’i gzungs rims nad thams cad las thar byed). Translated by the Dharmachakra translation committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023.
84000. The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla (Śrīmahākālatantra, dpal nag po chen po’i rgyud). Translated by the Dharmachakra translation committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023.
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C Choné (co ne)
D Degé (sde dge bka’ ’gyur)
F Phukdrak (phug brag)
H Lhasa (lha sa / zhol)
J Lithang (li thang)
K Kanxi (kang shi)
N Narthang (snar thang)
S Stok Palace (stog pho ’brang)
Y Yongle (g.yung lo)
BnFS 84 Bibliothèque national de France (Mahākālatantrarāja)
BnFS 85 Bibliothèque national de France (Mahākālatantrarāja)
ND 44-5 NGMCP D 44-5 (Mahākālatantrarāja)
RASH 47 RAS Hodgson (Mahākālatantra)
RST15 Sāṅkṛtyāyana collection (Patna); Bandurski Xc 14/15 (Mahākālatantrarāja)
UTM 286 Tokyo No. 286 (Mahākālatantrarāja)
UTM 288 Tokyo No. 288 (Mahākālatantrarāja)
