Emergence from Sampuṭa
Chapter 10
Toh 381
Degé Kangyur, vol. 79 (rgyud ’bum, ga), folios 73.b–158.b
- Gayādhara
- Drokmi Śākya Yeshé
Imprint
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
First published 2020
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Table of Contents
Summary
The tantra Emergence from Sampuṭa is an all-inclusive compendium of Buddhist theory and practice as taught in the two higher divisions of the Yoga class of tantras, the “higher” (uttara) and the “highest” (niruttara), or, following the popular Tibetan classification, the Father and the Mother tantras. Dating probably to the end of the tenth century, the bulk of the tantra consists of a variety of earlier material, stretching back in time and in the doxographical hierarchy to the Guhyasamāja, a text traditionally regarded as the first tantra in the Father group. Drawing from about sixteen well-known and important works, including the most seminal of the Father and Mother tantras, it serves as a digest of this entire group, treating virtually every aspect of advanced tantric theory and practice. It has thus always occupied a prominent position among canonical works of its class, remaining to this day a rich source of quotations for Tibetan exegetes.
Acknowledgements
This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Wiesiek Mical prepared the Sanskrit edition, translated the text into English, and wrote the introduction. James Gentry then compared the translation against the Tibetan root text, the Sampuṭodbhava Tantra commentaries found in the Tengyur, and Wiesiek’s Sanskrit edition, and edited the translation. Dharmachakra is indebted to Dr. Péter Szántó for his help in obtaining facsimiles of some manuscripts and other helpful materials.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Work on this translation was made possible by the generosity of a sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous, and who adds the following dedication: May all the sufferings and fears of mother sentient beings be pacified swiftly by the power of the truth of the Triple Gem.
Text Body
Emergence from Sampuṭa
Chapter 10
Part 1
This concludes the first part of the tenth chapter, on the consecration to the position of a master by means of a consort (mudrā).
Part 2
“Rejoicing at this event, the celestial siddhas will extend their congratulations.1158 The gods from the Tuṣita Realm, the most eminent gods from places near and far, the divine and semi-divine sons, the celestial vidyādharas—all will bow in reverence, filling space as far as the realm of Akaniṣṭha.1159 {10.2.9}
“With great devotion they will offer heaps of different kinds of flowers, rains of different fragrances, and different kinds of prime quality incense. Of what need would a detailed description of other offered items be to you? Whatever articles are worth offering in the three realms for merit to be gained, they will offer them.” {10.2.10}
This concludes the second part of the tenth chapter, called “The Worship and Homage on the Occasion of the Accomplishment of Great Bliss.”
Part 3
[The goddess asked:]
“Where does the man accomplished by means of a consort (vidyā) go, and where does he remain? I am not certain about this. Please tell me, O Great Bliss.” {10.3.1}
The Blessed One said:
“A man accomplished by means of a consort (vidyā) does not go anywhere, nor does he remain anywhere. He is the light of the triple universe, which is nondual and has no beginning, middle, or end. He is everywhere, he is omniscient, he is universal, and he is all things.1160 He abides in the consciousness of all beings and is free of all negativity. Adorned with all good qualities, he is endowed with everything. He brings happiness,1161 and is a peerless, perpetually arising1162 lord and protector, free of conceptual thinking. Devoid of shape and color, he is the king1163 beyond the purview of even the victorious ones. {10.3.2}
“In this way he is described by yogins using the comparisons just given. He alone fulfills the interests of every sentient being. {10.3.4}
“Even though he is devoid of conceptual thought, he displays the great deeds, including (1) birth which is his final one, (2) leaving home,1165 (3) the playful exploits of his childhood, (3) leaving his household, (4) the solitary peregrinations of a religious mendicant,1166 (6) reaching the spot of the vajra seat, (7) defeating Māra,1167 (8) attaining an unequaled state of perfect awakening,1168 (9) giving instructions that constitute the turning of the wheel of Dharma, (10) enjoying the descent from the realm of gods, (11) performing a great variety of miraculous feats, (12) subjugation of the elephant Dhanapāla, (13) inducting virtuous people into purity,1169 (14) refuting opposing doctrines, (15) blameless subsistence by the alms bowl,1170 (16) taming the inhabitants of the triple universe, (17) becoming the crown prince of bodhisattvas,1171 (18) fulfilling the great aim of parinirvāṇa,1172 and (19) becoming the Dharma king of the three realms. {10.3.5}
“So it is, O sons of the noble lineage! He who is accomplished will in this way display, employing illusory forms, the marvelous play of a buddha for the benefit of all beings—the play extraordinary in many ways and said to be like a dream.”1173 {10.3.6}
This concludes the third part of the tenth chapter called “The Buddha’s Magical Transformations.”
Part 4
[The goddess said:]
“You have previously mentioned, O lord, a homa offering consisting of feces, urine, menstrual blood, fish, and meat. {10.4.1}
The Blessed One said:
“These five have been taught by the buddhas, the most eminent of sages, as the fivefold effluence of feces, urine, semen, phlegm, and menstrual blood. He should observe1184 the samayas through mental cultivation in full, based on embracing the four elements. He should always ingest these samaya substances.1185 {10.4.19}
Then, everyone in the audience—the yogins and yoginīs, the eighty crores of ḍākas and ḍākinīs, many bodhisattvas and the numerous congregations of tathāgatas—pleased and with minds filled with joy, obtained the gnosis of all the tathāgatas completely. All the great bodhisattva beings, headed by Vajragarbha, and all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, and gandharvas—the entire assembly—rejoiced at the words of the Blessed One. {10.4.21}
This concludes the tenth great sovereign chapter of the glorious “Emergence from Sampuṭa,” the emergence that is the foundation of all tantras.
Colophon
Tibetan Colophon
This king of tantras was translated by the paṇḍita Gayādhara and the great personage Drokmi Śākya Yeshé. Based on this, the venerable omniscient Butön subsequently [re-]wrote it by filling in the gaps and expertly revising it in consultation with Indian manuscripts of the basic text and commentaries.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations used in the introduction and translation notes
Commentaries:
| Comm1 | Āmnāyamañjarī, by Abhayākaragupta (Toh 1198) |
|---|---|
| Comm2 | Ratnamālā, by Śūravajra (Toh 1199) |
| Comm3 | Smṛtisaṃdarśanāloka, by Indrabhūti (Toh 1197) |
Kangyur Editions:
Editions of the Tibetan Kangyur consulted through variant readings recorded in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma):
| C | Choné |
|---|---|
| H | Lhasa (zhol) |
| J | Lithang |
| K | Peking Kangxi |
| N | Narthang |
| Y | Peking Yongle |
Other:
| MW | Monier Williams Sanskrit dictionary |
|---|
Abbreviations used in the appendix – Sanskrit Text
Manuscripts (root text):
| C | Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, no. 4854 (Shastri 1917) |
|---|---|
| R | Royal Asiatic Society, London, no. 37 (Cowell 1875) |
| T1 | Tokyo University Library, New 427, Old 324 (Matsunami 1965) |
| T2 | Tokyo University Library, New 428, Old 319 (Matsunami 1965) |
| W | Wellcome Institute Library, London, no. 63 (Wujastyk 1985) |
Woodblock prints (commentaries):
| Comm1 | Āmnāyamañjarī, by Abhayākaragupta (Toh 1198) |
|---|---|
| Comm2 | Ratnamālā, by Śūravajra (Toh 1199) |
| Comm3 | Smṛtisaṃdarśanāloka, by Indrabhūti (Toh 1197) |
Published works (root text)
| S | Sampuṭodbhava (Skorupski 1996, 2001) |
|---|
Published works or doctoral theses (Sampuṭodbhava parallels in source texts)
| G | Guhyasamāja Tantra (Matsunaga 1978) |
|---|---|
| H | Hevajra Tantra (Snellgrove 1959) |
| K | Kṛṣṇayamāri Tantra (Samdhong 1992) |
| L | Laghuśaṃvara (Herukābhidhāna) Tantra (Pandey 2002) |
| N | Sampuṭodbhava Tantra (Noguchi 1986, 1987, 1988, 1995) |
| Ni | Sañcāranibandha, comm. on the Yoginīsañcāra (Pandey 1998) |
| P | Prajñopāyaviniścayasiddhi (Samdhong 1987) |
| SU | Samājottara, the 18th chapter of the Guhyasamāja (Matsunaga 1978) |
| Sz | Catuṣpīṭha Tantra (Szántó 2012 & Szántó 2010) |
| V | Vasantatilakā (Samdhong 1990) |
| VḌ | Vajraḍāka Tantra (Sugiki 2002 & Sugiki 2003) |
| Y | Yoginīsañcāra Tantra (Pandey 1998) |
Critical apparatus
| a.c. | ante correctionem |
|---|---|
| conj. | conjectured |
| em. | emended |
| om. | omitted |
| p.c. | post correctionem |
| rec. | reconstructed |
| ← | (left arrow) – end of correspondence with a source text. |
| → | (right arrow) – beginning of correspondence with a source text |
Bibliography
Manuscripts of the Sampuṭodbhava used in preparing the accompanying Sanskrit edition
Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, no. 4854 (Shastri 1917). (C)
Royal Asiatic Society, London, Hodgson collection no. 37 (Cowell 1875). (R)
Tokyo University Library, New 427, Old 324 (Matsunami 1965). (T1)
Tokyo University Library, New 428, Old 319 (Matsunami 1965). (T2)
Wellcome Institute Library, London, no. 63 (Wujastyk 1985). (W)
Tibetan Translation
yang dag par sbyor ba zhes bya ba’i rgyud chen po (Sampuṭanāmamahātantra). Toh 381, Degé Kangyur, vol. 79 (rgyud ’bum, ga), folios 73.b–158.b.
yang dag par sbyor ba zhes bya ba’i rgyud chen po (Sampuṭanāmamahātantra). 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), 2006–2009, vol. 79, pp. 216–529.
Commentaries
Abhayākaragupta. dpal yang dag par sbyor ba’i rgyud kyi rgyal po’i rgya cher ’grel pa man ngag gi snye ma zhe bya ba, Śrīsampuṭatantrarājaṭīkāmnāyamañjarīnāma [The Extensive Commentary on the King of Tantras, the Glorious Sampuṭa, called the Bouquet of the Inherited Tradition]. Toh 1198, Degé Tengyur, vol. 7 (rgyud, cha), folios 1.b–316.a.
Also in: bstan ’gyur dpe bsdur ma [Comparative edition of the Tengyur], 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). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 4, pp. 3–767. [“Comm1” in notes.]
Also in: bod yul dmangs khrod kyi rtsa chen dpe rnying phyogs bsgrigs, 藏区民间所藏藏文珍稀文献丛刊［精华版］(Series Rare and Ancient Tibetan Texts Collected in Tibetan Regions), 3 volumes. Compiled by the Institute of the Collection and Preservation of Ancient Tibetan Texts of Sichuan Province (四川省藏文古籍捜集保护编务院). Chengdu: Sichuan Nationalities Publishing House (四川民族出版社) / Beijing: Guangming Daily Press (光明日报出版社), October 2015.
Butön (bu ston rin chen grub). sampuṭa’i ’grel pa snying po’i de kho na nyid gsal bar byed pa [The Commentary on the Sampuṭa, Elucidation of the True Meaning]. In The Collected Works of Bu ston (gsung ’bum/ rin chen grub/ zhol par ma/ ldi lir bskyar par brgyab pa). 28 vols, edited by Lokesh Chandra from the collections of Raghu Vira, vol. 8, 217–947 (folios 1.a–365.b). Sata-pitaka Series. Indo Asian Literatures, vols. 41–68. New Delhi: International Academy of Culture, 1965–1971.
Indrabhūti. dpal kha sbyor thig le zhe bya ba rnal ’byor ma’i rgyud kyi rgyal po’i rgya cher ’grel pa yang dag par lta ba’i dran pa’i snang ba zhe bya ba, Sampuṭatilakanāmayoginītantrarājaṭīkāsmṛtisaṃdarśanālokanāma [The Extensive Commentary on the King of Yoginī Tantras, the Glorious Sampuṭatilaka, called the Light that Illuminates Tradition]. Toh 1197, Degé Tengyur, vol. 6 (rgyud, ca), folios 94.b–313.a. [Note: not to be confused with the Kangyur text also referred to as the Sampuṭatilaka, Toh 382; see the entry below.]
Also in: bstan ’gyur dpe bsdur ma [Comparative edition of the Tengyur], 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). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 3, pp. 1088–1654. [“Comm3” in notes.]
Śūravajra. rgyud thams cad kyi gleng gzhi dang gsang chen dpal kun tu kha sbyor las byung ba’i rgya cher bshad pa rin po che’i phreng ba zhe bya ba, Ratnamālā [The Extensive Commentary on the Emergence from Sampuṭa, the Foundation and Great Secret of All Tantras, called the Jewel Rosary]. Toh 1199, Degé Tengyur, vol. 8 (rgyud, ja), folios 1.b–111.a.
Also in: bstan ’gyur dpe bsdur ma [Comparative edition of the Tengyur], 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). 120 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 1994–2008, vol. 4, pp. 771–1055. [“Comm2” in notes.]
rgyud kyi rgyal po chen po dpal yang dag par sbyor ba’i thig le zhe bya ba, Sampuṭatilaka [The Great King of Tantras, called the Glorious Tilaka of Sampuṭa]. Toh 382, Degé Kangyur vol. 79 (rgyud ’bum, ga), folios 158.b–184.a. [Note: Despite being a Kangyur text, this is a commentary, sometimes referred to as the “eleventh chapter” of the Sampuṭodbhava. It is included in the Sanskrit manuscripts of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Wellcome Institute Library as their final part.]
General works, including those that share parallel passages with the Sampuṭodbhava
Bhavabhaṭṭa. Cakrasaṃvaravivṛtiḥ. (Commentary on the Herukābhidhāna Tantra). (See Pandey 2002).
Bhavabhaṭṭa. Catuṣpīṭhanibandha. (Commentary on the Catuṣpīṭha Tantra). (See Szántó 2012)
Cowell, E. B. and Eggeling, J. “Catalogue of Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Possession of the Royal Asiatic Society (Hodgson Collection).” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Pt. 1: 1–56, 1875.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee. The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā (Āryatārākurukullākalpa, Toh 437). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2011.
Durjayacandra. Mitapadapañjikā. (Commentary on the Catuṣpīṭha Tantra). Manuscript, Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project 23/14.
Elder, George Robert. The Saṃpuṭa Tantra: Edition and Translation, Chapters I–IV. (“Chapters I–IV” refers to the four parts of the first chapter.) (Unpublished PhD thesis at Columbia University, New York, 1978).
Farrow, G. W. and Menon, I. The Concealed Essence of the Hevajra Tantra, with the Commentary Yogaratnamālā. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1992.
Matsunaga, Yukei (ed.). The Guhyasamāja Tantra. Osaka: Toho Shuppan, 1978.
Matsunami, Seiren. Catalogue of the Sanskrit manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library. Tokyo: Suzuki Research Foundation. 1965.
Monier-Williams, Sir Monier. A Sanskṛit-English dictionary: etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon, and other cognate Indo-European languages . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1888.
Noguchi, Keiya. “The fundamental character of the Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 32 (2) (1984): 726–727. [in Japanese].
Noguchi, Keiya. “The Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra I-i, with special reference to the title.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 34 (2) (1986a): 125–128. [in Japanese].
Noguchi, Keiya. “The Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra and the Pi mi siang king.” Buzan Gakuho: Journal of Buzan Studies 31(1986b): 39–63. [in Japanese].
Noguchi, Keiya. “The Heruka-maṇḍala in the Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra.” Mikkyogaku Kenkyu: The Journal of Esoteric Buddhist Studies 19 (1987a): 65–86. [in Japanese].
Noguchi, Keiya. “The Vajrasattva-maṇḍala in the Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra.” The Journal of Buddhist Iconography 5 (1987b): 1–14. [in Japanese].
Noguchi, Keiya. “The Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra III-iii, with special reference to the Nairātmyā-maṇḍala.” Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 36 (1) (1987c): 134–136. [in Japanese].
Noguchi, Keiya. “The Nairātmyā-maṇḍala in the Saṃpuṭodbhavatantra.” Buzan Gakuho: Journal of Buzan Studies 33 (1988): 75–92. [in Japanese].
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Samdhong Rinpoche and Vrajvallabh Dwivedi (eds.) (1987). Guhyādi-Aṣṭasiddhi Saṅgraha. Sarnath: Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies, 1987.
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Samdhong Rinpoche and Vrajvallabh Dwivedi (1992). Kṛṣṇayamāritantram with Ratnāvalī Pañjikā of Kumāracandra. Rare Buddhist Texts Series 9. Sarnath: Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies, 1992.
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