དོན་ཡོད་པའི་ཞགས་པའི་ཆོ་ག་ཞིབ་མོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
The Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa
Notes
Amoghapāśakalparāja
འཕགས་པ་དོན་ཡོད་པའི་ཞགས་པའི་ཆོ་ག་ཞིབ་མོའི་རྒྱལ་པོ།
’phags pa don yod pa’i zhags pa’i cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po
The Noble Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa
Āryāmoghapāśakalparāja
Toh 686
Degé Kangyur, vol. 92 (rgyud ’bum, ma), folios 1.b–316.a; vol. 93 (rgyud, tsa), folios 1.b–57.b
ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
- Chödrak Pel Sangpo
- Rinchen Drup
Imprint
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2022
Current version v 1.0.18 (2025)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Amoghapāśakalparāja is an early Kriyātantra of the lotus family. Historically, it is the main and largest compendium and manual of rites dedicated to Amoghapāśa, one of Avalokiteśvara’s principal emanations, who is named after and distinguished by his “unfailing noose” (amoghapāśa). The text is primarily soteriological, with an emphasis on the general Mahāyāna values of compassion and loving kindness for all beings. It offers many interesting insights into early Buddhist ritual and the development of its terminology.
Acknowledgements
This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Wiesiek Mical translated the text from a complete Sanskrit manuscript and wrote the introduction. Anna Zilman compared the translation draft against the Tibetan versions found in the Degé and other editions of the Kangyur. The project is greatly indebted to Prof. Ryugen Tanemura and his team of scholars at Taisho University, Tokyo, for making available to us a copy of the Sanskrit manuscript and its transcript.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Sun Ping, Tian Xingwen, and Sun Fanglin, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Text Body
The Translation
Colophon
Primary Colophon
Tibetan Addition to the Colophon
Following the text’s primary colophon, a lengthy colophon was added by later redactors of the Tibetan translation to describe how an initial version of the translation was emended and improved based on a more complete Sanskrit manuscript. No attempt has been made here to match the sections listed in the Tibetan colophon with the Sanskrit manuscript used for this translation, and we have not aligned the phrasing of the Tibetan with the extant Sanskrit translated above. This was done for the sake of preserving this unique colophon as written. It reads:
This text was apportioned to and translated by four learned translators of the past, but because there were omissions throughout the text and because the concluding chapters were missing, the omissions were later incorporated and the concluding chapters translated with the encouragement of the great Kālacakra master Chödrak Pel Sangpo based on a Sanskrit manuscript he had acquired. In book 10,2967 material was added beginning with the words “it can accomplish the goal of any activity” and ending with “perform the mantra recitation excellently.” In book 12, material was added beginning with the words “moreover, Blessed One, for the sake of the distinctive purpose” and ending with “the body of the vidyā holder will blaze.” In book 13, material was added beginning with the words “by merely hearing this maṇḍala rite” and ending with “excavate an area the size of a human.” In book 14, material was added beginning with the words “incant lotus, water, and mustard seeds” and ending with “wash with a white cloth.” At the transition to book 15, material was added beginning with the words “eight silver vessels” and ending with “in all other types of places he will perform any tasks he sets his mind to.” At the break between books 16 and 17, material was added beginning with the words “now I will teach the homa procedure” and ending with “the mudrā rite and the rite for practice.” Finally, at the break between what was called book 17 and book 18, material was added beginning with “now I will teach a maṇḍala rite that involves continuous recitation” and ending with “the homa will release the light rays of the protector of the world.” These omissions were rectified, and the conclusion completed by the Śākya monk Rinchen Drup. The scribe was the accomplished Yoga practitioner Pel Sangpo. The text starting with “all goddesses everywhere” up to “if the treasure trembles” is not in the Sanskrit manuscript. May this be of benefit to all wandering beings!
Abbreviations
Abbreviations and sigla
| A | Sanskrit manuscript of the AP (China Library of Nationalities) |
|---|---|
| AP | Amoghapāśakalparāja |
| APH | Amoghapāśahṛdaya |
| F | Tibetan Degé translation of the AP |
| T | Kimura 1998 and Kimura 2015 |
| [#] | Mantra numbers in Kimura 1998 |
| [B] | Bampo |
Codes in Sanskrit quotations
| ° (ring above) | truncated text |
|---|---|
| • (middle dot) | lack of sandhi or partial sandhi |
Notes
A deity mantra, regarded as the heart essence of the deity, is “coextensive” with the mind. Cf. the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī [Toh 543], 38.43–38.44): “The mantra is coextensive with the mind / And never separate from the mind. / One who employs the mantra, / Blending it with the mind, will succeed.”
The first chapter, at the time an independent work called Amoghapāśahṛdayasūtra, was translated into Chinese by Jñānagupta in 587 as Bukong juansuo zhou jing (不空胃索咒經 = Amoghapāśa Dhāraṇī Sūtra, Taishō 1093). It was translated again by Xuanzang in 659 (Taishō 1094), by Bodhiruci in 693 (Taishō 1095), and by Dānapāla in the tenth century (Taishō 1099), with the titles varying slightly as Xuanzang and Bodhiruci called their translations not dhāraṇī- but hṛdaya-sūtra. The remainder of the work was translated by Bodhiruci from 707–9 as Bukong juansuo shenbian zhenyan jing (不空胃索神變真吉經 = Amoghapāśa Supernatural Display Mantra Sūtra, Taishō 1092); however, this Chinese version diverges significantly from the Sanskrit manuscript and Tibetan translation (Toh 686) that have been used in our translation.
The mantra taught repeatedly is numbered in the text as 1, 167, and 310. The differences between these three are small enough to be safely dismissed as inevitable scribal corruptions. Mantra 256 is the same mantra with minor adaptations to make it into a mantra of Padmoṣṇīṣa. Mantra 168 is again the same mantra, this time much shortened and made into a mantra of Krodharāja that serves as a mantra of consecration.
Like other Kriyātantras, the AP recognizes four tathāgata families: the tathāgata, lotus (padma), vajra, and jewel (maṇi) families. Alternative classifications in this group of tantras mention six, seven, or eight families, sometimes with a stipulation that the number of families is, in fact, infinite.
Uṣṇīṣa deities, such as the celestial tathāgatas or cakravartin deities, are inaccessible to ordinary senses. They are sometimes described as emanating from the uṣṇīṣa of the Buddha, and they themselves are depicted with an uṣṇīṣa on their head, signifying complete and perfect buddhahood.
Some of these terms and phrases could be unique to the AP, but this could only be ascertained after a comprehensive study of all Kriyātantras. The Kriyātantras are the least studied genre of Buddhist tantric literature, despite being by far the largest group in terms of both number and volume.
We use the masculine pronoun “he” to reflect the masculine gender of vidyādhara, the term referring to the practitioner. The feminine form would be vidyādharī.
This undated manuscript was written in the Māgadhī script, possibly in Nepal, and appears to be not more than a few hundred years old. It was once kept at the Shalu (zhwa lu) monastery in Tibet, where it was discovered by the Indian scholar Rāhula Sāṅkṛtyāyana in 1936 and described in his Second Search of Sanskrit Palm-Leaf Mss. in Tibet (see Sāṅkṛtyāyana 1937, p. 42, entry 29). It was later appropriated by the government of China and is now held at the China Library of Nationalities (中国民族図書館) in Beijing.
Corresponding to folios 265.b–316.a in vol. 92, rgyud, ma.
See pp. 6–11.
The numbers correspond only to the part of the text included in Kimura 1998 (later superseded by Kimura 2015), which is about half of the text. For the remaining part, the numbers continue sequentially from those in the first part. Unlike in Kimura’s edition, where the numbers are inserted before the mantra’s homage, they are here inserted before the section to be repeated during recitation.
These tree species could be, respectively, Shorea robusta, Garcinia xanthochymus, Michelia champaka, Jonesia asoka, and Dalbergia oojeinensis.
The Tib. reads “one hundred thousand.”
The phrase “heart essence (hṛdaya) of Amoghapāśa,” which on this occasion is simply called “heart essence,” recurs throughout the text and can variously refer to the AP as a whole, to an individual rite within the text, or to the mantra that is central to that rite and constitutes the “heart” of the deity. This multivalent usage gives rise to many ambiguities; here at the beginning of the text, however, it is reasonable to assume that this phrase is meant to refer to the text as a whole.
The Tib. presents the title as The Heart Essence of Amogharāja. Despite this difference, both seem intended as an alternate title of Amoghapāśakalparāja, the title of this text.
The Tib. reads “many hundreds of thousands.”
The Tib. reads “fasts for a day.”
The Tib. reads “seven,” possibly mistranslating the Skt., which says, literally, “seven minus one.”
Avalokiteśvara calls the “heart essence of Amoghapāśa” his own, as Amoghapāśa is his own emanation. “My” is omitted in the Tib.
“So on up to” implies that a repetitive or stock passage has been abbreviated.
“Have to comply with someone else” is omitted in the Tib.
The translation of the passage to this point follows the Tibetan.
Here and in the following section “heart essence” seems to refer to the mantra (or rather the set of mantras) about to be given.
The Tib. reads “hail” instead of “fire.”
“Twenty-one” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads “twenty.” As these benefits were introduced as twenty-one, the Tib. reading is probably correct. Any discrepancy could easily arise because some pairs of items could be regarded not as two but as one.
The Sanskrit ācāryamuṣṭi (literally “closed fist of a teacher”) is a stock phrase that implies the teacher’s stinginess and, in particular, his refusal to lend books.
The Tib. reads, “These two dharmas are obtained exclusively for the sake of benefiting sentient beings. If the Blessed One permits, I will chant this heart mantra in front of him, the Tathāgata, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of the fourfold assembly and the others who commit evil.”
Skt. oṁ cara cara ciri ciri curu curu mahākāruṇika.
Skt. ciri ciri miri miri curu curu mahākāruṇika.
Piri piri, viri viri is the Tib. reading. The Skt. repeats here the preceding siri siri, ciri ciri.
Skt. siri siri ciri ciri siri siri ciri ciri mahāpadmahasta.
Skt. kala kala kili kili kulu kulu mahāśuddhasattva.
Kuṇu kuṇu is supplied from the Tib.
Skt. budhya budhya dhāva dhāva kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi paramaśuddhasatva.
Skt. kara kara kiri kiri kuru kuru mahāsthāmaprāpta.
In place of eṭṭaṭṭa eṭṭaṭṭa (eṭuṭu eṭuṭu in T), the Tib. reads eṭaṭa eṭaṭa.
Skt. cala cala saṃcala saṃcala vicala vicala eṭuṭu eṭuṭu bhara bhara bhiri bhiri bhuru bhuru ehy ehi mahākāruṇika.
Skt. mahāpaśupativeṣadhara dhara dhara sara sara cara cara hara hara hāhā hāhā hīhī hīhī hūhū hūhū.
The phrase dhara dhara means “wear, wear!” It has been kept here in Sanskrit for the sake of alliteration.
Skt. oṁkārabrahmaveśadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru tara tara sara sara para para cara cara.
Skt. raśmiśatasahasrapratimaṇḍitaśarīrāya jvala jvala tapa tapa bhagavan somāditya.
Skt. yamavaruṇakuberabrahmendrariṣidevagaṇābhyarcitacaraṇa suru suru curu curu muru muru puru puru.
The phrase dhara dhara means “wear, wear!” It has been kept here in Sanskrit for the sake of alliteration.
Skt. sanatkumārarudravāsavaviṣṇudhanadadevariṣināyakabahuvividhaveṣadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru thara thara ghara ghara yara yara lara lara hara hara mara mara para para vara vara.
Skt. varadāyakasamantāvalokitavilokitalokeśvaramaheśvara muhu muhu muru muru muya muya muñca muñca.
Manuscript A reads, strangely, “in the glorious goddess of the three worlds.” The Tib. reads “gods of the three worlds and all beings.”
Skt. bhagavann āryāvalokiteśvara rakṣa rakṣa śrītribhuvanadevyāṃ māṃ sarvasatvāṃś ca sarvvabhayebhyaḥ sarvopadravebhyaḥ sarvopasargebhyaḥ sarvagrahebhyaḥ badhabandhanatāḍanatarjanarājacorataskarāgnirudakaviṣaśastraparimocaka kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi kuṇu kuṇu cara cara.
Skt. indriyabalabodhyaṅgacaturāryasatyasaṃprakāśaka tapa tapa dama dama sama sama masa masa.
Skt. mahātamo ’ndhakāravidhamana ṣaṭpāramitāparipūraka mili mili ṭaṭa ṭaṭa ṭhaṭha ṭhaṭha ṭiṭi ṭiṭi ṭuṭu ṭuṭu.
Skt. eṇeyacarmakṛtaparikara ehy ehi.
The Sanskrit grammar allows also for a different interpretation, namely “You are the destroyer of the hosts of bhūtas [subordinate] to [Śiva] Maheśvara.”
Skt. īśvaramaheśvarabhūtagaṇabhañjaka kuru kuru para para kara kara kaṭa kaṭa maṭa maṭa.
Skt. viśuddhaviṣayanivāsina mahākāruṇika śvetayajñopavīta ratnamakuṭamālādhara sarvvajñaśirasikṛtamakuṭamālādhara mahādbhūtakamalakṛtakarataladhyānasamādhivimokṣāprakampya bahusatvasantatiparipācaka mahākāruṇika sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśodhaka sarvavyādhipramocaka sarvāśāparipūraka sarvasattvasamāśvāsaka namo ’stu te svāhā. The same mantra given in the APH does not end here but includes several more clauses.
The Tib. reads “aloe incense or ashes” rather than “ashes of aloe incense” as in the Sanskrit.
Acacia catechu.
“Water with fresh salt” is not in the Tib.
Nerium indicum.
In place of “insects,” the Tib. has “skin rashes.”
Butea frondosa.
The Tib. reads “to protect an army, a country, a kingdom, or a region.”
Jayā can be the name of several plants, including a species of Sesbania.
Vijayā can be the name of several plants.
Unidentified.
Gandhanākulī can be the name of several plants.
Vāruṇī, abhayapāṇi, and indrapāṇi are unidentified.
Prunus mahaleb.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Cakrā and mahācakrā are unidentified.
Viṣṇukrāntā can be the name of several plants.
Probably Vernonia anthelmintica.
Aristolochia indica.
Unidentified.
The Skt. here is not completely clear; the “form of a buddha” probably implies that the figure is sitting rather than standing. The Tib. interprets this as “the Buddha and Noble Avalokiteśvara,” meaning that one should paint both figures.
In place of “offerings” (upahāra), the Tib. reads “incense.”
In the context of this text, bathing (snāna) specifically implies ritual bathing or ablutions.
The Tib. reads, “After this had been spoken by the Blessed One, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the gods of the Pure Abode, Brahmā the Lord of the Sahā World, Maheśvara, and the divine son of Maheśvara all rejoiced and praised what was said by the Blessed One.”
The Amoghapāśa, which is referred to throughout part 1 as The Heart Essence of Amoghapāśa, constitutes the first part of the Amoghapāśakalparāja, which also exists as a separate work.
The Tib. text includes an homage at the beginning of this part: “Homage to the entire vast ocean of tathāgatas.”
Again, Amogharāja is here an abbreviation of the full title, Amoghapāśakalparāja.
The Tib. interprets siddha not as a separate class of beings but as an epithet (“accomplished”) of the vidyādharas.
The Tib. reads “thousands.”
“Blessed” is omitted in the Tib.
Skt. oṁ padmahasta mahāmoghapāśa sādhaya samayahṛdayaṃ cara cara hūṁ.
The Tib. reads, “The blessed Buddha Śākyamuni then said, “Pure being, explain the secret rite you have recited (emending bklags pa; Degé bklag pa) and the vast realization of reality.”
In place of “disease,” the Tibetan reads “obscurations accumulated.”
“Hells will no longer exist for him, and his wrongdoings will be purified” is omitted in the Tib.
“The samaya of conduct” is omitted in the Tib.
The “heart mantra of the secret amogha samaya” is oṁ padmahasta mahāmoghapāśa sādhaya samayahṛdayaṃ cara cara hūṁ, as given above. In contradistinction, the heart mantra (or essence) of Amoghapāśa is the long dhāraṇī given in part 1 that starts with oṁ, cara cara, ciri ciri.
Although this is not completely clear, it seems that Avalokiteśvara and Amoghapāśa are one and same figure in the painting.
The Tib. reads, “As if in a dream [the vidyā holder] will see the golden hands of hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of tathāgatas, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā river, touch his head.”
In place of “keep his heart and mind completely pure,” the Tib. reads “bathe himself well and don clean clothes.”
Prātihāra is, as indicated by the usage in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, a particularly auspicious bright fortnight, but the true meaning of this term is lost, as pointed out in Edgerton 1970, pp. 391–92. As in this text, the term is consistently translated into Tibetan with cho ’phrul gyi zla ba (“the month of miracles”).
The Tib. reads “daily, three times a day.”
“Twenty-one” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads “twenty.”
“One hundred and eight” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads “twenty-one.” The Tibetan reading has been adopted because of the dubious Sanskrit syntax.
The Skt. syntax could suggest that these are one hundred and eight bowls of water.
Though the syntax is slightly ambiguous, the Tib. reads, “While in front of that same painting, [the vidyā holder] should put it to sleep, make offerings of water three times a day, and wake it up using incense of agarwood…”
The “king of incense” is the incense described in the last sentence of the previous paragraph.
The Tib. text does not record this as the formal name of the incense and introduces other variants: “the supreme king of incense, of unwavering renown in the three worlds.”
In place of “all the diseases will cease, and all nightmares and bad dreams will be completely pacified,” the Tib. reads, “all of them will be thrilled.”
The context and phrasing suggest that the fevers, indigestion, and eating disorders mentioned here are due to spirit influence.
The Tib. inserts “all ailments will cease, all nightmares will be pacified.”
The Tib. omits “should fast for the whole day and night” and instead reads “on the night of the fourteenth day.”
The Tib. reads, “Then, in the future you will take birth from a womb, and when that birth runs its full course, you will be born in my buddha realm…”
Skt. oṁ padmadhara amoghajayade curu curu svāhā.
Skt. oṁ padmapāśadhara amoghavarada sañcodaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ trailokyavāhaya amoghapāśa padmavilokita āyāntu bhuvane suru suru suru vimale hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ padmabhuja mahāpāśadhara nimantrayāmi amoghabalāyāntu bhuvasva muru muru hūṁ.
“Nāga” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear whether padmāmogha in this mantra is an independent word or compounded with vajrādhiṣṭhānena. If it is meant to be independent, it could be (as this translation assumes) one of the many epithets of Amoghapāśa.
Skt. oṁ padmāmogha vajrādhiṣṭhānena kuru kuru svāhā.
The Tib. reads “three hundred leagues.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapāśapadmottarasiṃhāsana oṭi miri miri hūṁ.
In the Tib., the last two sentences read, “Consecrating the place as the seat of the great lotus palace, it becomes an excellent offering. Consecrating it as a lion seat made of seven types of jewels, it becomes an excellent offering to the tathāgatas.”
In the Tib., this sentence reads, “This is a secret mantra of a lotus seat of an accomplished vidyā holder.”
Skt. oṁ mahākaruṇāmoghapāśa dṛḍhavajrādhiṣṭhita bhuru bhuru bhuvanavare svāhā.
“Vighnas” has been supplied from the Tib.
Skt. oṁ padmāmoghapāśena samantād daśasu dikṣu sīmā bandhaya turu turu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇḍala bandhaya samante padmamahāpadme dhuru dhuru svāhā.
In place of “prevented from coming,” the Tib. reads “subjugated.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapariśuddhe śodhaya samantena dhiri dhiri śuddhasattva mahāpadme hūṁ.
The Sanskrit words used suggest that the indigestion and eating disorders mentioned here are due to spirit influence.
The Maheśvara at this position in the list seems to be different from Maheśvara at the beginning of the list. The first is probably the supreme worldly god (his true identity varies from text to text), and this one is Śiva.
Skt. oṁ padme sara sara tiṣṭha tiṣṭha mahāmoghasamaya svāhā.
Skt. oṁ vipulapadmāmoghaprasara praviśatu kuru kuru svāhā.
“Amogha” could be an adverb here qualifying “settle,” with the meaning “please settle the amogha way.”
Skt. oṁ amogha anuśaya mahāpadmabandhure hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmaśikhe turu turu tiṣṭha vajrabandhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmajalotkṣepa bhiri bhiri hūṃ.
The phrase amoghavikaṭasambhara is difficult to unravel.
Skt. oṁ amoghavikaṭasambhara padmāsane jalavati kuru kuru hūṃ.
Skt. oṁ padmaprasare amoghavimale bhara bhara svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadme supadme pūrṇakare viri viri vimale svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghavimale jihvāgraṃ saṃśodhani padmakomalajihvā saṃśodhaya dhara dhara suvimale svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghagandhavati suru suru prabhuru divyagandhiḥ padmaprabhe svāhā.
Nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
The next several paragraphs, starting from this point, are in verse. However, the text here has been rendered in prose because, due to corruptions in the Sanskrit text, the meter would be difficult to restore. The place where the text reverts to prose (2.54) has been indicated with a note.
“Fragrance” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. reads “piśācas” (sha za).
Skt. oṁ malavigate padmavivare sañcara cacare svari hūṁ | amoghasiddhe śodhaya hūṁ.
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Andropogon muricatus.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Unidentified.
The reading nikārayaṃ (“lump it together”?), translated here as “make it into a pill,” is dubious and is absent in the Tibetan.
The pill is not mentioned explicitly but is implied by the context and indicated by the feminine gender.
In the Tib. this sentence reads, “He should mix [the pill] with rainwater and use it to bathe.”
The reading “by simply bathing” is derived by reading the Sanskrit snātvā pītamātrā as snāpitamātre.
The Tib. reads “the sun and the moon.”
At this point, both the Skt. and the Tib. repeat “One who is sexually incontinent will become continent.”
Here the Tib. inserts “and he will not have wrinkles.”
The “length of an arrow” (iṣumātra) is about three feet.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmalocani divyadṛṣṭi pariśuddhe suru suru padmākṣi bhuru bhuru samantavyavalokani svāhā.
“Bones of cuttle fish,” literally “ocean foam” (samudraphena) or “blended with the ocean foam” (samudraphenasahaja), are so called because they float on the surface of the ocean (cf. Monier-Williams).
In place of “brush,” the Tib. reads “pill for fumigating.” The context, however, favors the Skt. reading, “brush.”
It is not quite clear whether “it” refers to the ointment or the mantra.
In place of “obtain the divine eye/vision,” the Tib. reads “perceive divine substances.”
Again, it is impossible to interpret the mantric phrases definitively. Padmāmoghamukhin could mean “facing (mukhin) Padmāmogha” (Padmāmogha being an epithet of Amoghapāśa), or it could be translated as “[you] with the amogha lotus face.”
The translation of the Sanskrit vara as “choose” is arbitrary, as this word has other meanings that could also fit the context of this mantra, such as “best.” This sentence could then be translated as “You are the best, the best among the best.”
Skt. oṁ budhya budhya vibudhya padmāmoghamukhi vara vara varasu svāhā.
The Skt. vrajatāṃ sārthasaṃkaṭaḥ is unclear. The Tib. reads “when traveling without companions.”
In place of “wolves” (tarakṣa), the Tib. reads “bears,” possibly reflecting the reading ˚arkṣāś in place of the extant ˚tarakṣāś.
In the Tibetan text, this and the next two paragraphs are omitted, and the first clause of this paragraph (“If, O Blessed One, the vidyā holder performs the ritual practices as described”) belongs with the previous paragraph.
The Skt. is corrupt here; dhiṇi is probably part of a word or text that is missing.
In the Sanskrit manuscript there is, at this point, an interpolated passage that is repeated later on, from A.16.b.4 to A.17.a.2, where it contextually belongs.
The correspondence with the Tib. resumes here.
Skt. oṁ amoghakośadhara sara prasara hūṁ. In place of ˚kośa˚, the Tibetan reads ˚dhara˚, which would change the translation of the mantra to “Oṁ, holder of the unfailing noose! Unfold, expand, hūṁ!”
In place of “wind it around their neck three times,” the Tib. reads “loosen the three knots,” possibly reflecting the reading trigranthikā in place of the extant tṛkaṇṭhikā.
Skt. oṁ amoghaprāvaraṇa muru muri divyakaśikaṃ sambhavatu tara tara svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghavastrāṇy utkṣipāmi bodhini padme svāhā.
Reading varaṇa as dharaṇa (“dyke/bank”).
Skt. oṁ divyodakasaṃbhūtāmoghavaraṇacare ’bhiṣiñcya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amṛtāmoghapadmāsane varṣaṇi curu curu svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amogharakṣiṇi kuru kuru svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghasamaya mahāpadme tiṣṭha tiṣṭha hūṃ.
Skt. oṁ sarvvatra amoghavati tiṣṭha rakṣatu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ trailokyapadmāmoghakramiṇi mili mili svāhā.
Skt. oṁ padme mahāpadme sara sara samantena pariveṣṭayāmoghapāśena huru huru svāhā.
It is not clear what it is that the thread is wound around.
The page marker here reads [A.10.a] instead of the expected [A.9.b] because of the omission of an interpolated passage that is repeated later on, from A.16.b.4 to A.17.a.2, where it contextually belongs.
Skt. oṁ vicitrāmoghavastra nānāraṅga viśuddhaya kiṇi kiṇi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghaśara vajratuṇḍa thara thara svāhā.
Skt. oṁ vipulāmoghamahādvāraviśuddhe siri siri svāhā.
Skt. oṁ nānāvicitra•amoghapuṣpaphalatākīrṇapūrṇa para para hūṃ.
It is not clear what kind of vessel it is. Kaṭaccha normally means “ladle,” but the context seems to indicate that itis a vessel for holding incense or a censer.
Skt. oṁ amogharatnavimāna kaṭacchādhiṣṭhita divyagandhojjvalaspharaṇa samantena jvala jvala svāhā.
Skt. oṁ jvalavati ratnaghaṭa sāriṇi tuṭi tuṭi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ divyabhājana amoghapadmavare pūraya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghasaṃpūraṇidroṇagandhavati svāhā.
In place of “water basin” (kuṇḍa), the Tib. reads “water drop” (thig le; Skt. bindu).
Skt. oṁ saraṇi sāraya amoghabhājane mada mādani hūṁ.
“With a long neck” has been supplied from the Tib. This may be useful in distinguishing between the different types of water vessels mentioned in this group of mantras.
Skt. oṁ divyaratnakumbhavati sāgarasaṃpūraṇi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ vicitrojjvala nānāraṅga vibhaktaya saṃśodhaya tuṭi svāhā.
Depending on the spelling variants (sama or śama), this phrase could be translated in several different ways, such as “oasis of peace” (śamasaraṇe), etc.
Skt. oṁ vidyāvalokini vibhajayatu samantena sara samasaraṇe svāhā.
The context indicates that one divides the maṇḍala into sections where the emblems (cihna) will be drawn.
Skt. oṁ nānāpraharaṇa•amoghamudrā jvala jvala svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amogharatnasūtravare kiṇi kiṇi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ vipulavare praveśaya amoghapadme hūṁ.
The last sentence is omitted in the Tib.
Skt. oṁ divyabhājanāmoghakāñcanavare giri giri hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sampūrṇarūpyadivyabhājane ’moghapadme svāha.
Possibly, one recites only one mantra, either this or the previous one, depending on whether one is using a dish of silver or gold.
From this point on, the mantra numbers are out of alignment with the numbers in the published edition (Kimura 1998 and Kimura 2015).
Skt. oṁ vividharūpopahāropakaraṇa cala cala amoghavati svāhā.
Skt. oṁ divyagandhānusāriṇi amoghabale dhara dhara svāhā.
Skt. oṁ gandhaspharaṇi samantāmogha prasphura hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ nirmalakāyaśodhani divyagandhaprapūraṇi pūraya pūraya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ gandhacūrṇaprapūraṇi curu curu svāhā.
Skt. oṁ samasamantena vimale gandhottare svāhā.
In place of “unguents” (samālabhana), the Tib. reads “stimulants.”
Skt. oṁ divyagandhaprapūraṇi sāgarajaladivyādhiṣṭhite kalaśodaripūrṇa pūraya jayasiddhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ rasarasāgravati sarvvavidyādhiṣṭhita saṃpūraya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ divyabhojana saṃpūraya vipulaprabhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ triśuklabhojana balivipularasāgravati sura prasura hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ phalavati sāravati divyavanaspati tara tara tuni svāhā.
Skt. oṁ divyakusumotpalanānāpuṣpapravarṣaṇi bhava bhava svāhā.
There may be some corruption here, as the second phrase in this mantra does not seem to belong with the first, or, possibly, the vines and flowers are meant to decorate the “jar filled with food.”
Skt. oṁ vividhalatāpuṣpāvaguṇṭhitavanaspati āhārasaṃpūrṇṇakumbhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ mahādhūpameghapaṭala saṃcchādaya samantena hūṁ hūṁ svāhā.
Skt. oṁ atharvaṇi jvala jvala devamukhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ vividhamaṇi kanakaratnojjvalabhūṣaṇa maṇi maṇi amoghamaṇi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ oṁ padmakare vipulanakhāṅguli sama sama sarvatathāgatādhiṣṭhite svāhā.
Skt. oṁ sarvaguṇāpratihataśirovandanayā namaskaromi mili mili turiṇi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ daśadiśābhivandanaprasaratu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vividhāyudhajvalitapāṇi prajvala sphura hūṁ.
In place of “handheld implements,” the Tib. reads “palm of the hand.”
Skt. oṁ divyāmoghavipulasvare madhuranighoṣarute raṇa raṇa hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ raśmijvālasamantenāvabhāsaya mahāmaṇiratnaśikhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ dhuru dhuru āvāhaya śīghrajave hūṁ.
Possibly, sama was added before samaya (sama samaya˚) for the sake of alliteration and rhythm, as is common in mantras.
Skt. oṁ duṣṭasattvavibodhani sama samayadhare svāhā.
Skt. oṁ vicitramaṇi vipulapravartani hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vicitraratnojjvaladivyakusumadhare puṣparati svāhā.
Skt. oṁ divyalocane amoghe pravare sarvavidyādhiṣṭhitasiddhe śuddhavilokite svāhā.
The designation “summoning” could be mistaken, as the mantra of summoning has already been given above. Also, it is difficult to make out a clear connection between the “divine eye” and summoning.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadme samantabhuvane tara tara gacchasva bhavanaṃ svāhā.
“Elephant’s gaze” is a type of gazing. For example, the Buddha gazed at the city of Vaiśālī before he died with an “elephant’s gaze.” It is not clear though how this relates to the monk’s staff.
Skt. oṁ divyasaṃpūraṇi nāgavilokani hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ pātrapūraṇi pūraya amoghavati samantaprabhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ darbharasaṃstara vidyādhiṣṭhita prasara sura sura ṛṣipūjite svāhā (after emending durbha˚ to darbha˚).
Skt. oṁ jvaladhūmajvālaśikhiraśmigarbhe svāhā.
Skt. oṁ padmini padmāsane varapravare nāgabhuvane svāhā.
Skt. oṁ khacāriṇi gama gamaya pādapracāriṇi hūṁ.
It is not clear what “taking” (upādāna) refers to.
Skt. oṁ sarvatrāmoghābhiṣekamahācūḍāvimale abhiṣiñcantu māṃ pravarapāṇibhuje padmadhvaje svāhā.
In place of “streamers” (paṭṭa), the Tib. reads “parasols” (gdugs).
“Amogharāja’s maṇḍala of liberation,” here and in other contexts, seems to refer to the entire text of the AP.
The plural number of “fearlessness” (vaiśāradya) here, as found in the Skt. text, indicates that the four types of fearlessness (caturviśāradya) are meant, rather than ordinary fearlessness.
“The heart essence of Amoghapāśa” seems to refer here to the text of the AP.
In the Tib., “all the tathāgatas” is the first item in the list of beings in the next sentence who are summoned by the mudrā and the mantra.
It is not clear who Kumāra is in this context.
In place of “nakṣatras,” the Tib. reads “Sanatkumāra” (kun ’gyed gzhon nu).
“Seven stars” probably refers to the “seven sages” who dwell in the sky as the Pleiades.
Thirty-two and Indra makes thirty-three, hence the name of the realm.
The last sentence is omitted in the Tib.
Starting from this point, the next several paragraphs (up to 2.133) are in verse. However, the text has been rendered in prose because, due to corruptions in the Sanskrit text, the meter would be difficult to restore.
“And the defeat of Māra” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Tib. this sentence reads, “Upon seeing the mudrā and mantra, the heart essence of Amogharāja, the vidyā holder accumulates…”
The Lokeśvara in the context of this rite is Avalokiteśvara, here perhaps in his form of Amoghapāśa.
In place of “the thumbs,” the Tib. reads “the fingers.”
Skt. oṁ amoghavikurvitasamantāvalokāya namas | tryadhvādhiṣṭhitā · amoghapadme cara vicara sañcara hūṁ hūṁ.
After “the eight great fears,” the Tib. inserts “and all punishments.”
“Evenly” and “equanimity” are rendered by only a single word in the Tib., which reads “the mudrā of positioning one’s nails evenly.”
“Amogha lotus-goad” (amoghapadmāṅkuśa) should be interpreted here in the literal sense of a goad or hook that catches and holds the samaya, and also as the name of the deity Amoghapadmāṅkuśa.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmāṅkuśa samayaṃ gṛhna gṛhna dhara dhara mahāsattva hūṁ.
The “lotus bearer” seems to be a reference to Amoghapāśa, who is described in the accompanying mantra (no. 90) as one with a lotus in his hand.
“Filled with perfume” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads “jar-ocean(s)” (kumbhasāgara), which is difficult to make sense of.
In the Tib., “summoning” refers to the following mantra, which is introduced as the “summoning mantra.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapadma mahāsattva āyātu-m-iha maṇḍale ciri ciri ciri padmabhuje svāhā.
“Inviting” is omitted in the Tib.
The meaning “boundary,” supported by the context, is derived by reading simāṃ in place of the extant siddhimāṃ. The Tib. reading grub ldan, however, supports the ungrammatical siddhimāṃ.
Skt. oṁ amoghavajradṛḍhapadmabandha samantena mahāsīmā rakṣantu māṃ curu curu hūṁ phaṭ.
The position of the fingers is described in the Tib. somewhat differently: “the fingers evenly placed, the ring fingers wide open, and the other fingers slightly contracted.”
The “universal lotus” is a literal translation of viśvapadma, which is a double, multicolored lotus. The Tib., which reflects the same reading but resolves the Skt. compound differently, reads “This is renowned as the great lotus of Amoghaviśvarāja.”
The Tib. reads, “This mudrā is said to be suitable for all activities and the activity of entrance and is the most supreme mudrā of the maṇḍala.”
In the Tib., the last two sentences could be interpreted as “[The practitioner] will attain the level of the vidyādharas and accomplish the supreme maṇḍala of liberation of the three times.”
In the iconography of the lotus, “universal” form implies a multicolored double lotus.
Skt. oṁ vajre vajrādhiṣṭhitapadme viśvarūpadhare dhara dhara hūṁ praviśatu tryadhvagatāṃ dhiri tuṭi svāhā.
“Six” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Of the vidyā holder” is omitted in the Tib.
The description of this mudrā is far from clear. There are ambiguous Skt. readings (“lotus braid” versus “lotus water”), and the Tib. translation is of little help: “Forming the middle fingers into the shape of a braided lotus, one should then place a braid from one’s head on the ground. That is the mudrā of braided lotus.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmajale viśodhaya hūṃ viri viri vimale svāhā.
The Tib. reads, “Once the ablutions are performed using this reliable mantra and mudrā, the unclean will become clean, and the impure pure.”
“His lifespan will increase” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads, strangely, “speech” (vacanam), which does not fit the syntax.
In place of “index fingers,” the Tib. reads “ring fingers.”
Skt. oṁ amoghavajradṛḍhapadmeśvara hūṁ.
The Tib. reads, “Joining the hands together evenly, he should bend the index and middle fingers and form the thumbs like a blooming lotus.”
In the Tib. the phrase “of Lord Amogharāja” refers not to the mantra but to the mudrā (the Skt. could be interpreted as referring to both).
Skt. oṁ padmeśvara amoghavarada bhiri bhiri svāhā.
The Tib. reads, “The moment it is recited just once, the buddhas of the three times, in their hundreds of thousands of millions—equal in number to the sand grains in the Gaṅgā river—will tremble. The tathāgatas, the worthy, fully realized buddhas, will applaud the vidyā holder and give him comfort.”
“For one day” has been supplied from the Tib.
The syntax of this part is uncertain. This statement could also be interpreted as referring to this entire section that deals with the mudrās, or even to the text of the AP as a whole. It could alternately be translated as, “You should steadfastly uphold this sovereign ritual, this maṇḍala of liberation with its collection of mudrās.”
The number given in the Sanskrit is 18 x 10,000,000 x 1,000,000 x 100 x 1,000.
The Tib. reads “visit and return from.”
The Tib. interprets the Skt. aṣṭāśīti not as “eighty-eight” but as “six hundred and forty,” i.e., eight times eighty.
The Tib. reads, “The two ring fingers should be bent back, and the middle fingers formed into an open lotus.”
Skt. oṁ turu turu padme amoghasiddhiṃ hūṁ.
“The heart,” i.e., the center of the chest.
Skt. oṁ amoghahṛdayapadme dhara dhara padmadhara mahāmaṇḍalahṛdaya hūṁ.
As the context indicates, the “lotus-holding [lord]” is Padmapāṇi.
In place of “ring finger,” the Tib. reads “index finger.”
Skt. oṁ paśupatipāśadharaḥ śatasahasraraśmipratimaṇḍitakāya ākarṣaṇi bodhani saṃbodhani bhuru bhuru amoghapāśasiddhe hūṁ.
It is not clear if the Amogharāja is the mantra just given, or one of the mantras mentioned previously.
Skt. oṁ tryadhvānugatābhiṣiñcatu sarvvatryadhvābhiṣekaiḥ padmamaṇi supadme amoghe sarvatathāgatādhiṣṭhite hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ krodharāja mahāmogha hana hana sarvvaduṣṭān hūṁ.
The exact meaning of saṅkalī is unclear. The Tib. renders it as “shackled,” aligning with one meaning of the term as “chain.”
The reading “thumbs” is uncertain. Both Skt. and Tib. read “secret” (guhya), which does not make sense in this context. Guhya, however, could be a corruption of aṅguṣṭha (“thumb”).
In place of “between his hands” (karamadhye), the Tib. reads “middle fingers.”
The meaning here is not clear; the Tib. seems to be saying, “The vidyā holder should form a tightly clenched ‘vajra fist’ with his middle and other fingers folded in, and his thumbs resting freely, thus resembling a lotus.”
Saptatārā could be translated as “seven stars” or “seven Tārās.”
This translation of the description of this mudrā is very problematic. The Tib. departs quite considerably: “The vidyā holder should join the hands in the añjali gesture to form the shape of a lotus. He should raise his middle fingers in the shape of a hook and entwine them with his index fingers.”
The Tib. reads, “This is the mudrā of Amoghapāśa, which is like a mare’s mouth. It was spoken by the Vajra Eater himself. It accomplishes all activities and is unsurpassed among all accomplishments.”
The Tib. reads, “When the index fingers are folded into the shape of a wheel in the middle of the same mudrā, which is then extended out to the left, this is the mudrā of Maheśvara.”
In place of “raised,” the Tib. reads “on the head.”
The Tib. reads “index fingers.”
In place of “destroy,” the Tib. reads “summon.”
Jyeṣṭhā is translated as “thumb” on the authority of the Tib. This is probably correct, as the AP uses madhyamā for the middle finger.
“Made into a fist with the index finger extended” is repeated twice in the Skt.
The Tib. inserts here “and then the fingers are extended.”
Here “Kumāra” is an epithet of Kārttikeya, as he is described as the “general of the army of gods.”
This translation blends the Tib. and the Skt. readings. The Skt. reads “the index fingers squeezing the middle fingers and the thumbs,” and the Tib. reads “the thumbs and the index fingers are bent.”
The final clause, “and fulfill the amogha activity,” could also be translated as “and accomplish activities/rites without fail.”
Skt. oṁ padmatāre turu turu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ mahāpadme śvetāṅge huru huru svāhā.
Skt. oṁ bhṛkuṭi padme tara tara hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ padme pāṇḍaravāsini kuṇḍa kuṇḍa svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmavarade sidhya sidhyatu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sarvatra gāmini āvāhaya raudriṇi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghini vāre tāraya padmabhuje hūṁ.
Reading tarula as taruṇa (the letters la and ṇa look similar in the Māgadhī script). The original tarula could mean “small tree,” which is also possible, as the preceding dāru means “tree.”
Skt. oṁ dārutarulapadme amogha hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vaḍavāmukhe nikṛndaya duṣṭā hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ padme nīlakaṇṭheśvara bhuru bhuru hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ saumyavadane prasīda śāsaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ padmeśvari sādhaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amogheśvari hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ samari ture ture hūṁ.
The meaning of this phrase is unclear, but this mantra seems to be associated with the mudrā of Varuṇa (in the list of mudrās above), which was for controlling the nāgas.
Skt. oṁ nāgapadmini hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ yakṣādhipati muru muru hūṁ.
The Skt. compound brahmārate could be translated in more than one way. If dissolved as brahma-a-rate, it could mean “unceasing as brahman” etc.
Skt. oṁ amoghe brahmārate hūṁ.
This could be “of the ṛṣis” or “to the ṛṣis.”
Skt. oṁ riṣivarade amoghabhuje hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghaviṣṇurājapadmanābhe sarasamantabhuje svāhā.
Skt. oṁ rudra tuṭi mili svāhā.
Skt. oṁ śaktidhare amoghavati svāhā.
Skt. oṁ sahasrakiraṇe hūṁ turi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ somaprabhe hūṁ.
The correspondence is not exact, as there seem to be twenty-two mudrās and twenty-three mantras. While some mudrās are easily matched with their mantras, others are not, possibly due to the corruptions in the text.
“The buddhas” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. here departs from the Skt. quite considerably: “The vidyā holder should draw a square maṇḍala with the diameter of just one cubit. It will delight and thrill when merely seen.”
There are forty-one mantras given below.
The Tib. omits “the mantras are recited” and instead reads, “As soon as the circle of implements is drawn.”
The Tib. reads, “He will always be protected from grahas.”
“So-called” because the “open lotus” consists merely of a ring of petals surrounding the drawn object.
The Tib. adds at this point, “[The vidyā holder] should not have any conceptual thoughts.”
The mudrā names in the following list are not italicized, as they are all symbols that are drawn rather than mudrās that are formed with the hands.
Reading padmasvāsam as padmāśvāsam (as reflected in the corresponding mantra). This probably refers to the hand extended in a gesture of giving comfort (āśvāsa). This gesture is omitted in the Tib.
“That always brings accomplishment” is not in the Tib.
Reading cintā as cintāmaṇi, the latter being reflected in the corresponding mantra. The Tib. reads “lotus heroic being.”
It is not clear what “holder” (dhara) is. Possibly, it refers to the hand that is holding the mace and should be included in the drawing.
The number “forty” given here could be an approximation, as there are forty-two items in this list, and the number of the corresponding mantras (as below) is forty-one.
The Skt. adds at the beginning of this sentence, “As soon as [they] are seen,” which seems out of place.
The numbers don’t tally, as there are forty-one mantras. Possibly the Skt. pañcatriṃśati means not “thirty-five” but “five times thirty” (i.e., 150) and refers to the total number of words in the following forty-one mantras.
“Lord of the World” (lokanātha) is a frequent epithet of Avalokiteśvara, who is probably meant here too.
The term mudrā seems to apply here to both mudrā gestures and the mudrā implements held in the hands.
Please note that the sequential order of the following mantras is not the same as the order of the corresponding mudrās listed a few paragraphs above. Also, some items in either of the two lists appear to be without a match.
This phrase could also be translated “the añjali of Amogha,” “unfailing añjali,” etc.
Skt. oṁ amogha-m-añjali mili cili hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ āśvāsaya kṣaṇavigate hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ abhayavarade tuṭi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sarvatathāgatādhiṣṭhite bhiri bhiri hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ padmahṛdayamuṣṭi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ visara visara sarvamalān tarjaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vijṛmbha huru huru hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ aṅkuśāmogha karṣaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ kavacaya turu turu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghasaṃkalī miri miri hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghacintāmaṇi tuṭi turu hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇi ciri ciri hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vajra tuṭi cili hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghahṛdaya cara cara śuddhasattva hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ ghoṣavati viṭi viṭi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vidyākhadga cchindaya śatruṃ hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ trimalapariśuddhe bhiṭi bhiṭi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ suru suru hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ maṇi maṇi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ puṣpavati jaye hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ bodhicittapāśadhara dhara hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ padmapāśaviśuddhe hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vajrapāśe bhavatu muru muru hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ cintāmaṇipāśavarade hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ cakrapāśāsuranirghātaka dhuru dhuru hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ triśūlīpāśa vilokaya tāraya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ nāgapāśa bandhayākaḍḍhaya duṣṭanāgapāśa pātaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ jalodbhava dara dāraya hūṁ.
Reading (on the authority of the Tib. transliteration) raśmidhare as raśmivare.
Skt. oṁ candravimale viśodhayāndhakāraṃ raśmivare hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ prabodhaya hūṁ. The Tib. reads śrībodhaya in place of prabodhaya.
Skt. oṁ vijayapūrṇadhare hūṁ. The Tib. reads ˚pare in place of ˚dhare.
Skt. oṁ phalodbhave turi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ pūrṇamaṇḍale jaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sahasraraśmikiraṇe hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sarvvaduṣṭān prahara śāsaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ malaṃ viśodhayāmalavimale hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ puṣpavati sugandhavare hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ śatasahasraguṇite kṣaṇa kṣaṇa hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vajrotkṣepasūcīmukha ciṭi ciṭi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghāpratihatapāśahaste hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sarvatrāmogha sidhya sidhya sādhaya hūṁ.
“There,” presumably in the maṇḍala of liberation of Amoghapāśa.
It is not clear what the “horizontal vajra” (tiryagvajra) is. The Tib. has two terms here, the śaktiśūla (mtshon shag ti), the meaning of which is uncertain, and “vajra” (rdo rje).
The Tib. interprets dvetriśūla as “the trident and two-pronged [spear].”
Here “the axe, the discus” could be a single item (an axe-discus); the Tib., however, treats them as two.
The Tib. interprets paraśvāgada as “an axe with a large handle.”
It is not clear what the naula is. The Tibetan translators also seemed unsure, as the term is translated here as “uncertain” (’phyang mo nyug pa).
This seems to be an elaboration of the svastika.
A type of weapon used in ancient India.
The sling and the fang are omitted in the Tib.
The Sanskrit gulaka suggests anything globular; it can also mean clitoris or glans penis.
“Conch” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads this as two items, “the trident and the conch.”
This item could not be identified; the Tib. transliterates this as udha.
The Skt. spelling, siṃhamukhī, suggests that this is the goddess of the same name. It is, however, unlikely that a goddess would appear in the list of symbolic objects.
“The four-faced” could be the four-faced Śiva lingam or, less likely, a representation of the four-faced Brahmā.
“The four lotuses” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. reads this as two separate objects, the vase and the flowers.
The last two items are omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear what vedika means in context.
The Tib. renders this item as “great garland.”
In contradistinction to the buddhas mentioned in the next sentence, the lokeśvaras here are emanations of Avalokiteśvara. The number of symbols in the above list nearly matches the number of the lokeśvaras, who, according to the Newar tradition, are one hundred and eight in number.
“Lord of the World” is used here as an epithet of Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. corresponding to these two sentences reads, “He will swiftly become accomplished in upholding the secret heart essence of Amoghapāśa, the heart essence of liberation, and its sublime mudrā symbols and mantras.”
The Sanskrit manuscript was corrected here from grahaṇamātreṇa (“by merely holding/as soon as he holds”). Our translation reflects the reading before the correction, whereas the Tib. reflects the corrected reading, grahaṇamaṃtreṇa (i.e., grahaṇamantrena), which means “by holding the mantra.” It is not clear if the correction in our source manuscript was made before it was brought to Tibet; possibly it was made after.
Paṭṭa can also mean silk. Throughout this text, however, it has been translated as “cotton” to accord with the Tib. ras.
I.e., a thread made of lotus fibers.
“Giant milkweed thread” (arkasūtra) is also attested in other texts; it must be made from the fibers of giant milkweed.
Reading śoka˚ as aśoka˚. If this conjecture is right, the thread would probably be made from the bark of the aśoka tree.
It is not clear whether this is an effigy or another type of image. The context of this paragraph seems to indicate that it is a figure or an effigy. The subsequent paragraphs, however, mention a “cotton painting” of Avalokiteśvara. It is not clear whether the representations are different or one and the same.
“Diadem” (makuṭa) is omitted in the Tib.
This is the effigy of the peaceful form.
“Having fasted” is omitted in the Tib.
“Flings his hand,” presumably to cast the noose. In place of “as soon as he flings his hand” (hastotkṣepaṇamātrayā), the Tib. reads “through the mantra while flinging his hand,” reflecting the reading hastotkṣepaṇamantreṇa.
This detail is not clear. We do not know whether it is the noose attached to the frowning effigy (one of the three effigies mentioned above) that is cast, or the effigy itself. The grammar seems to suggest the latter.
The Krodharāja, i.e., one of the three effigies.
Again, it is not clear if it is the noose that is cast, or the effigy itself. The grammar suggests the latter, but the remainder of the sentence and of the paragraph suggests otherwise.
The Tib. reads “unfailing vidyādharas.” The reading “unfailing noose vidyādharas” is probably correct, as vidyādharas are often distinguished by the weapon or implement they hold, such as a sword.
The wheel noose has a wheel (cakra), or a discus, attached to one of its ends.
The Sanskrit bila means a fissure in the ground that leads to the subterranean worlds of nāgas or asuras.
“The moon” has been supplied from the Tib.
Buddhānusmṛti (recollection of the Buddha) normally means a type of meditation. When it is to be recited, however, it possibly refers to the traditional verse formula that enumerates the nine qualities of the Buddha.
The Sanskrit plural (“full moons”) probably indicates that the vidyā holder repeats this practice every month.
Maṇḍūka can be a name of several plants.
I.e., the cotton painting of Avalokiteśvara mentioned earlier.
The Tib. reads, “The loop of the blazing noose will stay suspended in the air.”
Because of corruptions in the text, it is not completely clear which item is grasped with which hand.
The Tib. omits “with his great army” and instead reads, “The emperor, the great king Sudarśana, will appear before him in person…”
This seems to refer in particular to residences of semidivine or divine beings.
It seems that the wheel is attached to the noose, but the passage is not clear. The Tib. reads, “Then the vidyā holder should display the noose and form the mudrā of the wheel with his hand.”
Although the Skt. reads tasya (masculine), it is not clear whether it is his vitality or the goddess’s vitality that will ebb away.
A wooden pole inside a stūpa, also called yaṣṭi, is a common feature of the stūpa. The Tib. confirms this reading with srog shing.
The Tib. reads, “the great caityas with relics in the inner sanctums and the wooden pole made of the caramba tree.”
The last sentence is unclear. The Tib. reads, “He will see all the houses of the retinue circle as they are.”
The Tib. interprets dvāsaptati not as 72 but as 140 (i.e., 2 x 70).
“Whatever he wishes for” is repeated twice in the Skt.
Again, in place of “with his great army,” the Tib. reads “the emperor, the great king.”
“Asuras” has been supplied from the Tib. (the Skt. has in this position “deities” for the second time).
“Of the noose” is omitted in the Tib.
Mandārava, mañjūṣaka, and rocaka are names of celestial flowers; atimuktaka (“whiter than pearl”) can be the name of several species of plants.
Michelia champaka.
Both nīla (“blue”) and great nīla can be names of several species of plant.
Sumanas and yūthikā are different species of jasmine.
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Possibly Garcinia xanthochymus.
A species of jasmine.
Gośīrṣa, uragasāra, and candana are different types of sandalwood.
Tamāla can be the name of several tree species, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
“Feathers” is expected by the context; the Skt., however, reads “part” (kalā), and the Tib. reads “fan.”
On previous occasions the Tib. transliterated this word, but here it renders it as “two-headed awl.”
The last two items are omitted in the Tib.
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) riyunā as ṛjunā.
“Those who [walk] upside down” are the denizens of certain hells.
The meaning of paṭṭamaulin (“silk turban”?) is not clear, and it is not clear what role it plays in the consecration. The Tib. translates paṭṭamaulin with two separate terms, dbu rgyan and cod pan, which separately mean “a crown and a diadem.”
The Skt. √spṛś (literally “to touch”) can mean ritual touching or sipping of water or, in this case, an elixir.
In place of “step into,” the Tib. reads “pour it into.”
In place of “he will find himself at an entry passage,” the Tib. reads “the door to the passage will open by itself.”
In place of “a pill, a missile,” the Tib. reads “cloth.”
Reading sure as suṣire (“near to an opening/cleft”). The Tib. seems to reflect the reading sare (“by a lake”), which sounds plausible as a dwelling of nāgas, but not kinnaras or apsarases.
Presumably, it is the deities Candra and Sūrya who are summoned and descend, rather than the physical planets.
The Tib. inserts at this point “will be bound [and].”
The Tib. reads, “Bowing to the vidyā holder, they will say.”
The jewel of a woman is one of the seven “jewels,” or precious things, that are enjoyed by an emperor (cakravartin).
“With their attendant pleasures” seems to be omitted in the Tib.
This sentence in absent in the Tib.
Becoming a vidyādhara was the second of the three boons mentioned above.
The Tib. inserts here “His lifespan will increase to sixty-two thousand years.
This colophon is omitted in the Tib.
In place of “humans,” the Tib. reads “nonhuman beings.”
The Tib. inserts here, “Through this power, he will become an emperor.”
The Skt. reading aṇipādam or maṇipādam is a mystery. This reading is confirmed by the Tib.
The Tib. omits “will become” (bhaviṣyanti) and resolves the compound sarvaśmaśānanivāsinaḥ differently, which changes the meaning of this clause to “all the naked beings who live in all charnel grounds will come under his thrall.”
The Skt. phrase is “twelve times seventy,” which equals eight hundred forty. The Tib. reads “seventy-two.”
In place of “money,” the Tib. reads “fruits.”
In place of “eats,” the Tib. reads “takes out.”
In place of “enter subterranean paradises,” the Tib. reads “move across a plain.”
“Grasp the noose” is absent from the Tib., which then reads, “strikes the earth with the palm of his hand while displaying the secret mudrā of the noose-wheel.”
The Tib. reads, “a gateway under the plain will fall open.”
The Skt. of this sentence is corrupt, with some text likely to be missing; thus, the English translation is speculative. The Tib. text is also confused, but generally supports this interpretation.
As above, the Tib. reads “plain” in place of “paradise.”
The translation of this sentence is a blend of the Skt. and the Tib. readings. The Tib. does not mention the deity’s side, while the Skt. does not indicate that it is the noose that the vidyā holder ties to the deity’s neck. The Tib. possibly reflects a different reading, perhaps pāśena kaṇṭhaṃ in place of the extant pārśve kaṇṭḥa.
I.e., the lotus that is attached to one end of the “lotus noose.”
The Tib. reads, “the petals of the lotus, made from the seven precious substances.”
“For the petals” has been supplied from the Tib.
Presumably the lotus that is attached to the noose.
In the Tib., the last two sentences read “After that, having taken his future birth from the womb, he will experience the splendor of the gods and humans.”
The Tib. inserts here “He will be free from ailments and will be liked by all beings.”
Heart Essence of Amoghapāśa could here refer to the entire text of the Amoghapāśakalparāja or to the ritual just described.
The phrase “will remain prominent in his memory” translates, throughout this text, the Skt. mukhāgre tiṣṭhati.
“Or two” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Medicinal grass” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. has two words in this sentence that could not be identified: upāṭa (or supāṭa) and śatartaka.
A lotus pericarp with its kernels or carpels:
This part is not very clear. The Tib. reads, “The edges of the lotus should be surrounded by various precious gems. From its four corners he should draw a platform that measures four fingers, and in each of the corners he should carefully draw a blue lotus. Surrounding the jeweled edges of the platform, he should draw an ocean filled with divine water decorated with palaces made of various gems.”
Vedikā is a raised platform, here probably serving as a bench.
These two bodhisattvas flank Amitābha, who is in the center.
“Golden” is omitted in the Tib.
In place of “eighteen thousand,” the Tib. reads “hundreds of thousands.”
The reading “bound with a rope made of a nāga with a head” (bhūtaśiraṃ nāgaṃ bandhanapariveṣṭitam) is problematic. Possibly, the reading bhūtaśiraṃ should be emended to bhogaśiraṃ, “head with an expanded hood.” The Tib. reads “bound by the belt made from a snake and the head of a bhūta or others.”
In place of “cardinal or intermediate directions,” the Tib. reads “ten directions.”
The Skt. kunada could be translated as “bad rivers.”
Michelia champaka.
The size probably means the width.
Parts of this description are conjectural. The Tib. reads, “The vidyā holder should procure a gem—either diamond, beryl, natural crystal, emerald, or sapphire—that is a little bigger than the digit of a finger and exceedingly smooth. He should clean it thoroughly and then fashion it into the shape of a golden flower, wind pearls around it, and add filaments that resemble a blooming champak flower. He should then make a thread from excellent cloth, dye it a beautiful color, and cut it to a precise length of twenty-one cubits. After decorating it with gems that measure about the size of the middle finger, he should tie a hook made of gemstone or of gold to one end of it.”
I.e., a painting of Noble Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads, “a correctly-measured maṇḍala made from every fragrance, with full pots placed in each of its four corners.”
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., ˚ghaṭikopariracitena as ˚ghaṭikāpariracitena.
The Skt. divyāsanaṃ dharmāsane pramāṇataḥ is unclear. The Tib. reads “an excellent Dharma seat with correct measurements.”
In place of “body,” the Tib. reads “head.”
“Sovereign lord Avalokita” is a play on the words that constitute the name Avalokiteśvara, “sovereign lord” (prabhurāja) being a synonym of īśvara.
The Tib. interprets the Skt. darśayasva not as a causative form (“you should show/demonstrate”), but as a simplex (“you should look at”).
The Tib. reads “worthy, divine offerings” where the Skt. has “tathāgatas, the worthy ones.”
The Tib. inserts “bells” after “banners.”
This translation of mūrdhaśaraṇe as “at the prominent spot” is slightly dubious. The Tib. interprets this as “at the top of the head.” However, it translates another occurrence of the same phrase as “at the top of the house,” which is the more plausible interpretation.
In place of “great lord of charity” (mahādānapati), the Tib. reads “great intelligence.”
Skt. namas tryadhvānugatapratiṣṭhitebhyaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvaprasarasamudrebhyaḥ | namaḥ sarvapratyekabuddhāryaśrāvakasaṅghebhyo ’tītānāgatapratyutpannebhyaḥ | namaḥ samyaggatānāṃ samyakpratipannānām | namaḥ śāradvatīputrāya mahādānapatye | nama āryamaitreyapramukhebhyo mahātuṣitabhavanavaranivāsinebhyo sagaṇavarebhyaḥ | nama āryāmitābhāya tathāgatāya sukhāvatīmaṇḍalanivāsinebhyaḥ | namo ratnatrayāya | nama āryāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya | namo viśvarūpāvalokitāya | brahmaviṣṇumaheśvara•īśvarapramukhā devaputrāḥ.
Reading nisā° as niśā° (“night”); however, this translation is dubious.
It is not clear who exactly the epithets “lotus lord,” “lord of the world” (lokeśvara), and “eternal lord” refer to. Or perhaps they all should be understood as referring to one and the same “eternal lotus Lord of the World,” i.e., Avalokiteśvara?
Dhara dhara means “wear, wear!” (following after “you wear the garb”), but is left here in Sanskrit to preserve the alliteration.
Both Amoghasiddhi (“Unfailing Success”) and Amoghavipula (“Unfailing Vastness”) seem here to be epithets of Avalokiteśvara/Amoghapāśa rather than his distinct emanations.
Skt. oṁ padme mahācintāmaṇi maṇi maṇi amoghamaṇi sumaṇi mahāmaṇi sarvatathāgatālaṅkāramahāmoghamaṇi cara cara saṃcara | nisācareśvara mahāpadmabhuja varada mahākāruṇika mahāvisvarūpadhara pravara mahābodhisatvaḥ padmadhara padmāsana padmamakuṭa mālādhara padmāgora padmālaṃkṛtatanuḥ sahasrabhujaḥ sahasranetra nānādbhutapraharaṇamudrāvibhūṣita sahasrabhuja jaya jaya | śatasahasraraśmipratimaṇḍitaśarīra bhara bhara | vicitrābharaṇadhara maṇikanakavajravaidūryamarakatendranīlapadmarāgavibhūṣitaśarīra ciri ciri | vicitracaraṇa mahābodhisatvavarada brahmāviṣṇumaheśvararūpadhara padmeśvara lokeśvara ananteśvara yama varuṇa kubera riṣigaṇa kumāra senāpati veśadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhūra dhūra | mahābhūtaveśadhara sarvatathāgatābhiṣikta samayam anusmara | bhagavan pūraya māsāṃ tāraya pāraṃ śāśaya sattvān tarjaya duṣṭān pātaya vighnān māraya tṛdoṣamalān sara sara sara pāpaṃ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ | sidhya sidhya mahācintāmaṇi•amoghapāśadhara sādhaya | vipulasiddhiṃ mama tribhuvanadevyā prayaccha | mahākāruṇika budhya budhya bodhaya bodhaya sambodhaya | mahāpaśupati veṣadhara anantavikurvvaṇariddhiṃ darśaya | turū turū taratu gagane | vipulavimānasandarśaka namo ’stu te | vipulapuṇyakośadhara mahāmoghasiddhe hūṁ hūṁ | abhiṣiñcantu māṃ tribhuvanadevyā vipulakīrtikare svāhā | bhuva svāhā | bhūr bhuva svāhā | amoghavipule svāhā | mahācintāmaṇisiddhe svāhā | sarvvasiddhivarade svāhā | oṁ vipuleśvara lokeśvara maheśvara mahācintāmaṇi mahāmoghasiddhe hūṃ phaṭ svāhā.
The Tib. reads “illusion-like samādhi,” possibly reflecting the reading māyopamasamādhi.
The Degé version of the Tib. reads “bring water down from the sky.” Narthang and Stok Palace align with Skt. reading.
“As is practicable” (yathāsaṃvidyamāna) probably implies that some of the required materials might not be available.
Perhaps the jewel that is attached to the jewel noose.
An unidentified musical instrument.
“Blossoming trees” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “By reciting the dhāraṇī, his previous obscurations of karma will be purified, the evil built up over a thousand eons will diminish, and he will no longer be tainted by the faults of saṃsāra. Like a lotus, he will not be tainted by any evil or obscurations.”
“Like a lotus he cannot be defiled” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear what the Skt. sarvasamudayasamanubaddho (“tuned into/aligned with all that arises”) could mean.
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies what it is that is being seen or displayed. Possibly, it is the “great unfailing jewel-noose” that this rite is about, or the “clouds of offerings” magically produced with the noose.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., ˚taila˚ as ˚caila˚.
The meaning is not clear. The Tib. reads “painting on a wall,” whereas the Skt. just says “wall” (kuḍya). Kuḍya can also mean the plaster or daub on a wall.
The Tib. reads “plain” in place of “subterranean paradises.”
“Full moon” is omitted in the Tibetan translation.
In the Tibetan translation these two are presented as options: “In a clean place, or one smeared with cow dung.”
This is the jewel attached to one end of the noose.
In place of “during excessive rain,” the Tib. reads “in a time of drought.”
Vimāna, in the context of the AP, usually means a palace or palatial estate but can also mean any wonderful artifact.
The sword being a distinctive attribute of the vidyādharas, the qualifier “vidyādhara” could be referring to the sword rather than the noose, in which case a hyphen should be placed also between “vidyādhara” and “sword.”
The Tibetan translation reads “of all the vidyādharas who have mastered the sword.”
The Tibetan translation reads “of all the vidyādharas who have mastered invisibility, the sword, and the noose.”
The Skt. ending suggests that these are the female inhabitants, but this could just be an anomaly of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.
Madhupuṣpa is the name of several plants, including Acacia sirissa and Jonesia asoka.
Rasapuṣpa is a particular preparation of mercury.
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
“Asafetida” is absent in the Tib.
“End of the cord” is omitted in the Skt.
This passage is very unclear in both the Skt. and the Tib. It is not clear what it is that is covered with gold and what it is that is joined.
The Tib. omits “The supreme noose has six coils.” The translation of the Skt. is conjectural. The text mentions a “hexad,” which could refer to the number of coils (e.g., in some sculptures, the Buddha is depicted sitting on the six coils of a nāga).
There is frequent discrepancy between the Skt. and the Tib. regarding the manner of reciting the mantra. In this instance, the Tib. simply says “reciting” (bzla ba), while the Skt. literally says “bringing to mind” (smārayitavyam), which implies mindful repetition, whether aloud or silent.
The Tib. reads, “If the vidyā holder should put the snake noose down, recite the Amogharāja mantra over a sprig of oleander, and then rub himself with it, he can summon anyone by name and will instantly succeed at everything he puts his mind to.”
The Tibetan translation reads “he should place the snake noose in an elevated place.”
“The hail will not fall” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads, “the hail will fall.”
The Tib. reads, “the cold wind and hail will stop for an entire year across a vast area.”
The Tib. bskrad typically means “to exorcise,” but it seems to be used here in the sense of “restraining” or perhaps “unwinding.”
This paragraph is absent in the Skt. The translation given here is from the Tib.
In place of “when there are clouds,” the Tib. reads “in the spring, fall, or whenever clouds are desired.”
It is not clear whether one is supposed to hold a live snake (nāga), or perhaps the head of the nāga attached to the noose.
This sentence is not clear in the Skt. The Tib. version is much simplified: “Every flower, fruit, and crop—all excellent and perfectly ripe—as well as fine foods, will fall from the sky to the earth.”
It seems that in the usage of the AP, vimāna can mean not only a palace but any fine object that is artificially created.
The Tibetan translation reads, “If the vidyā holder swings the noose more than twenty-one times while reciting the Krodharāja [mantra].”
The Tib. interprets “harem and retinue” (antaḥpuraparivāra), here and throughout the text, as one and the same thing (“the host of queens”).
“Pulls it” is omitted in the Tibetan translation.
The Tib. reads, “The vidyā holder should say, ‘For as long as you live, you must perform any forceful command!’ ” This reading is based on the Choné, Lithang, and Kangxi recensions. The Degé includes the variant “For as long as you live, lord of wrath…”
The Tib. reads, “She will serve as lord and master of all essential possessions.”
“Lord of the World” is here an epithet of Avalokiteśvara.
In place of “inner,” the Tib. reads “supreme.”
The Tib. interprets the Skt. upāyamucyate not as upāyam ucyate (“methods are taught”) but as upāyena mucyate (“are liberated by … methods”).
These two lines appear in the Skt. text two verses below, after the line “Garuḍa, kinnara, or mahoraga.”
The Maheśvara (“Supreme Lord”) who is listed along with Īśvara is different from the [Śiva] Maheśvara mentioned in the previous line.
The Tib. reads grub pa where the Skt. has muni (“sage”).
The title “Lokeśvara” gives some freedom of interpretation, as it can refer to Avalokiteśvara himself or to any of his lokeśvara emanations, such as Amoghapāśa.
In place of “white,” the Tib. reads “black.”
The Tib. reads, “As the auspicious great seal, he should perform an excellent bali offering.”
It is not clear if he ties his hair in a topknot or puts on some kind of a turban.
Hutāśana, another name of Agni, the god of fire, simply means “oblation eater.” It is repeated twice in the text, once as the name and once meant literally, though it could also be an instance of dittography.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
The meaning of the last two sentences is unclear; possibly the text alludes here to foods and substances that taste “hot” and are therefore associated with fire.
The “thirty-two abodes” seems to be a reference to the abodes in the realm of Thirty-Three—they are located on the four peaks of Mount Sumeru. The abode on the central peak, occupied by Indra, is not counted here.
Skt. oṁ namaḥ | agnijvāla mahājvāla jyotsnyā prabhāmaṇḍala sarvavit | āhutiprahutir agni ’tyauṣṇajvāla dhūmaśvāsa arciṣāmukha tīkṣṇa raśmi davāgniś ca vidyutaś ca hutāśanamukhyaṃ te sarvadevānāṃ sarvayakṣa mahāvīrya mahājaya mahābala nirmarṣam | sarvadahanapraphulla ākāśa samuktakaś ca abhrasaṃkāśamaṇḍalapūjito mānitaḥ sarvatrada divyarūpaviśāradaḥ | āvāhana sarvatragān deva hutāśana hutāśana | tamasī vidhamakam andhākāraṃ muktaraśminā | priyaṅgugandha phalāhārasurasāgrajaḥ sūkṣma sutīkṣṇaś ca mṛtasaṃjīvanaḥ priyaḥ | bhasmapuṣpa bhasmavastrā ca | bhasmavastrāṇi sevakaṃ bhasma saṃcchāda nityam | dhūmam ākula jāyase | pākāsiddhi rasāgrā ca | sarvatra pradhāvarṣā sarvatra nirmarṣaṇo nityaspṛṣṭadaṣṭo na muñcasi | dvātriṃśabhavano deva agnimukhadevatā | arucirujābalarthaka mahānta•atharvaṇo devadevaṃ devaviśārada āryānta sadā | śīghrakarma sādhaya tattvataḥ | oṁ jvala jvala tiṣtha | samayaṃ huru huru hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
The Tib. reads “summon Agni.”
The Tibetan reads “vessels of offering water.”
The reading “skilled (viśārada) [vidyā holder]” is uncertain. In place of ˚viśāradam, the Tib. seems to reflect “vast/extensive” (˚viśāla), in reference to the scale of the offerings.
Michelia champaka.
Pterospermum acerifolium.
Surabhi (“fragrant”) can be the name of several plant species and fragrant substances, including champak and Mimosa suma.
The Skt. phalaka can mean a slat of wood or a tree bark. The Tib. translates this as ’bras bu’i shing (“fruit tree”).
Saccharum cylindricum.
“Best quality” conjecturally translates the Skt. term argha, which usually means a welcome offering of water. However, this being a list of the fuel materials for the fire, argha possibly refers to darbha in the sense of “valuable.”
Callicarpa macrophylla.
The Tib. reads “or” instead of “and.”
“One thousand and eight” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. seems to be saying “eight thousand” (aṣṭasahasrāṇi).
It seems that for each oblation he recites the Amogharāja mantra one hundred and eight times.
In place of arghapādya (“argha water for the feet”), the Tib. reads “vessel of offering water,” reflecting the reading arghapātra.
The Skt. phalakāṣṭha˚ is unclear. This could also refer to śrīphalakāṣṭha˚ (“bilva sticks”) or phalakakāṣṭha˚ (“ironwood sticks”), or perhaps it just means “wooden (kāṣṭha) slats (phalaka).”
It is not clear what the Skt. ūrupramāṇata[ḥ] (“thigh-measure”) refers to.
Skt. mūlāṅkura. Aṅkura can mean both “shoot/sprout” and “swelling/growth,” so these could be prop roots, buttress roots, etc.
“Provide fuel” is not in the Tib.
Tamāla can be the name of several species of tree, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
Michelia champaka.
The name latātāla suggests that this is a species of a palm tree that grows vines.
Vārṣika, sumanas, and yūthika are different species of jasmine.
Unidentified.
A species of tree.
The Tib. translators understood pravicārayati (“will roam”) as referring to sexual gratification.
The Tib. reads “until reaching the seat of awakening.”
“Amoghapāśa” here seems to refer to the text of the Amoghapāśakalparāja.
“Kinnaras and mahoragas” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. lists “gandharvas” at this position, for the second time.
In the Tib. this line seems to read, “He will reach accomplishment in this and other homa rites that originate in the amogha practices.”
In place of “be victorious,” the Degé version of the Tib. reads “be prosperous.” The Kangxi, Lhasa, and Narthang versions agree with the Skt. reading.
The Tib. translators understood sahabhāvyatā to mean that the vidyādhara will be of the same fortune as those beings who are born in Sukhāvatī.
As the text does not specify the substance to be used for the bindi, this is probably the ashes remaining after the homa sacrifice.
Aegle marmelos.
The Tib. reads, “He should perform the homa rite one hundred and eight times, three times during the day and three times at night.”
It is not clear what it is that the seeds and rice are sprinkled with.
The Tib. reads, “He should incant parched rice and mustard seeds one hundred and eight times with the Krodharāja mantra and scatter them.”
The “heart essence of Amoghapāśa” here seems to refer to the text of the AP.
It is not clear with what substance.
The Tib. reads, “If a woman who desires a son eats the sacrificial cake.”
The Tib. replaces “impurities” with “conflict.”
“Misfortunes” is omitted in the Tib. Instead, this list reads “enemies, adversaries, and foes.”
The Tib. reads, “Their voices will be sweet like the gods and will never be disagreeable in tone.”
The Tib. reads, “the weariness of suffering.”
In the Tib., the vidyā holder and patron appear to be one and the same, whereas they are treated as distinct in the Skt.
The Tib. corrects a scribal error here in the Skt. The Skt. reads “for seven nights” for this and the previous line, whereas the Tib. follows the pattern of increasing the nightly schedule, here describing the results of practicing the rite every night.
The Tib. presents a different schedule for this rite: “Beginning on the day of the full moon, the vidyā holder should perform twenty-one homa offerings at the three junctions of the day until either the twenty-third day in the waning period of the month or until the new moon.”
The Tib. reads “the new moon.”
“The powers of speech” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. includes two additional boons: “land ownership” and “wealth.”
“Other animals” is omitted in the Tib. and replaced with “sheep.”
In place of “strong-arm vidyādhara,” the Tib. reads “sword vidyādhara.”
These three types of vidyādharas are all attested in Sanskrit literature. The names suggests that they are, respectively, vidyādharas with magical powers, vidyādharas with [strong?] arms, and vidyādharas who travel through or dwell in space.
These openings (bila) usually lead to the subterranean paradises of nāgas and asuras.
Entering a forest seems to have a magical dimension in this and other such contexts, as it seems to entail gaining access to all the medicinal herbs and all things, in their ordinary and personified aspects, that a forest has to offer.
The Skt. sahadarśanamātreṇa (“merely through the act of seeing”) is open to interpretation, as it is unclear whether it is the practitioner seeing the deity or the deity seeing the practitioner. Both interpretations could have been meant, but the latter is more relevant in this context, since it is the practitioner’s body that is purified by the deity’s “stainless amogha gaze.” In place of “seeing,” the Tib. reads “teaching.”
It is likely that this particular purification is referred to as a “gaze” because it is effected through the deity’s gaze.
The “heart essence of Amoghapāśa” here seems to refer to the text of the Amoghapāśakalparāja.
Modaka, literally “that which makes happy,” is any sweetmeat that is conveniently small to be offered as many individual homas. Interestingly, the Tib. seems to be a transliteration of the Skt. laḍḍu, which has a similar meaning.
The Tib. specifies that the boy is sprinkled on the head. The Skt. adds at this point “in actuality” (tattvataḥ), but the Tib. omits this.
It is not clear which mantra it is; possibly, oṁ amoghapadmāṅkuśa samayaṃ gṛhna gṛhna dhara dhara mahāsattva hūṁ (“Oṁ, amogha lotus-goad! Catch, catch the samaya! Hold it, hold! O great being, hūṁ!”).
The Tib. interprets the Skt. ākrāmati as “he will subjugate.”
The Tib. reads “seventy-two million.”
“Amogharāja-krodha” is probably an expanded paraphrase of the name of Krodharāja, whose mantra is normally used for consecrations.
“If the sweetmeats are cast into the entrance of a deep forest” is found in the Tib. only.
The Tib. phrase rma ma byung suggests that the corpse is specifically free from wounds, bites, injuries, and so forth.
The Skt. nidhicālana (“causing the treasure to move”?) is unclear.
The Skt. and the Tib. can also be read to say “put water in the corpse’s mouth.”
“Shapeshifting women” normally refers to female beings of the yoginī or similar classes.
Presumably the head of a statue of Mahākāla in a temple or a shrine.
Consecrate by sprinkling.
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) dhūpa (“incense”) as dhūma (“smoke”).
“Cloud” has been supplied from the Tib.
This and the following few paragraphs are in meter in the Tib.
The Skt. pāka can mean both the ripening of fruits and the cooking of food.
In place of “amogha blaze” (amoghajvāla), the Tib. reads “amogha water,” reflecting the reading amoghajala.
Cutch tree.
A species of sandalwood tree.
Prosopis spicigera or Mimosa suma.
Acacia sirissa.
Unidentified.
Name of several species of “milky” trees.
Sumanas, as confirmed by the Tib., is a species of jasmine.
Unidentified. Gandha can be the name of several plants.
Vitex negundo.
Michelia champaka.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Plumbago zeylanica.
Costus speciosus. In place of “costus” (kuṣṭha), the Tib. reads “ointment.”
Each casting of the oblations is accompanied by a single repetition of the mantra.
The consecration is done by sprinkling water.
This sentence has been supplied partly from the Tib., as the Skt. appears to be corrupt.
The Tib. reads, “A great fire will blaze forth, shining everywhere like a lamp upon all the vidyā holder needs.”
The Tibetan translation reads “This mixture can always be applied to the neck.”
The Tib. reads, “He will be extensively venerated with abundant offerings and will be successful in accumulating wealth.”
The Tibetan translation reads “he will easily succeed in the ritual and recitation procedures.”
The Tibetan translation reads “poisonous creatures, snakes, poisonous substances, or poisonous snakes.”
Grahas are beings who cause epileptic seizures.
The translation “edema” is uncertain; it is omitted in the Tib. altogether.
The Tib. reads “seven times.”
The Tib. reads “an image of the glorious Great Goddess (Tib. dpal lha mo chen mo; Skt. śrīmahādevī).”
It is not clear how these parts of the pongamia tree are used, but the context suggests that they are placed in the fire pit together with the firewood.
Ficus infectoria.
The Tib. reverts to prose here.
“Black mustard seeds” (ske tshe’i ’bras bu) is the Tib. reading. It is not clear whether the Skt. caṇḍabīja is the same plant or not.
The Tib. reads “one thousand and eight times.”
The Tib. adds “and will become their overlord.”
This sentence is omitted in the Tib.
Mātṛsthāna (“the place of the mātṛs”) could be any place; however, the mention of the vidyā holder gazing at the chief deity suggests that this is a temple or a shrine.
The Tib. reads “the mātṛs and the chief deity.”
The Tib. reads “move across plains.”
The Tib. reads, “take some coals that have cooled, as well as some ash.”
The Tib. reads “all jewels” (rin po che thams cad) where the Skt. has “seven kinds of jewels” (saptaratna).
The Tib. has “mountain caves or glades of medicinal plants.”
The Tib. reads, “everything wonderful will come easily to him.”
“Night” is omitted in the Tib. It refers only to the seventh day in general, the meaning that is probably implied by the Skt.
The Tib. reads, “On the eight, fourteenth, or fifteenth day of the month, [the vidyā holder] should consecrate himself by reciting the heart mantra of Amogharāja seven times, followed by the Krodharāja mantra.”
The Tib. reads, “weapons will shatter, arrows will not strike his body, and the bows will break.”
The Tib. reads “perform thousands of different activities.”
Prosopis cineraria or Mimosa suma.
Name of several species of “milky” trees.
It is not clear what it is that is being consecrated.
“Nor will anyone hear about such an attempt” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads “one league.”
“The host of nakṣatras” is the Tib. interpretation of the compound nakṣatragaṇa. This compound could also be interpreted as “the nakṣatras and the gaṇas,” both of which are different types of asterisms.
I.e., Amoghapāśa in his aspect of Padmapāṇi.
The Tib. omits “gold” and reads “using white-colored powder.”
The Tib. reads “an unblemished pitcher.”
“Bowls,” which reflects a reading ˚pātraṃ, has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads “water for the feet” (˚pādyaṃ).
“Bow in greeting” in omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “He should fix his gaze on the feet of Noble Avalokiteśvara-Amoghapāśa and draw while reciting the Krodharāja mantra seven times.”
“Divine” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. replaces “work as a spy” with “conduct exorcisms.”
The name of this samādhi is different in the Tib.: the magical gaze that is stainless and noble.
The Tib. reads, “He will attain a divine form and will see all the tathāgatas as well as the Tathāgata, the worthy, perfect Buddha Amitābha, who teaches the true Dharma.” The Degé recension of the Tibetan translation should be emended: thos par ’gyur should be mthongs bar ’gyur following all other extant recensions of the translation, as well as the Sanskrit.
The Tibetan translators, reading ˚vimāna in place of vimala, give the name of the palace as The Palace of the Resplendent Lotus.
In the Tib. the number is 6 times 12,000, i.e., 72,000.
“Bhūtas” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tibetan translation reads “whether it has happened or not, whether it brings wealth, prosperity, and happiness, or whether there will be a good harvest.”
The figure described in this paragraph is the first of several variant forms that differ according to the rite.
In place of “evil,” the Tib. reads “obscurations.”
“Rosary” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. ṇetṛka could not be identified.
I.e., Noble Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads “sixty thousand.”
At this point, the Tib. contains a verbatim repetition of the above rite. From Degé folio 77.b.7 to 78.b.3, the same rite is repeated without any significant variants.
The Tibetan translator interpreted the Sanskrit compound as “a lamp made with oil scented with forty-two fragrances.”
The Tib. reads “forty.”
The translation of this sentence is a blend of the Skt. and Tib. readings.
“Rākṣasas” is absent in the Tib.
The Tib. reads “white.”
The “subterranean worlds” (Skt. pātāla), sometimes translated as “subterranean paradises,” are the seven subterranean spheres inhabited mainly by the asuras and the nāgas.
The Tib. reads “four fingers.”
The Tib. reads “it should have a diadem in its topknot, wear the skin of a black antelope, and hold all the implements of Paśupati.”
The Skt. vyāma (“fathom”) defines the extent of the halo beyond the body.
The Tib. here reads dri med ’gro ba, which reflects the Skt. vimalagati.
The Tibetan translators understood this to be two separate deities, the “vidyā deity” and Amoghapāśa.
This sentence is very unclear.
In place of “supreme accomplishment,” the Tib. reads “lotus accomplishment,” possibly reflecting the reading padmasiddhi in place of the extant paramasiddhi.
The Tibetan translation includes “evil” in this list.
It is not clear what the “powder” is; possibly this is a reference to the fact that the figure of Avalokiteśvara-Amoghapāśa is, this time, made of fragrant powders.
“Their bodies will become free from all impurity” has been supplied from the Tib.
Prunus mahaleb. The Tib. interpretation of gandhapriyaṅgu as two items, musk and beautyberry, is less plausible.
Costus speciosus.
Unidentified.
Nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
In place of “medicine,” the Tib. reads “remedy for neutralizing poison.”
The Tib. reads “brings territory.”
The Tib. adds “applied with a surgical probe (thur ma).”
The Skt. hastakarma˚ is unclear. The Tib. reads, “To disperse yakṣas and grahas he should expel the mixture from his nose,” which possibly reflects the reading nasyakarma˚.
The Tib. reads, “Used as incense, it will free the vidyā holder from all grahas.”
Reading mudritānā as mudritānām (“for those affected by mudrās”). Cf. the phrase ˚paramudrita˚ in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 9.10 used in the sense “affected by hostile mudrās.”
The Tibetan translators, reading gṛha in place of graha, translated this clause as “To bring peace to the home.”
“[Add] three measures” has been supplied from the Tib. The corresponding Sanskrit (sṛtyāktāṃ) is unintelligible.
When cow dung is used, it is likely that he smears the entire surface of the maṇḍala with it.
The Tib. reads “four bowls with scented water.”
This seems to be a reference to the figure of Avalokiteśvara-Amoghapāśa made of white sandalwood, musk, camphor, etc., as described above (2.549).
Reading śatru as śakra in alignment with the Tib. brgya byin.
The Tib. reads, “He should recite Śakra’s name while offering each [lotus] to Noble Avalokiteśvara, in addition to offering scented water.”
“Without any hesitation” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. eta citta na kṣamate is unclear.
The Tib. adds here “and scatter them on his head.”
The Skt. hiraṇyakaśipāyāma (hiraṇyakaśipu·āyāma = “the taming of Hiraṇyakaśipu”?) is problematic. Āyāma is not reflected in the Tibetan translation.
What probably happens here is that the vidyā holder casts twenty-one seeds, each incanted just once as it is being cast upon the head of the figure.
It is not clear whether he incants the seeds twenty-one times before casting them or repeats the whole procedure of incanting and casting twenty-one times.
This sentence is absent in the Tib.
“Of the night” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “the entire realm—the kingdom, cities, towns, mountain hermitages, and settlements—will be pacified.”
Prunus mahaleb.
Achyrantes aspera.
The Tib. reads “one thousand and eight oblations of curds, honey, and ghee mixed together, into [a fire] fueled by lotus stalks.”
Callicarpa macrophylla.
In the Tib., the last four sentences read, “The vidyā holder should then recite the Krodharāja mantra twenty-one times. Then, whenever he has need, he should recite the mantra twenty-one times at midnight, and the yakṣiṇī will appear, perform all his tasks, and act as his servant.”
In place of “fruits and petals,” the Tib. reads “lotus petals.”
It is not clear whether the vidyā holder is supposed to incant the mustard seeds and strike the ground with all of them at once or do it individually with each of them.
Michelia champaka.
Butea frondosa.
The Tib. reads “one hundred thousand pieces of gold.”
The Tib. reads “a river that flows to the ocean, or a large river.”
The Tib. specifies that this should be done “at midnight.”
The Tib. reads “sesame oil.”
Pataṅga is a species of sandalwood. The Tib. replaces “pataṅga sandalwood” with “sticks of giant milkweed.”
Butea frondosa.
The Tib. adds “Sūrya” to this list.
The Tib. reads “one hundred thousand.”
The Tibetan translation replaces “globe amaranth flowers” with “jasmine flowers.”
Pterospermum acerifolium.
The Tib. reads, “Their rays of light will touch his body, making him capable of sky travel.”
Rājavṛkṣa could be the name of the golden shower tree (Cathartocarpus fistula) or the karnikara tree (Pterospermum acerifolium). The Tib. replaces rājavṛkṣa with aśvattha, the pipal tree.
The Tibetan translation replaces this with giant milkweed and ordinary sandalwood.
“The great sovereign ritual” (mahākalparāja) could also refer to the AP text as a whole, or the section(s) of it to which the painting procedure about to be taught applies.
“Compact” is a provisional translation of the Skt. arbuda. It is rendered into the Tib. as “high quality pulp.”
“One fathom” must be meant relatively (“two arm-lengths”), as the painting itself is much smaller than one fathom.
Presumably, the dwelling is drawn in a way that houses the figure above.
“Shines as [a wonder of] the world” is omitted in the Tib. Instead, it reads “with a beautiful dais and balustrade.”
“Streamers of silk” is omitted in the Tib.
The figure arrangement suggests that Vimalamati is female (the name can be both female and male). As above, the Tib. reads dri med ’gro, the equivalent of vimalagati.
The Tib. replaces “sword” with “club.”
It is not clear if this is meant to be below Noble Avalokiteśvara or below the sages.
In place of “in the middle of a lotus lake,” the Tib. reads “between the mountain and the ocean.”
It is not clear how the mountain is “adjacent” to the four corners.
The translation of the last few sentences is very problematic. The part beginning with “the rākṣasī Ekajaṭā” could be interpreted, based on the Tib., as “In between the messenger goddesses and the mountain is the rākṣasī Ekajaṭā. The seven precious jewels should be arrayed all around the mountain and in the four corners. The mountain should be adorned with trees, various vines, and flowers. The landscape should also be filled with ponds, various flowers, lions, and tigers, as well as young nāgas and kumbhāṇḍas.”
It is not clear who these five are. Nāga could be interpreted here as either “nāga” or “elephant.”
I.e., the practitioner for whom these instructions are written.
Tūrya and tāḍāva are types of musical instruments; the latter name implies percussion instruments.
“Skanda” is normally used in the singular as the name of the demon who causes drought or makes children ill.
This line is omitted in the Tib.
Heart of Amoghapāśa is here another name for the Amoghapāśakalparāja.
The Tib. reads, “At a riverbank, lotus pond, lily pond, flower garden, grove of fruit trees, or beautiful pavilion, the vidyā holder should wash and purify the ground.”
The Tib. reads, “He should mix powdered rice with four different colors and use this to draw the maṇḍala.”
The Tib. reads, “He should draw clearly, using a new brush and fresh colors in new pots.”
“The lord and protector, the Lokeśvara” (lokeśvaranātha) must be an epithet of Avalokiteśvara.
Reading mantrānusarātaḥ as mantrānusārataḥ. The exact meaning of this word is uncertain in the context of executing a painting.
Reading vimalagati as vimalamati; the Tib. (dri med ’od ’phrod) would translate neither vimalagati nor mati, but it may reflect a scribal error of either of those terms.
In the Tib. she threatens them with her right forefinger.
The Tib. reads “brahmin” instead of Brahmā. As brahma in a compound would be identical for both, it is not clear which interpretation is correct; other contexts in this text would suggest the latter.
The Tib. reads, “The locks of his hair are graced by a topknot in which sits Amitābha.” The arrangement of deities in this painting is not entirely clear; possibly, the Buddha Śākyamuni (in the center) is flanked on his right by Avalokiteśvara in the form of Amoghapāśa and on his left by Avalokiteśvara in the form of Brahmā.
The description of the location is not clear.
The Skt. could be interpreted as “with terrifying eyes” or “with the eyes of Mahābhairava.”
The Tib. reads “holding a lotus by its top.”
The Tib. reads “a golden jar.”
According to the Tib., the jar at the entrance door and the jar in the center of the maṇḍala are one and the same jar: “[Proceeding] from the entrance door, [the vidyā holder] should take a golden vessel filled with perfumed water, tied with silk, and adorned with garlands of every type of flower, and place it where he wishes in the center of the maṇḍala. He should then place a small ring of jasmine flowers on top of it.”
The Tib. reads, “He should set out four incense burners filled with sandalwood, saffron, musk, and camphor. He should also burn agarwood incense.”
The Tibetan translator understood the ring (yang mig) to have three points (rtse gsum can), which is difficult to make sense of.
It is not clear if the vidyā holder incants the thread or the mustard seeds. The Tib. suggests the latter.
In the Tib. “golden or silver” describes the vessels with reception water.
“White scented water” is a Tib. interpretation of the Skt. gandhaśukla (literally “perfume-white”).
“Lord of the World” probably refers here to Noble Avalokiteśvara.
This translation presumes that the phrases “maṇḍala of liberation” (vimokṣamaṇḍalam) and “totality of phenomena” (sarvadharmatā) are in apposition in the Sanskrit text. The flawed grammar of the passage, however, makes it difficult to determine whether this is indeed the case.
After “clothing,” the Skt. includes the phrase yogamaṇḍalam misspelled as yoyamaṇḍalam. The Tib. reads rnal ’byor gyi dkyil ’khor dang gsang sngags la brten par ’gyur (“and will cultivate the maṇḍala of yoga and secret mantra”), which is difficult to meaningfully combine with the rest of the sentence.
“Neither Pratyaṅgirā nor any other śakti goddess” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear how this works; possibly the vidyā holder displays the mudrā anew for every ten recitations.
The figure in question is probably the aforementioned Hayagrīva.
The Tib. reads “and the painting too will blaze with seven-colored light.”
The Tibetan translation reads “[the painting] will then shake violently, and the angry vidyā holder will become delighted.”
“Scented” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Fivefold bodily existence” (Skt. pañcātmabhāva) refers to the fact that the body is composed of the five elements.
The Tib. reads, “The vidyā holder will become skilled in boundless magical power and will master the rites of the vidyādharas.”
The Tib. reads “Then, the bodhisattva great being Noble Avalokiteśvara got up from his seat, draped his robe over his shoulder, knelt on his right knee, folded his palms, and bowed to the Blessed One. He then circled him clockwise three times.”
In the Tib., the entirety of the following passage, up to the end of the mantra, is rendered in phonetic Sanskrit.
Śāradvatīsuta (“son of Śāradvatī”) is another name of Śāradvatīputra, suta and putra being synonyms.
The Tib. does not mention the goddess Śrī, but instead reads in phonetic Sanskrit, “the words of the mantra.”
“And all beings” has been supplied based on the Tib. transliteration.
Reading saṃvicala as vicala following the Tib.
In the Tib. transliteration, the long vowels alternate with the short ha hā ha hā hi hī hi hī hu hū hu hū.
The Tib. adds varada (“boon granter”) here.
“You wear many garbs,” i.e., you assume many guises.
This follows the Tib. The Skt. reads “protect from the glorious goddess of the three worlds.”
Dama dama means “tame, tame!”
Possibly, sama sama should be read as śama śama (“pacify, pacify!”) as this part of the mantra seems to be about taming and pacifying.
It is not clear who the omniscient deity is. Perhaps Mañjuśrī, or maybe Amitābha, the lord of the lotus family.
Skt. oṁ cara cara ciri ciri curu curu mahākāruṇikaḥ | viri viri piri piri ciri ciri paramamahākāruṇikaḥ | siri siri piri piri ciri ciri mahāpadmahasta | kala kala kili kili kulu kulu mahāśuddhasattvaḥ | ehy ehi budhya budhya dhāva dhāva kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi kuṇu kuṇu paramaśuddhasattvaḥ | kara kara kiri kiri kuru kuru mahāsthāmaprāptaḥ | cala cala sañcala sañcala saṃvicala vicala • eṭaṭa eṭaṭa bhara bhara bhiri bhiri bhuru bhuru ehy ehi mahākāruṇikaḥ | mahāpaśupativeṣadharaḥ • dhara dhara sara sara cara cara hara hara | hā hā hā hā | hī hī hī hī | hū hū hū hū | oṁkārabrahmaveṣadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru tara tara sara sara para para cara cara vara vara | vararaśmiśatasahasrapratimaṇḍitaśarīra • jvala jvala tapa tapa | bhagavān somādityayamavaruṇakuberabrahmendraṛṣigaṇadevagaṇābhyarcitacaraṇa suru suru curu curu puru puru muru muru | sanatkumārarudravāsavaviṣṇudhanada devaṛṣināyaka bahuvividhaveṣadharaḥ • dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru thara thara ghara ghara yara yara lara lara hara hara mara mara vara vara | varadāyakasamantavilokitalokeśvaramaheśvara muhu muhu muru muru muya muya muñca muñca | bhagavann āryāvalokiteśvara rakṣa rakṣa māṃ sarvasattvāṃś ca sarvabhayebhyaḥ sarvopadravebhyaḥ sarvopasargebhyaḥ sarvagrahebhyaḥ sarvavyādhibhyaḥ sarvajvarebhyaḥ | sarvavadhabandhanarājacorataskarāgni-r-udakaviṣaparimocaka kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi kuṇu kuṇu cara cara | indriyabalabodhyaṅgacaturāryasatyasamprakāśakaḥ • tama tama dama dama sama sama masa masa | mahātmo ’ndhakāravidhamanaḥ ṣaṭpāramitāparipūrakaḥ • mili mili taṭa taṭa ṭhaṭha ṭhaṭha ṭiṭi ṭiṭi ṭuṭu ṭuṭu ṭhiṭhi ṭhiṭhi ṭhuṭhu ṭhuṭhu | eṇeyacarmakṛtaparikara • ehy ehi | īśvaramaheśvaramahābhūtagaṇabhañjakaḥ kuru kuru para para kaṭa kaṭa maṭa maṭa | viśuddhaviṣayanivāsina mahākāruṇika śvetayajñopavītaratnamakuṭamālādharaḥ sarvajña śirasikṛtamakuṭa mahādbhutakamalakṛtakaratala dhyānasamādhivimokṣa • aprakampya bahusattvasantatiparipācaka mahākāruṇikaḥ sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśodhakaḥ sarvavyādhipramocakaḥ sarvāśāparipūrakaḥ sarvasattvasamāśvāsaka namo ’stu te svāhā ||
“And was in the middle of reciting” is omitted in the Tib.
The Sanskrit names are utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka, all of which can refer to species of lotus or water lily. They often differ in hue, whether they open during the day or at night, and so forth.
It is not clear whether “Blessed One” refers here to the Buddha Śākyamuni or to Noble Avalokiteśvara. In the next sentence, it seems to be Noble Avalokiteśvara who is applauded.
This line is omitted in the Tib.
From this point on it is again Noble Avalokiteśvara who is the speaker.
It is not clear precisely how the ashes and mustard seeds are employed.
It is not clear how or to what the thread is tied. The Tib. reads, “In the event of any type of fever, the vidyā holder should procure a thread woven by a virgin girl, tie twenty-one knots in it, incant it twenty-one times, and tie it on.”
The Tib. reads, “along with old jasmine flowers that had been offered to the buddhas mixed with the stamens of a lotus.”
The Tib. adds “or expelled through the nose.”
It is not specified whose effigy it is, but as the effigy is subsequently destroyed, it is probably of the kākhorda who causes the disease.
The Tib. reads, “Those who are frightened, fearful, terrified, or scared of bhūtas will no longer be affected.”
Presumably incanted seven times.
Sumana can be the name of several plant species, including thorn apple. Possibly, it could here be a variant spelling of sumanas, a species of jasmine.
Unidentified species of plant.
The Tib. reads, “When given to those suffering from asthma, they will be completely cured of asthma.”
Butea frondosa.
It is not clear whether he should rinse his mouth (mukha) or wash his face (mukha) with the incanted water.
Jayā can be the name of several plants, including a species of Sesbania.
Vijayā can be the name of several plants.
Gandhanākulī can be the name of several plants.
Unidentified.
Abhayapāṇi and indrapāṇi are names of unidentified plants.
Prunus mahaleb.
Unidentified.
This list as it appears in phonetic Tibetan is somewhat different from the Sanskrit: jaya-vijayā-nākuli-gandanā-vāruṇī-tānatravāruṇī-gandhapriyaṅku-tagara-cakra-mahācakra-somarājī-sumanda.
The Tib. reads, “He should make a paste by adding rainwater, moisten it with water mixed with sandalwood and saffron, and incant it one hundred and eight times.”
Maṇi, apart from “gem,” also means “globule” or “amulet.”
The Tib. adds “mantras” here.
The Tib. reads, “they will have both sons and daughters.”
The Tib. reads “and will be highly intelligent” instead of “and their children will be numerous,” perhaps reflecting the reading suprajñā in place of the extant supraja.
It is not clear what the amulet and water are to be thrown upon.
The Tib. reads, “He will thereby acquire an ocean of learning, memorizing a thousand verses merely by reciting them.”
“Weapons” has been supplied from the Tib., but it is not clear who or what he will be invisible to. The Skt. reads bandhanāni (“prison guards”?).
The Tib. reads, “anyone who has taken something from him will give it to him and fall under his thrall.”
Graha is a spirit who causes seizures.
It is not clear what is implied by “everything.”
Nīlakaṇṭha is an epithet of Śiva, whose throat turned blue after drinking the halāhala poison. The phrase “his throat to resemble Nīlakaṇṭha” suggests that the amulet mixture is blue in color.
“Incants them” is omitted in the Tib. Instead, it reads “If he mixes [the water] with milk and anoints his eyes with it.”
The Tib. includes the line “and all those yakṣas and rākṣasas will be his servants.”
The Tib. reads, “If he sees a cloud and throws [the amulet] toward the stream of hail, the hail will stop falling.”
“Seizures” is omitted in the Tib.
The Skt. here has the double meaning of “to suppress all the grahas” and “to prevent all seizures.”
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
The translation follows here the Sanskrit text in using the masculine pronoun, which is meant to include also the female vidyā holders in the list just mentioned.
The Tib. adds “and burn agarwood incense.”
“Lokeśa” is synonymous with “lokeśvara.”
The passage beginning with “consecrated thus” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “If he wishes to be consecrated, then he will be consecrated by all the victorious ones, and the Tathāgata will teach him the truth.”
The Tib. reads “and possess insight and the methods for realization.”
In the Tib., the short and long vowels alternate: “ha hā hi hī hu hū.”
Skt. oṁ cara cara curu curu mahākāruṇikaḥ | ciri ciri biri biri mahāpadmahastaḥ | kala kala kulu kulu mahāsthāmaprāptaḥ | cara cara cara cara niśācareśvaraḥ | ehy ehi sidhya sidhya budhya budhya dhāva dhāva kiṇi kiṇi paramaśuddhasattvaḥ | kara kara kiri kiri kuru kuru mahāpaśupativeṣadharaḥ | hā hā hī hī hū hū oṁkārabrahmaveṣadharaḥ | sara sara vara vara vararaśmiśatasahasrapratimaṇḍitaśarīraḥ | jvala jvala tapa tapa bhagavān somādityayamavaruṇakuberabrahmendraṛṣigaṇadevagaṇābhyarcitacaraṇaḥ | suru suru muru muru sanatkumārarudraviṣṇuvāsavadhanadadevaṛṣināyakaḥ • bahuvividhaveṣadharaḥ | dhara dhara samantāvalokavilokitaḥ • lokeśvaramaheśvaraḥ | muya muya muñca muñca vadhabandhanatāḍanarājataskarāgnyudakaviṣaśastraparimocakaḥ | kaṇa kaṇa balabodhyaṅgacaturāryasatyasamprakāśakaḥ | tama tama śama śama mahā•avidyāndhakārapraśamanaḥ | mili mili • eṇeyacarmaparikaraḥ | ehy ehi maṭa maṭa viśuddhaviṣayanivāsinaḥ | mahākāruṇikaśvetayajñopavītaratnamakuṭamālādharaḥ sarvajñaśirasikṛtakarapuṭadhyānasamādhivimokṣyāprakampyaḥ ṣaṭpāramitāparipūrakaḥ | bahusattvasantatiparipācakaḥ | sarvamārādisarvaduṣṭapramardakaḥ | sarvasiddhyāśāparipūrakaḥ | abhiṣiñcya sarvatathāgatābhiṣekair bhagavān amogharājaḥ | hūṁ phaṭ | namo ’stu te svāhā ||
Padmabhuja could also mean “[you with] the lotus [around] your arm,” as seen in some iconographic forms of both Avalokiteśvara and Amoghapāśa.
“Unfailing Accomplishment” (Amoghasiddhi) is one of the epithets of Amoghapāśa and his forms. Here it is rendered in English to better convey the implied logic of this statement, namely that his accomplishment is unfailing because of the ontological truth of the Three Jewels and all it entails.
Skt. āgaccha bhagavan padmahasta varadakarāṅguli padmabhuje mahāpaśupativeṣadhare | prasīda śīghram āgaccha mahāvega vibhūṣitaraṣmi | hasa hasa amoghaśuddhe | sara sara cala cala āgaccha āgaccha bhagavann avalokiteśvara | mama gandhapuṣpasamārjanīyaṃ pratīccha| triratnasatyena • amoghasiddhe svāhā ||
According to the syntax of the Tib., this line refers to the following, not the preceding, mantra. The Tibetan translation reads, “To summon all who reside in the maṇḍala of Noble Avalokiteśvara, the vidyā holder should burn agarwood incense and recite the following twenty-one times.”
It is difficult to replicate in English the alliteration of the preceding two instances of vara being used as verbs and vara meaning “boon” as it does in this case.
Skt. sarvagandhamālyavibhūṣitapriye candrārdhaśirasipriye gandhapuṣpānulepana[ṃ] †sā† mama pratīccha | vara vara varadāyaka svāhā ||
Skt. hili hili mili mili mahāprabhāsvaravimale brahmaveṣadhare sumativarade | turu turu vicitramālyavibhūṣite | hara hara mara mara turu turu | amoghahṛdayapramodaṃ kuru | pratīccha mama puṣpavare svāhā ||
Because of its mainly female endings, this vidyā mantra seems to be addressing a female vidyā deity.
In place of “you have accomplished your vow” (siddhavrate), the Tib. reads, “you are an accomplished boon granter” (siddhavarade).
“Protector” (pāla) has been supplied from the Tib. The mantra quoted in the following note has been emended accordingly.
Skt. mahābodhisattvavarade smara smara bhagavan samayasarvatathāgataśvāsite bhagavann avalokayaḥ sarvasattvāvalokani • amoghavati pāśahaste siddhe siddhe siddhavrate | buddhadharmasaṅghasatyena bhuru bhuru satyasamayapālāya svāhā ||
While the words vajradhara, padmajaye, and varade could be translated as “vajra holder,” “lotus victory,” and “boon granter,” respectively, the meaning of vigatavā is not immediately obvious; it could be a Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit form of the past active participle meaning “you who (had) departed.” The Tibetan variant vigatā, which presumes that the deity is female, could have a similar meaning.
This section of the mantra has been left untranslated because the meaning is unclear.
Skt. dhure dhure vajradhara padmajaye vigatavāvarade | vega vega dhuṭa dhuṭa sarvabījapriye | buddhadharmasaṅghasatyena mili mili svāhā || In the Tib., the first two sentences of this mantra are slightly different: dhure dhure vajradhara padmajape vigatā varade vega vega dhūṭu dhūṭu sarvabījapriye.
The form āhara is probably the second person imperative singular of ā + √hṛ, meaning either “to bring” or “to deliver/convey” (the latter usually being the function of fire). It is not clear who is addressed here.
The form dhuma, related in meaning to smoke, seems to be referring to the burning lamps.
Skt. apratihatatathāgatajñānakāya bhagavān āhara āhara padmāsanapadmabhuje śvetāṅge śvetabhuje śvatamālyavibhūṣite | dhuma dhuma jvālaya | buddhadharmasaṅghasatyena svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ vīra vīra padmapāṇi | āgama • āgama • amoghatattvasiddhe sarvatathāgatagaganaraśmisaṃcodite sarvavidyādharaviśodhane • amoghajvalasiddhe svāhā ||
Again, the feminine endings indicate that it is the vidyā of clothing herself who is being addressed.
Skt. dhume dhume dhudhume padme padmanirbhāsa śuddha śuddha kāñcanaprabhāsavimale | śuddhasārāgryo śuci śuci gocaraśuddhe padmāṅgavati prāvaraṇi svāhā ||
“O venerable goddess of the three worlds! Give me protection” is omitted in the Tib. transliteration.
Skt. śāme śāmaya śānti me śrītribhuvanadevy ārakṣasvastyayanaṃ kuru | sāntoṣi me sarvapāpaṃ śāntaśuddhakalyāṇaviraje śāntivijaye jayasiddhe | bhagavann āryāvalokiteśvara sara sara svāhā ||
“The danger of rough waters” (jalasaṃkṣobhabhaya) is the Tib. reading. The mantra quoted in the note has been emended accordingly. The Skt. reads jalasaṃkhyābhaya, which is difficult to interpret.
Skt. nāgaprakarṣaṇe divyajale jalavāhe | jalasaṃkṣobhabhayaṃ yan nāgajalasaṃśodhani padmasare padmaviśuddhe pāṇijale saṃśodhaya • ātman | vara vara salile svāhā ||
The Tib. reads, “This is the mantra of water. When employing the water for bathing or initiation it should be incanted seven times and then used.”
Skt. sakalabhuvane bhuvanaviśodhani santarpya pravara viśuddhe svāhā ||
The title of the mantra is not found in the Skt. or Tib. texts but has been added to this translation for clarity.
Again, the feminine endings indicate that it is the vidyā herself who is addressed in this mantra.
The translation “You are perfumed with every fragrance” is of sarvagandhāvavāsite, conjectured based on the Skt. (sarvagandhānasite) and Tib. (samagandhāvabhāsite) readings. The mantra quoted in the note has been emended accordingly.
I.e., discarded after a pūjā or a ceremony.
Skt. sarvadevāsuranamaskṛte samanta-m-antaprapūraṇe sarvagandhāvavāsite gaganaviśuddhe muktiprabhe jaye vijaye nirmālyopanayani puṣpamālyagandhaviśodhani viśodhaya sarvatathāgataviśuddhe padmaviśodhani svāhā ||
The title of the mantra is not found in the Skt. or Tib. texts but has been added to this translation for clarity.
The epithet “marked with a white garland” (śuklamāliliṅginī) entails a pun because of the double meaning of the Sanskrit words. Śukla (“white”) can be a variant spelling of śukra (“semen”), and liṅga, apart from “mark,” can mean “penis.” Because of its feminine ending, the epithet, derived thus from the three-word phrase (“semen-garlanded penis”), seems to be addressing the vidyā of arresting the semen, asking her to arrest the semen.
Skt. dharaṇiṃdhare dharaṇibandhe bandha bandha śukraviśodhani śuklamāliliṅgini śukraviśodhani śukravimale svāhā ||
The title of the mantra is not found in the Skt. or Tib. texts but has been added to this translation for clarity.
Again, the feminine endings indicate that it is the vidyā herself who is addressed in this mantra.
Skt. jvalajvale vimalo jvale prabhāvaviraje sūryavati | jaya padmamālādhare svāhā ||
Skt. jale jale jalavati jalaprabhāvani nāgasraviṇi divyavāriṇi mili mili svāhā ||
The Sanskrit uses here a word with a double meaning: hāriṇi (vocative, feminine form) means “captivating” and can also mean “yellow,” referring to the color of the kuśa-grass straw used for making the ritual seat. This word is repeated twice.
Piṅgala can mean a number of yellow things, including yellow orpiment.
It is not clear who is being addressed here; the first part of the mantra is addressed to the female vidyā.
“Protect me, protect” translates māṃ rakṣa rakṣa, which is the reading emended (on the authority of the Tib.) from the Skt. rakṣa rakṣa śrītribhuvanadevyā (“protect, protect from the goddess of the three worlds”).
Skt. hāriṇi hāriṇi piṅgala piṇgali hiri hiri | bhagavan nicala pracala pratiṣṭha | māṃ rakṣa rakṣa | buddhadharma saṅghasatyena svāhā ||
The title of the mantra is not found in the Skt. or Tib. texts but has been added to this translation for clarity.
Skt. ehi bhagavati padmasundari mahāvidyādevati | cala cala padmasundari vegavati | huru huru svāhā ||
In the Tib. Ekajaṭā is identified as a yakṣī (a female yakṣa) instead of a rākṣasī.
Kṛtyā is omitted in the Tib.
The title of the mantra is not found in the Skt. or Tib. texts but has been added to this translation for clarity.
Again, this part of the mantra addresses a female vidyā. The gender changes from “wearer of the garb of Brahmā,” which is masculine.
There is a play on words here, as the Sanskrit word for boon, vara, is homonymous with the preceding vara.
Skt. amoghahṛdayaprabhāvini sarvavighnapraśamani • āhara saṃhara padmapīṭhopaviṣṭe maṇikanakavibhūṣitakamalabhuje | tara tara tāraya pāpam amoghahṛdayam | jaye trinetre varadabhuje | smara smara bhagavata sarvatathāgatasamayam | bhara bhara bhuru bhuru brahmaveṣadharaḥ • vibhūṣitatanuḥ • mahābhayahare | ālokaya vilokaya sarvasattvāvalokani| vara vara varade svāhā ||
Skt. para para mara mara bandha bandha samantena • amoghapāśahaste | tiṣṭha tiṣṭha | buddhadharmasaṅghasatyena svāhā ||
Skt. diśabandhani • amoghe • apratihate muru muru suru suru turu turu sarvavighnavināśanapadmasarabhūṣite | buddhadharmasaṅghasatyena bandha • ajinavarade svāhā ||
Skt. hili hili mili mili siri siri piri piri cara cara pracara vimānadhara | dara dara gaccha gaccha bhagavān āryāvalokiteśvara svabhavanam | turu turu amoghapadme svāhā ||
I.e., the mantra of Krodharāja that he is about to pronounce.
It is not always easy to tell whether the main meaning of amoghasiddhi is literal (“unfailing accomplishment”) or the phrase should be taken as the proper name of Amoghasiddhi, who would here be considered an emanation of Avalokiteśvara.
As indicated in the painting instructions that follow, this form of the deity has three heads, with each of the three topknots adorned with Amitābha.
There is an alliteration and a play on words here in the Sanskrit, as the Sanskrit words for ferrying across (tara-) and the word for star (tārā) are both derived from the same root and related in meaning.
Skt. oṁ padme padme padmadharavibhūṣitabhuje | cara cara brahmaveṣadhara | bhara bhara vicitramaulidharaḥ • maṇikanakavajra vaidūryālaṃkṛtaśarīraḥ | tara tara tāraya bhagavan bhagavati pāram | dhūru dhūru • amoghapāśahaste | vara vara varadāyaka samantāvalokita mahābodhisattva varadaḥ padmāsanapadmagauraḥ | jvala jvala sarvatathāgatābhiṣekābhiṣikte mahākāruṇika bala bala mahābala vegadharaḥ • vikṛtānana daṃṣṭrākarāla mahātejadharaḥ • vipulajñāna varadaḥ • mahākāruṇikaḥ • mahāpaśupativeṣadharaḥ | sara sara pravarapuṇyasambhāra sugatadhyānasamādhiḥ samantāvalokita • īśvara maheśvaraḥ | duṣṭadamaka raudrapralayadamakaḥ krodharāja mahāveṣadharaḥ | sama sama mahāsthāmaprāptaś candrasūryātirekaprabha | mala mala sarvamalaviśodhakaḥ sarvagaṇaṛṣisantati mahāmaheśvararūpadharaḥ • amitābhajinālaṃkṛtajaṭādakṣiṇacandrālaṃkṛtaśira | matha matha sarvayakṣarākṣasabhūtagaṇabhañjakaḥ | tara tara tārāgaṇasamalaṃkṛta nakṣatramāla sarvavighnavināśanakaraḥ paramamaitracitta mahākāruṇika | para para paripūrṇamaṇḍala saukhyasukha ṣaṭpāramitāparipūrakaḥ| mili mili • eṇeyacarmavasana vyāghracarmottarīya | dhara dhara sarvatathāgatāvalokita trinetra triśūladhara vajrajvāladharaḥ • amoghapāśahaste yamavaruṇakuberarūpadharaḥ • nāgendrarūpadharaḥ • vimalaviśuddhadeha sarvapāpapraśamakaḥ sarvāvaraṇaviśodhakaḥ sarvakilbiṣanāśakas trailokyavaśaṃkaraḥ sarvasattvāc ca viśodhakaḥ | bodhibodhisattvavaradaḥ sarvatathāgatādhiṣṭhite || oṁ padmavibhūṣitaśuddhe | dhiri dhiri • avalokaya mām | sama sama sarvakarmaṃ me sādhaya amoghapāśahṛdayasiddhe guhyanivāsine varada hūṁ phaṭ | namo ’stu te svāhā ||
If the Sanskrit plural (“kings”) is correct, the above dhāraṇī is taken to comprise more than one vidyā mantra (possibly two, as the syllable oṁ occurs in this dhāraṇī twice).
The Tib. reads, “They sent down a knee-deep rain of divine ornaments and adornments upon Potala Mountain, played their celestial instruments, sang songs, laughed, and uttered cries of joy.”
Much of the time in the APK, the interpretation of the phrase amoghasiddhi straddles its literal meaning as “unfailing accomplishment” and its use as a proper name for the emanation of Amoghapāśa referred to as Amoghasiddhi.
As specified next in the following paragraph, this form of the deity has three heads, each adorned with Amitābha.
I.e., each of the heads has three eyes.
The “frowning face” is the right face.
This hand is one of the two right hands of Avalokiteśvara.
The hand “displaying the boon-granting mudrā” seems to be the hand described earlier as “displaying the gesture of giving comfort.” It is one of the two right hands of Avalokiteśvara.
In place of “attitude of respect” (Skt. anumānataḥ), the Tib. reads “mode of secret mantra” (*anumantrataḥ).
This hand is one of the two left hands of Avalokiteśvara.
Vimalagati may be a scribal corruption of vimalamati, who appears twice in the text above. The Skt. letters ga and ma are easily confused in manuscripts.
“On the other side,” i.e., above Padmasundarī.
Bhīmī must be an alternative spelling of Bhīmā.
Amogharājakrodha is another paraphrase of the name Amoghakrodharāja, usually referred to simply as Krodharāja.
The Tib. reads, “will generate a hundred thousand roots of virtue equivalent to the merit of the great Brahmā and will obtain the best of the worldly roots of virtue.”
The sense of receiving the consecration is adopted from the Tib. The Sanskrit grammar suggests that he is giving a consecration to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas rather than receiving it.
In place of “seven,” the Tib. reads “three.”
The Tib. omits “a member of the royal harem, or a distinguished lady of the royal court.”
Again, the Skt. grammar suggests that they are giving the consecration rather than receiving it.
The Tib. reads, “they should craft a painted image.”
The Tib. omits “a house.”
“Correctly obtained” probably means that the dung has been collected without allowing it to fall on the ground. This phrase is omitted in the Tib.
Also called aloeswood.
The Tib. reads “thirty-two.”
“From the jar” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear whether anālāpataḥ (“without speaking”) means that he repeats the mantra silently or recites it without saying anything else.
The Tib. reads “seven.”
In place of “blaze with light,” the Tib. reads “will tremble.”
It is not clear whether asādhitātmya refers to the vidyā holder not being himself (ātmya) fully realized or the rite not being itself (ātmya) fully mastered. The Tib. reads, “will effect all activities that have not been accomplished.”
Instead of “place it in the hand of,” the Tib. reads “offer it to.”
It is not clear how the lotus is placed in Avalokiteśvara’s hand; possibly an effigy is used.
“Like a shadow” has been supplied from the Tib.
In place of “the king will become his servant,” the Tib. reads “the same will happen.”
The Tib. reads “eyes” in place of “neck.”
The text does not specify who is made to stand with his face down, but it is probably the same being from whom the heart is extracted a few lines below.
The Degé translation is corrupt here, reflecting either a scribal error or an interpretive mistake on the part of the compilers of the Degé Kangyur. A preferable reading is found the Stok Palace Kangyur, one at once in perfect alignment with the Skt. and that reveals the error in the Degé. The Stok Palace Kangyur reads, khas bab tu gzhag nas dor bar bya (folio 143.a), which is a precise translation of the Skt. adhomukham sthāpya chardāpayitavyam. Either through scribal or editorial error, the reading khas bab tu gzhag nas became kha phug nas in the Degé, a misreading that would be orthographically easy to make. The translation here follows the Skt. and the Tib. reading of the Stok Palace Kangyur.
The Tib. reads, “Alternatively, if he smears it on food and the heart, he will take the form of Mahākāla.”
The Tib. reads “low castes.”
The Tib. reads “sixty thousand” in place of “twelve thousand.”
The Tib. reads “sixty-four.”
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies whose left arm, possibly the arm of Avalokiteśvara in the painting.
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies whose navel, possibly the navel of Avalokiteśvara in the painting.
“And recites the mantra” is omitted in the Tib.
The Skt. does not specify whose ear, possibly the ear of Avalokiteśvara in the painting. “Ear” is omitted in the Tib., which instead reads, “If the vidyā holder recites [the mantra] one hundred and eight times while thinking, ‘all of Jambudvīpa is satisfied…’ ”
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies whose head, possibly the head of Avalokiteśvara in the painting.
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies whose feet, possibly the feet of Avalokiteśvara in the painting.
Subterranean worlds (pātāla) are the underground realms inhabited by nāgas and asuras.
“Eight” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads “seven.”
All four plant species mentioned here are varieties of jasmine.
The Tib. reads “one thousand,” which is quite implausible.
The Tib. interprets “flowers discarded after an offering” (mālyapuṣpāṇi) as “garlands and flowers” and adds “perfumes” to the list.
The use of the word “divine” suggests that the word śrī should be understood here as the proper name (Śrī = Lakṣmī), and also in its literal sense of “splendor” (i.e., the divine splendor).
“Placing them in the hands of” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. inserts here “and fumigate the body with one thousand and eight pills made of sandalwood.”
A blue variety of the lotus (Nymphaea caerulea).
“Glowing like a lotus” is omitted in the Tib.
The Skt. kumbhaśatasahasrau jvalaṃ vakṣadharam is problematic. The Tib. reads “holds one hundred thousand shining bejeweled jars,” possibly reflecting a different Skt. reading.
“Stand in front of the vidyā holder with beautiful bodies shining bright” has been supplied from the Tib. The corresponding Skt. reading is difficult to fit into the context. The Skt. could be referring to the goddesses from Śrī’s retinue, burning incense.
The Skt. pratiṣṭhita does not indicate whether she is sitting or standing.
Skt. oṁ padmini padmanetri padmāśe padmadhare padmavati padmapriye padmagaurī padmaprabhe padmāsanapratiṣṭhite • avalokitapriye varade varadāyini | prasīda prasādaya kuru kuru • āryāvalokitavarade | huru huru varāṅgini | cala cala puṣpavibhūṣitapadmapriye vicitravimānadhare | bhara bhara sambhara smara samayam āryāvalokite same satyādhiṣṭhitadevi • amoghapāśavarade | hūṁ | namo ’stu te svāhā ||
The Tib. interprets the Skt. aurasamukhatas “heart-born and speech-born.”
The Tib. reads, “You have accomplished the heart essence of Amoghapāśa together with the Krodharāja.”
The Degé recension of the Tib. reads, “Employing the Amoghapāśa, engage the dhāraṇī immaculate lotus Śrī and do whatever you want, treating my home as if it were your own.” Regarding the name of the dhāraṇī, the Narthang and Lhasa versions of the translation offer a more plausible variant resulting in the name immaculate amogha lotus Śrī.
There is a play on words here, as the Sanskrit word for boon, vara, is homonymous with the preceding vara.
Skt. oṁ bhagavati māturyanetrī | vara vara • avalokitavarade | kṣīriṇi sravatu | amba • amba vipulakīrtikare pravarabhuje • amoghapāśahaste svāhā ||
“Lord of the World” is here an epithet of Noble Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads “Once the homa has been offered to the great goddess Śrī and retinue, she will attend upon him…”
The Tib. inserts here “fine grains of gold.”
Skt. amoghasāgaramahāmaṇipadmavilokitaśrīvimalā. Later on, the reading °sāgara° (“ocean”), supported here by the Tib., is replaced with °sāra° (“essence”).
Reading the Skt. saptati˚ as sapta˚.
“And the Lotus” has been supplied from the Tib.
There is a play on words in the Sanskrit here, as the term śrī refers to the goddess Śrī and conveys the meaning of “prosperity.” Thus “prosperity” also “dwells in his house.”
“The universal mother and progenitress” is omitted in the Tib.
The “thirty-two abodes” seems to be a reference to the abodes in the realm of Thirty-Three—they are located on the four peaks of Mount Sumeru. The abode on the central peak, occupied by Indra, is not counted here.
Based on the number of variants across the Tibetan recensions, it seems that this Sanskrit phrase gave the Tibetan translators and editors some difficulty. The two most intelligible readings come from (1) the Degé, which reads “swift killer” (gsod skyen can), and (2) Stok, which perhaps most plausibly has “guilty of killing” (gsod skyon can).
In place of “ungrateful” (akṛtajña), the Tib. reads “shameless” (khrel med).
The precise meaning of the Skt. terms durlaṅghita (“indigestible”) and duśchāya (“food spoiled by chāyās”) is unclear, but both often refer to food spoiled by magic or spirits. The term duśchāya could more specifically refer to the discoloration of spoiled food caused by such spirits. The Tib. translates them literally as “bad paths” and “bad shadows” respectively.
It is not clear if this applies to the mantra that comes next, the main mantra of this rite that comes after it, or all the mantras in this particular rite.
“Bowls with argha water” is omitted in the Tib.
Skt. oṁ puṣpavilokite gandhasare amoghajalasambharaṇi padmasambhari tara tara mudite hūṁ svāhā ||
It is not clear what the number “one thousand” refers to—the number of recitations of the dhāraṇī or the whole procedure of reciting the dhāraṇī one hundred and eight times while displaying the mudrā (in which case the vidyā holder would recite the dhāraṇī 108,000 times). The Tib. reads “As soon as the vidyā holder has formed the mudrā of Amoghapāśa seven times.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapāśahṛdayapadmini varade jvala jvala prasāritapadmabhuje svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ avalokitapadmini varāṅgini turu turu hūṁ svāhā ||
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., ˚sāra˚ as ˚sāgara˚.
The Tib. reads, “In all other situations a white thread is effective for expiation.” This probably reflects the Skt. term anyārthi (“other purposes”), in place of the extant kanyārthi (“desires a girl”). The Tib. text also suggests they read √apoh or its equivalent as the final verb, instead of the attested ā + √vah.
“Mark his forehead” is omitted in the Tib. It simply reads “forms a bindi.”
The Skt. seems syntactically corrupt and includes some additional clauses not attested in the Tibetan translation: “If he marks the palm of his hand with the bindi, [the contents of] of any book he touches will be clearly revealed to him. After using this method for twenty-one days, men, boys, and girls will become…” The Skt. sentence seems unfinished.
Unidentified.
Human milk (mānuṣīkṣīra) is omitted in the Tib.
“Likewise, if he anoints his belly” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads instead “He can use the same ointment for a red eye,” which does not tie in logically with the remainder of the sentence.
The term duśchāya refers to food corrupted specifically by the class of malevolent beings known as chāya or chāyā.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., bhaviṣyanti as na bhaviṣyanti.
The Tib. interprets the Skt. bhāva as “objects” rather than “feelings.”
In place of “[malicious] mantra applications and kiraṇas,” the Tib. reads “the applications of secret mantra and bali offering.”
In the Tib. this sentence reads, “If he repeats this procedure over the period of seven nights, he will be able to actualize all the treatises. If he does the same over the period of twenty-one days, he will accomplish all the mantra rites, maṇḍalas, mantras, and mudrās.”
The Degé recension of the Tibetan translation reads, “If he makes [the decoction] smooth and fills his ear with it, he will feel delighted.” The Lithang, Peking, and Yongle recensions attest to variants that inexplicably negate the verb “delighted.”
It is not clear who or what tejasvatī is. The term is an adjective meaning “splendorous” or “brilliant,” and has been feminized in the Sanskrit. The Tibetan text reads mig rkang here, which is itself an enigmatic term that defies easy interpretation but perhaps means something like “eye pith” or “eye core.” In any case, it seems likely the Tibetan translators were reading a different term than that found in the extant Sanskrit. The Tibetan here reads, “I will now explain efficacious, supremely virtuous, and auspicious mig rkang.”
This sentence, which is problematic in the Skt., is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads “the mig rkang pill.”
The Tib. has “yakṣiṇīs” (gnod sbyin mo) where Skt. has rakṣasī.
The Tib. reads “knock down an elephant with his hand,” perhaps reading the Sanskrit phrase hastena nāgam pātayati in place of hastanāgam pātayati.
The metaphor of placing someone above one’s head implies the highest respect.
“Toothache, and eye ailments” has been supplied from the Tib.
As the diseases described here seem to be all located in the head, the “partial paralysis” (ardhāvabhedaka) is not a hemiplegia but a partial paralysis of the face.
The Tib. reads, “Then [the tejasvatī] is made smooth and then poured on.”
“Now I will teach about an incense” is omitted in the Tib.
Takṣaka, as confirmed by the Tib., is used here as a name for nāgas in general, named here after one of their kings, Takṣaka.
The Tib. reads, “Equal to a great heap of merit, / Its preparation is venerated by the gods.”
In his third step, Vāmana placed his foot on Bali’s head, defeating him and consigning him, and the other asuras, to the underworld.
“The lord of asuras,” i.e., Bali.
In place of “in the Mahābhārata,” the Degé version of the Tib. reads “shines brightly,” whereas the Narthang and Lhasa versions read “brings victory.”
In the context of the Mahābhārata, this refers to Viṣṇu in his avatar as Kṛṣṇa. However, there appears to be some confusion here about the classic Indian myth, as Kṛṣṇa was considered an ally of the Pāṇḍava clan and was instrumental in their victory over the rival Kauravas. Kṛṣṇa’s alliance with the Pāṇḍavas is most explicit in the sermon he delivered to the Pāṇḍava general Arjuna at the cusp of the epic’s final battle, which is enshrined in the Bhagavad Gītā.
The following is a succinct and somewhat confusing reference to the churning of the milk ocean, a myth in which Viṣṇu comes to the aid of Indra and other devas who had previously been defeated by the asuras. With chaos reigning in the universe, Viṣṇu instructed the devas to churn the milk ocean using Mount Mandara as a churning stick and the nāga king Vāsuki as the churning rope. Their churning resulted in the emergence of amṛta, which among other boons empowered the devas to defeat the asuras and restore order to the universe. The reference to the inhabitants of the ocean becoming naked is a curious one, as this is not a prominent feature in the telling of the myth.
The meaning of this line is unclear in both the Skt. and Tib., so it has been rendered literally here according to the Skt. The Tib. reads, similarly, “the three parts of a single vessel dried up.”
The wish-fulfilling jewel was one of the fourteen or so precious things stolen by the asuras and hidden at the bottom of the ocean.
An equivalent to the Skt. nirjita (“defeated”) is absent from the Tibetan translation of this passage.
In the Tib. this passage reads, “Among the sea of nāgas who had fallen in the great battle, Nanda and Upananda churned the great ocean using Mount Sumeru. Nīlakaṇṭha drank the poison that seeped out and, while enveloped by the smoke of the king of incense, neutralized it. Through the power of the king of incense, the poison turned to nectar.”
The Tib., which is in verse here, is problematic but can be conjectured to read, “The rṣis of the four continents / Used this [incense] to conquer the maṇḍala. / Keśin, who enjoyed the throne, / Was brought low by Indra.”
It is not completely clear whether the term vidyādhara is used here in its sense of “vidyā practitioner” or of “vidyādhara,” a class of powerful nonhuman beings.
It seems that the “king of incense” is here (as above) deified as a lokeśvara, i.e., one of the activity manifestations of Avalokiteśvara.
Reading kelīkīlā as kelīkīlo on the assumption that this deity, included in an all-male list, is male too. The female gender, however, cannot be ruled out, as the feminine form kelikilā (which would be a more standard spelling of kelīkīlā) has been attested in other texts.
The “thirty-two groups of gods” seems to be a reference to the gods of the thirty-two abodes in the realm of Thirty-Three—these abodes are located on the four peaks of Mount Sumeru. The abode on the central peak, occupied by Indra, is not counted here.
Here the text also repetitively includes the deities of rivers and of lakes, as well as Candra and Sūrya.
Trigonella corniculata.
Mahiṣākṣa (“the eye of a buffalo”) is a kind of bdellium.
Rasa can be the name of many substances.
Vateria indica.
Nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
According to Monier-Williams, the resin of Pinus longifolia.
Unidentified.
Nardostachys jatamansi.
The previous mention of olibanum is the translation of the Sanskrit kunduru, and this one is the translation of turuṣka. They are probably two different varieties of olibanum.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
Kayasthā and vayasthā are names of medicinal plants.
Nameru is the name of more than one plant.
Cyperus rotundus.
Costus speciosus.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
It is not clear whether kapāla is here used in its meaning of a skull bone, or perhaps it is a plant such as kapālakulika (Capparis sepiaria) or kapālī (Embelia ribes).
Viṣṇukrānta is the name of several plants.
Jayā can be the name of several plants, including a species of Sesbania.
Vijayā can be the name of several plants.
Gandhanākulī is the name of several plants.
Unidentified.
The Tib. reads “lotus root.”
It is not clear what the phrase “day and night” refers to, whether the maintaining of purity or the combining of ingredients. The Tib. understands it to be the latter, whereas the Skt. is ambiguous.
The “Lokeśvara” here must refer to Amoghapāśa, in front of whom the vidyā holder is sitting.
Skt. oṁ sarvatathāgatāvalokita amoghahṛdaya cara cara mahākāruṇika sādhaya hūṁ | abhiśiñcaya • amoghapāśahaste svāhā ||
The translation of this name is one of many possible interpretations, as the Sanskrit compound can be parsed in many ways. The Tib. reads “the vast light of Amoghapāśa, a stainless cloud of great jewels.”
Skt. oṁ sarvatathāgatāvalokitamahaugha jaya jaya svāhā ||
It is not clear what mūrdhaśaraṇa refers to. It could be the resting place (śaraṇa) of the head (mūrdhan) or perhaps the most important or prominent place in the house. The Tib. interprets this as “the innermost place in the house.”
“Ten” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Tib., the phrase “bodhisattva retinues” belongs to the next paragraph: “The bodhisattva retinues and all the gods…”
Tamāla can be the name of several species of tree, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
There is a dittography at this point in the Sanskrit text; the passage starting from “any storm clouds that bring strong winds” up to “will flee one thousand leagues into the ten directions” is repeated.
It is not clear if “coat of mail” refers to all the three procedures or just the procedure of the unguent meant to be applied to the entire body.
It seems that the Sanskrit word “jewel” (maṇi) is used here for the substance that can be applied as a bindi, a face wash, or an unguent. Similarly, in the rites that follow, the word “jewel” is used metaphorically rather than literally.
The Tib. reads “shine and be fearless.” The Skt. vi + √rāj can mean both to shine and to assume sovereignty.
The Skt. mahātmanā is ambiguous. The Tib. interprets this as “great intelligence.”
It is not clear if “coat of mail” refers here to all three procedures, or just the procedure of the unguent that is applied to the entire body.
The Tib. seems to interpret the Skt. parākrama (“heroism,” “valor”), as “subduing the enemies,” which is the literal translation of the elements of the compound, para-ākrama.
In place of “holding,” the Tib. reads “studying.” Either reading is a correct translation of the Skt. gṛhyamāṇa, but the first is more plausible as it agrees with the usage pattern of √grah throughout this text, and the hand is explicitly mentioned in the next sentence.
The referent of the phrase “great lokeśvara sage” is uncertain. Possibly it refers, in the spirit of this tantra, to the Buddha Śākyamuni as a lokeśvara (the name Śākyabuddha Lokeśvara is later included among the 108 lokeśvaras of Nepal). In the Tib., the phrase “great lokeśvara sage” is part of the next sentence.
The Tib. reads, “This vidyā holder was prophesied by all the tathāgatas,” which reflects a different interpretation of the same Skt. text translated here.
The Tib. omits “vajra” and reads, “It should be understood that merely to see [the jewel] mounted upon a raised banner is to see the Tathāgata raise the victory banner of turning the wheel of Dharma and defeating the māras at the seat of awakening.”
Suvarṇa can mean “gold” but is also the name of several plant species and the yellow variety of sandalwood. Here it is translated as “gold” on the authority of the Tib.
Nardostachys jatamansi.
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
The two types of sandalwood could be red sandalwood and white sandalwood.
Vālaka is a species of Andropogon grass.
Costus speciosus.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
Interpreting (on the authority of the Tib.) the compound sahareṇuka as sa-hareṇuka. Hareṇuka, according to Monier-Williams, is “a kind of pea or pulse.” If the compound were dissolved as saha-reṇuka, then the ingredient would be pollen (reṇuka).
Symplocos racemosa.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Rasa can be the name of many substances and plants.
Again, suvarṇa has been translated here as “gold” on the authority of the Tib. It can be, however, the name of several plant species, including yellow sandalwood.
It is not clear whether he consecrates himself or the powder.
This part of the recipe is very unclear. Virata is an unidentified ingredient and is omitted in the Tib., which reads, “[The ingredients] should then be steeped in finely scented water, combined, mixed with gold, and fumigated with camphor and musk.”
The Tib. reads “measuring two ounces.”
The Tib. adds here “and cover it with gold.”
The Skt. ardham upārdham is unclear. The Tib. reads, “cover one half or a quarter of them with gold and leave half uncovered.”
The Skt. reads chāyā·ūṣṇa (“shade-hot”), which possibly means cool, or perhaps boiled and left in the shade to cool.
The Skt. includes, at the beginning of this sentence, the clause “having divided the gold into eight parts,” or perhaps “having combined it with the eight parts of gold.” The meaning is unclear.
The Skt. reads “thirty-petaled.”
“Gold jewel” probably refers to one of the “jewel” pills that were coated with gold in the rite described above.
The Tib. reads, “He should make a square maṇḍala using cow dung and cow urine, and then draw on it using a variety of colors.”
“For bali” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. offers the incomprehensible balikaṭīr˚.
It is a mystery what the “five baskets” are. The Tib. reads “five lotus baskets.”
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies what mantra it is.
It seems that this is the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight, i.e., the day of the new moon.
“And the dwellings they lead to” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “The gates to sixty-four thousand caves will open.”
The Tib. reads, “if he ties the jewel to his right knee and the right thigh.”
The Tib. reads, “If he keeps it in his mouth, he will learn a thousand verses every day. Simply by swallowing it, he will acquire an ocean of learning.”
Tattvasādhana literally means “accomplishing thatness.”
“In his Amoghapāśa [forms]” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tibetan translators interpreted this passage differently. In the context of the eastern direction, they read the word mukha, here translated as “the main form,” literally as “the face” and then understood only the “gestures” to be depicted in the remaining directions. This interpretation is unlikely, as neither the face nor the hand gestures could be “sitting in a cross-legged posture” as stated in the final line of the passage.
The last sentence has been translated from the Tib., as the Skt. is difficult to understand.
The Tib. reads “should fashion a lotus seat out of deodar wood that is roughly the diameter suitable to place the vase on. After placing the vase on it…”
Up to this point in the paragraph, the Tib. reads, “Around the center of the maṇḍala he should place incense, a variety of flowers and unguents, various bowls of offering water, and beautiful full jars, as well as many kinds of powdered incense. He should array whatever kinds of flowers and flower garlands he can afford and arrange sixteen exquisite butter lamps.”
The Tib. reads “sixty-two.”
The Skt. phrase maṇḍalatattva is ambiguous. The Tib. reads “bind the area.”
As the main rite that involves mantra recitation is performed on the day of the full moon, the vidyā holder should fast for five days prior to that day. The sentence beginning with “Sitting cross-legged” describes what he does on the day of the full moon.
The Tib. reads “one thousand and eight times.”
The feminine ending on “pitcher” (in the Sanskrit text) could suggest that the phrase “auspicious pitcher” (bhadrakalaśī) is intended as a proper name.
The Skt. reading bhadraghaṭa-śvete is very ambiguous. The Tib. does not reflect the part śvete, and it takes the “auspicious pitcher” (bhadrakalaśī) and the “auspicious pot” (bhadraghṭa) to be one and the same.
As before, the Sanskrit term bila suggests that these are passages leading to subterranean paradises.
This ointment enables one to see through solid objects and to see gods and other kinds of beings.
“Conches” and “khaṇḍika” are omitted in the Tib. The latter, literally “small fragments,” suggests small jewels or gems.
Unidentified.
“Coral” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Sanskrit text, this sapphire is called mahānīla, while the previous one, in the same list, was called indranīla.
“Clothes” appears twice in this list.
“In all [possible] forms” (viśvarūpam) is not reflected in the Tib.
The Tib. reads “Magical palaces, the emanations of buddhas, the emanations of bodhisattvas, and the emanations of Vajradhara…”
The musk, bezoar, and camphor are probably the same that he previously placed in the auspicious pitcher on top of the mustard seeds.
The Tib. reads, “He will become the master of all yakṣas, rākṣasas, and bhūtas.”
The Tib. reads “one thousand.”
In place of “great lotus,” the Tib. reads “many lotuses.”
The Tib. reads “he will be free from defilements and free from greed” instead of “the defilements of his envy and jealousy will completely disappear.”
This appears to be a reference to the mustard seeds that fill the auspicious pitcher.
Reading °tathāgatanayana° as °tathāgatānāṃ.
The Skt. is unclear, and thus this translation is conjectural; the feminine ending of “it” suggests that it could refer to awakening.
The Tib. reads, “If you do not focus your thoughts on other things, none of the tathāgatas will ever reproach you,” a translation that is grammatically impossible to derive from the extant Skt.
“Sovereign ritual” is a reference to the text of the AP.
Here the Tib. reads, “O Blessed One, please remain above my head. For what reason? O Blessed One, this divine body is not to be thought of as a human body. For what reason? O Blessed One, this essence of Amoghapāśa resides at the heart of the human body and in the inner mind.” This could be just a different interpretation of the same Sanskrit text.
“Lokeśvara” perhaps implies that their bodies are, just as all lokeśvaras, an emanation of Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads, “But Blessed One, beings are difficult to control, difficult to understand, difficult to fathom. They lack faith, are ensnared by envy, and abound with evil, vice, impurity (lhag ma), pollution (sbags pa), anger, and wickedness.” Of particular confusion is the Tibetan use of the terms lhag ma and sbags pa, which are translated only tentatively here. These terms roughly correspond to the Skt. ucchiṣṭānucchiṣṭa, translated as “pure and impure.”
“And make friends with me” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads “and talk with me.”
The Tib. reads “protector, last resort, refuge, and support.”
The Tib. reads the Skt. uttārayiśyāmi, not in the sense of “I will deliver” but rather as “make exalted.”
In place of “that you, a pure being,” the Tib. reads “that you, who have affection for beings.”
“Sovereign ritual” is here a reference to the text of the AP.
“Amogharāja” here seems to be another name of Amoghapāśa.
I.e., the accumulation of merit and the accumulation of wisdom.
It is not clear if the text refers here to a particular pill, ointment, or incense, or perhaps to any such objects employed in the amogha rites taught in this text.
“Padmapāṇi” seems to be here an epithet addressing Noble Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads, “Embracing those beings with compassion, they will bring about their liberation and grant them the [mantra] recitation.”
This “Maheśvara” refers to Śiva, whereas the previous one (in this list) refers to a supreme deity, probably of the Brahmā type.
The Tib. interprets sārthavāha not as a proper name but as “merchants and businessmen.”
The Tib. reads, “I will now pronounce the secret mantra of the great Amogha, the heart mantra, the dhāraṇī, and the samaya.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmapāśakrodha ākarṣaya praveśaya | mahāpaśupatiyamavaruṇakuberabrahmaveṣadharaḥ | amoghahṛdayapadmakulasamayāya hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā ||
Here the Tib. reads “summoned,” which makes little sense in context and is likely based on an attempt to modify a corruption in the Sanskrit text. The extant Sanskrit witness reads pūjā ākarti, which is an obvious corruption, and so it has been emended here to pūjāṃ kariṣyanti.
In place of “understand,” the Tib. reads “stable in.” Thus it is clear that the Tibetans read anupratiṣṭha where the extant Skt. has anupraviṣṭa.
From this point on, the Tib. interprets the term amogha as an adverb instead of an adjective as it did with the previous instances. This interpretation is grammatically possible, as amogha is certainly used adverbially in many places throughout this text.
“Worldly,” which in the conventional English usage would contradict “divine,” is here used in the sense of “non-soteriological.”
“To the right,” i.e., to Avalokiteśvara’s right.
In place of “with his body inclined” (avaśarīra), the Tib. reads “in his full body.” Possibly, the Tib. reading is a different interpretation of avaśarīra.
“As previously mentioned” refers to the implements held in the thirty-two hands of Noble Avalokiteśvara mentioned two paragraphs above.
It is not clear whether he is holding a lotus and a noose, or a noose made from a lotus stalk. The Tib. reflects the former.
The Tib. reads, “Noble Avalokiteśvara’s face radiates light rays.”
A sitting posture with one foot drawn in and the other slightly extended.
The “vidyā holder,” i.e., oneself.
It is not clear whether this number refers to the “blessed buddhas” or to the total number of figures in the maṇḍala.
Her position in the maṇḍala, as described in this sentence, indicates that Śrī is the “goddess of the maṇḍala” mentioned in the previous paragraph.
This is probably the dhāraṇī that begins with oṁ amoghapadmapāśakrodha, given earlier in the text at 2.878, which addresses the wrathful Amoghapāśa as the samaya deity of the lotus family.
The Skt. reads “any other boons.”
It is not clear what the power of prabhājāla is. The Tib. translates this term literally as the “lattice of light.”
The Sanskrit word for “underground,” pātāla, implies the subterranean paradises of nāgas and asuras.
In place of “archery” (dhanurvāda), the Tib. reads “lapidary.”
Reading vastrākrāmaṇa as vastrākramaṇa. The Tib. translates ākramaṇa as “casting away.”
The Tib. inserts “footsore” after “fistulas.”
The Skt. aṣṭādaśasahasreṇa is ambiguous, as it could mean “eighteen thousand” or “one thousand eighteen.” The Tib. understands it to be the latter.
Reading daśasahasrāṇi as daśasahasra. Here again it is ambiguous whether daśasahasra is “ten thousand” or, following the common Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit format, “one thousand and ten.” Only the latter option makes sense in context, however, as the number of recitations when the vidyā holder is practicing “day and night” is only “one thousand five hundred.”
The order is confusing here, but it seems that the eleventh day mentioned here precedes the next “day of the full moon,” i.e., the fifteenth, with “the next three days” being the intervening days between the eleventh and the fifteenth. The duration of the rite thus appears to be one month, from the fifteenth to the fifteenth.
The phrase “lotus pond” seems to be used here figuratively, as this “pond” is going to serve as the fire pit. In place of “he should dig a lotus pond,” the Tib. reads, “he should eat lotus hearts,” reflecting the reading padmasāraṃ khādaṃ kartavyam instead of the extant (here slightly emended) padmasaraṃ khātaṃ kartavyam.
The Tib. reads, “Into the appropriately sized maṇḍala he should offer one thousand and eight homas consisting of lotus roots, stalks, and flowers mixed with ghee.”
“Fragrant wood” most likely means sandalwood but could also be aloes or other types of wood.
The Skt. syntax could also be interpreted (as in the Tib. translation) to say that the lotus petals are to be used as fuel along with cedar wood.
The Tib. interprets aṣṭaśata as “eight hundred,” whereas it has been interpreted here, following the conventions of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, as “one hundred and eight.”
Jonesia asoka.
Again, the Tib. interprets aṣṭaśata as “eight hundred.”
The meaning of the Skt. text is unclear. The Tib. reads “the rite for revealing the abodes will be described.”
Here, again, the Tib. interprets aṣṭaśata as “eight hundred.”
I.e., the vidyā holder is facing east. “Facing west” is omitted in the Tib.
Once again, the Tib. interprets aṣṭaśata as “eight hundred.”
“Enriching,” i.e., classed as the activity of enriching (the second of the four types of activity).
The Tibetans, reading the Skt. vīrakraya in place of dhīrakraya, translated this to say “acquire at a good price.”
Interpreting, on the authority of the Tib., bhagavato [sic] āryāvalokiteśvarasya as two persons: “the Blessed One” and “Noble Avalokiteśvara.”
“On the day of the full moon” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads (speculatively), “Lifespans will double, even for those who have died and been reborn as animals.”
The Tib. omits “retinue” and reads “flying up to twenty times.”
In the Skt., there is an interpolation here, “he will become a sky traveler,” that seems out of context at this stage in the ritual.
I.e., the realgar gets hot, emits smoke, or bursts into flames.
Reading vasam ānayati as vaśam ānayati. In place of “[he] will bring [them] under his control,” the Tib. seems to reflect the verb mānayati and interprets the case of the preceding “yakṣas” etc. as instrumental, thus giving the reading “he will be venerated by yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, and bhūtas, who will provide for him anything he seeks.”
“Still air” probably implies that he moves onward without being propelled by wind.
In place of “flying with the personal retinue of one hundred,” the Tib. reads “flying himself up to a hundred times.”
The Tib. misread puṣpāṇi (“flowers”) as yuṣmāṇi, which is how it is transliterated in the Tib. This word has no meaning in Skt.
Unidentified.
Costus speciosus.
Jonesia asoka.
Unidentified.
The Tib. translates kanaka (which in context probably means “thorn apple”) as “gold.”
Unidentified.
Euphorbia neriifolia.
Viṣṇukrama must be a variant spelling or a corruption of viṣṇukrānta or viṣṇukrānti, which can be the name of several plants.
There seems to be some confusion here regarding the procedural sequence. Possibly the last two sentences are an interpolation, as the next paragraph again describes placing the listed substances in a copper vessel.
As there is no new list, these could be the herbs listed in the previous paragraph.
Unidentified.
The Tib. reads “the oil of brahmaputraka.”
Adding quicksilver, as described two paragraphs above, gives the mixture alchemical properties, making it into an elixir (rasāyana). The term rasāyana can itself mean quicksilver.
The Sanskrit term, vedhana (literally “piercing”), denotes an alchemical process of transforming base metals into gold or silver by applying quicksilver.
This probably implies dark blue (as indicated earlier on in the text).
Getting hot is the second of the three possible outcomes, which were, as specified a few paragraphs above, “blazing with light,” “getting hot,” or “radiating light of various colors.”
Treating through the process called “piercing” (vedhana).
“Silver” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. reads “copper” (tāmra).
Strangely, the Skt. uses here a different word for copper (śulba), the precise meaning of which may be different from tāmra in the alchemical context.
This passage is very unclear, and the translation is partly guesswork. The Tib. reads, “If [the vidyā holder] melts one thousand palas of copper, one pala of the supreme elixir, and ten palas of silver mixed with copper, the supreme elixir will turn into one thousand palas of silver. With one pala [of this], a thousand palas of copper will turn into silver.”
Instead of “one thousand and eight,” the Degé version of the Tib. translation reads, “one hundred thousand,” while the Choné, Kangxi, Lithang, and Yongle versions read “eight thousand.”
It is only during select intermediary eons that blessed buddhas appear.
The Tib. reads, “His current birth will be his last, after which he will be freed from womb birth.”
Mesua ferrea.
Asparagus racemosus, also called “wild asparagus.”
Michelia champaka.
The Tib. reads, “Then, after fasting for three days—either from the sixth to the eighth, the twelth to the fourteenth, or the thirteenth to the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight…”
The Tib. reads “until [the pill] produces a sound.”
The Tib. reads “one thousand.”
Michelia champaka.
Terminalia chebula.
It is not clear if pāṇi is meant literally (“hand/handful”?) or is the name of another ingredient. The Tib. suggests the latter, as it transliterates this word as panina.
The three metals are gold, silver, and copper.
In place of “on the full moon day, having fasted for three days,” the Tib. reads, “after not sleeping for three nights, from the thirteenth to the full moon.”
Prosopis cineraria or Acacia suma.
It is not clear if the Skt. is meant to be read as “ashes and mustard seeds” or “ashes of mustard seeds.” The Tib. reflects the former.
“And bhūtas” has been supplied from the Tib. It is missing from the Skt.
Unidentified, but attested in other texts, e.g., the Hevajratantra.
Unidentified.
Mahāvyādhi can also mean black leprosy.
Uragasāra and gośīrṣa are different varieties of sandalwood.
“Hear” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Yakṣa” is omitted in the Skt.
Grahas are beings who cause epileptic seizures.
In place of “circle,” the Tib. reads “manifold/variety,” possibly reflecting the reading amoghacitra˚ instead of the extant amoghacakra˚. The latter reading seems more likely in context, as cakra (“circle”) probably refers to the “circle of the assembly.”
There is a play on words in the Sanskrit text here, as the word for swinging/rotating (√bhram) is the same as the word for becoming confused.
As the number is not given, he probably repeats the king of vidyās once.
It is not clear whether the word “vomit” (√chṛd) is meant here literally or figuratively, i.e., whether the heart is supposed to come out of the corpse’s mouth or pop out of its chest. The Tib. uses the verb btsir, meaning “to squeeze” or “crush.”
In place of “will release [the vetāla],” the Tib. reads “will emit a sound.”
I.e., all the practitioners.
In place of “animals,” the Tib. reads “pretas.”
E.g., falling from a cliff or simply falling down. The Tib. suggests the former interpretation, as in place of “falling” it reads “abysses.”
In place of “hail and rats,” the Tib. reads “poisonous rats.”
The Tib. interprets darśana here not as “teaching” but as “seeing,” a standard translation of darśana but one not suited to this context. Because the maṇḍala of liberation is a dhāraṇī, it can be heard, memorized, or taught, rather than seen.
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) bhaga˚ as bhara. The Sanskrit text of the mantra quoted in the note has been emended accordingly.
The Sanskrit manuscript has sarvavyādhihara (“O remover of all diseases!”) repeated twice. The text of the mantra quoted in the note has been emended.
Skt. oṁ sarvatathāgatāvalokitapāśahṛdaye jvala jvala dharmadhātugarbhe cara cara mahāpadmabhuje dhara dhara mahāpāśadhare vara vara vararaśmiśatasahasrapratimaṇḍitaśarīre tara tara vipulatejadhare bhara bhara ṣaṭpāramitāparipūraṇe kala kala mahābrahmaveṣadhare mala mala sarvapāpāvaraṇamalakilbiṣanāśane dhuru dhuru bodhisattvaviśuddhe bhuru bhuru mahāsattvavatsale yamavaruṇakubere namaskṛte ’huru huru brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarakumāranandikeśvara·īśvaramaheśvaradevaputravanditanamaskṛte vividhamaṇimaulidhare · amitābhajinamakuṭadhare divyamaṇikanakavajravaiḍūryamarakaṭapadmarāgendranīladivyamuktikālaṅkṛtaśarīraśvetayajñopavītadharaḥ · jaṭāmakuṭamaṇḍitanavacandraracitapadmadharaḥ padmāsanapadmabhujatrilocanatriśūladharaḥ pāśadharaḥ sarvatathāgatābhiṣiktaḥ sara sara sarvapāpapraśamanakara mahākāruṇika turu turu sarvavaradāyaka bodhi bodhi sarvatathāgatāvalokitabodhimaṇḍāvalokite lokeśvaramaheśvara mahācintāmaṇidharaḥ · viśvarūpa mahāsaumyavadana mahākāruṇika budhya budhya bodhaya bodhaya bhagavan sarvatathāgatālokigarbhe mahāpuṇyatejadharaḥ pravarasiddhikara sarvavyādhihara sarvasattvadayāparaḥ sarvaduḥkhapramocakaḥ · mahākāruṇika namo ’stu te svāhā ||
The phrase “noose gaze” (avalokitapāśa, sometimes vilokitapāśa), here and in other contexts, possibly suggests that the magnetizing gaze itself constitutes the “unfailing” noose.
The dhāraṇī is omnifarious inasmuch as it manifests as the deity’s omnifarious body, for which the deity and the mantra are one and the same.
“It is the ultimate cure for every disease” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. interprets, in the last two clauses, the word amogha adverbially: “[the dhāraṇī] amogha-plants the seeds of goodness and amogha-causes [the vidyā holder] to partake…”
The Skt. inserts at this place a string of syllables, tha tha tha tha tha, the significance of which is unclear. These are not found in the Tibetan translation.
The contextual meaning of nidhāna (treasure trove?) is unclear. The Tib. translates it as “rituals,” or possibly reflects a different reading (sādhana?).
“The thirty-two palaces” seems to be a reference to the thirty-two abodes in the realm of Thirty-Three—these abodes are located on the four peaks of Mount Sumeru. The abode on the central peak, occupied by Indra, is not counted here. However, there seems to be some confusion here, because the realm of Thirty-Three is mentioned again in the same sentence.
The Tib. omits this line, which in the Skt. reads amoghatuṣitālayapraveśanam.
Literally “utterances,” one of the nine divisions of works in the Buddhist canon.
Literally “summaries,” this refers to a particular class of works in the Buddhist canon.
“Stories of past events” (itivṛttaka) are a class of works in the Buddhist canon.
The “marvels” constitute one of the divisions of the Buddhist canon.
At this point (A.77.b, line 2), the Sanskrit text jumps forward to A.78.b, line 2, because a section of text was shifted forward. At A.79.b, line 4, the text will jump back to A.77.b, line 2 (at n.1437).
In place of “evil,” the Tib. reads “bad destinies.”
The Tib. reads, “Good! It is good, O great being, that you taught the essence of this rare dhāraṇī, which is a magical transformation of the supramundane. It is the magical display of the entire host of tathāgatas and bodhisattvas and is renowned as the secret essence.”
The number jumps from Tv.169 to Tv.173 because of a misplaced section of text in the Sanskrit manuscript (see n.1441).
The dhāraṇīmaṇḍala is the maṇḍala of liberation that the dhāraṇī constitutes in itself. The Tib. interprets the Sanskrit compound dhāraṇīmaṇḍalavidhi as a copulative compound (dvandva): “the dhāraṇī, maṇḍala, and rite.”
The page number jumps forward here because of a misplaced section of text in the Sanskrit manuscript (see n.1427).
The “Lokeśvara” here is Avalokiteśvara.
The Skt. balābalena could also be interpreted “in their weakness and strength” etc. The Tib. reads “with strength and valor,” reflecting a different reading.
It is not easy to distinguish between the maṇḍala of liberation and the physical maṇḍala marked out on the ground that is associated with this rite and described later on. At this point in the text, it is more likely that the latter is meant.
Here ends the passage that is shifted forward in the Sanskrit manuscript; at this point the text jumps back to A.77.b, line 2 (see n.1427).
“Teaching” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear whether the grammatical subject of this sentence (the masculine pronoun eṣa) refers to the “dhāraṇī procedure” or “the Lokeśvara.” The Sanskrit syntax suggests the former, but the Tib. understands it to be the latter.
The reference here is to Avalokiteśvara, the chief Lokeśvara.
The page number here jumps back because of a misplaced section of text in the Sanskrit manuscript (see n.1430).
There is a figure of speech in the Skt. here. The phrase dhāraṇī-maṇḍala, because of the double meaning of dhāraṇī (which can mean “earth” or “dhāraṇī”), can be interpreted here in three different ways: (1) as the entire land of Jambudvīpa, (2) as the totality of beings there, and (3) as the circle of practitioners of the dhāraṇī. A few paragraphs further (at UT22084-092-001-2659), there will be the description of the maṇḍala drawn on the ground, adding to the range of interpretations.
The Tib. seems to translate the Skt. abhicchādana (“gift”), with etymological literalness, as “covered” (mngon par dgab pa).
The page number shifts back sequentially here because of a misplaced section of text in the Sanskrit manuscript (see n.1427).
The Tib. reads “bodies as numerous as the grains of sand in ninety-nine hundreds of millions of billions of Gaṅgā rivers.”
“Seat” (maṇḍa) is absent in the Tibetan translation.
In places of “feces and vomit” (gūthoḍīrṇa), the Tib. reads “chaff and charcoal,” reflecting a different reading.
The measurement referred to is not clear. The Skt. seems to read “excavate an area … the size of the human head,” but this is impossible, as the maṇḍala that will cover the excavated area is at least five cubits in diameter. The Tib. reads, “On that patch of ground, [the vidyā holder] / should dig to the depth equal to the size of a person.”
The Tib. reads “and color the dhāraṇī and maṇḍala red / or the color of saffron.” This reading is, however, unlikely, as the maṇḍala has not yet been drawn.
There is a play on words in the Skt. here, as bhūmi can mean “ground/earth” and also “level/stage.” To account for the two meanings, bhūmi in this clause could be translated twice, and the sentence interpreted as “this ground/level is the same as the level of the realized beings.”
In place of “five,” the Tib. reads “fifteen.”
Reading sumāptañ as samāptañ. In place of “smooth finish” (suślakṣṇasamāpta), the Tib. reads “extremely threatening,” which does not quite fit the context.
This line is “inner” in relation to the other two lines, but it is not clear where it is positioned in relation to the two concentric squares.
From this point, the page numbers appear in correct sequential order.
The Skt. nānāratnavimāna (a “structure of various jewels”) seems to refer here to the railing, or the veranda with the railing (vedikā), that in itself is a vimāna (“structure”) “made from various jewels.” This is consistent with the usage of this text, where vimāna can mean any artificial structure. The Tib., however, renders vimāna with its more common meaning as “palace.”
It is not clear if he should draw the temple-palace, or perhaps make a three-dimensional model of it.
The exact layout is not clear, but the “maṇḍala in the center” is probably the space opposite Vairocana, who is sitting between Śākyamuni and Amitābha.
The Tib. translates madhyasthānaviśāradam (“skillfully placing them halfway between”) as “in the middle is the Fearless One,” taking viśāradam as the name of a deity in the center of the maṇḍala. This, however, does not seem to make sense, as this passage is about the deities at the four sides of the maṇḍala.
“On the inside” (madhyasthānagate) is rather vague in this context. Possibly, the Four Great Kings are outside the corners while the four wrathful goddesses are positioned inside the same corners.
The page number marker jumps forward here because of a misplaced section of text in the Sanskrit manuscript (see n.1427).
This Maheśvara is the same as Śiva, whereas the previous one in this list is one of the Brahmās. He is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. has “Kubera” (lus ngan po) here.
It is not clear if the emblems listed next are meant to be those of the gods of Thirty-Three.
It is not clear what kind of a weapon tiryagdaṇḍa (“horizontal staff”) is, but the term is attested in Sanskrit literature.
The reading ˚ādarśanaṃ vakṣaṃ (“mirror,” “purse”) is problematic in Skt., and it appears to have also given the Tibetan translators trouble. The Tib. mi snang ba (“invisible”) suggests the Tibetans understood adarśana (literally “not visible”) instead of ādarśana (“mirror”). The term that follows, ’bag sha, is difficult to interpret, but when pronounced it sounds remarkably like the Skt. vakṣya, suggesting the possibility that the term was originally transliterated from the Skt. and then distorted through editorial revision.
The reading “vajra-square marked with vajras” is problematic. Possibly this phrase is meant to start a new list of emblems. The Tib. reads “a square marked with a vajra.” The preceding term, “vajra,” is understood to be a separate implement.
A nandikāvarta or nandyāvarta, literally “whirl of joy,” is similar to a svastika.
Khara could be “a quadrangular mound of earth for receiving the sacrificial vessels” (Monier-Williams). The Tib. renders this as “sacrificial vase,” perhaps pointing to a variant reading of karaka.
Paṭala could be a veil, a box, or other things. It is rendered into the Tib. as “woolen cloth,” the equivalent of the Skt. paṭa.
The Tib. reads “distinguished by their different features.”
The Skt. nāga should perhaps be translated here as “elephant” and interpreted as the four elephants that support the world, the chief of whom is Airāvaṇa, the mount of Indra.
In place of “wine” (madya), the Tib. reads “fish,” reflecting the reading matsya.
It is not clear whether it is the entire maṇḍala or the individual lotuses that are surrounded with the strings.
It is not clear what “crest banners” are, but the Tib. supports this reading.
In place of “clean, pure” (śucinā śuci˚), the Tib. reads “silken.”
In the Tib., it is a copper flower that is placed on the pot.
It is not clear if this lotus is the same lotus as the copper lotus just mentioned or is a different lotus.
The structure of the Tib. translation differs slightly from the extant Skt.: “All around the periphery of the maṇḍala, [the vidyā holder] should arrange sixty-four silver and copper vessels filled with fragrances, powders, ointments, flowers, and fruits, as well as offering water. He should also arrange sixty-four full iron pots, as well as sixty-four incense burners filled with flowers and plants. After he has arranged them, he should burn various kinds of incense. At the four gates he should arrange decorated vessels filled with offering water and adorned with silk. He should then erect sixty-four arrows festooned with banners and set upon rings of jasmine flowers. He should also decorate the maṇḍala with arrows resplendent with various colors and a variety of garlands of jewels.”
As the word maṇḍala is used, it is not clear whether this refers to a circular outer zone surrounding the main maṇḍala or to a separate maṇḍala. The first option is more plausible.
It is not clear if the text means “sixty-four pots, sixty-four jars, and sixty-four pitchers” or sixty-four vessels in total.
The Tib. reads “sixty-four round earthenware bowls.”
In place of this line of Skt., the Tib. reads simply, “He should [also] arrange sixty-four different kinds of bali.”
It is not clear what the “five colors” refers to, whether it is to the color of individual jars, the food in the jars, or perhaps the colored threads that are tied around them.
Beginning where this translation reads “The groups of sixty-four vessels,” the Tib. reads, “He should arrange sixty-four vessels of five different colors that are filled with various kinds of food, pour a variety of drinks, and arrange a variety of the five white bali.”
Amoghapāśa Sūtra is an alternative title of the AP.
In the Tib., the last two sentences read, “After reading the Dharma and bathing well, he should wrap himself in divine cloth and, now clean, dress in new clean clothes that are scented with various perfumes.”
The Tib. reads, “adorned with garlands of silk streamers.”
“White” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. identifies the period from the eighth to the fifteenth as the time in which the mantras mentioned in the next paragraph are to be recited.
The Tib. reads “recite” in place of “consecrate.”
The “maṇḍala of liberation that is revered by all the bodhisattvas” could be the first mantra given in the AP, near the beginning of the text (1.13).
“The heart mantra of the noose[-like] maṇḍala of liberation” possibly refers to the second mantra given in the AP (see 2.6).
It is possible that the “maṇḍala of Amoghapāśa” refers to the painting of Amoghapāśa erected in the “southern quarter” (see 2.1006 above) rather than the maṇḍala on the ground, which has not Amoghapāśa but Vairocana in the center. This seems to be confirmed by the reference to this “maṇḍala” as duṣyamaṇḍala (“cloth maṇḍala”) in the next sentence.
The Tib. dissolves the compound duṣyamaṇḍala (“cloth maṇḍala”) as two things, “the cloth [painting] and the maṇḍala.”
The Tib. reads “one thousand.”
The Tib. takes this to be two items, “hells and suffering.”
The Tib. reads, “I hold such a person as a tathāgata. Because he is both worldly and transcendent, I consecrate him with my head.”
The Tib. inserts here “They will be the foremost children of Noble Avalokiteśvara.”
In the Tib. this list begins with Agni (me lha).
The first Maheśvara in this list is Śiva, and the other is one of the Brahmās. The second “Maheśvara” is omitted in the Tib., possibly because the translators wanted to avoid what seemed to be a repetition.
In place of “bhūtas,” the Tib. reads “piśācas.”
The Tib. reads “intense poison” in place of “injustice.”
“Quarter pala” is supplied from the Tib. The Skt. just reads “part” (bhāga).
Akṣa could mean a die or an Elaeocarpus seed.
Prosopis spicigera or Mimosa suma.
Surabhi (“fragrant”) can be the name of several plant species and fragrant substances, including champak and Mimosa suma.
This is not completely clear, but possibly the “two-footed animals” are birds.
The part from “eliminates yakṣas” has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
Here and elsewhere in this text, the phrase amoghapāśamaṇḍalaṃ vimokṣamaṇḍalam can be interpreted and translated as both “the maṇḍala of liberation that is the heart essence of Amoghapāśa” and “the liberation-maṇḍala [dhāraṇī] that is a heart mantra of Amoghapāśa,” as this dhāraṇī (mantra no. 2) can be regarded as one of the heart mantras of Amoghapāśa.
The Tib. does not mention filaments.
Reading pātra˚ (“bowl”) as pattra˚ (“petal”). The text is very unclear at this point. The Skt. adds “five” after “sixteen,” which is open to many interpretations. Possibly, the vidyā holder places only five petals in the hole, which is surrounded by the sixteen petals, or “five” could perhaps refer to the number of colors used. The Tib. reads, “Inside it, he should place an elongated sixteen[-petaled] lotus decorated with various colors.”
The Tib. reads, “He should add four full silver dishes and four golden dishes filled with argha water for the feet.”
The Tib. reads “fragrances and flowers,” possibly reflecting the reading gandhapuṣpāṇi instead of the extant puṣpāṇi.
Amoghapāśa Sūtra is an alternative title of the AP.
It is not clear if the vidyā holder consecrates the pills or himself.
In the Tib., this mantra is named the maṇḍala of liberation of the blazing Amoghavilokita.
The number expected at this position is 200. However, to keep the numbering in parallel with the Sanskrit edition (Kimura 1998), this has been changed to 201.
Oṁ bhūr bhuva (also oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ) is the famous Gāyatrī mantra found in the Ṛgveda (3.62.10).
Skt. oṁ padmapāṇi dhara dhara padmabhuje jvala jvala hutāśane bhuru bhuru vimokṣabhuje daha daha sarvamalān amoghapāṇivarade hūṁ hūṁ | nirdaha pāpān śama śamani lokottāraṇi samantaraśmivarade turu turu pravara·amoghasiddhiḥ | oṁ bhūr bhuva namo ’stu te svāhā ||
“They will flee” makes sense insofar as fevers (jvara) are often personified as spirits.
In place of “if he casts the ashes against the wind,” the Tib. reads “if he smears the ash particles on the beak of a raven,” possibly reflecting a different reading or misreading the extant reading.
“Wind” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear if the vidyā holder needs to sprinkle the ashes in a circle outside the area to be protected or just around himself.
“Noble Avalokiteśvara” is probably the same as Amoghapāśa mentioned in the previous paragraph.
This gesture could be the same as the boon-granting gesture, as in mantra no. 210 later on (2.1059) this figure is referred to, inter alia, by the epithet varadapāṇi, the “boon-granting hand.”
“Noble Avalokiteśvara,” in his form as Amoghapāśa, is here the central figure in the painting.
The number thirty-two includes individual deities as well as classes of deities, such as the gods of Akaniṣṭha.
The Maheśvara mentioned in the previous sentence is Śiva, whereas this Maheśvara is probably one of the Brahmās.
Mahākāla, as he is mentioned here along with Nandikeśvara, is probably the wrathful aspect of Śiva.
Nandopananda could be one name; the Tib., however, takes it to be two: Nanda and Upananda.
The Tib. states that the gods from these realms “emanate various flowers and precious gems from their hands and hold various other implements.” In the Skt., this phrase belongs to the next paragraph, where it is used in a different context.
This line is omitted in the Tib.
The Skt. reads aṣṭamahābhayacaitya (“eight great fear caitya”). The word bhaya (“fear”) seems unnecessary and is not found in the Tib. translation, which instead reads “the eight great caityas arrayed in a ring.”
It is not clear if it is just Vajradhara who holds the whisk or if they both hold it.
The exact position implied by “to the right” and “to the left” in this sentence is not clear. The Blessed One is not one and the same. The one on the right, here worshiped by Avalokiteśvara-Amoghapāśa, is probably the same as the one described earlier as “approaching the seat of awakening,” and the one on the left, the same as the one “turning the wheel of Dharma.”
“The lotus” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. inserts here “He should refrain from using bad words and abandon any bad intentions.”
“Tathāgatas” has been supplied from the Tib.
In the Tib., “the Tathāgata Amitābha” belongs to the next sentence, where it replaces “this cloth painting.”
This phrase, which addresses Amoghapāśa, is a somewhat arbitrary rendering of the Sanskrit compound amoghāvalokitamahāmaṇḍalapadma.
“Accomplishment” (siddhi) in the vocative case could be a short form of the epithet amoghasiddhi (“unfailing accomplishment”), sometimes regarded as a deity in his own right.
Skt. oṁ amoghāvalokitamahāmaṇḍalapadme sarvabodhisattvanamaskṛte bhara bhara samantāvalokite amoghamahābrahmaveṣadharaḥ · dhara dhara mahākāruṇikaḥ · bodhaya bodhaya mahābodhani bodhi bodhi padmavibodhani sarvapāpāndhakārapraśamani sarvadurgatinivāraka mahākāruṇikaḥ · bahuvividhaveṣadharaḥ satathāgatagarbhāḥ · huru huru amoghagarbhe turu turu amoghapāśahaste muru muru vimokṣabhuje kṣiṇi kṣiṇi sarvāvaraṇaviśuddhe bhara bhara sarvatathāgataparipūrite tara tara tāraya · avalokaya padmabhuje maṇikanakavibhuṣitabāhu dama dama durdāntānāṃ mahābodhisattvavarada mahākāruṇika sarvadevagaṇanamaskṛta ṛṣigaṇastavitaḥ śatasahasracandrasūryātirekaraśmi-r-avabhāsita mahāpaśupativeṣadharaḥ paramaśuddhasattvaḥ · avalokite lokeśvara maheśvara paramakāruṇikamaṇḍaleśvara suprabuddha mahāpadmabhujeśvara mahāvidyādhareśvara dhira dhira mahādhira mahākāruṇika mahāmokṣamaṇḍaladhara sarvatathāgataguhyamudrasamayadhara mahābalaviryādharaḥ · mahāmaṇimaulīdharaḥ · amitābhamakuṭadharaḥ · dhuru dhuru samantāvalokeśvara maheśvara pāśadhareśvara para para paramamahāmaitrī · avalokitaḥ sarvasattvasantārakaḥ siddhi siddhy āśāparipūraka mahāvaraprada namo ’stu te svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ vīra vīra mahāmaṇḍalaviśvarūpaṣaṭpāramitāparipūrakaḥ sarvabodhisattvanamaskṛtaḥ paramavipulavimokṣadharaḥ · mahāpāśavilokita · amoghapāśajvalita mahājvālāvalokita mahāmaṇidīptadharaḥ samantāvabhāsitaḥ · jvala jvala mahāgambhīravimokṣapāśadharaḥ · balabodhyaṅgākarṣaka | oṁ brahmarūpamahāmoghapāśa hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ | sarvasattvavilokita varaprada namo ’stu te svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ vibudhya vibudhya vibudhya mahākāruṇika | tara tara tāraya mahārṇavapāram | mahābhuja vilokaya hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghapāśa mahādānapāramitām paripūraya hūṁ dara dara vividhavicitraiḥ sarvasattvopabhogasarvatathāgatamahādānapūjāmeghaiḥ pravartaya | tara tara tarāya mahāpadmapāṇi hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghaśīla sambhara sambhara bhara bhara mahāśuddhasattva padmavibhuṣitabhuja dhara dhara samantāvalokita hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ mahāvīryāmoghavilokite vara vara dṛḍhavīrya mahābala bala bala mahābodhyaṅga balabodhyani hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Reading kṣaṇa kṣaṇa as kṣama kṣama. The meaning of kṣaṇa (“a free state pregnant with opportunities”), however, could also be fitted into the context of this dhāraṇī.
Skt. oṁ amoghakṣānti sarvabodhisattvakṣamiṇa kṣaṇa kṣaṇa mahāmaitrīkaruṇāsattvavatsala mahākāruṇika sarvasattvakṣamiṇa hūṃ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ sarvatathāgatamahāmoghakaruṇādhyānasamādhiḥ sarvavimokṣa prakampya curu curu hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghamahāprajñāvabhāsa samantasphuraṇabuddhiḥ prasara prasara samantabuddhiḥ | avalokaya bhagavan prajñāvalokitacakṣuṣā mahāprajñāvaradapāṇi mahāprajñāpadmadhāriṇa bhuje hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
The Tib. reads, “He will develop the intelligence and wisdom of recollecting all the tathāgatas in the ten directions and the buddhas of the past, present, and future.”
Skt. oṁ amoghavimokṣamaṇḍalamahādbhutavimale dhara dhara dhiri dhiri mahādbhutakamala-m-amitābhamakuṭadharaṃ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
The reading maṇḍalakhātramantra (“mantra for digging the maṇḍala”) is not supported by the Tib. which instead reads,“In that maṇḍala, the vidyā holder should incant…”
In the Sanskrit there is a play on words here, as the level they are established on is called bhūmi, as is the protected area they are in.
In the Sanskrit text, sama sama is added alliteratively before samantena (“all around”). This alliteration would be difficult to replicate in English.
In the Sanskrit text, mala mala is added alliteratively before vimala nirmala. This alliteration would be difficult to replicate in English.
Svāhā is omitted in the Tib.
Skt. oṁ amogha drumalatāvṛkṣaśākhapatrapuṣpaphalaviṭapārohanadītaḍāgapuṣkiriṇyutsahradasundaraprasravaṇavividhavicitraṃ pariśodhaya padmabhuja | sama sama samantena parimaṇḍalaṃ pariśodhaya | mala mala vimala nirmala supariśuddhapadmopalipta | jalamalān viśuddha śodhaya śodhaya paramamahāśuddhasattva hūṁ phaṭ svāhā | namo tribhuvane hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
It is not clear how the compound candanapadmodakasarṣapa (“sandalwood–lotus–water–mustard-seeds”) should be dissolved. The Tib. reads “sandalwood, lotuses, and water and mustard seeds.”
The Tib. reads, “will be free of [the disorders of] bile, phlegm, and spit.”
The Tib. reads, “Those who clean their teeth with this water will greatly increase their recollection of the Buddha’s wisdom.”
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies what flowers; probably the flowers that were earlier sprinkled with ambrosia.
The Tib. reads “and will become pure in many ways.” The Tib. translation of ghrāṇa (“nose/olfactory organ”) is typically sna, thus it would appear that the accretion of scribal or editorial errors resulted in the current reading of the adverbial sna tshogs su (“various/many/manifold”).
Skt. oṁ amogha · amale ’trimale vimale nirmale divyapariśuddhe sarvamalopakarṣite mahābodhisattvavarade pravarapariśuddhe mahāmaṇiratnakāyapariśuddhe maṇi maṇiśodhani mahāmoghacintāmaṇiśuddhe hṛdayaśuddhe kāyanirmalamahāmaṇipariśuddhe huru huru pravarapāṇi mahābhujavarade turu turu mahāsattvavatsale pariśodhaya māṃ sarvapāpā suviśuddhamale svāhā ||
The Degé version of the Tib. reads, “He should then perform ablution using a white towel and drink [the mixture] seven times.” The Yongle, Lithang, Kangxi, and Choné read, “He should then [put] seven palas [of the mixture] in a lotus and drink it,” while the Stok version follows the extant Skt.
The Sanskrit kalpa can refer to both the entire text of the AP and the rite just described. The word “treatises” later on in the sentence makes the first option more likely.
The literal meaning of amoghapadma (“amogha lotus”) is significant here, as, metaphorically, it is perhaps the lotus that is meant to expand in all directions.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmavimale prasara samantamukhe svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghavividharūpavicitragandharasabharapravarabhuje svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghasamantaparimaṇḍalapāśabaddhe hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ amoghasamantadaśadigmahāsīmā[ṃ] bandhaya dhuru dhuru hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amogharakṣaṇapāśahaste bhuru bhuru svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghacūḍāmaṇi huru huru nāgapāśabaddhe hūṁ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amogharakṣā samantena mahāpāśe bhuru bhuru svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghajalavimale suru suru svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amogha·amṛtabindu cara cara svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghavidyāvastre curu curu svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghabhujakavacavarade ciri ciri svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghabrahmabhuje paryantena prasara svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghacūḍāmaṇipadme · abhiṣiñcaya mama sarvatathāgatābhiṣekair maṇi maṇi svāhā ||
The mantra has been emended here (on the authority of the Tib.) from dhare dhara to dhara dhara.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadma vasundhare dhara dhara dharaṇi maṇḍe hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ amoghasamantaparyaṅke bhuvanabhuve svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghasurabhipadme para para hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ amoghavividhagandhaprasaraiḥ puru pūrṇabhuje svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghavividhalepanapravare piri piri svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghagaganasphuraṇamayai dhūra dhūra hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ amoghaśuklarasarasāgrādhara vidhara hūṁ ||
The Skt. āhārabali (literally “food bali”) is rendered into the Tib. as “bali and food.” The word for food in the mantra itself is anna, which usually refers to staple foods, such as boiled rice.
Skt. oṁ amoghapravarānnavilokite kiri kiri hūṁ ||
Skt. (emended based on the Tib.) oṁ vividhāmoghaphala para para hūṁ || The mantra in the Sanskrit manuscript reads oṁ vividhāmogha-m-aghamala para para hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghādbhutagandhavare hūṁ ||
Oṁ is missing from the Sanskrit text.
Skt. oṁ amoghavividhamaṇibhūṣaṇavaravare jvala jvala hūṁ ||
The Skt. bhājana suggests cooking vessels and crockery.
Skt. oṁ amoghavividhabhājane jaya jaya svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghapravarabhavanabhuve thara thara svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghanamaskaraṇasarvatathāgatāñjali hūṃ ||
Skt. oṁ amoghacakre duru duru praduru svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghasamanta yāntu bhavane bhava bhava svāha ||
Skt. oṁ amoghacintāmaṇe prakarṣaya dhuru dhuru svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghanimantraṇavimokṣamaṇḍale mili mili svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghamahāraśmijvālasahasre jvala jvala samante svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghapāśahaste prasara | gacchasva bhavanam | visarjito ’si | sara sara | hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghapāśa bandha samantamahāsamayadṛḍhe hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amogha samante pravara sara sara prasara mahābhūteśvara dhiri dhiri hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
In place of “perish,” the Tib. reads “be pacified.”
Skt. oṁ padmabhuje padmakare padmavimale svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ padme supadme vimokṣamaṇḍalapadmabhuje svāhā ||
Most versions of the Tib. read “speech” in place of “secret.” This is likely a scribal error as “speech” (gsung) and “secret” (gsang) are orthographically similar. The Stok Palace version of the translation confirms this, as it has gsang in accord with the extant Skt.
Skt. oṁ amoghe vajrapadmabhuje mili mili svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇi maṇi mahāmaṇi padmamaṇi svāhā ||
Jali seems to be part of the word añjali, repeated for alliterative reasons.
Skt. oṁ amoghavajre mahāpadme ’ñjali jali sujali mahājali svāhā ||
The dual ending of “lotus” suggests that both hands are used.
The Skt. is very unclear. As this mudrā is based on the preceding one, the “hook-shaped” probably refers to the middle fingers. The Tib. reads, “This mudrā should be formed / [By holding] the vajra lotus at the heart / With the vajra formed perfectly / And the fingers [shaped] like hooks.”
Skt. oṁ amoghasiddhe sarvatathāgatasiddhe avalokaya siddhe mahāvipulasiddhe kuru kuru svāhā ||
“Lokeśvara” is here a title of Amoghapāśa.
Skt. oṁ avalokitamahāśuddhasattvaḥ sara sara samantāvabhāsakuṇḍaladharaḥ · amitābhamakuṭadhara jaṭāmakuṭanavavajrendumaṇḍita cara cara sambhara bhuvaneśvarapadmabhuje svāhā ||
The Tib. reads, “These seven mudrās reveal the fruit of the path of awakening that transcends the world. They are the teacher, the lord of the world constantly turning the wheel of Dharma of the world protector.”
The Skt. term darśana can be used either in the sense of “displaying,” as translated here, or “seeing,” which is how it was translated into Tib.
The Sanskrit manuscript uses a Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit spelling that would correspond to the classical avakiraṇa, which appears to be the same type of spirit. The Tib. has the equivalent of the Sanskrit term preṣaka here, which is another type of spirit being.
The “thirty-two abodes” seems to be a reference to the abodes in the realm of Thirty-Three—they are located on the four peaks of Mount Sumeru. The abode on the central peak, occupied by Indra, is not counted here.
“Thirty” is omitted in the Tib. “Thirty gods” is here a reference to the gods in the realm of Thirty-Three.
The Skt. uses the term sāṃnidhya (literally “closeness”) and, as this rite involves a mirror, the term probably implies the communion with Amoghapāśa via the mirror.
As the context of the following paragraphs indicates, the term lokottara, which often means “transcendent” or “beyond the world,” does not have such a soteriological sense here.
The “thirty-two abodes” seems to be a reference to the abodes in the realm of Thirty-Three—they are located on the four peaks of Mount Sumeru. The abode on the central peak, occupied by Indra, is not counted here.
“Lord of the World” (lokanātha) in this context is Amoghapāśa.
The reading paramocchiṣṭam is ambiguous. The Tib. reads “contaminated food.”
“Everything” perhaps refers to all the things described in the previous two paragraphs that the rite aims to accomplish.
Here we follow the Tib. in reading pūrayitavyam as pūjayitavyam. According to the Skt., the vidyā holder fills the figure with camphor and musk rather than offering them.
It is not clear whether he is consecrating the mirror or himself.
The Degé version of the Tib. reads “one hundred thousand,” while the Lhasa, Narthang, and Stok versions read “eight thousand.” The latter may be understood as the Tibetan interpretation of the attested Sanskrit aṣṭasahasra.
“In the inner area” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads “a lotus with eight petals.”
The Tib. reads, “In the middle of the lotus [he should draw] pistils and stamens.”
The layout is quite confusing; this is probably about the inner of the two zones delimited by the three rows of tridents, vajras, and lotuses.
Presumably at the corners of the outer quadrangle demarcated by the row of lotuses, the outermost of the three rows.
This is probably the outer of the two zones delimited by the three rows of tridents, vajras, and lotuses.
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. specifies whether the vidyā holder consecrates the mirror or himself.
It is not clear whether ˚maṇḍalamudrā˚ means “the maṇḍala and the mudrās” or “the maṇḍala-seal.” The Tib. opted for the former.
The assembly spoken of here must be the assembly of people in front of whom the vidyā holder is performing the rite, as described above in the paragraph that introduces the communion rite.
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) ˚bhagavana˚ as ˚bhagavato. “The Blessed One” here refers to Avalokiteśvara. The extant reading ˚bhagavana˚ (“pleasure groves”) also makes sense in this context.
The “maṇḍala of liberation of Amoghapāśa” probably refers here to the entire text of the AP.
It is not clear if the deity is the object here. The sentence could also mean “How should I enter, how should I bow, and how should I circumambulate?”
The negation is absent in the Tib.
The meaning of this line in the Skt. is not clear.
“Sovereign ritual” is a reference to the text of the AP.
This seems to be an inverse definition of the illusion-like samādhi as the heart-essence noose.
Reading dhāvanti as dhāvati. The verb √dhāv has a double meaning of “flowing” like water and reaching everywhere, and of “cleansing.”
The phrase “and so forth up to and including the ten-syllable mantra” indicates that the scribes of the manuscript have elided the part of the list of mantras that mentions wrathful, violent, and peaceful, and one-, two-, three-, four-, five-, six-, seven-, eight-, nine-, and ten-syllable mantras.
“Parasol” seems to refer to the “shape of the wheel” formed by the flowers cast by Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads, “They continued to worship the blessed Śākyamuni and the assembled retinue of Avalokiteśvara, filling the space with clouds of offerings.”
The term “maṇḍala,” synonymous with “maṇḍala of liberation,” seems to be used here with reference to the mantra that is going to be given next.
“Avalokita” could be taken as short for “Avalokiteśvara” or translated literally. The rendering here aims to account for both.
This introduction line is very unclear. “First maṇḍala” probably refers to the mantra given next, the first in the rite that follows, with the word “maṇḍala” standing for “maṇḍala of liberation.”
Because of the ambiguous syntax, this sentence could also be understood as “Homage to all the tathāgatas whose uṣṇīṣas are secret amogha maṇḍalas” etc.
The last two sentences are omitted in the Tib.
Cara has the meaning of “act!” or “move!” Here, however, it has been kept in Sanskrit for the sake of alliteration.
Kuru means “act!” Here, however, it has been kept in Sanskrit for the sake of alliteration.
Again, bhara means “carry!” or “bear!” Here, however, it has been kept in Sanskrit for the sake of alliteration.
“Vidyā holders” (vidyādhara) is more likely to refer here to the practitioners of the mantra path than to the class of semidivine beings of the same name.
Dhara means “wear!” or “carry!” Here, however, it has been kept in the original Sanskrit to preserve the mantric alliteration.
The phrase samantamaṇḍalāvalokita is open to interpretation. “Avalokita” could be taken as the short form of “Avalokiteśvara,” or translated literally. The translation here aims to account for both.
“Protected by my treasure trove of morality” is missing from the Tib. transliteration of the mantra.
It is not clear how Īśvara, Maheśvara, and Padmeśvara relate to one another in this phrase, whether they are one and the same or three different deities.
“Omniscient one” seems to be here an epithet of the Buddha.
Assuming that santati is here the same as cittasantāna.
In the language of the AP, this long dhāraṇī constitutes a “maṇḍala,” or a maṇḍala of liberation, as demonstrated in the next paragraph.
The following Skt. mantra has been emended to reflect readings taken from the Tib: oṁ padmoṣṇīṣavarada hūṁ | cara cara ciri ciri curu curu mahākāruṇika | ciri ciri piri piri ciri ciri paramakāruṇika | siri siri ciri ciri piri piri viri viri mahāpadmahasta | kala kala kili kili kulu kulu mahāśuddhasattva | ehy ehi budhya budhya dhāva dhāva kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi kuṇu kuṇu paramaśuddhasattva | kara kara kiri kiri kuru kuru mahāsthāmaprāpta | cala cala sañcala vicala · eṭaṭa · eṭaṭa bhara bhara bhiri bhiri bhuru bhuru mahāvimalapadmoṣṇīṣaviraja sādhaya hūṁ hūṁ ehy ehi mahākāruṇika mahāpaśupativeśadhara | dhara dhara mahāpadmoṣṇīṣadhara | sara sara sarvāvaraṇahara | cara cara sarvavidyādharanamaskṛta | hara hara sarvakilbiṣahara | hā hā hā hā hī hī hī hī hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ oṁkārabrahmaveṣadhara | dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru mahāpadmajvālādhara | tara tara sara sara para para padmapāśadhara | cara cara vara vara vararaśmiśatasahasrapratimaṇḍitaśarīrāya | jvala jvala tapa tapa bhagavatsomādityayamavaruṇakuberabrahmendra·ṛṣigaṇadevagaṇābhyarcitacaraṇa | suru suru curu curu puru puru muru muru sanatkumārarudravāsavaviṣṇudhanadadeva·ṛṣināyakabahuvividhaveṣadhara mahāpadmadaṇḍadhara pāśadhara | dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru thara thara ghara ghara yara yara lara lara hara hara para para para para cara cara vara vara mahāvaradāyaka samantamaṇḍalāvalokitalokeśvara maheśvara | muhu muhu muru muru muya muya muñca muñca bhagavann āryāvalokiteśvara | rakṣa rakṣa mama śīlākaraguptena sarvabhayebhyaḥ sarvopadravebhyaḥ sarvagrahebhyaḥ sarvajvarebhyaḥ sarvavyādhibhyaḥ | vadhabandhanatāḍanatarjanarājacorataskarāgni-r-udakaviṣaśastraparimocaka | kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi kuṇu kuṇu cara cara · indriyabalabodhyaṅgacaturāryasatyasamprakāśaka | tama tama dama dama sama sama sama sama mahātamo’ndhakāravidhamana ṣaṭpāramitāparipūraka | mili mili ṭaṭa ṭaṭa ṭhaṭha ṭhaṭha ṭiṭi ṭiṭi ṭhiṭhi ṭhiṭhi ṭuṭu ṭuṭu ṭhuṭhu ṭhuṭhu · eṇeyacarmakṛtaparikara | ehy ehi · īśvara maheśvara padmeśvara mahābhūtagaṇasambhañjaka mahāsiddheśvara | kuru kuru para para kaṭa kaṭa maṭa maṭa viśuddhaviṣayanivāsina mahākāruṇika śvetayojñopavīta ratnamakuṭamālādhara sarvajñaśirasikṛtamakuṭa mahādbhutakamalakṛtakaratala dhyānasamādhivimokṣāprakampa bahusattvasantatiparipācaka mahākāruṇika sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśodhaka sarvavyādhipramocaka sarvāśāparipūraka sarvasattvasamāśvāsaka | oṁ padmoṣṇīṣapāśahṛdayamaṇḍala namo ’stu te svāhā ||
The “eight levels” (aṣṭabhūmi) are the eight levels attained by śrāvakas that culminate in the state of a pratyekabuddha.
The Skt. is unclear regarding the location of the image, whether it is the lotus at the heart, the lotus at the navel, or perhaps the lotus that might have appeared on his right hand when he touched the lotus at the navel.
Here the Tib. reads “to be regarded as a guru by all beings.” The extant Tib. term bla ma, which would translate the Skt. guru, is likely a scribal error or deliberate revision of bla med, a close approximation of the extant Skt. term uttāra. This would suggest that the Tibetans originally read uttara in place of uttāra.
“Amogha family” could be referring to the subclass of Amoghapāsa and related deities within the lotus family.
Skt. oṁ amoghapāśahṛdayapadmoṣṇīṣa kumāraveṣadhara padmeśvara · āveśaya sarvāmoghakulasamayahṛdayā sarvasiddhi · amoghaṃ prayaccha | padma padma hūṁ hūṁ namo ’stu te svāhā ||
Reading śilākara˚ as śīlākara˚. The mantra cited below has been emended accordingly. The phrase “make me a receptacle of morality” is missing from the Tib. transliteration of the mantra.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmoṣṇīṣeśvara padmeśvara · āmantraya sarvatahāgatānām | amoghapadmoṣṇīṣasamayam ākarṣaya praveśaya sarvakarmasiddhiṃ prayaccha me śīlākaraguptena · avalokiteśvara hūṁ hūṁ mahāpadmoṣṇīṣabhuje svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ mahācaṇḍapadmeśvara vividharūpavikaṭapadmadaṃṣṭrākarālabhīṣaṇavaktra sarvaṃ duṣṭahṛdayān khādaya vighnān padmadhṛk ciṭi dhṛṭi hūṁ svāhā ||
Reading ˚ākamāya karma as ˚ākarṣaya. The mantra quoted in the note has been emended accordingly.
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmoṣṇīṣa mahāpadmapāśakrodha · ākarṣaya praveśaya mahāpaśupatiyamavaruṇakuberabrahmaveṣadhara mahācaṇḍavega·amoghakulasamayapadme hūṁ hūṁ ||
It is not completely clear what amoghahṛdaya (“amogha heart essence”) refers to, whether it is only the first of the Padmoṣṇīṣa mantras (mantra no. 256) or all of them.
This could be a reference to the second of the Padmoṣṇīṣa mantras, mantra no. 257.
This could be a reference to the third of the Padmoṣṇīṣa mantras, mantra no. 258.
This could again be a reference to mantra no. 258.
This could be a reference to mantra no. 259 (the first of the two Padmoṣṇīṣa-Krodharāja mantras).
It is not clear if the “princely general” (kumārasenāpati) is here a proper name or if it simply refers to Vajrapāṇi.
This could be a reference to mantra no. 260, where Amoghapadmoṣṇīṣa is invoked.
“Lord of the World” (lokanātha) is a common epithet for Avalokiteśvara and his emanations.
The Tib. reads “no human being.”
The term ātmabhāva (“individual existence”), when used with the adjective “entire,” probably refers to body and mind.
Skt. oṁ padmabhuje. There is a certain ambiguity here, as padmabhuja could mean “with lotuses for arms” (i.e., with arms like lotuses) or “with the lotus in his hand.”
Skt. oṁ padmāvalokite ||
Skt. oṁ padmajvāla hūṁ dhṛk ||
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇipadme ||
Instead of samanubaddha˚ (“bound to/closely following”), the Tib. reflects the reading samānubaddha˚ (“equally bound to”).
Skt. oṁ padmalocane huru hūṁ ||
The Tib. inserts here “You will successfully accomplish the activity of purifying the buddha realm connected with me.”
“The sūtra that includes the ritual instructions on the maṇḍala of Amoghapāśa” refers to the text of the AP.
This is the last number that corresponds with the published Sanskrit edition (Kimura 1998). The subsequent numbers of mantras, which will be in the part of the edition yet to be published, might correspond or might fall out of step with the numbers in this presentation.
Skt. oṁ padmoṣṇīṣavimale huṁ phaṭ ||
Reading pūrvam adhyavasānikam as pūrvamadhyāvasānikam. The Tib. dissolves this compound not as pūrva-madhyā˚ but as pūrvam adhyā˚ and arrives at a different translation.
The Degé version of the Tib. additionally describes this maṇḍala as “sovereign.” “Sovereign” is omitted in the Lhasa, Narthang, and Stok versions.
“Two” has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
The Tib. reads “sixty-two times one hundred thousand eons.”
The Tib. reads “eighty times ten thousand eons.”
The Tib. reads “ninety-nine thousand.”
“Perfect” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads virata (“ceased”?), which is difficult to fit into the context.
At this point the structure of the Sanskrit edition in Kimura 2015 changes to include two sections that record the same Sanskrit text. The first contains the critical apparatus and is followed by a second, edited version that does not. The page numbers given here refer to the second, edited passage. Because of this, some numbers in the page numbering sequence from this point on are skipped.
The “root mantra” referred to here is probably mantra no. 256, the first in the cycle of Padmoṣṇīṣa mantras.
I.e., rubbing his figure or image.
The name of various plants, including cobra’s saffron (Mesua ferrea).
It is not clear if the title Amoghapāśahṛdayasūtra (The Sūtra of the Heart Essence of Amoghapāśa) refers here to the entire text of the AP or just what we call here “part 1”; it is more likely the entire text. This title, along with its variants such as Amoghapāśakalpa (The Manual of Rites of Amoghapāśa) or Amoghapāśahṛdayakalpa (The Manual of Rites That Are the Essence of Amoghapāśa), occurs throughout the entire text.
The Tib. reads, “draw a lotus using powder.”
The text does not specify how the yakṣiṇī image, the maṇḍala, and the lotus are arranged in relation to one another. The most likely arrangement is that the maṇḍala, daubed with cow dung, surrounds the image and is itself fringed by the lotus petals where the bali offering is to be placed. The Tib. reads “bali offering made of powder that resembles a lotus.”
“Mustard seeds” has been supplied from the Tib.
I.e., she will provide him with wealth.
The Tib. reads “seven.”
In place of “rubbing [the image],” the Tib. reads “rubbing the head of the goddess Śrī.”
Vanavivara (“forest opening”) could also mean “forest clearing.”
“The devas together with their lord” is a reference to Indra and the gods from the realm of Thirty-Three.
In place of “deep blue,” the Tib. reads “white.”
It is not clear how the vidyā holder’s body will resemble an elephant’s forehead.
It is not clear whether gokula is a proper name (as it could be the name of Kṛṣṇa’s home village) or is meant literally as a “herd of cows” or the like.
Referring to the bindi.
It is not clear who the epithet “lord of the world” refers to in this context.
Following “falling rocks,” there is some variation among the different Tib. versions of the text. The Degé reads “lightning, oxen, and snakes,” the Lithang and Chone versions read “lightning, cold, and snakes,” the Kangxi has “heat, cold, and snakes,” and the Stok has “lightning, cold, wind, and snakes.”
Neither the Skt. nor the Tib. provides any clues regarding the relationship between the amulet (maṇi), the bindi, and the circle (cakra). The amulet, in this case, is probably made from the same incanted substance as the bindi. Presumably, the same substance is also used to anoint the circle. It is not clear what the “circle” is; it could refer to one’s own army, the energy vortices on one’s body, or some kind of mystical diagram.
The text does not seem to specify what kind of pill, but presumably it is a pill made from the same incanted substance that the bindi was made from.
Although this is not completely clear, it seems that the vidyā holder performs the ritual for a couple or woman who wants to conceive.
“Maṇḍala” is omitted in the Tib., which instead reads “arrange many balis using the three ‘white’ foods.”
“Lamps” (dīpa) is omitted in the Tib., which instead reads “burn divine (divya) incense.”
The Tib. interprets this half stanza as “He should drink this secret drink / And then immediately take his food and drink.”
Udāna and nidāna are divisions of Buddhist scriptures.
As of April 2018, this is the last reference to the Sanskrit edition published in Kimura 2015.
From this point on the text was translated directly from the Sanskrit manuscript held at the China Library of Nationalities.
The ultimate remedy must be referring to the substance described in the previous paragraph. The subsequent paragraphs indicate that it has the form of a pill or pills (guḍikā).
Unidentified.
The name śāmakukṣī suggests a remedy for stomachache.
Unidentified.
Costus speciosus.
Unidentified.
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Acacia sirissa.
Unidentified (literally “nasal white”). The Tib. reads “white sandalwood.”
It is not clear which mantra it is, possibly mantra no. 257.
In place of “one thousand and eight,” the Tib. reads “eight hundred.”
Possibly mantra no. 258.
It is not clear whether the vidyā holder is supposed to consecrate these ingredients or himself.
This is possibly mantra no. 261 above.
The Sanskrit manuscript is unclear at this point and includes a description of the size of the pill that is missing from the Tib. altogether.
Unidentified (literally “lion’s tongue”). It is rendered phonetically in the Tib.
“Hand” is the Tib. reading; the Skt. reads “foot.”
This sentence has been in part reconstructed from the Tib., as the Skt. includes a string of two or three unidentified words.
“Will be visible, but the pitcher will not” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. seems to be saying “will be visible, and it will appear to increase.”
“Great treasury” is the Tib. reading. The Skt. mahārājñam(?) seems corrupt.
“Gold” is omitted in the Tib.
“Scented” is omitted in the Tib, which instead reads, suspiciously, “cow oil” (ba’i til ma). This is likely a case of dittography, as the Stok Palace version does not include “cow” (ba).
These passages (bila) are fissures in the ground that lead to the subterranean paradises of nāgas, asuras, etc.
This sentence is omitted in the Tib. Instead, the Tib. reads, “He will not be enveloped by water.”
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., sarvanaiśvarya˚ as sarvānaiśvarya˚ (=sarva-anaiśvarya˚).
Attracting or summoning (ākarṣaṇa) is an activity related to enthralling (vaśīkaraṇa).
In place of “suppress,” the Tib. reads “liberate,” and it omits “vighnas” from the list.
It is not clear whether “supreme dancer” (nartakavara) describes Pāñcika or is an independent figure.
Prosopis spicigera or Mimosa suma.
Unidentified.
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
It is not clear what type of wind a vairambha is. The Tib. transliterates this word as verambha.
Unidentified (the name means “intoxicating berries”).
Unidentified.
It is not clear what the three types are.
Unidentified.
A domain, i.e., a territory where one can rule.
The three spices are, possibly, black pepper, long pepper, and ginger.
It is not clear if kāmarūpī should here be interpreted as a proper name (Kāmarūpī/Kāmarūpiṇī) or a class (a kāmarūpī/kāmarūpiṇī).
Prunus mahaleb.
“Uraga” is omitted in the Tib.
In place of “dry ginger,” the Tib. reads “various medicines.”
The text does not specify which of the Amoghapadmoṣṇīṣa mantras is meant. The main one, mantra no. 256, seems too long to be recited, as the instructions in the next paragraph require, one thousand and eight times. The next best guess seems to be mantra no. 257.
The Tib. reads, “He will be fearless, be granted power, see his pleasures increase, possesses the happiness of a king, and grant boons wherever he goes.”
Terminalia arjuna, or arjun tree. “Arjun flowers” is missing from the Tib.
The bones of this fish are so light that they float, hence their Sanskrit name “ocean foam” (samudrapheṇa).
Unidentified.
Suvarṇa can be the name of many plants, including thorn apple and arjun tree.
The mantra must be “the vidyā of Amoghapadmoṣṇīṣa” mentioned in the previous paragraph, but it is not clear which mantra is meant.
Reading añjanajanaṃ as añjanam. The Tib., however, reflects the unemended reading, treating the second jana as “people.”
It appears that the incanted preparation is applied here in three different forms: body ointment, eye ointment, and powder.
King Candraprabha giving away his own head is an allusion to the story found in several Buddhist texts, including the Divyāvadāna and the Damamūka Sūtra (Toh 341).
The reading “twin palaces” or “twin chariots” (yamakavimānāni) is uncertain. This is not reflected in the Tib., where the corresponding phrase reads “unusual and unfathomable.”
In place of “castor oil” (gandharvataila), the Tib. reads “scented oil,” reflecting the reading gandhataila.
The meaning of ˚katthe could not be determined, and the Skt. phrase kaṇṭhakatthe mātrayā is unclear. The translation here reflects the Tib.
The Skt. prajāna˚ is ambiguous. The Tib. reads “vigilance,” which seems to reflect the Skt. saṃprajanya.
Both the Skt. and the Tib. insert here “four cubits” (yugamātra˚), suggesting the presence of some aura.
Reading addhānaṃ (=ardhānaṃ) as antardhānaṃ. Both the Skt. and the Tib. are unclear. This is followed by “he will display meditative concentration,” where dhyāna could simply be a corruption of dhāna in antardhāna.
The “fourfold knowledge” (cāturvidya) is the knowledge of religion (dharma), business (artha), sensual enjoyment (kāma), and liberation (mokṣa).
Following the Tib. yid ldan (Skt. manasvin). The Skt. attests to mānuṣa.
“Flower Palace” (puṣpakavimāna) is the name of the palace of Kubera and that of Rāvaṇa.
This segment beginning “they will approach…” is repeated twice in the Skt.
The order here is somewhat different from the standard version of the Buddha’s life, where Māra became disturbed and upset by the Buddha’s composure before the latter attained awakening.
The Sanskrit sthāna can mean “place” (both literally and figuratively) and also a state of being, or the continuous abiding in a particular state.
Viśārada can mean “competence/skill,” or in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit “fearlessness.” The Tib. takes it to mean the former.
Both the Skt. and the Tib. lists the rākṣasas twice.
The Tib. understands “one cubit and a half” to be the length of the measuring thread rather than the height of the maṇḍala: “He should measure and set it using a measuring thread that is one and a half cubits long.”
It is not clear if the first lotus is the same as the lotus that Amoghapadmoṣṇīṣa is sitting on. They are probably not one and the same, as the first one is fully open (phullita), and the other half open (ardhavikasita).
Michelia champaka.
This row is “inner” in relation to the other four rows described next.
Michelia champaka.
It is not clear how the six types of flowers are distributed along the three lines. Adhimuktaka is unidentified.
After “incense holders,” the Skt. inserts “inside the maṇḍala,” which is omitted in the Tib.
Trigonella corniculata.
Shorea robusta.
Jaigha and vallika are unidentified ingredients.
The Tib. reads, “He should bind the auspicious pitcher and adorn it with a lute, fine clothes, ornaments, and decorations.”
Sweets made with cardamom and black pepper.
The Tib. seems to reflect the reading mudga (“black gram,” Phaseolus mungo) instead of the attested modaka (“candies”). Both readings are possible, as black gram is often used in Indian sweets.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
The Skt. reading stahā is unintelligible, thus snuhā (Euphorbia neriifolia) follows the Tibetan.
In Sanskrit, the words for “fruit” (phala) and “flower” (puṣpa) begin with p.
The name maṇḍalaka suggests buns, doughnuts, or any round pastries.
Vetiveria zizanioides.
It is not quite clear whether this is about scented rice grains or rice cooked with aromatic spices.
This particular bali is called “personal bali” (ātmabali) because it is offered for one’s own benefit.
It is not clear if this is still about the personal bali, or bali in general.
The diseases caused by nāgas are different types of leprosy and skin diseases.
Rather than the Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit spelling of dveṣa (“hatred”), the Tib. takes ˚doṣa to mean “fault,” which is also a plausible reading.
It is not clear if the second “create the protective boundary” is a mere reiteration or if the boundary is created twice.
The Skt. padmapāśa˚ could also be interpreted as “lotus noose.”
The “pure Amoghapāśoṣṇīṣa” possibly refers to mantra no. 256, the mantra of Amoghapāśa-Padmoṣṇīṣa.
The Tib. adds, “and be surrounded by rays of light.”
It is not clear whether padmoṣṇīṣa here denotes a “lotus uṣṇīṣa” or is a proper name, Padmoṣṇīṣa.
The reading kaṇṭhamātrā[sic]makuṭadharaṃ (“neck-size-diadem-wearing”) is unclear. The Tib. interprets it as “wearing a diadem that reaches down to his neck.”
I.e., the other half is submerged.
Perhaps to the right of Tārā.
Perhaps below Avalokiteśvara, to preserve the symmetry of the array.
This could be to the left of Pāṇḍaravāsinī, i.e., the far left of Avalokiteśvara.
To preserve the symmetry, Dūtī could be behind Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads, “Beneath sit Yama, Varuṇa, Kubera, and Kumāra bathing on lotuses. They sit with one leg drawn in and the other outstretched.”
The “Lord of the World” here is Avalokiteśvara.
The last clause is repeated twice in the Sanskrit text.
The Tib. adds “pretas” after the “wicked rākṣasas.”
Here we follow the Tib. reading of “thumb” instead of the Skt. “middle finger” (jyeṣṭhā).
The Tib. reads “divine clothes.”
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) sama˚ as samaya˚.
It is not clear what is meant by “remaining” (sthāna) or “staying put.”
The “ten mantras” are probably the mantras, nos. 261—270, that establish the reciter on the successive bodhisattva levels, from one to ten.
The second clause of this sentence is repeated twice in both the Skt. and the Tib.
The grammar of this clause is not clear. The translation here presumes that “the three mudrās” are the three mudrā variants just taught.
“The tathāgatas of the three times” is repeated twice in the Sanskrit text.
Skt. oṁ amoghahṛdayapadmoṣṇīṣa · ākarṣaya sādhaya bhara sambhara mahāpadme svāhā.
In place of “inciting,” the Tib. reads “dismissing.”
Skt. oṁ padmoṣṇīṣāmoghamaṇḍale hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padmaśikhare hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padmoṣṇīṣāmoghajale hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ vimalaśuddhe hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ saṃcchādaya padme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ mili mili śuddhe hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padmoṣṇīṣa · amogha·abhiṣiñca · ātmaśuddhe hūṁ ||
The Tib. inserts another six mantras, rendered in transliterated Skt., between mantra no. 278 and no. 279. In this list they are given nos. 278a–278f.
Skt. oṁ padmakavace dṛḍha[ṃ] bandha hūṁ jvala svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ vajrādhiṣṭhānapadme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ jvalapadme dhara dhara hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padma·āśraya rahu cala cala hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ divyapadme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padma · amoghasaṃvaraṇī svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ padmagandheśvari hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padmaprakīrṇe dharaṇisame svāhā ||
In place of “mustard seeds” (sarṣapa), the Tib. reads “flowers.”
Skt. oṁ padmajale sugandhāvati hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ śuklavare rasāyanaśuddhe hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ suru suru kumbhavati svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ padmāśṛṇi sādhaya hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ phalaviśuddhe pravara hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ pravara puṣpe jaya svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ jvala jvālaya rasasāgriṇi hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ padmadīpaya jvala hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samapadmabhuvane prasara hūṁ || The Tib. reads shusara instead of prasara.
Skt. oṁ padmoṣṇīṣa · amoghamuni hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ cakramaṇḍale samantapadme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantaprakīrṇapadme saṃstara hūṁ ||
In place of “lotus,” the Tib. reads “flowers.”
Skt. oṁ padmasamayoṣṇīṣa mahāmoghasamaya hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantasādhāraṇapadme hūṁ phaṭ ||
Skt. oṁ aparimitajvalapadme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ śatasahasrajvalitapadme dhara dhara hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantadarśanapadme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantarakṣaṇipadme hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantamerudṛḍhasthire hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantajvālāmālāgarbha jvala jvala mahāpadmajvale hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ dhuru dhuru prasāra dhūsarimantre svāhā || It is not clear how the word mantre at the end of this mantra should be translated.
The Tib. inserts another mantra after this one, here numbered 301a.
Skt. oṁ samantaprajvalite buddhe samaya hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantāvalokitaguhye vāyujave padme vegini svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ śubhāstradhāriṇi padmaje hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ samantākarṣaṇi prasaraguhye hūṁ ||
Skt. oṁ namo tribhuvaneśvarāya | lokeśvara maheśvara dhara dhara samantāvalokitaguhye | āgaccha bhagavan vīra vīra mahāvīra maṇikanakavajre vaidūryamarakaṭapadmarāgendranīlamahāmuktikāvibhūṣitaśarīramahāpadmabhujaḥ · amoghapāśadharaḥ samantāvalokitaḥ · varada varadāyaka jvala jvālā samantāvalokitaḥ | āgaccha gaccha bhavanaṃ śīghram | samayam anusmara vividhaveṣadharaḥ | yamavaruṇakuberanamaskṛtaḥ · ehi bhagavan śīghram āgaccha | sarvavidyāmaṇḍalasamayam anusmara | darśaya svarūpaṃ vividhatejadharaḥ | samantajvālāgarbhaśarīraḥ | mahākāruṇikasaumyamukhaḥ paripurṇacandramaṇḍalamukhaḥ · navacandrajaṭyadharaḥ · amitābhamakuṭadharaḥ · mahābrahmaveṣadharatrilocana·amoghavaradaḥ | suru suru mahākāruṇikaḥ padmapāśāvalokitaśuddhasattvavaradāyaka namo ’stu te ||
Mahiṣākṣa (“buffalo eye”) is a species of bdellium.
Probably, the Avalokiteśvara in the painting as described above.
One can only guess what the meaning of this sentence might be. The phrase daṣṭam adaṣṭam (“bitten and not bitten”) occurs four times in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (in the part of the text that is not part of the Tibetan canonical translation) in the same ambiguous context as it does here. As this seems to be a stock phrase used in the context of snakebites and refers to invoking or summoning, it could be indirectly referring to snake spirits that are being summoned regardless of whether they inflicted a bite wound or not.
Presumably before his image.
“Protect him” is omitted in the Tib.
The Skt. ˚padmabhuje could also be interpreted as “with a lotus in [your] hand.”
Skt. (with some emendments based on the Tib. transliteration) oṁ amoghapāśapadmoṣṇīṣa tara tara · avataratu bhavan gaccha svabhavanaṃ turu turu mahāpadmabhuje svāhā ||
This section began with the line, “Now I will teach the secret mantras that bring about the supreme accomplishment” (2.1327), just prior to mantra no. 271 above.
With the designation as Amoghatārā, it clear that this vidyā is Tārā herself in her amogha (“unfailing”) aspect. This reflects the essential idea that mantra and deity are always one and the same.
The text might be corrupt here, as Śākyamuni is replying to the question that Tārā addressed to Avalokiteśvara. The reading “Śākyamuni,” however, is corroborated by the Tib.
Skt. oṁ tāraṇi tāraṇi tāre padmavibhūṣitatāre maṇikanakavicitritamāle jaṭamakuṭamaṇḍitapadme dhuru dhuru | padmapāśabhuje · amoghapāśahaste tāraya | bhagavati mahāsiddhi varade turu turu | mahātāraṇi (emending ghādāraṇī based on the Tib.) varade sādhaya sādhaya | siddhe · amoghavarade svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ amoghapadmini tāre svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ maṇitāre hūṁ ||
It is not quite clear whether “mantra” here refers to the above three mantras as a set, or just the last of them. The context seems to indicate that it is all three, but the epithet “heart essence of the great jewel” suggests that it is the last mantra, where Tārā is addressed as Maṇitārā (“Jewel Tārā”).
The “three great jewels” is probably a reference to the three mantras above.
In place of “intellect” (buddhi), the Tib. seems to reflect the less likely reading of “buddha” (buddha).
The Tib. reads, “He will realize the samaya of the roots of virtue of all tathāgatas and will seek the samaya of the great, secret maṇḍala until his final [attainment of buddhahood] at the seat of awakening.”
“Essence” (Tib. ngo bo) has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads mudrā, which seems incorrect as mudrā would then be unnecessarily repeated twice. The Tib. reading is correct contextually, as the first thing that is taught is the king of vidyās itself, which indeed constitutes the “essence” of the rite and instructions.
The rite that will now be taught includes a number of maṇḍalas, each one fulfilling a different purpose.
In place of “all former tathāgatas,” the Tib. reads “I.”
The Sanskrit text repeats “was blessed” at this point in the sentence.
After “head mudrā,” the Tib. inserts “añjali gesture”; this, however, is included at the beginning of the list.
The list must be corrupt in places, as the number of gestures displayed and implements held exceeds the number of hands.
Unidentified.
Michelia champaka.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Reading (provisionally) ˚rova˚ as ˚roca.˚ This is probably the same as rocaka, the name of a celestial flower. This name is translated into the Tib. as “one with beautiful color.”
The Tib. reflects the reading sumanyaka.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Gandha can be the name of several plants.
Priya can be the name of several plants.
Unidentified.
Butea frondosa.
Keśara/kesara can be the name of several species of plants.
Unidentified. This name is transliterated into the Tib. as marandaka.
Unidentified.
Vimala and vipula seem to be listed twice.
Tejovatī can be the name of several plants, including the toothache tree (Zanthoxylum alatum).
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Sumanas and yūthika are species of jasmine.
Unidentified.
This sentence is repeated in the Sanskrit text twice.
The Tib. understood samyaggata (“gone auspiciously”) as “perfectly realized,” and samyagpratyutpanna (“auspiciously arisen”) as “well established.”
In place of “master of generosity,” the Tib. reads “of great intelligence.”
The Tib. reads, “Homage to those great sages and those sublime hosts of noble ones.”
This phrase is somewhat ambiguous; maṇḍala here could refer to a particular cycle or group of vidyās, e.g., the amogha vidyās, or the totality of vidyās. This sentence is missing from the Tib.
In place of ciri ciri, the Tib. reads (in transliteration) viri viri. The letters ca and va are easily confused in manuscripts.
Vara has a number of meanings in Sanskrit. Here the phrase vara vara is alliterative with the following vararaśmi (“lovely rays”); it has been, however, transliterated into the Tib. as bhara bhara.
“Protect me and all beings” (rakṣa māṃ sarvasattvāṃś ca) has been supplied from the Tib., supplanting the Sanskrit manuscript reading “protect those who guard their treasure trove of morality” (rakṣa śīlākaraguptasya). The Tibetan reading is corroborated by the other two occurrences of this mantra in the text (mantras no. 1 and no. 167).
King’s villains or thieves (rājacora) could be a reference to tax collectors or other oppressors in service of the king.
In place of sama sama masa masa, the Tib. reads śama śama sama sama.
Skt. oṁ cara cara ciri ciri curu curu mahākāruṇika | ciri ciri piri piri ciri ciri mahākāruṇika | siri siri ciri ciri piri piri ciri ciri mahāpadmahasta | kala kala kili kili kulu kulu mahāśuddhasattva | ehy ehi budhya budhya dhāva dhāva | kala kala kili kili kulu kulu paramaśuddhasattva | kara kara kiri kiri kuru kuru mahāsthāmaprāpta | cala cala sacala vicala | eṭaṭa · eṭaṭata | bhara bhara bhiri bhiri bhuru bhuru | ehy ehi mahākāruṇika | mahāpaśupativeṣadhara dhara dhara | sara sara cara cara hara hara | hā hā hā hā | hī hī hī hī | hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ | oṁkārabrahmaveṣadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru | tara tara sara sara para para cara cara vara vara vararaśmiśatasahasrasupratimaṇḍitaśarīrāya | jvala jvala tapa tapa bhagavan somādityayamavaruṇakuberabrahmendra·ṛṣidevagaṇābhyarcitacaraṇa | muka muka cuka cuka puru puru muru muru | sanatkumārarudravāsavaviṣṇudhanadadeva·ṛṣināyakavināyakabahuvividhaveṣadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru | thara thara ghara ghara yara yara lara lara hara hara mara mara para para cara cara vara vara varadāyaka | samantāvalokitavilokitalokeśvaramaheśvara muku muku muru muru muya muya muñca muñca bhagavan āryāvalokiteśvara | rakṣa rakṣa māṃ sarvasattvāṃś ca sarvabhayebhyaḥ sarvopadravebhyaḥ sarvopasargebhyaḥ sarvagrahebhyaḥ sarvavyādhibhyaḥ | vadhabandhanatāḍanatarjanarājacorataskarāgnyudakaviṣaśastraparimocaka kaṇa kaṇa kiṇi kiṇi kuṇu kuṇu cara cara | indriyabalabodhyaṅgacaturāryasatyasamprakāśaka tama tama dama dama sama sama masa masa | mahātamo’ndhakāravidhamana ṣatpāramitāparipūraka mili mili ṭaṭa ṭaṭa ṭhaṭha ṭhaṭha ṭiṭi ṭiṭi ṭuṭu ṭuṭu ṭhiṭhi ṭhiṭhi ṭhuṭhu ṭhuṭhu | aiṇeyacarmakṛtaparikara ehy ehi | īśvara maheśvara mahābhūtagaṇabhañjaka kuru kuru para para kaṭa kaṭa maṭa maṭa | viśuddhaviṣayanivāsina mahākāruṇika śvetayajñopavīta ratnamakuṭamālādhara sarvajña śirasikṛtamakuṭa mahādbhutakamalakṛtakaratala dhyānasamādhivimokṣāprakampyavajrasattva santatiparipācaka sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśodhaka sarvavyādhipramocaka sarvāśāparipūraka sarvasattvasamāśvāsaka namo ’stu te svāhā ||
Skt. oṁ brahmaveṣadhara dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru samantajvālāmogha hūṁ ||
The “all-inclusive tathāgata family” probably refers to all tathāgata families at once, namely the tathāgata, lotus, vajra, and jewel families.
“In the ten directions” is omitted in the Tib.
In place of “carpets” (āstaraṇa), the Tib. reads “ornaments,” reflecting the reading ˚ābharaṇa˚.
“Vast reserve” is a somewhat free translation of the Skt. sthānapaṭala, a compound that could be interpreted in a variety of ways. The Tib. connects the term with the entire list, thus reading “the maṇḍala of liberation with sections pertaining to the secret mudrās, maṇḍalas, and vidyās of the family of all tathāgatas.”
Samaya (literally “meeting/convergence”) is possibly used here in its literal meaning, i.e., the syllable aḥ is where all the mudrās and maṇḍalas meet or converge. It can also be understood to convey the technical meaning of samaya, i.e., this single syllable is itself a samaya connection or involves one.
The meaning of “samaya” here is not completely clear. Possibly, it has the sense of “meeting” or “converging,” i.e., this single form is where all the buddhas converge.
The part starting from this paragraph and ending with the last sentence of the next is versified. The verse is, however, difficult to reconstruct due to the corruptions in the Skt. text.
“Lokeśvara” must refer to Amoghapāśa.
“Four vessels” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads “four great kings,” which does not quite fit the context.
The “mantra of Amoghapāśa,” the “heart mantra,” and the “one-syllable mantra” are the mantras nos. 310, 311, and 312 respectively.
“Violently” has been supplied based on the Tib. “with great force.” The Skt. reading starts with mahā (“great”) but then becomes unintelligible.
“Other being” seems to refer to beings other than the vidyā holder who is reading this text, or perhaps other than those who are presently receiving this teaching from the Buddha Śākyamuni.
The text does not specify whether he brushes his body with the feather, or perhaps he brushes the maṇḍala.
The Tib. reads, “Using perfumed paint, he should draw a surrounding circle of lotuses with another lotus at the center supported by diamond stamens. He should draw Noble Avalokiteśvara, in the guise of Brahmā, on the stamens of the central lotus, surrounded by a diamond thread.”
“Amogharāja” here probably refers to mantra no. 310.
The list of ailments here follows the Skt. The list is not exactly the same in the Tib.; however, due to the vagueness of many terms, it would be difficult to point out all the differences.
Literally “throat seizures.”
“Gall bladder” is an approximate translation of grahaṇī, which is an imaginary internal organ that assists digestion. The Tib. renders this part of the list simply as “indigestion.”
The Tib. reads, “And all other worldly activities will be accomplished as well.”
“Their arrogance will completely disappear” is omitted in the Tib.
Reading kāryakriyā (“performance of tasks”) as kālakriyā (“death”). The Tib., however, supports the first reading, “he will perform his tasks easily and remember his [previous] seven births.”
The Tib. says that both the Amoghapāśa and heart mantra should be recited “one hundred times,” indicating that the Tibetan translators possibly read the Skt. dvāpañcāśat as 2 x 50.
The three mantras just mentioned are probably nos. 310, 311, and 312, respectively.
Prosopis spicigera or Mimosa suma.
Acacia sirissa.
Unidentified.
Asparagus racemosus.
Aegle marmelos.
Because of the vague grammar in both the Skt. and Tib., this translation is speculative.
The Skt. maṇi can mean both “jewel” and “amulet.” Here it seems to refer, metaphorically, to the precious power substance that can be worn as an amulet or offered to the deity.
“Tigers” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. adds “brown bears” after “leopards.”
Aconitum ferox.
Unidentified.
Unidentified. The Tib. transliterates this word as darada, suggesting red lead.
Halāhala is a mythical poison produced by the churning of the ocean; halāhala also seems to be the name of a snake or lizard species.
Śaya can be the name of a snake species, a lizard, or a chameleon.
The Tib. reads, “a person is burned by fire.”
Hail and rats are mentioned together throughout the text, as both cause damage to crops.
Jayā can be the name of several plants, including a species of Sesbania.
Vijayā can be the name of several plants.
Gandhanākulī can be the name of at least three different plants.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Gandha can be the name of several plants.
Prunus mahaleb.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Cakra and mahācakra are unidentified.
Viṣṇukrāntā can be the name of several plants.
Vernonia anthelmintica.
Aristolochia indica.
Unidentified.
Nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
Apart from yellow orpiment, haritāla can also be the name of Columba hurriyala.
Nāgapuṣpa can be the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Michelia champaka.
Unidentified.
A species of Indian spikenard.
Unidentified.
Unidentified. Humaka is omitted in the Tib.
Andropogon muricatus.
Reading (conjecturing) snāpayaṃ as sthāpayaṃ, against the Tib. reading, which seems to reflect snāpayaṃ.
The three mantras just mentioned are probably nos. 310, 311, and 312, respectively.
The maṇi (“jewel”), which at this point should perhaps be understood in its meaning of “amulet,” refers to the substance in the copper bowl that blazes with light.
As the subsequent context indicates, the Lokeśvara here is Avalokiteśvara in his form of Amoghapāśa.
The three mantras just mentioned are probably nos. 310, 311, and 312, respectively.
In place of “row of lamps,” the Tib. reads “lamps and bali,” probably reading dīpabali instead of dīpāvali.
This name, being a compound, could be interpreted in several different ways.
I.e., emits smoke instead of light, as described two paragraphs above.
Taking the word samaya in its nontechnical sense of “meeting” or “coming together,” this line could be read to say, “…maṇḍalas, which are the meeting place for all the tathāgata families.” In other words, the maṇḍalas are places where the practitioner comes into contact with the tathāgatas.
Dhūpapaṭala (“veil of incense”) probably refers to a cloud of incense smoke. This is similar to a compound with the same meaning attested in the Gaṇḍavyūha, dhūpapaṭalamegha. See Peter Alan Roberts, trans., The Stem Array, Toh 44-45 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021), 6.17 and 37.18.
The recipe for making the incense comes later.
Literally, “throat seizures.” The Tib. reads instead “genital [ailments],” possibly reading gala (“neck/throat”) for gula (“glans penis/clitoris”).
Nalanda or nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
Mahiṣākṣa (“buffalo eye”) is a species of bdellium.
Sarjarasa could be the resin of the sal tree (Shorea robusta) or the Indian copal tree (Vateria indica).
Sallakī or śallakī (Boswellia serrata) is the tree that produces Indian frankincense; here the frankincense itself is probably meant.
Valeriana jatamansi.
A species of Indian spikenard.
Unidentified.
Gandhapattra (“fragrant leaves”) can be the name of at least three plant species.
Acacia sirissa.
Prunus mahaleb.
Andropogon muricatus.
Unidentified. This ingredient is omitted in the Tib.
Vyāghranakha (“tiger’s claw”) can be the name of a number of plants, including Unguis odoratus.
Vālaka is a species of Andropogon grass. It is not clear if the amount of five palas applies only to vālaka or also to the ingredients mentioned next.
Strangely, the amount is not specified for the last three ingredients; saffron seems to be listed for the second time. In the Tib., the amount is likewise not specified.
Madhura is here translated into the Tib. as “honey,” but it can also be the name of several other sweet substances.
It is not clear how to interpret “inside” (madhya).
The “mass of clouds” is probably meant to represent a cloud of incense smoke.
This could refer to the “inner rows of … lotuses,” described in the previous paragraph.
The three mantras just mentioned are probably nos. 310, 311, and 312, respectively.
“Image” (rūpa) is omitted in the Tib.
The instruction on offering flowers, the argha, and the incense seems to be repeated here for the second time, but it is also possible that this is a different variant of the same rite, where the vidyā holder recites the one syllable instead of the Amogharāja.
In the Tib., this figure refers to the number of the tathāgatas, which, possibly, also reflects the original Skt. syntax.
The last clause is repeated in the Sanskrit text twice. The Sanskrit phrase amoghasiddhi (“amogha accomplishment”) could also be understood in the worldly sense of “unfailing success.”
“Worldly” (laukika) seems to be used here in the sense of “obtained in this life,” in contradistinction to the benefits of the same practice (described in the section starting from the next paragraph) that pertain to the next life (lokottara).
The part from “venom or poison” up to “the middle of a battle” is repeated in the Sanskrit text twice.
The group, i.e., the usual eight.
“Strong and powerful” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. is illegible.
Butea frondosa; it has bright orange blossoms.
“The Amogharāja” possibly refers to the three mantras—310, 311, and 312—recited in succession as one.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., hṛdaye ekākṣareṇa as hṛdayena ekākṣareṇa. The “one-syllable heart mantra” is mantra no. 312.
In the Tib. this sentence reads “In all [these rites] the mantra of Amogharāja should be recited seven times, while the one-syllable heart mantra should be recited seven times at [the deity’s] head.”
The meaning here is not clear, as the text does not specify what will “flow up,” “float up,” or “swim up.” The context suggests it is “water” that “flows up,” as the text soon mentions that the vidyā holder should drink “this water.”
The Skt. is corrupt here. The Tib. reads, “if he censes the panels with the locks to the doors of their caves and fissures, they will open and crack apart.” The Tibetan translators may have dhūpa (“incense”) instead of yūpa (“post/pillar”), but given the obscure Skt., the Tibetan reading may be correct.
The phrase “the rites of the incense maṇḍala” (dhūpamaṇḍalavidhi) appears to refer to the cycle of rites introduced above as “the procedure called veil of incense.” The section starts with the incense recipe and maṇḍala procedure common to all the rites whose description concludes here.
“Delight kings” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. reading could not be determined.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Costus speciosus.
Vālaka is a species of Andropogon grass.
A species of Indian spikenard.
Unidentified.
Nalada can be the name of several plant and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
A species of cyperus.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
The three are black pepper, long pepper, and dry ginger.
Acacia sirissa.
“Awakening” (bodhana) is a technical term used in alchemy, where it refers to a particular stage in the processing of mercury. It could have a similar meaning here.
The term suparikarmakṛta is not completely clear. It probably means that the balls should be sealed inside the surrounding layer of musk and camphor.
In place of “eightfold,” the Tib. reads “complete.”
In place of “light,” both the Skt. and the Tib. read, strangely, “sacrifice of light” (raśmihotra).
In the Tib., “various colors” describes not the interior of the maṇḍala but the measuring thread.
It is not clear how Noble Avalokiteśvara should be “placed” there, whether as a physical image or as a painting. Padmasyopari, in this context, probably means “on top of the lotus,” which would suggest placing a physical image.
“Supreme remedy” is omitted in the Tib.
“Prosperity” (samṛddhi) is omitted in the Tib.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., ekaikavelā (“hour after hour”) as ekaikagola (“one pill at a time”). Either reading is plausible for the context.
In an instance of likely dittography, this clause is followed in the Sanskrit text by “If he performs the procedure for seven days.”
The Tib. adds “and complexion.”
The text here could also be interpreted as “he will become an emperor of vidyādharas who possess amogha accomplishments.
It seems that “vices/faults” (kilbiṣa) are personified here as a class of spirits.
“Will not rise again” is omitted in the Tib.
The phrase duṣṭakaviṣa is repeated in the Sanskrit text twice.
Galagraha, literally “throat seizure,” suggests asthma attacks; it is, however, rendered into the Tib. with the term typically used for “goiter” (Tib. lba ba; Skt. galagaṇḍha).
Grahaṇī is a term used for a hypothetical internal organ that aided digestion.
The Tib. adds here “pain in discharging urine.”
Literally, “pain of the heart.”
The Tib. reads “fever” in place of “diarrhea” (atīsāra).
The Tib. reads “cats” (byi ba za ba), or more literally “rat eaters.”
The Lokeśvara here is Noble Avalokiteśvara.
“The Protector” is Noble Avalokiteśvara.
Reading (conjecturally) buddheṣu as buddhakṣetreṣu.
“The Four Great Kings, with their troops” is repeated twice in the Sanskrit text.
“Mudrā” has been supplied from the Tib., as the corresponding Skt. reading (muktāvaisaṃha) is incomprehensible.
“Magical poisoning” translates the term yoga, which in this context possibly stands for the stock phrase cūrṇayoga, a standard feature of the list of poisons, and suggests some form of magic involving toxic powder.
In place of “secret,” the Tib. reads “purity.”
Acacia sirissa.
Achyrantes aspera.
Unidentified.
Nalanda or nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
The root of Tabernaemontana coronaria.
Sūkarī can be the name of several plants.
Markaṭī can be the name of several plants.
Jayā can be the name of several plants, including a species of Sesbania.
Vijayā can be the name of several plants.
Cyperus rotundus.
Rasa can mean quicksilver, resin, and many other substances.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Costus speciosus.
Vyāghranakha (“tiger’s claw”) can be the name of several plants, including Unguis odoratus.
Unidentified.
Kaṭambharā can be the name of several plants, including Bignonia indica.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
Nāgapuṣpa can be the name of several plant species with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Nardostachys jatamansi.
Sumanas can be the name of several plants, including the great flowering jasmine.
Asparagus racemosus.
Śatapuṣpa (“one hundred flowers”) can be the name of several plants, including Anethum sowa.
Unidentified. The Tib. reads “honey.”
Michelia champaka.
“Awakening” (bodhana) is a technical term used in alchemy, where it refers to a particular stage in the processing of mercury. This phrase is absent in the Tib.
It is not clear whether it is the pill that should be ground into fine powder, as suggested by the Tib., or that the sandalwood is to be used to infuse the water.
In the Tib., the consecration with the Krodharāja mantra and with the mudrā are two separate consecrations. The previous contexts, however, suggest that they are one and the same. The Skt. (in this particular instance) is ambiguous and could be interpreted either way.
The translation here departs from the Skt. and Tib. text to make it conform to the parallel passages where the mustard seeds with water are used in the consecration rite. The text, on the other hand, seems to be saying, probably due to corruption, that it is the mustard seeds and water that should be placed in the maṇḍala.
Maṇirāja (“king of jewels”) could also be translated as “king of amulets.”
The text is unclear. Drawing hands in the maṇḍala is common, but drawing eyes is not. “Eye-hand” could be a hand with an eye in its palm.
The last sentence is repeated twice in the Sanskrit text.
The “vajra of activity” (karmavajra) probably refers to the “double vajra” symbol consisting of two vajras crossed at the hub.
Vedikā can variously mean a railing, a narrow veranda, or a narrow veranda with a railing at the edge of the square platform of the maṇḍala.
The Tib. reads “the mudrās, maṇḍalas, and samayas,” which is also a plausible interpretation of the Skt.
The Tib. reads “seventy-two hundred thousand,” or 7.2 million.
The meaning of the last sentence, which reads the same in the Skt. and the Tib., is not clear.
This means he will obtain all the benefits as described in the first few paragraphs of the section of the “golden pill” (starting at 2.1503) but not the ones described in the immediately preceding paragraph.
Here and elsewhere in the text the stock phrase laukikalokottara can mean both “worldly and supramundane” and “[those that will be experienced] in this life and the next.”
In place of “path of the sugatas” (sugatamārga˚), the Tib. reads “happy destinies,” reflecting the reading sugati˚.
It is not clear what the difference is between the two types of gold hiraṇya and suvarṇa.
Again, there is some ambiguity here, as maṇḍala could refer to a set of instructions or the maṇḍala that is constructed as part of the rite of preparing the precious pill.
The Sanskrit term and its Tibetan translation could also be translated as “will teach.”
Reading khaṇḍaśikkhyā˚ as khaṇḍaśikṣā˚.
Reading nā mamātrāparadhena as na mamātrāparadhena. This line is absent in the Tib.
Michelia champaka.
Sumanas can be the name of several plants, including the great flowering jasmine.
The Skt. mukhakṣālana (“mouth rinse”) could also be translated as “face wash.”
The Tib. reads “brāhmī oil and the oil of flame-of-the-forest (Butea frondosa).” Brāhmī oil is an infusion of the two brāhmī plants—water hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) and Asian pennywort (Centella asiatica)—in oil, usually sesame or coconut oil.
Sumanas can be the name of several plants, including the great flowering jasmine.
The Skt. does not specify how many times he should recite the Krodharāja mantra, but it normally is twenty-one times. The Tib. reads “one hundred and eight times.”
“Jars in the four” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Skt. dakṣiṇā, translated here as “money,” is an offering to a master that traditionally consisted of a cow or cows, but in this context it seems to imply a donation of money.
The Tib. interprets the phrase cihnā mudrā as “signs and mudrās.” However, as the following list does not mention any mudrā gestures but only various emblematic implements, the phrase should be interpreted as “mudrā signs/emblems.”
“At the four corners” probably means at the four corners outside of the maṇḍala, as the positions “in the four corners” (see the beginning of the paragraph) are occupied by Indra, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara.
It is not clear how the “supreme medicine” relates to the five preparations described above.
The Tib. here switches back to prose.
The order is confusing; it is not clear if the “sandal-scented water” is the same as the water just mentioned.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., makṣayaṃ as mrakṣayan.
The text does not specify what substance he is sprinkling.
It is not clear if it is the same oil that was described above as the “cooked oil.”
The procedure described in this paragraph is very unclear. The translation is partly a guess.
“Lord of the World” (lokanātha) here refers to Avalokiteśvara.
The text could also be interpreted as “whatever image the viewers have in mind.”
The Skt. phrase “this powder” indicates that this powder was described before, but it is not clear which powder it is.
“Steers” (paṇḍu) is omitted in the Tib.
“For as long as [the vidyā holder] wishes” has been supplied from the Tib.
It is not clear what kind of oil is referred to with “fragrant oil” (gandhataila).
Perhaps this refers to the image of Avalokiteśvara in the center of the maṇḍala described above.
The text does not specify what pills.
Butea frondosa.
“Merchandise that is displayed” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. reading (āstārika˚? āgārika?) is unclear.
I.e., the Yogācāra branch of Mahāyāna.
Ḍākinī seems to be here a term of contempt, perhaps used with reference to women who practice witchcraft.
“Himself” has been supplied from the Tib.
This translation is a conjecture, as the Skt. reading is unclear. The Tib. reads “for one day.”
It is not clear from the Skt. and Tib. if the descriptions “lokeśvara” and “teacher” refer to all three names, or just Padmanābha and Padmeśvara respectively. The Skt. also includes the phrase caiva cintyā, the meaning of which is unclear.
The Tib. reads, “they will appear in a variety of marvelous forms.”
It is not clear what the “five types of splendor” (pañcaśrī) are.
The Tib. reads “Vāmana and ṛṣi forms.”
“Elephants and bulls among monks” means “the best among monks.” In place of “elephants and bulls,” the Tib. reads “tigers and lions,” thus expressing the same idea.
The Skt. utsra, derived from ut + √sṛ, suggests a fountain. The Degé version of the Tib. renders it as “riverbank,” while other recensions have “well/spring.”
The “rumbling of the nāgas” refers to thunder.
Apart from “realization of truth,” the Skt. tattvasiddhi could also be interpreted as “true accomplishment.”
I.e., to ferry across the ocean of suffering.
The Sanskrit says, strangely, “leftover and not leftover.”
“Secret” is omitted in the Tib.
Unidentified.
Nāgapuṣpa can be the name of several plant species with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Tejovatī can be the name of several plants, including the toothache tree (Zanthoxylum alatum).
The Tib. inserts here “in front of Avalokiteśvara.”
In place of tilakaṃ (“bindi”), the Tib. reflects the reading tilaṃ (“sesame oil”). The context corroborates the first reading.
“The powder, an elixir of immortality” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Tib., this paragraph reads “The vidyā holder should blend a lotus powder with a powder of muruka and incant it. He should recite the Krodharāja five thousand times.” The term muruka is uncertain; it could be a misreading of the Skt. uruka and in this way refer to “powder made of an owl”; or it could be a misspelling of maruka and then be “powder made of a peacock.” These readings are not entirely implausible, as ingredients taken from both birds are mentioned below.
Again, the Tib. either reflects the reading tilaṃ (“sesame oil”) in place of the extant tilakaṃ (“bindi”) or mistranslates tilakaṃ as “sesame oil.”
In place of “half that number,” the Tib. reads “four thousand times.”
The Tib. reads “peacock’s teardrops and owl’s eyes and brain.”
Unidentified.
Before “eight palas of castor oil,” the Skt. adds “twenty palas of castor oil.”
The Tib. reads “he should mix these oils together with water.”
It is not clear whether gandhakāṣṭha means any “fragrant wood” or wood of the gandha plant (there are a number of species of this name, such as the black aloe).
The text is unclear at this point. The Tib. adds “bamboo vessel” as the third possibility in addition to copper and silver, and the Skt. reads, strangely, “divine bamboo vine.” In the Tib., the term “divine” describes the silver vessel.
Perhaps the Amogharāja.
There is an ambiguity regarding the number of the Krodharāja recitations, as aṣṭasahasram could be interpreted as either “eight thousand” or “one thousand and eight.”
The Tib. here seems to reflect a different reading. Where the Skt. reads pṛthagjana (“ordinary person”), the Tib., which is in verse here, contains only the equivalent of pṛthak, which falls in the last line of verse and thus construes with the previous line about mantra recitation, stating that they “should be recited separately.” The next set of instructions begins as follows in the Tib.: “He should then place [the preparation] in the completed maṇḍala by first performing the maṇḍala rite according to procedure, and then placing it there and performing the duties of a karmācārya.”
One is supposed to bow at each of the four doors.
In the Tib., the list of activities is as follows. It is not clear if these acts are to be performed by the vidyā holder alone or for others: “[He should] properly complete the maṇḍala, enter, [perform the rites for] the samaya, mudrā, and initiation, make offerings, circumambulate the maṇḍala, bow, bind the topknot, display the mudrā, perform the protection rite, besprinkle, put on clothes, and invest with the sacred cord.”
The Tib. reads, “Then, he should place [the substance] in the very center of the maṇḍala, perform the purification rite…”
Probably the Amogharāja mantra.
It is not clear if tridhābhiṣeka should be interpreted as “consecration [performed] three times” or “threefold consecration.”
This time, the Tib. interprets aṣṭasahasram as “eight thousand.”
In place of “one thousand and eight” (aṣṭottarasahasram), the Tib. reads “one hundred and eight.” After this number, the Skt. adds “eight thousand” (aṣṭasahasrāṇi), possibly saying that the ingredients should be incanted for the second time after they are added to the same container.
The Tib. reads “one hundred thousand times.”
In place of “He should keep [the name of] his guru secret and never reveal it to anyone,” the Tibetan text reads “He should clean it very well and not give it to anyone.”
The “great oil” must be the “powder cooked in a small quantity of oil,” i.e., item no. 5 in the above list of the five preparations of the “medicinal powder” (at 2.1556).
This translation follows the Tib., which reads gos ngur smrig (Skt. kāṣāyavastu). The Sanskrit manuscript seems corrupt here, ambiguously reading kāṣāvastu.
The clause “although belonging to thousands of different schools or different congregations” is omitted in the Tib.
The list of twenty-eight is a variant of the list of the thirty-two marks.
This clause is repeated twice in the Sanskrit manuscript.
Costus speciosus.
It is not clear which of the oil preparations is the “oil-jewel” or, alternatively, what the “precious oil” refers to. Most likely the “oil-jewel” is one of the five preparations from the original list of five (at 2.1561) and is the same as the “oil” and the “king of oils” mentioned below, in the following paragraph.
Butea frondosa.
It is not clear what kind of lotus is nara lotus.
Presumably, a bindi made with the substance just described.
The word used for “skin,” kavaca, possibly suggests that this is a discarded skin of a snake.
The Sanskrit vṛddhānta (“next to the seniors”) suggests the place where the senior monks would sit.
The Skt. reads, “seeds that have not been daubed.”
The last sentence of this paragraph is not very clear, and the translation is uncertain.
The phrase kṛṣṇasarpa (“black snake”) can also mean a cobra, which would also be supported by the phrase mahāsarpa used elsewhere in this section, which can refer to any hooded snake.
“Holding bowls in their mouths” is absent from the Tib.
As the text does not specify what it is that is cast, these are probably the mustard seeds spoken of in the preceding paragraph.
As the text does not specify what it is that is cast, these are probably the mustard seeds. However, to follow the overall pattern, one would expect it to be mustard seeds mixed with the blood of a jackal, as the soldiers are turned into jackals.
It is not clear if this is any oil, or “the oil,” i.e., the oil preparation described earlier on (at 2.1561).
The Tib. reads, “If [the vidyā holder] does not apply a counteragent, the items will sell for exactly what they are worth.”
The reading “powder,” despite being corroborated by the Tib., could be corrupt. The pattern found in other rites that involve the “five preparations” suggests that this line could have referred to the king of oils.
It is not clear how he “binds” it.
It is not clear how the great powder differs from the powder mentioned earlier in the same sentence. They are different, as later in this paragraph they are again mentioned separately.
Reading mṛtapiṇḍa as mṛtpiṇḍa.
To this list the Tib. adds “and a five-part alloy of iron, [copper, brass, tin, and lead].”
The “lotus powder” must be the great powder.
The phrase mahāsarpa (“great snake”), apart from meaning “large snake,” could also refer to any hooded snake.
In place of “magical creation” (nirmita), the Tib. reads “the snakes.” This is likely a scribal error, replicated across different versions, of sbrul (“snake”) for sprul (“magical emanation”).
The text does not specify the substance that the vidyā holder smears the Buddha’s feet with, so it is probably “the powder,” but it could also be the king of oils.
“And sprinkle it with the powder” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear what maṇḍala is meant, probably the one described in the previous paragraph.
“The three points [of the trident]” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. is not clear.
The Tib. reads “great powder made from lotuses.”
“And mark it with the bindi” has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
The text does not specify what it is that is consecrated, but it is probably the maṇḍala, i.e., the main object of the rite.
The Tib. reads, “All maṇḍalas should be treated as armor-like, as in all contexts they will make signs (Degé: “qualities”) manifest. When [the rite] is completed, all activities will be accomplished.”
“With a jewel in his right hand and a lotus” has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
The Skt. inserts here, strangely, “or a gandharva,” possibly meaning a gandharva lake.
Euphorbia neriifolia.
It is not clear how he keeps it in his mouth and scatters it at the same time. Perhaps some he keeps in his mouth and some he scatters.
The Tib. reads, “A blazing fire will issue from his mouth.”
The reading cakrī (“sickle senna”) could be corrupt. The Tib. is challenging but appears to read “[The vidyā holder] should then make a concentrate by mixing [the above-mentioned mustard seeds] with oil.”
“Make a wick for a lamp” is omitted in the Tib. Instead, the Tib. states that the oil, which is “the king of oils,” should be poured into a lamp, as reported in the translation of the Skt.
The text does not specify what substance is used for sprinkling. Perhaps the preparation of sickle senna with the oil mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Again, the text does not specify what substance is used for smearing.
The Tib. reads “into his right hand” and adds “or holds it with his big toe.”
Again, the text does not specify what substance is used for sprinkling.
Again, the text does not specify what substance is used for sprinkling.
Again, the text does not specify what substance it is.
“Bhūtas” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear if “great oil” (mahātaila) is the same as the king of oils or is a different oil.
Unidentified; it is transliterated in the Tib. as pha gu.
In place of “house lizard,” the Tib. reads “fish.”
Nāgapuṣpa is the name of several plants with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
It is difficult to determine with certainty which powder is referred to here. Possibly it is the “great powder made from lotuses.”
The Tib. reads, “His body will emit a pleasant, satisfying fragrance that will have mastery over all disease; victory will be his.”
“Secretly” is omitted in the Tib.
The text does not specify what oil.
The “rumble of Rāvaṇa” is a rumble of thunder.
In place of “inside it” (’bhyantarito), the Tib. reads “on top of it.”
This paragraph is rather obscure but seems to be about using the king of oils to make rocks soft. The “impression” in question is probably a handprint or a footprint left in the rock that will serve later as a remembrance (abhijñāna).
“Mountaintops that no human can traverse” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. offers a different variant, which, however, is difficult to understand.
“Fragrant wood” could refer to a particular species of sandalwood, or any fragrant wood, such as aloe.
Though the text does not specify what it is that he ties; grammar and context would suggest that it is also the amulet.
The word avalokita in the Sanskrit text could stand for Avalokiteśvara or, perhaps, connote the impersonal principle of compassionate gaze.
Amoghapāśa Sūtra is an alternative title of the AP.
Shorea robusta.
Tamāla could be the name of several species of tree, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
Michelia champaka.
Jonesia asoka.
Atimuktaka (“whiter than pearl”) can be the name of several species of plants.
Unidentified.
Nīla can be the name of several species of trees and plants.
Bignonia suaveolens.
Butea frondosa.
Ficus glomerata.
Pterospermum acerifolium.
Unidentified. It is transliterated into the Tib. as ku pa pya ka.
“And made pleasant with the sounds of their chirping” is omitted in the Tib.
“Flocks of various birds” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Tib., this sentence begins the next passage.
It is not clear if the garland of flames surrounds each lotus individually or all of them, forming a circle concentric with the circle of lotuses.
It is not clear if the Skt. reading is candra (“moon”), as supported by the Tib., or cattra (“spindle”). Possibly the latter is correct, as otherwise “moon” is listed twice in this list.
Reading dhvayaṃ as dhvajaṃ. The Tib. combines “sun” and “banner” together, reading “sun banner.”
In place of “forehead,” the Tib. reads “staff.”
The “threatening gesture” is the extended index finger.
The parasol is listed twice both in the Skt. and the Tib.
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) paṭakaṃ as kaṭakaṃ.
“Stack [of wood]” (citi) is omitted in the Tib.
A typical maṇḍala in this text (and in the Kriyātantras in general) would be a low platform on the ground built of clay and cow dung.
In place of “old age,” the Tib. reads “birth.”
At this point the Tib. switches back to prose.
As the surrounding veranda (vedikā) normally has a railing; the row of tridents possibly serves as such.
In place of “black mustard seeds” the Tib. reads “white mustard seeds.”
These doors, which seem to be in the outer zone of the maṇḍala, are aligned with the doors that are in the sides of the square maṇḍala in the center.
Sallakī or śallakī (Boswellia serrata) is the tree that produces Indian frankincense; here probably the frankincense itself is meant.
Sarjarasa could be the resin of the sal tree (Shorea robusta) or the Indian copal tree (Vateria indica).
Nameru is the name of more than one plant.
“Beings” is omitted in the Tib. It is not clear what beings are meant.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., kiṃkaraikabibarai as kaṃkaraiḥ bimbaraiḥ.
“Kinnaras” is omitted in the Tib.
The section of verse in the Tib. ends here.
It is not clear where the fifth area is.
In the Tib., the jars are filled with dūrvā grass, but this is less likely, as dūrvā is normally used as a soft bed to place items on. The Tib. adds at this point, “In the middle there is the root vase,” without mentioning the “spears” (possibly reflecting the reading mūla instead of śūla).
“Spears” is omitted in the Tib. The translation of the last three sentences is uncertain.
The set of doors in the outer zone is aligned with the doors of the inner part.
The five threads are usually in five different colors.
“Various scents” could be interpreted as referring to the lamps or as an independent item. The Tib. opts for the latter.
Dūrvā grass is not mentioned in the Tib.
Prosopis spicigera or Mimosa suma.
The text is unclear here, possibly corrupt. It actually reads, “Having performed these rites, he should commence the homa rite.”
“Grant boons” has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
The Tib. interprets aṣṭaśatam as “eight hundred.”
A homa rite normally consists in the officiant casting a homa preparation into the fire many times. A “single homa” is just one such casting.
In the Sanskrit manuscript, this clause is followed by the phrase “the sameness of the families,” which seems to be an unnecessary repetition.
Again, the Tib. interprets aṣṭaśatam as “eight hundred.”
In place of “white,” the Skt. reads jāla, which suggests water, perhaps suggesting mustard seeds mixed with water.
The Tib. interprets aṣṭasahasram as “eight thousand.”
Here, the Skt. has an additional sentence, “He should offer a one-thousand-leagues-homa,” which appears to be a corruption.
Kaṭukā can be the name of several plants.
“Daubed in kaṭukā oil” is omitted in the Tib., which instead reads “together with mustard seeds and ghee.”
“Bathe thoroughly, and maintain ritual purity” has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
Śatapuṣpa (“one hundred flowers”) can be the name of several plants, including Anethum sowa.
Sumanas can be the name of several plants, including the great flowering jasmine.
Again, the Tib. interprets aṣṭasahasram as “eight thousand.”
The “three spices” are black and long pepper and dry ginger.
The Tib. reads “eight thousand.”
The Tib. reads, “Half of the fire deity’s body will emerge from the fire.”
Agnimukha (“having fire for the face”) is the fire personified as a deity.
The Tib. inserts here “and breathes in.”
The Tib. interprets bījaka not as “citron” but as “seed.” Bījaka can be translated as either.
“With a single performance” is omitted in the Tib.
“Noble Avalokiteśvara” here seems to refer to Amogharāja.
The Tib. reads, “The third line consists of a garland of precious jewels and various beautiful gems.”
“Extending one fathom in all directions” is omitted in the Tib.
Figures that are “behind” are drawn above the figures that they are behind.
“Precious great jewel” (mahāmaṇiratna) seems to be a stock phrase describing some special type of jewels, some of which are given proper names such as āgneya (“fiery”) and udakaprasādaka (“pacifier of water”). The word “great” is omitted in the Tib.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., śivā dūtī as śivadūtī.
“On the same canvas of fine cotton” is omitted in the Tib.
“Hands” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Tib., the last two sentences read “He should draw eight nāgas, all surrounded by flames,” reflecting the reading aṣṭapannagāḥ in place of the extant aṣṭapañcāśa.
“Calves” is the translation required by the context. The text however reads “limbs” (aṅga).
The “Victorious One” refers to Amitābha.
The Tib. reads, “He is seated on a lotus together with Tārā and Śvetā and a halo of light that extends for a fathom.” The Tib. syntax leaves it a bit ambiguous as to whether the two goddess or all three figures are haloed with light.
It is not clear how the maṇḍala is prepared, whether it is traced with sandalwood powder or actually fashioned out of sandalwood.
The Lokeśvara is here Amoghapāśa.
“For the assistants” is omitted in the Tib.
It appears that the vidyā holder here consecrates himself rather than the sandalwood figure, and it is “his own” (svaiva) body that becomes Noble Avalokiteśvara’s. However, after minor emendments of the corrupt endings, it is also possible to obtain the meaning that he is consecrating the figure, after which the figure becomes Noble Avalokiteśvara’s “own” body.
The phrase “If, out of animosity, he resolves to draw blood from the tathāgatas and buddhas of the three times” has been supplied from the Tib., as it is missing from the Skt.
“Wisdom” has been supplied from the Tib.
It is not clear what “the three sādhana methods” refers to. Possibly to the three variants of the sculpted figure of Avalokiteśvara-Amoghapāśa.
“And observe their vows” has been supplied from the Tib.
“Letters” (akṣara) suggests writings or written materials.
“To give protection” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads bhrāmayitum, which suggests distracting them from their bad habits.
In place of “covers” (prāvaraṇa), the Tib. reads “upper garments.”
The sense is probably that by worshiping the master one is worshiping Noble Avalokiteśvara himself.
In the Tib., the last clause reads, “just as a drop of oil spreads [itself] in the water, the accomplishments will come everywhere.”
In place of the last sentence, the Tib. reads, “Just like the ocean tides, [the accomplishments] will come at all times.”
It is not completely clear whether this figure should be fashioned as a statue or drawn in a painting. The Skt. phrase gandhamaya (“composed of fragrant substances”) suggests the former. However, the deities surrounding the figure and the image of the vidyā holder kneeling at the figure’s feet are probably meant to be depicted as part of a painting. This rite is perhaps similar to the previous one, where the statue of the main deity was placed in the center of a painting.
The crescent moon is usually to Amitābha’s right.
“A lotus” has been supplied from the Tib.
In the Tib. it is the vidyā holder who is “adorned with golden ornaments.”
Valeriana jatamansi.
Nāgapuṣpa can be the name of several plant species with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Unidentified.
A species of Indian spikenard.
Nalada can be the name of several plants and substances, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
Unidentified.
Gandha can be the name of several plants.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
Sarkara is unidentified, but in some contexts it can refer to granulated sugar.
Although the text uses the word “powder” (cūrṇa), this is probably more like a paste, as it serves as a material for fashioning a figure.
“Peaceful in appearance” has been supplied from the Tib.
The Tib. reads “eight thousand times.”
The mantra implied here is probably the Amogharāja.
The Tib. interprets aṣṭasahasraṃ as “eight thousand.”
The blazing arm is a bit of a mystery. The context would normally require, at this point in the rite, that the figure, or Avalokiteśvara in person, extend his right hand and place it on the vidyā holder’s head before applauding him.
The Amogharāja mantra is probably implied.
The Tib. interprets aṣṭaśatam as “eight hundred.”
The Tib. reads, “If he burns the ashes as incense, all the bhūtas who live in cremation grounds will approach him along with their armies.”
In the Skt. text, “they will remain in his thrall” is repeated twice.
The Tib. reads, “It will not be possible.”
“Again and again” is omitted in the Tib.
“Mantra” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads “friend” (˚mitreṇa), which is possibly a corruption of ˚mantreṇa.
The “fragrant form” must be his figure, as described above, made from the fragrant substances.
“Lord of the World” (lokanātha) is a frequent epithet of Avalokiteśvara and his emanations.
The Tib. reads, “Merely by seeing this protector, it is understood that to see the fragrant image of the Lokeśvara is the same as directly seeing the form of the guide of the world.”
The clause “if he wants to attain the level of not turning back” is repeated twice in the Skt.
“Among miraculous displays” is omitted in the Tib.
The meaning of the last clause is not very clear. The reading nimnonnata, which more literally means “depressed and elevated,” has been translated here as “figure.”
From the perspective of the painter who is facing the maṇḍala, the southern section would be on the left.
“Dūtīs” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads “kṛtīs.”
The seven “śaṅkalīs” are perhaps the replicas of Vajraśaṅkalī rather than members of a hypothetical class of beings.
Again, the seven “bhṛkuṭīs” are perhaps the replicas of Queen Bhṛkuṭī rather than members of a hypothetical class of beings.
The “golden figure” must be referring to the golden figure of Noble Avalokiteśvara mentioned six paragraphs above (2.1680). “The teacher, and the protector of the world,” then, must be Noble Avalokiteśvara.
This long sentence is confusing and difficult to reliably translate.
This seems to be a rare situation where the term maṇḍala of liberation (vimokṣamaṇḍala) is conflated with the “maṇḍala” that denotes a physical maṇḍala, in this case the maṇḍala described in the preceding paragraphs.
Nameru is the name of more than one plant.
Sarjarasa could be the resin of the sal tree (Shorea robusta) or the Indian copal tree (Vateria indica).
Sarkara is unidentified, but in some contexts it can refer to granulated sugar.
The last sentence is very obscure. “Royal ministers” has been supplied from the Tib., which reflects the reading ˚mantriṇaḥ in place of the extant ˚mātrā. The Skt. reading suggests that the vidyā holder explains the secret samaya and so forth “only” to the persons just mentioned (without the royal ministers).
The Tib. adds here “silently.”
The Skt. inserts here “immediately after the consecration.”
The last part, starting from “then Tārā,” has been supplied from the Tib., which continues with the list of deities to be worshiped. In the Skt., the paragraph ends with “The hosts of stars become accomplished,” which follows directly after “the supreme king of vidyās.”
At this point the translation follows only the Skt. witness, which contains material not found in the Tib. and which replaces a large portion of text that exists in Tibetan only. The correspondence between the Sanskrit and the Tibetan texts will resume at folio A.137.a.6 in the Sanskrit manuscript, corresponding to Degé folio 6.a.2, in volume 93 (tsa) (at 2.1713).
“Transferring riches” (arthasaṃkrāmaṇa) is a magical ability to acquire riches by transferring them from another location.
Unidentified.
A species of Indian spikenard.
The name of several plants, including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) (reading nadaladaṃ as naladaṃ).
Costus speciosus.
A species of cyperus.
Asparagus racemosus.
Aegle marmelos.
Śatapuṣpa (“one hundred flowers”) can be the name of several plants, including Anethum sowa.
Gandha can be the name of several plants.
Callicarpa macrophylla.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Unidentified.
Because of corruptions in the Sanskrit, the details of this recipe are likely to be inaccurate.
Again, the details and the sequence of this procedure are far from clear.
As the preparation is subsequently referred to as “oil,” it is probably this oil that is saved and used for magical purposes.
The Skt. reads maṇḍalakāla, but it is impossible to tell from the context what it means. It has therefore been emended to maṇḍalakārya, a phrase that also occurs in the next paragraph.
It is difficult to speculate what the jewel of Indra could be. Perhaps it is a reference to the jewels in Indra’s net, each of which reflects every other jewel in the net.
The meaning is not clear. After “daubing,” the Skt. text has ekaṃ vā, which does not fit the context.
Nīla (“blue”) can be the name of several blue substances, including indigo and antimony.
Although a “red snake” features prominently in Indic mythology, it is not clear what species is meant.
The “great goat” could be of a particular goat that features in Indic mythology.
One celestial year equals roughly three hundred and sixty human years.
Padma is the white or pink lotus.
The “great garuḍa” must be a reference to the bird mount of Viṣṇu.
Literally “throat seizures” (galagraha).
Should drink it himself or administer it to the patient.
This clause is repeated twice in the Sanskrit manuscript.
The Skt. uses the term graha, which can refer to spirits that cause epilepsy or otherwise take possession of another being’s body.
It is not clear what species of snake a “goat swallower” (ajagara) is. The Monier-Williams dictionary calls it a “boa constrictor,” but a poisonous species is intended here.
It is not clear whether halāhala is a snake or a lizard.
It is not clear what mineral or substance aja is.
The meaning of this sentence is not clear, and the translation speculative.
The meaning of this sentence is not clear, and the translation speculative.
The correspondence with the Tibetan text (which was interrupted at 2.1693 above) resumes from the beginning of this paragraph, aligning with Degé folio 6.a.2 in rgyud vol. 93 (tsa).
The Skt. and Tib. texts repeat “all diseases” at this point.
This sentence is partly guessed, as there are two illegible words in the Sanskrit manuscript. This line does not appear in the Tib. translation, which instead links the word tattva (“in truth”; Tib. de kho na nyid) with the phrase about teaching on the image: “I will now teach on the unexcelled painted image that is Krodhāṅkuśa in truth.”
“Tightly woven” has been supplied from the Tib. The meaning of the Skt. subuda is unclear.
This sentence has been supplied from the Tib. It is omitted in the Skt.
At this point, the Skt. text adds “carefully measured, with four sides,” clearly an interpolation.
The description seems to be reverting now to the main figure, that of Krodhāṅkuśa, even though his name is not mentioned.
The Tib. interprets the compound aṅkuśatriśūla as a copulative compound (dvandva): “a goad and a trident.” It is unlikely that a deity would hold two implements in the same hand, but it is possible that the hand that is holding the noose is the same that displays the mudrā of giving comfort, which would make it possible for the goad and the trident to be held in different hands.
After the word “left” (vāmataḥ), both the Skt. and the Tib. include a sentence, describing the left face of Krodhāṅkuśa, that seems to be interpolated from the previous paragraph (“His left [face] is very wrathful and fierce and is laughing loudly”).
It is not quite clear how the implements are distributed between the hands. The Skt. could also be interpreted to say that he holds the lotus and the trident-goad, respectively, in the right and left hands of the first pair, and the noose and the mudrā gesture, respectively, in the left and right hands of the second pair.
The Skt. tiṣṭhato [sic] actually suggests that he is standing, but the name of the posture, paryaṅka, implies that he is sitting. It is possible that he is standing in a dancing posture called ardhaparyaṅka, where the left leg is slightly bent, and the right foot is raised up to the left knee.
The position of Mahāśvetā and of the next goddess, Ekajaṭī, is not specified. Possibly all three—Tārā, Mahāśvetā, and Ekajaṭī—are to the right of Krodhāṅkuśa. This arrangement, however, would be asymmetrical, as only the “lord of the yakṣas” would be to his left.
The title “lord of the yakṣas” could refer to either Kubera or Vajrapāṇi; the description that follows indicates that it is the latter.
The “lord of wrath” (krodharāja) seems to be here an epithet of Krodhāṅkuśa.
In the Tib. interpretation, he “recites the Krodhāṅkuśa [mantra] in front of the [picture].” However, further on in this paragraph the mantra of Krodharāja is mentioned. It is not clear whether he recites two different mantras or the mantras of Krodhāṅkuśa and Krodharāja are one and the same.
“Wealth” (dhana) is not reflected in the Tib., which reads, “This practice procedure of the painted image accomplishes other elaborate procedures as well.”
The masculine pronouns used here reflects the usage of the Sanskrit text.
The “secret maṇḍala of liberation” and this entire sentence seem to refer to the AP as a whole.
There is an inconsistency of names here, as the rite is introduced as the “maṇḍala of Krodhāṅkuśa.” Most likely, Krodhapāśa is an alternative name of Krodhāṅkuśa—since the deity holds in his hands both the noose (pāśa) and the goad (aṅkuśa), either name can be applied to him.
Presumably because the lower part of his body is obscured by the lotus. In the Tib., only half his body appears, because it is wrapped in with the noose.
It is not clear whether he holds in his hands the implements mentioned next.
The Skt. here reads tṛśūlākhāṃ [sic] (triśūlākhyaṃ = “that which is called a trident”?). The Tib. reads, “He brandishes a trident in the air,” meaning that his arm that holds the trident is upraised.
The text does not specify whether this is the face of the main deity or if the description refers to each face in the four corners.
This part is not clear, but possibly this line of tridents and the next two lines are concentric rows of emblems that surround the maṇḍala. This first line is “inner” in relation to the remaining two.
This could possibly indicate that the three spikes of the trident are shaped like hooks. The Tib. reads “shackles and tridents.”
After “hooked tridents,” the Skt. inserts “face(s)” (mukha). This reading, although supported by the Tib., is likely to be a corruption of rekha. If so, the text is saying that the vidyā holder draws just a line of “hooked tridents” rather than tridents interspersed with faces.
The part from “The face should be fierce” in the preceding paragraph to “their filaments blazing with light” is repeated twice in the Sanskrit manuscript.
The Tib. seems to connect the Skt. dvaya (“pair”) with the next item, “spear,” translating it as “two-headed lance.”
This item, bala or vala, could not be identified. The Tib. reads tsa ba la.
Tirya could not be identified. It is transliterated in the Tib. as tirya.
Tricchulya is translated into the Tib. as “trident,” possibly because the Skt. word resembles triśūla (“trident”). If the Tib. translation is correct, it means that “trident” occurs in the list three times.
The Tib. omits “-rāja” and pluralizes krodha.
The Tib. omits “-rāja.”
The Tib. omits “-rāja.”
The Tib. omits “-rājas.”
It seems probable that this refers to four iconographic replicas of Mount Sumeru, rather than a single mountain on which they all stand together.
The “partial cross-legged posture” (ardhaparyaṅka) suggests that one foot is drawn to the perineum, while the other is outstretched.
The phrase “near the tridents” (triśūle) is unclear. Possibly this refers to the line of tridents, drawn outside the maṇḍala, that was described in the previous paragraph.
The list is slightly longer in both the Skt. and the Tib., but some of the items could not be identified. All the terms refer to cakes or sweetmeats of various kinds.
The last two items seem unlikely ingredients for incense, but the reading is supported by the Tib.
The Skt. could be interpreted as saying either that the vidyā enters and looks at the maṇḍala himself, or that he causes the initiands to enter and look. The Tib. supports the first interpretation, adopted here; however, the next sentence seems to suggest the second interpretation. Possibly, the disciples and the vidyā holder enter together.
The text is a little vague here, but the four colors probably represent the four colors marking the four sections of the maṇḍala, each presided over by one of the four families with its respective “Victorious One.”
“Filled with the utmost devotion for him” is omitted in the Tib.
In the Tib., Indra’s epithets “thunderbolt-wielding” and “with thunderbolt-like nature” are taken to refer to separate deities. The context, however, indicates that these are both epithets of Indra, who is listed here alongside Brahmā and Viṣṇu with no other names intervening.
Reading bhāsyamāṇāyā [sic] (“shining”) as bhāṣyamāṇayā (“pronouncing”). The Tib., however, reflects the corrupt Skt. reading, “shining.”
The Tib. reads, “I have a great maṇḍala, the king of vidyās, and the mudrās and deities that are the heart essence of Amoghapāśa. It is called the stainless lotus, the lotus noose-goad (emending zhabs to zhags).”
The Tib. seems to read vālavyañjana (“a yak-tail whisk”) as bālavyañjana (“the guise of a child”).
Again, the Tib. interprets the syntax of this sentence differently: “Please pronounce, O great being, the great maṇḍala, the king of vidyās, and the mudrās and deities that are the heart essence of Amoghapāśa. It is called the essence of the lotus noose, stainless like the unfailing lotus.”
Mudrās are mentioned twice in this passage, and it is not clear how they differ. The translation presented here, which offers only one of the possible interpretations, agrees with the Tibetan translation.
The Skt. adds here “to those established,” which does not fit the context.
There appears to be an inconsistency here, as the deity whose formula this is has not two but four hands, judging by the number of implements held in its hands.
There is an alliterative play on words in the Skt. text, as the Skt. word for “axe” (paraśu) begins with para.
The “wish-fulfilling jewel noose” is one of the versions of the unfailing noose.
Addressing a female deity, the “lotus lady” (padminī), makes sense inasmuch as the deity addressed in this mantra, or in this part of the mantra, although male, is described in the next paragraph as having a female form. There is, however, some inconsistency here, as the implements held in the hands of this form and the form described later are not in agreement.
This onomatopoeic clause is difficult to interpret; the form bhūraṇi, which again seems to be addressing a female deity (see n.2585), could be related to bhūri (“intelligence”) and have the meaning of one who grants or increases intelligence.
The exact meaning of the phrase padmapuṭa is not clear.
Skt. oṁ vimale vimalagarbhe vimalāmbujapadme sūryavarcase sahasraraśmikiraṇe mahāraśmijvālāvabhāsite | cara cara | cara cara sañcara | padmottaripadmagarbhe padmabhuje sunirmalāmbujavimale maṇikanakavajravaiḍūryendranīlamarakatapadmarāgavividhamahāmaṇiratnālaṅkṛtaśarīre | dhara dhara mahāpadmadhara | para para paraśupāśadhara | sara sara samantavairocana | sarvatathāgataguhyādhiṣṭhite kulasamayaparipūraṇi | vara vara | vajrajvālāmālāgarbhe vajre vajre vajrādhiṣṭhitapadme hūṁ hūṁ | maṇi maṇi mahāmaṇi cintāmaṇipāśadhara | kuru kuru padma padmagaure padmapāṇi varade · amoghapadme | oṁ padmini padmamaṇivajradhare sarvatathāgatakulasāmānyasamayādhiṣṭhite mahāvipulabhuje | bhara bhara sambhara | bhuru bhuru bhūraṇi | bhiri bhiri samantāvalokitavidyārāje | prasara prasara samantavimale sarvavidyāmaṇḍaladevatānamaskṛte | tara tara | tāraya tāraya | samantāparipūraṇi sarvabodhisattvābhiṣecani sarvatathāgatāmoghābhiṣikte · abhiṣiñcaya mām | sarvavidyāmaṇḍalakulasamayābhiṣikte sarvatathāgatapāṇivarade padmagaure padmaprabhe padmavikacāmbujagarbhe hūṁ hūṁ | vajre vajre | vajrapadme tathāgatakulādhiṣṭhite · amoghavarade sarvāśāparipūraṇi sarvapāpaduḥkhapraśamani · amoghahṛdayasiddhiṃ sādhaya | vimale hūṁ phaṭ | oṁ varade padmabhuje namo ’stu te | padmapuṭe svāhā ||
In place of “noose-goad,” the Tib. just has “goad.”
As will become clear in the next paragraph, the king of vidyās has assumed, on this occasion, a female form.
The face is singular in the text, making it difficult to tell if it is the main face that is smiling, or all three faces.
The Tib. has “queen” in place of “king.” This is not impossible, as the lax rules of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit grammar would allow interpreting the ending of vidyārājā as feminine (this usage has been attested in some contexts).
The Tib. has “queen” in place of “king.” This is not impossible, as the lax rules of Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit grammar would allow interpreting the ending of vidyārājā as feminine (this usage has been attested in some contexts).
The Skt. vyākṛta can mean both “taught/explained” and “prophesied.”
The Sanskrit syntax of this sentence is ambiguous. The Tib. interprets “seal of the secret samaya maṇḍala” as “secret seal and the samaya maṇḍala.”
In the Tib., the epithets used in the last two sentences (“lokeśvara,” “master of vidyās,” etc.) are treated as proper names.
This sentence is unclear. Between “mantra recitation” and “homa offerings” there is a two-syllable word, huhva, that could not be identified.
The Skt. sarvamantravaśavartinī can be interpreted in both the active and passive sense; she can be controlled or enthralled by mantras herself, and she can exercise control over others through the enthralling power of mantras.
The Tib. reads, “You are the king of vidyās in female form, the supreme agent of liberation.”
The Tib. reads “queen” in place of “king.”
The reading “perfect priest” (nirhotṛ) is very dubious. It seems to have been translated literally by the Tibetans with nges par sbyin pa.
If this reading is correct, “these names” probably refers to all the previously mentioned names and epithets, starting with “Tuṇḍā” at 2.1749 and ending with “performer of all activities” just above.
The last part could also be interpreted as “the samaya of the equality/sameness of [all] the families.”
The clause about the “great families of the maṇḍala(s)” is unclear. It is preceded in the text by the word “accomplished” (siddha) repeated twice.
It is not clear to what extent the three entities just mentioned are proper names referring to deity emanations of Vajrapāṇi. This could certainly be said about the first two, as there are deities of the name Vajraśikhara/-śekhara (Vajra Peak) and Vajrapātāla (Vajra Underground), who are emanations of Vajrapāṇi.
In the Tib., the “vajra lord” (vajrendra), Vajradhara, the “great lord” (maheśvara), and Vajrapāṇi are taken to be the names of four different deities. It is possible that Maheśvara (i.e., Śiva) is meant here as a separate deity, listed along with Vajrapāṇi.
The “supreme name” probably refers to the king of vidyās, Unfailing Lotus Noose-Goad as Pure as a Lotus.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Punnāga can be the name of more than one plant species.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Butea frondosa.
Unidentified.
Michelia champaka.
Saugandhika (“fragrant”) can be the name of several species of plant.
Unidentified.
Nāgapuṣpa can be the name of several plant species with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Sumanas can be the name of several plant species, including great flowering jasmine.
Unidentified.
Jasminum sambac.
Unidentified.
Maruvaka can be the name of several plant species, including Vangueria spinosa.
A species of tree.
Tamāla can be the name of several tree species, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
In the Tib. the phrase “in the canopy of the sky” is part of this line, rather than the next, giving the reading “musical instruments, unstruck, played from the canopy of the sky.”
“Divine” is omitted in the Tib.
“Vidyā,” as magical power, means the power of the mantra in particular; in this context it is the “king of vidyās,” the dhāraṇī formula recited earlier by Noble Avalokiteśvara.
The English pronoun is unsuitable for translating the Sanskrit, as it cannot convey the dual identity of the “king of vidyās,” who is at the same time a mantra (it) and a female deity (she). The proper names of this deity all have feminine endings.
“Twenty-two” is omitted in the Tib.
The Skt. word for entry, anupraveśa, is synonymous with gaining full understanding. Here, however, it was translated as “entry” because it is repeated in the sense of “entry” in the next sentence.
The Tib. reads, “He will obtain the magical displays of the bodhisattvas, the heart essence of the vidyā, samādhi, the magical domain, the mental ornaments of bodhisattvas, and the six perfections.”
“Sovereign rituals” may refer to individual rites or to written manuals of such rites, such as The Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa.
In place of “ten directions,” the Tib. reads “cardinal and intermediate directions.”
In place of “seizures” (grahaṇa), the Tib. has “stomach pain.”
Literally “throat seizures” (galagraha).
The reading “as soon as they are scrubbed,” supported by the Tib., is uncertain. The Skt. seems to be aumāñjitamātreṇa, which would translate “as soon as they are smeared with flax oil.”
“Boon givers” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “In the presence of these tathāgatas, [the vidyā holder] will receive all the maṇḍalas of the samayas of family, the mudrās, the sets of mantras, the heart [mantras], and the secret rites.”
As a deity, this is the same king of vidyās, but as a mantra the king of vidyās that follows is not the same. The name differs from the one given previously, the unfailing lotus noose-goad as pure as a lotus, by dropping the word “goad.” It is possible that the variant in the name is intentional and indicates that this is a slightly different variant of the same deity.
Skt. oṁ amoghacintāmaṇi varadapadme jvala jvalanabhuje hūṁ.
The Tib. syntax here is confused and should be emended to rig sngags kyi rgyal po’i spyi bo nas dbang bskur ro / bcom ldan ’das kyis rig sngags kyi rgyal po ’di dbang bskur ma thag tu.
The Tib., somewhat confusingly, reads, “Those tathāgatas established throughout the three times extended their golden hands and, using the king of vidyās, anointed them on their heads.” It is not clear who “them” refers to if not the tathāgatas themselves.
Skt. oṁ amoghavairocanamahāmudrāmaṇipadme jvala pravartaya hūṁ.
The sense seems to be that the Blessed One, by giving the next consecration, fulfilled the unexpressed wish of the king of vidyās to receive that consecration.
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇḍalapadmābhiṣeke maṇivajre sarvatathāgatābhiṣeke hūṁ.
The Tib. reads “As soon as the king of vidyās gave the consecration by consecrating the maṇḍala.”
Skt. oṁ amoghapūjāmaṇipadmavajratathāgatavilokite samantaprasara hūṁ.
“Not” is omitted in the Tib.
In place of “one thousand and eight,” the Tib. reads “one hundred thousand.”
It is not clear how the adverbial “the first time,” “the second time,” etc. should be interpreted. They seem to refer to the consecutive signs received during the practice.
The text is unclear here and possibly corrupt. It does not specify what the vidyā holder will see. The Tib. reflects the extant Skt. reading yati (“go/move”), which has been emended here to paśyati (“see”) and interpreted as “vision.”
It is not clear if samayaṃ gṛhṇāti should be interpreted here as “he will grasp/gain the knowledge of samaya” or as “he will seize the opportunity.” The Tib. reflects the former.
The Tib. reads, “receive the mudrā, maṇḍala, mantra, and individual consecration, as well as the vidyā together with its accomplishment.”
This Skt. reading, samayamudrāṃ dadāti, seems not to fit the context. The Tib. reads, oddly, “He should usher Vajradhara into it and display the samaya mudrā.”
Both the Skt. and Tib. seem to suggest that the vidyā holder will bestow a consecration, which seems contextually implausible.
In the Tib., the last two sentences read, “I, all the weariness and agitations, by mere recitation will be forced to speak truthfully and disappear.”
It is not clear whether the mantra should be recited this number of times for each of the knots or for all the knots together.
Again, it is not clear whether the mantra should be recited this number of times for each of the knots, or for all the knots together.
It isn’t clear what it is that is rubbed, but the grammar suggests that it is the thread, which would be rubbed against the patient’s body.
The phrase “homa of meditative concentration” could suggest a visualized homa offering; however, it is not clear how this sentence fits into the context. The Tib. reads, “He will also be freed by meditative concentration and homa.”
The text does not specify what he rubs his face with, but most likely this is the incanted thread.
Unidentified.
Unidentified. The Tib. connects sapta˚ with the previous word āntara and reflects the attested Skt. reading of bīka instead of bīja.
Unidentified.
Also called “bel fruit” (Aegle marmelos).
Śatapuṣpa (“one hundred flowers”) can be the name of several plants, including Anethum sowa.
Asparagus racemosus.
The translation of this sentence and the remainder of the paragraph is provisional. The Tib. interprets the phrase ekasthānam olokya (“gazing at the same place”) as a continuation of the list of ingredients from the previous sentence and transliterates it as two items, e ka sthāna and mo lo kya. Our translation of this passage presumes that it is about making a likeness of a diseased body-part from dough, cutting it up, and scattering it.
The Skt. piṇḍa means a “lump” that usually consists of flour or rice. In this context, however, it could be made of the aforementioned ingredients.
The Skt. terms used could imply the magic or spirits that cause the indigestion or food poisoning. The meaning is not very clear.
Butea frondosa.
In place of “water with flowers from a garland discarded after an offering,” the Tib. reads “pure water.”
Śatapuṣpa (“one hundred flowers”) can be the name of several plants, including Anethum sowa.
Sumana can be the name of several plant species, including thorn apple.
Śatapuṣpa (“one hundred flowers”) can be the name of several plants, including Anethum sowa.
Masura is a species of lentil or pulse.
In place of “sauvarcala salt,” the Tib. reads “individual nāḍīs/channels” (so so rtsa lam), which makes little sense in this context and so likely reflects an entrenched scribal error. The Tibetan term for “salt” (lan tshwa) and “nāḍī/channel” (rtsa lam) are orthographically similar.
Ajājī can be the name of at least three different plant species, including Cuminum cyminum.
“Incant mustard seeds” is repeated twice in the Skt. text.
These are passages (bila) leading to the subterranean paradises (pātāla) of asuras and nāgas.
The number is uncertain, as both the Skt. and the Tib. include both “thousand” and “hundred” in the phrase. So, the number could be 1008, 108, or 1000 x 108.
What is possibly implied here is that he will be able to visit other realms, in the event the enthralled lady is a spirit or a deity.
Reading prabhāva as prabhāte. The Tib., however, supports the reading prabhāva (“power”), saying, “Whichever [woman whose] name he calls will be summoned, brought to [him] at night. Through [his] power, [she] will be sent away later.”
Jāti and sumanas are two different species of jasmine.
In the tantras, kumārī usually means a girl, not older than sixteen, who has not started menstruating.
Again, it is not clear how he administers it.
Unidentified.
The Skt. uses two different terms for lotus in the same compound, amoghapadmāmbuja, as both padma and ambuja (“water born”) refer to a lotus. This compound seems to be a shortened version of the previously mentioned unfailing lotus-noose pure as a white lotus (amoghapadmavimalāmbujapāśa), which is the king of vidyās.
“Amogha” probably stands for unfailing lotus-noose pure as a white lotus, the king of vidyās.
The verb √paṭh can mean both “to read” and “to recite.” However, as the verb used for a mantra or a dhāraṇī recitation tends to be √jap, the intended meaning here is probably “reads.”
The syntax of this sentence is not completely clear. The Tib. reads, “He will see all the wish-fulfilling mudrās, dhāraṇīs, and celestial palaces present in the maṇḍala in all their perfection.”
The last clause, from “will obtain,” is repeated twice in the Skt. text.
In the Tib., the last part of the sentence reads “consecrate him with the mudrā, the maṇḍala, and the consecration.”
The syntax of the phrase “the great-seal maṇḍala, the all-secret maṇḍala of liberation” can be interpreted in more than one way. The Tib. interprets the same phrase as a copulative (dvandva) compound: “the great seal, the maṇḍala, the complete secret, and the maṇḍala of liberation.”
It is not clear what name he is supposed to remember: the name of Vairocana, the dhāraṇī, or the tathāgatas.
The Tib. reads “[the vidyā holder] should repeat [the dhāraṇī] in front of them three times using the secret melody of praise.”
“Mustard seeds” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. seems corrupt.
The syntax also allows for the alternative interpretation that the victim is “affected by a mudrā sealing their fontanelle.”
Valeriana jatamansi.
Costus speciosus.
It is not clear whether the number two refers to different varieties of the plant or to the amount.
The exact composition of rasāñjana, which is a type of collyrium, is uncertain.
Being “seized by a graha” refers to epileptic seizures and most types of spirit possession.
It is not clear what the “wish-fulfilling jewel lotus” looks like. Possibly the wish-fulfilling jewel is enclosed within the lotus.
The Skt. has an unidentified word at this point, nibustān, which is not accounted for in the Tib.
“Three” is omitted in the Tib.
It is not clear what the “three great maṇḍalas” are. The grammar suggests that this is a paraphrase of the “three times.”
Reading (conjecturing) tathāgatasya as vidyādharasya, even though the Tib. supports the first reading.
Probably due to corruption, the grammar of both the Skt. and the Tib. indicates that it is the tathāgatas and the bodhisattvas who are consecrated, not the vidyā holder.
In the Tib., the last sentence reads, “Thus, this vast celestial palace will appear as an act of worship and veneration.”
The Tib. reads, “Bhūtas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, and piśācas will flee far away at the mere sight of him, and they will attend to him as long as he lives.”
The name precious amogha clouds of offerings is an expansion of the standard name precious amogha offerings used throughout this section. This is actually the name of a dhāraṇī referred to throughout as the “heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings,” which was given earlier on in the text (no. 165, 2.355).
I.e., the “heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings,” also referred to by the name of its deity, Amoghāṅkuśa.
Vimāna, translated into the Tib. as “palace,” can also mean, in the context of the AP, any magically created object or landscape. The preceding adjective (vistīrṇa = “sprawling”) suggests an estate or the grounds, rather than the palatial building itself.
These must be the same as rocaka and great rocaka mentioned earlier.
Shorea robusta.
Tamāla can be the name of several tree species, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
Michelia champaka.
Jonesia asoka.
Atimuktaka (“whiter than pearl”) can be the name of several species of plants.
Unidentified.
Both nīla (“blue”) and “great nīla” can be names of several species of plant.
Unidentified.
Pterospermum acerifolium.
Unidentified.
Vārṣika, sumanas, jāti, yūthikā, and navamallikā are different species of jasmine.
Unidentified.
A species of tree.
Maruvaka can be the name of several plant species, including Vangueria spinosa.
Strangely, the Skt. text uses the past tense here (pravarṣayanti sma).
“Nakṣatra necklaces” are pearl necklaces with twenty-seven beads, as there are twenty-seven nakṣatras.
This item is listed twice in the Skt. text.
The last four items could not be identified.
Unidentified.
This sentence is repeated twice in the Skt. text.
In place of “strong as a lion” (siṃhorjaka), the Tib. has “lion birth.”
It is not clear if this paragraph is actually about the silken fabrics listed in the previous paragraph. The Tib. takes it to be a continuation of the list of offered articles. Because of the overwhelming technical detail and uncertainty of the readings, not all the differences between the Skt. and the Tib. are reported.
It is not clear what phalaka means in this context; possibly tree bark (as a material for cloth) whose inner side is smooth and glistening.
Michelia champaka.
Kośātakī can mean moonlight and is also the name of several plant species.
In place of “yak’s tail,” the Tib. reads “long bracelet.”
The context suggests that the Skt. nandyāvartaka here is a species of jasmine (crepe jasmine), just like the following jāti and sumanas. The Tib., however, interprets it as the “auspicious symbol,” the svastika.
Jāti and sumanas are different species of jasmine. They are omitted in the Tib.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
In place of “cīnāsavartaka, the face of a bhūta,” the Tib. reads “kanyicanā with the color of earth or a circle.”
The meaning of buda is unknown. The Tib. translates this word as “color” (“the color of gold, the color of jewel”).
Unidentified.
“Bright and shining” is the uncertain translation of vairocanakaṃ vaibhaṣṭakaṃ. Following the Tib., these terms are taken to describe the “beautiful curly hairs.”
Reading sāṭakaṃ as śāṭakaṃ (“strip of cloth”) and interpreting it, on the authority of the Tib., as “headband.”
In this passage, the Tib. translates the recurrent word vimāna not as magically created “articles,” which is attested in other parts of this text, but as “beyond measure,” which appears to be an etymologically literal translation of this word (vi = “without,” and māna = “measure”).
Tamāla can be the name of several tree species, including Garcinia xanthochymus.
Padmaka can be the name of several plant species.
Surabhi (“fragrant”) can be the name of various plant species and fragrant substances, including champak and Mimosa suma.
The Tib. translates vāsa˚ as “clothes.”
Unidentified.
Valeriana jatamansi.
Sarjarasa could be the resin of the sal tree (Shorea robusta) or the Indian copal tree (Vateria indica).
Nameru is the name of more than one plant.
It is not clear how sarala earlier in this list differs from śrīveṣṭaka. Each can be the name of Pinus longifolia.
Sallakī or śallakī (Boswellia serrata) is the tree that produces Indian frankincense; frankincense itself is likely meant here.
Unidentified.
The last two items could not be identified.
Michelia champaka.
Sumanas and vārṣika are species of jasmine.
Unidentified.
Unidentified.
Butea frondosa.
Vālā could be a species of jasmine.
Withania somnifera.
“Five notes” could refer to the five notes of the rāga melodic framework.
Reading vanan as dhanaṃ, as supported by the Tib.
In the list of the six perfections here the order has been altered, as discipline comes before generosity.
It is not clear in what sense “samaya” is used here. The context of “knowing” the samaya suggests that it means here the “right occasion.” In other words, knowing the samaya would be synonymous with knowing the right place and time for any activity.
The precise meaning of vimukha (“one who turns or faces away from something”) is not clear here. Possibly, in the context of the previous sentence, the statement implies that even the members of other religions, although their religious focus is elsewhere, can still attain the realization of a buddha.
In place of “supreme bliss” (paramasukha), the Tib. reads “supreme boon.”
It is not clear if the reading is duṣṭa (“wronged”) or bhraṣṭa (“deprived of”). The Tib. translates this word as “conquered.”
The Skt. reading is difficult to make out, reading abuddhadaśāvimo as abuddhadarśāvino (abuddhadarśāvinaḥ = “not seeing” [pl.] the buddhas).
In place of “celestial saṅgha of the śrāvakas” (divyaśrāvakasaṅgha), the Tib. reads “saṅgha of the śrāvakas and the devas.”
The name of the dhāraṇī, amoghamaṇipūjā (“amogha-jewel-offerings”), could be translated in more than one way; maṇi can mean “precious” or “jewel,” and pūjā can mean “offerings” or “worship.” The term maṇi in the title is sometimes expanded into cintāmaṇi (“wish-fulfilling jewel”), which necessitates it be translated as “jewel” in those instances.
In the Tib., “with saffron” belongs to the next sentence: “The vidyā holder should draw various mudrā symbols there with saffron.”
It is not clear if amoghapāśa should be interpreted here as the deity Amoghapāśa or as the “unfailing noose.” The fact that this maṇḍala consists mainly of mudrā symbols makes the latter option plausible.
It is not clear what mantra is here referred to as “the king of vidyās” and whether it is different from the “heart dhāraṇī” mentioned next.
Nāgapuṣpa can be the name of several plant species with fragrant blossoms or flowers, including Mesua roxburghii and Michelia champaca.
Nalada can be the name of several plants and substances including Indian spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi).
Valeriana jatamansi.
The reading “a thousand cisterns” is uncertain. The Skt. phrase avitā yā or avatā yā possibly includes the word for “cistern,” avata, with its gender changed to feminine (avatā) because of its being in apposition to dhārā. The reading also presented a problem to the Tibetan translators, who merely transliterated it as a bi rA ya.
The Tib. reads “three” in place of “two.”
The Tib. reads “seven” in place of “three.”
It is not clear if vidyārāja is meant as a proper name—the specific name of the Avalokiteśvara emanation described here—or literally, as a “king of vidyās.” The description that follows indicates that this is one of the Amoghapāśa emanations of Avalokiteśvara.
The text does not specify who they are.
The translation of mūrdhaśaraṇe as “at the top of the house” was informed by the Tib.
The Tib. reads, “This weather will not occur in the mountains or jungle tracts.”
In place of “sweetmeat,” the Tib. reads “water,” possibly misreading modakaṃ (“sweetmeat”) as m-udakaṃ (“water”).
“The Amoghapāśa heart dhāraṇī of precious offerings” is a paraphrase of “the heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings.”
In the Skt. text this sentence is repeated twice.
The syntax of this part is interpreted differently in the Tib., where “the painting and vidyā holder” begins the next sentence.
The Tib. reads “seven” in place of “eight.”
“It is very rare, O vidyā holder, to meet you” is omitted in the Tib.
Unidentified. In the Tib. transliteration it appears as tremabuka and is further qualified as “fly.”
The Tib. reads, “enter the palace of a nāga king.”
“Deity” is omitted in the Tib.
The “obtainment of dhāraṇī” is a technical term in the sūtras and tantras. The dhāraṇī, once “obtained,” remains with the vidyā holder throughout his successive births.
This ointment, when applied to the eyes, renders the wearer invisible.
The passages (literally “openings”) lead to the subterranean paradises (pātāla) of the nāgas and the asuras. This clause is repeated twice in the Skt. text.
“Raising a vetāla” means causing a dead body, possessed by a vetāla, to rise up.
“Infinite wealth” is repeated twice in the Skt. text. Both the Skt. and the Tib. could also be interpreted as “you can accomplish all the infinite purposes.”
Vicitrāṇi (“brilliant/multicolored”) is repeated twice in the Skt. text.
Again, to “obtain” a samādhi is a technical term in the sūtras and tantras. Once “obtained,” a samādhi can always be entered at will.
“The luminous samādhi” (vairocanasamādhi) could also be translated as “the samādhi of Vairocana.”
The Skt. phrase akṣaraviśuddha (“pure syllable”) could also be interpreted as “imperishable and pure.”
The Tib. reads, “In short, by merely reading or reciting these samādhis, he will obtain the siddhis of worldly accomplishment. By merely reciting one of them, he will obtain worldly samādhis, secret mantras, and magical emanations.”
The top of a buddha’s head, specifically his uṣṇīṣa, is believed to be invisible to ordinary beings.
“Visible on the head” could be a reference to the uṣṇīṣa at the top of the head of a buddha. It could also imply being able to see the uṣṇīṣa, which is normally invisible.
In the Tib., this line is included in the next passage. It reads, “This dhāraṇī of the king of vidyās, this heart essence, has great qualities, is of great benefit, is magical, and has great magical power.”
The dhāraṇī is probably the same as mantra no. 165. Apart from precious amogha offerings, it is also referred to by the name of its deity, Amoghāṅkuśa.
It is not clear if the text means a single session of reciting or reading aloud the dhāraṇī, or a single repetition of the dhāraṇī.
It is not clear what the phrase vistīrṇakāśa (“vast ambit/broad scope”) refers to.
The Tib. reads, “Then, the vidyā holder should fast. Through the accomplishment of a single recitation or reading, he will obtain a similar achievement that is both vast and clear.”
The “natural body” (svabhāvakāya or svabhāvikakāya) is a buddha body that combines the three bodies: dharmakāya, sambhogakāya, and nirmāṇakāya.
This sentence is repeated twice in the Skt.
The Skt. compound mahāśiragarbha (“great-head-nature”), translated into the Tib. literally as mgo’i snying po chen po, is ambiguous.
“Being stranded away from home” (gṛhabhraṃśa) is omitted in the Tib., where gṛha is understood to be compounded with the preceding prapāta and translated as “collapsing houses.”
We have omitted in our translation the repetition of “from wild animals” at the end of this list.
“Deadly floods” (Tib. chus dus byed pa) seems to be the Tib. interpretation of the phrase udakakāla.
The translation of the last part of this paragraph, starting from “the same prophecy,” is uncertain. The Tib. reads, “You will obtain a prophecy from all the tathāgatas in all buddha fields directly and unanimously, and you will certainly reach liberation. Until you reach the awakening of buddhahood, until your physical form passes into parinirvāṇa, transcendent benefit and miracles [will manifest] by reciting the dhāraṇī.”
It is not quite clear how the syntax of this sentence should be interpreted.
The Skt. ā + √kram can mean both “trample” and “assault.”
At this point the Skt. text repeats that his “body will have the color of a white lotus.”
This color is described in Skt. as “resembling a [black] bee” (bhramarasadṛśa).
The Tib. takes caraṇa here to mean not “foot/feet” but “gait.”
The Skt. clause sa vacanānulomapratikūlo bhaviṣyati translated here is unclear and possibly corrupt. The Tib. reads, “Even disagreeable words will be agreeable.”
This paragraph and the next are full of repetitions, possibly dittographies, and are slightly shortened in the translation here. The Tib. seems to be as confused as the Skt.
By using the pronoun “he,” the translation here and in the subsequent paragraphs reflects the Sanskrit text, where “vidyā holder” is grammatically masculine despite referring to persons of both genders.
The translation of the phrase between the dashes, informed by the Tib., is very uncertain.
The part “filled with the seven types of precious jewels and golden and silver flowers” is repeated twice in the Skt. text.
Again, by “the recitation” the text refers to the recitation that consists of 100,000 repetitions of the dhāraṇī.
The Skt. specifies that this man is eighty-four thousand leagues tall, which, however, could simply be a dittography of the number mentioned in the previous sentence.
“Amogha-maṇipadma-pāśa” seems to be another variation on the dhāraṇī’s name, here referring to the deity Amoghapāśa. When amogha and pāśa are separated by maṇipadma, the phrase evokes the image of Avalokiteśvara holding a jeweled rosary and a lotus. His mantra is oṁ maṇipadme hūṁ. The context seems to indicate that the “Amogha-maṇipadma-pāśa” dhāraṇī is the same as the “heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings,” as this is a continuation of the description of merit acquired by writing this dhāraṇī down. However, later on in the text, there is an explicit statement that the “Amogha-maṇipadma-pāśa” dhāraṇī and the “heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings” are distinct. This discrepancy, which possibly arose due to confusion during redaction, presents a puzzle that is not resolved.
It is not clear if this sentence refers to the occasion of drawing the maṇḍala or writing down the rite. It may also refer to drawing a Dharma seat in the maṇḍala.
The Tib. reads, “Cultivating deep joy, he should offer a golden earring along with his devotional gift and engage in the act of writing tirelessly (amogha), without giving up.”
The preceding passage seems to indicate the same dhāraṇī that can be referred to in different ways. A few paragraphs below, however, we find a statement that clearly distinguishes between the “heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings” and the “heart dhāraṇī of Amoghamaṇipadmapāśa.”
The reading “dhāraṇī” is not supported by the Degé version of the Tib. translation, which instead reads “speech.” The Zhol and Narthang versions do, however, read “dhāraṇī.” The Degé reading is therefore likely to be a scribal error, as “speech” (gsung) and “dhāraṇī” (gzung) are orthographically similar.
In place of “in weakness and in strength,” the Tib. reads “with strength.”
In this and the next few paragraphs the text differentiates between the “heart dhāraṇī of precious amogha offerings” and the “heart dhāraṇī Amoghamaṇipadmapāśa.” This is different than in the preceding sections where these two names seem to refer to one and the same dhāraṇī.
It is not completely clear if the description contained in the remainder of this paragraph refers to either of the two dhāraṇīs or just the second one. The first option appears more probable.
“King of vidyās” is in the singular in both the Skt. and the Tib., suggesting that the two dhāraṇīs are one and the same after all, unless this appellation refers to the text of the AP as a whole.
“This sovereign ritual” refers to the text of the AP as a whole.
“Joy” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. is unclear.
“Joy” has been supplied from the Tib., as the Skt. is unclear.
In place of “mudrās,” the Tib. reads “ocean,” apparently reading samudra (“ocean”) instead of samudrā (“with its mudrās”).
“Sections” has been supplied from the Tib.
The way the Skt. term padma˚ (“lotus”) is reflected in the Tib. suggests that the main lotus in the center is surrounded by thousands of smaller lotuses.
The last sentence is equally unclear in both the Skt. and the Tib. It is not clear what the lattice (jālāgarbhaśarīra) is, and how the hands and lotus rings are arrayed.
Michelia champaka.
A type of celestial flower, sometimes translated as “coral tree blossoms.”
Atimukta can be the name of several plant species.
A species of jasmine.
Michelia champaka.
A species of jasmine.
A species of jasmine.
Unidentified.
It is not clear whether the “great maṇḍala” is the physical maṇḍala built by the vidyā holder or if it is the visualized maṇḍalas with offerings piled upon them. The physical maṇḍala seems to be instrumental in the production of the “clouds of offerings.”
The trope “will remain at the top of their banner” probably means that their minds will remain predominantly in a state of samādhi.
It seems that as the ritual unfolds, the painter is gradually conflated with the vidyā holder.
A sitting posture where one foot is drawn in and the other placed slightly forward.
As the items in the list are in a single, long compound, it is impossible to tell if padmapāśa is a single item (lotus noose), or two items (a lotus and a noose). If these were two items, then the last two items in this list, “a great jewel and a jeweled victory banner,” should be interpreted as a single item, “a great, precious, jeweled victory banner.”
The translation of this sentence is uncertain, as the Skt. grammar is very confused. It literally reads “And in the left hand, in the right, Vajradhara, fanning the Blessed One with a yak-tail whisk, on the right side.” The Tib. reads, “With his left and right hands, Vajradhara serves fresh food to the Blessed One.”
Krodharājavajradhara could be taken as a proper name (Vajradhara-Krodharāja) referring to the wrathful Vajradhara (i.e., Vajrapāṇi) or be translated as “Krodharāja holding a vajra.”
The Skt. gaṇetṛ, which means a counting device, is interpreted in the Tib. as “rosary beads.”
“Facing the painting” is omitted in the Tib.
“A male or female lay practitioner” is listed twice in both the Skt. and the Tib.
The Sanskrit manuscript includes an instance of dittography in this passage that has not been replicated in the English translation.
The Tib. reads “clean and unspoiled.”
It is not clear if the maṇḍala is painted in this color, or if the greenish color of beryl is the natural color of cow dung.
These lines are probably in the area between the borders of the inner maṇḍala and the original maṇḍala, as the space within the inner maṇḍala is reserved for the deity.
Puṇḍarīka is a variety of white lotus.
“Petals” is omitted in the Tib.
The Tib. interprets “sixteen” as the age of the deities: “The males and females have the form of a sixteen-year-old.” The Skt. grammar, however, suggests that sixteen is the number of individuals in each of the two groups. This is made more plausible by the total number of deities, thirty-two, corresponding to the number of lotus petals where they are placed.
The text does not specify the location where these deities should be drawn, but as their number is four, they probably belong at the four doors or in the four corners.
The Tib. reflects the feminine gender of Vikaṭānana (gtsigs zhal ma), which is unlikely, as the other three yakṣas in this list are male. Vikaṭānana is probably the same as Vikaṭāsya mentioned in the Samādhirājasūtra (Toh 127; see Roberts 2018, 10.52 and 10.149).
Translating ghaṇṭā as “bells” on the authority of the Tib. Ghaṇṭā can also mean a kind of vegetable dish, which could be part of the bali offering. The latter interpretation, however, seems less likely.
The Tib. reads “vases” in place of “rice pudding.”
“Fruits” is listed twice in both the Skt. and the Tib.
“Fragrances” has been supplied from the Tib. The Skt. reads gandharva˚, which could be a corruption of gandha˚ (“fragrance”).
It is not clear what the great protection is.
It is not clear how these deities differ from the deities referred to at the beginning of the paragraph. Although the deities are not mentioned explicitly, the bali offered to them and their subsequent dismissal are.
The Skt. word for painting, duṣya, suggests that this is a cloth painting. It may refer to the cloth painting described earlier, or it possibly suggests that the maṇḍala surface where the maṇḍala images were executed had been covered with cloth.
The Tib. reads, “When the mantras and the dhāraṇī of the great rite [used for] entry [are recited], the painting located on the flat patch of ground will blaze instantly and send forth light.”
The Tib. seems to interpret the phrase that describes the deity not as one and the same deity (Amoghapāśa in his form of the king of vidyās, Krodhāṅkuśa), but as three different figures: Amoghapāśa, Krodhāṅkuśa, and the king of vidyās.
The Tib. reads, “It makes all bhūtas panic, makes all yakṣas and rākṣasas flee, and terrifies all vighnas. It burns all inhabitants of the desire realm, makes wicked nāgas tremble, and causes the earth to shake.”
The Tib. reads, “It is that by which all the samayas of the eight sages are maintained.”
“Embryo” (kalala) is omitted in the Tib.
Instead of “into the terrible prison of existence,” the Tib. reads, “and has the capacity to demonstrate how unbearable existence is.”
“Forbearance, beauty” (kṣāntisaurabhya) is omitted in the Tib. It seems likely that the text reported in the previous note is a variant reading of kṣāntisaurabhya in the Tib.
It is not clear what the “inverse position” is. Probably the hands are placed back-to-back. With the palms pointing outward, the two pairs of bent fingers would also point outward, forming a double hook.
Jyeṣṭhā is translated as “thumb” on the authority of the Tib. This is probably correct, as the AP uses madhyamā for the middle finger.
The Tib. reads, “This mudrā is a boon-granting, wish-fulfilling jewel, the unfailing essence of the lokeśvara Lord.”
The Tib. reads, “It unfailingly accomplishes all the most secret rites and is the most exalted [asset] of the tathāgatas of the three times.”
Reading (on the authority of the Tib.) varjayaṃ as tarjayaṃ. The first reading would also make sense, meaning that the vidyā holder bends the thumb but not the index finger.
The text does not specify whether this is in the Three Jewels or any safe haven.
This clause is omitted in the Tib.
Presumably, the fingernails of the opposite fingers are touching each other.
“Lord of the World” here probably refers to Avalokiteśvara.
The Tib. reads, “the middle finger, which touches the tip of the ring finger, should be folded.”
This sentence is rather unclear in Skt. The Tib. reads, “[The mudrā] should be moved a bit at his heart.”
These could be the mantras given a few paragraphs below.
Reading, on the authority of the Tib., sam eva ca as śamam eva ca. The phrase sam eva ca is clearly corrupt, so the Tib. possibly reflects the correct reading.
In this and the following sentences, the word amogha perhaps has a double meaning of “unfailing” and of “pertaining to Amoghapāśa.”
The “Lokeśvara” here vaguely refers to Avalokiteśvara and all his lokeśvara emanations, such as Amoghapāśa.
Skt. oṁ amoghāṅkuśa jvālaṁ [sic] hūṁ. Based on the Tib., and to make it correspond with the spelling in the third mantra, jvālāṁ has been emended to jvālaṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghakrodhadaṃṣṭre hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ vidyārājapadme jvālaṁ [sic] hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghavividha amoghacintāmaṇi pravartaya hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amogha sarvatra sādhaya hūṁ.
The Skt. sthāna can mean both a physical location and a state or condition. It is not clear which one is meant here, possibly both.
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇḍale hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ samantaśubhe pṛthivī sahā hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghapariśodhani hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghapṛthivīsarasthale hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghajalasravaṇe hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghavibhaktabhavanavare hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ nānāratnavare jvala hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ jalavimale amoghaśuddhe hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ siddhijale amoghabuddhi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghavastre chāda hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghamaṇi hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amogharakṣaṇavarada hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ sattvarakṣaṇe amoghadaṃṣṭre hūṁ.
It is not specified who is caused to enter, the deities or the disciples.
Skt. oṁ amoghapraviśa bhavane hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ namo amoghavati hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghacakre hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ samayasiddhe amoghavati hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghapuṣpe pravaragandhini jaya jaya svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amogharasasampūraṇi rasarasāgravati hūṁ.
Skt. oṁ amoghatuṭi svāhā.
Skt. oṁ amoghavati cara vicara sañcara svāhā.
It is not clear which mantra it is, as none of the above mantras seems to be specifically for dismissing the deities.
The Tib. interprets this clause as a list of four deities: the king of vidyās, Amoghāṅkuśa, Krodhāṅkuśa, and the “mantra of the single form of the deity.”
“Approached” (upasaṃkramya) is repeated twice in the Sanskrit text.
Skt. ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hy avadat | teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇaḥ || This statement, customary at the end of written works, is missing from the Tib.
This last sentence was likely added by the scribe of the extant manuscript. It is not found in the Tib. translation.
“Books” are marked in the above translation with [B#].
Bibliography
Primary sources (Sanskrit)
Āryāmoghapāśahṛdaya [The first part of the Amoghapāśakalparāja]
Kimura, Takayasu, ed. (1979). “Āryāmoghapāśanāmahṛdayaṃ Mahāyānasūtram.” Taisho Daigaku Sogo Bukkyo Kenkyujo Kiyo 1 (1979): 1–15.
Āryāmoghapāśakalparāja
Manuscript no. 69 in the Catalogue of Sanskrit Palm-Leaf Manuscripts Preserved in the China Library of Nationalities. Beijing.
Kimura, Takayasu et al., eds. (1998–2011). “Transcribed Sanskrit Text of the Amoghapāśakalparāja.” Taishō Daigaku Sōgō Bukkyō Kenkyūjo Nenpō (大正大學綜合佛教研究所年報) [parts 1–7:] 20 (1998): 1–58; 21 (1999): 81–128; 22 (2000): 1–64; 26 (2004): 120–83; 32 (2010): 170–207; (2011): 32–64.
Kimura, Takayasu et al., eds. (2015–17). “Amoghapāśakalparāja: A Preliminary Edition and Annotated Japanese Translation.” Taishō Daigaku Sōgō Bukkyō Kenkyūjo Nenpō (大正大學綜合佛教研究所年報) [parts 1–3:] 37 (2015): 41–68; 38 (2016): 95–126; 39 (2017): 79–97.
不空羂索神變眞言經 (Bukong juansuo shenbian zhenyan jing). [Facsimile edition of the manuscript owned by the China Library of Nationalities, Beijing.] Tokyo: Taisho University, 1997.
Primary sources (Tibetan)
don yod pa’i zhags pa’i cho ga zhib mo’i rgyal po (Amoghapāśakalparāja). Toh 686, Degé Kangyur vol. 92 (rgyud, ma), folios 1.b–316.a; vol. 93 (rgyud, tsa), folios 1.b–57.b.
don yod pa’i zhags pa’i cho ga zhib mo’i 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. 92, pp. 3–928.
don yod zhags pa’i snying po (Amoghapāśahṛdayasūtra). Toh 682, Degé Kangyur vol. 106 (rgyud, ba), folios 1.b–515.b.
’jam dpal gyi rtsa ba’i rgyud (Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa). Toh 543, Degé Kangyur vol. 88 (rgyud ’bum, na), folios 88.a–334.a (in 1737 par phud printing); 105.a–351.a (in later printings). English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2020.
ting nge ’dzin gyi rgyal po (Samādhirāja). Toh 127, Degé Kangyur vol. 55 (mdo sde, da), folios 1.b–170.b. English translation in Roberts 2018.
sdong po bkod pa (Gaṇḍavyūha). Toh 44, ch. 45, Degé Kangyur vol. 37 (phal chen, ga), folios 274.b–336.a; vol. 38 (phal chen, a), folios 1.b–363.a. English translation in Roberts 2021.
mdzangs blun gyi mdo (Damamūkasūtra). Toh 341, Degé Kangyur vol. 74 (mdo sde, a), folios 129.a–298.a.
Secondary literature
Barua, Ankur, and M. A. Basilio. Amoghapāśa: The Bodhisattva of Compassion. Riga: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2010.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī (Toh 543, Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
Meisezahl, R. O., ed. and trans. “The Amoghapasahrdaya-Dharani. The Early Sanskrit Manuscript of the Reiunji Critically Edited and Translated.” Monumenta Nipponica 17, no. 1/4 (1962): 265–328.
Monier-Williams, Monier. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2005.
Otsuka, Nobuo et al. 『不空羂索神変真言経楚文写本影印版』序 [Introduction to the Facsimile Edition of the Amoghapāśakalparāja Sanskrit Palm-Leaf Manuscript]. Includes a summary in English. Tokyo: The Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism, Taisho University, 1997.
Pal, Pratapaditya. “The Iconography of Amoghapāśa Lokeśvara.” Oriental Art 7, no. 4 (1966): 234–39.
Reis-Habito, Maria. “The Amoghapāśa Kalparāja Sūtra: A Historical and Analytical Study.” Studies in Central and East Asian Religions 11 (1999): 39–67.
Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2018). The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Toh 127, Samādhirājasūtra). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.
Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. (2021). The Stem Array (Toh 44-45, Gaṇḍavyūha). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.
Sāṅkṛtyāyana, Rāhula. “Second Search of Sanskrit Palm-Leaf Mss. in Tibet.” Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society 23, no. 1 (1937): 1–57.
Shinohara, Koichi. Spells, Images, and Maṇḍalas: Tracing the Evolution of Esoteric Buddhist Rituals. New York: Columbia University Press, 2014.