In this sūtra, the goddess Tārā recites a dhāraṇī before an assembly of gods, asuras, and spirits of various types, which brings them peace and stills their speech. The assembled beings then sing praise for Tārā in the form of one hundred and eight epithets of the goddess. Tārā gives a pithy teaching on the importance of seeking liberation and on the right attitude needed for this endeavor. Finally, the goddess gives encouragement and extols the power of the dhāraṇī.
Translated by Samye Translations under the guidance of Phakchok Rinpoche. The translation and introduction were produced and edited by Roger Espel Llima, Stefan Mang, Lowell Cook, Ryan Conlon, and Alex Yiannopoulos.
This sūtra opens with an homage to the goddess Tārā, to whom the text is dedicated. Tārā immediately pronounces a dhāraṇī in front of an audience of gods, asuras, and spirits of various types. Awed by Tārā’s presence, they all praise her powers. In the central portion of the sūtra, the assembled beings offer homage and praise to Tārā in the form of a list of epithets of the goddess. At the end of this recitation, Tārā responds with some words of encouragement and gives a brief teaching on the path to liberation as well as on the importance of applying unwavering effort to cross over the ocean of cyclic existence. The text concludes with Tārā extolling the power of the dhāraṇī she previously pronounced, detailing its salvific effects, and praising those who uphold it. At the end of the sūtra, the audience is filled with joy, and we are told that their speech has been completely stilled.
The sūtra can be divided into three sections. The first section centers on the dhāraṇī. After a brief introduction, Tārā recites the dhāraṇī, “which had never been seen or heard before,” and we are told of its effect on the audience. The second section, which is the longest and constitutes the core of the text, is composed of the list of epithets of the goddess Tārā. These epithets are given in the form of thirty-five four-line verses, and it is not obvious how to count exactly 108 names in them. This list of names is quite different from the most well-known list of Tārā’s names found in One Hundred and Eight Names of the Noble Lady Tārā (Toh 727; rje btsun ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa). There is very little overlap in the epithets, but many of them echo similar themes related to Tārā’s forms, qualities, attributes, and activities. The third and final section takes the form of a pithy teaching given by Tārā to her audience.
Since this sūtra lacks a colophon, it offers no contextual information besides the original Sanskrit title. In particular, it is not known when or by whom it was translated into Tibetan. The Sanskrit text does not appear to be extant, and there do not appear to be any Indian or Tibetan authors who commented on it. The text was translated into Chinese by Fa Tian in the late tenth century under the title 聖多羅菩薩一百八名陀羅尼經 (Sheng duoluo pusa yibai ba ming tuoluoni jing, Taishō 1105). This sūtra has not been previously translated into any European language, and it has only been mentioned in passing in scholarly works on Tārā,1 which makes it a relatively unexplored text.
This English translation is based on the Tibetan version in the Degé Kangyur. The Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) Kangyur, the Stok Palace Kangyur, and the Phukdrak Kangyur were consulted for variant readings.
oṁ trailokyavijaya | acittajaya | aniracijataya | sujaya | vijaya | mahājaya | vijaya2 | jaya jaya | he he | smara smara | vara vara varada | mahādevi | vilasa | vilasa | vilasa | vaja amotakari vijayadevi | hī hī | kiṇi kiṇi3 vilambase | smara smara | mahāprajñā anipata | vajramahākāruṇika4 | bhagini hruṃ hruṃ | sphuṭa sphuṭa | sphoṭa sphoṭa | āveśaya āveśaya | dhuna dhuna | vidhuna vidhuna | kampa kampa | kampaya | surabhigandha | atisita | mukhe haladavala | saṃgarājana | vimavigi | vināśaya vināśaya | he bhagavati | santrāsaya5 vighanān | parivalāya asmākaṃ asmākaṃ | mādani mādani | saṃbodhaya | saṃmohaya | hara hara | hiri hiri | huru huru | vitakara | varaja | haṃ haṃ | trotāya | haṃ haṃ | santratāya | santroya | manta manta | marda marda | cara cara | saṃcara saṃcara | vega vega vegavati | namo namo namaḥ svāhā |6
This completes the dhāraṇī named “Supreme Tārā, the Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā.”
In this sūtra, the goddess Tārā recites a dhāraṇī before an assembly of gods, asuras, and spirits of various types, which brings them peace and stills their speech. The assembled beings then sing praise for Tārā in the form of one hundred and eight epithets of the goddess. Tārā gives a pithy teaching on the importance of seeking liberation and on the right attitude needed for this endeavor. Finally, the goddess gives encouragement and extols the power of the dhāraṇī.
Translated by Samye Translations under the guidance of Phakchok Rinpoche. The translation and introduction were produced and edited by Roger Espel Llima, Stefan Mang, Lowell Cook, Ryan Conlon, and Alex Yiannopoulos.
This sūtra opens with an homage to the goddess Tārā, to whom the text is dedicated. Tārā immediately pronounces a dhāraṇī in front of an audience of gods, asuras, and spirits of various types. Awed by Tārā’s presence, they all praise her powers. In the central portion of the sūtra, the assembled beings offer homage and praise to Tārā in the form of a list of epithets of the goddess. At the end of this recitation, Tārā responds with some words of encouragement and gives a brief teaching on the path to liberation as well as on the importance of applying unwavering effort to cross over the ocean of cyclic existence. The text concludes with Tārā extolling the power of the dhāraṇī she previously pronounced, detailing its salvific effects, and praising those who uphold it. At the end of the sūtra, the audience is filled with joy, and we are told that their speech has been completely stilled.
The sūtra can be divided into three sections. The first section centers on the dhāraṇī. After a brief introduction, Tārā recites the dhāraṇī, “which had never been seen or heard before,” and we are told of its effect on the audience. The second section, which is the longest and constitutes the core of the text, is composed of the list of epithets of the goddess Tārā. These epithets are given in the form of thirty-five four-line verses, and it is not obvious how to count exactly 108 names in them. This list of names is quite different from the most well-known list of Tārā’s names found in One Hundred and Eight Names of the Noble Lady Tārā (Toh 727; rje btsun ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa). There is very little overlap in the epithets, but many of them echo similar themes related to Tārā’s forms, qualities, attributes, and activities. The third and final section takes the form of a pithy teaching given by Tārā to her audience.
Since this sūtra lacks a colophon, it offers no contextual information besides the original Sanskrit title. In particular, it is not known when or by whom it was translated into Tibetan. The Sanskrit text does not appear to be extant, and there do not appear to be any Indian or Tibetan authors who commented on it. The text was translated into Chinese by Fa Tian in the late tenth century under the title 聖多羅菩薩一百八名陀羅尼經 (Sheng duoluo pusa yibai ba ming tuoluoni jing, Taishō 1105). This sūtra has not been previously translated into any European language, and it has only been mentioned in passing in scholarly works on Tārā,1 which makes it a relatively unexplored text.
This English translation is based on the Tibetan version in the Degé Kangyur. The Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) Kangyur, the Stok Palace Kangyur, and the Phukdrak Kangyur were consulted for variant readings.
oṁ trailokyavijaya | acittajaya | aniracijataya | sujaya | vijaya | mahājaya | vijaya2 | jaya jaya | he he | smara smara | vara vara varada | mahādevi | vilasa | vilasa | vilasa | vaja amotakari vijayadevi | hī hī | kiṇi kiṇi3 vilambase | smara smara | mahāprajñā anipata | vajramahākāruṇika4 | bhagini hruṃ hruṃ | sphuṭa sphuṭa | sphoṭa sphoṭa | āveśaya āveśaya | dhuna dhuna | vidhuna vidhuna | kampa kampa | kampaya | surabhigandha | atisita | mukhe haladavala | saṃgarājana | vimavigi | vināśaya vināśaya | he bhagavati | santrāsaya5 vighanān | parivalāya asmākaṃ asmākaṃ | mādani mādani | saṃbodhaya | saṃmohaya | hara hara | hiri hiri | huru huru | vitakara | varaja | haṃ haṃ | trotāya | haṃ haṃ | santratāya | santroya | manta manta | marda marda | cara cara | saṃcara saṃcara | vega vega vegavati | namo namo namaḥ svāhā |6
This completes the dhāraṇī named “Supreme Tārā, the Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā.”
Against the Degé witness, we follow the Narthang and Stok Palace Kangyurs in reading jaya instead of jāya for the six words beginning with acittajaya.
Against the Degé witness, we follow Narthang and Stok Palace in reading kiṇi kiṇi in place of kini kini. This is based on parallel uses of kiṇi kiṇi in other dhāraṇīs.
Against the Degé witness, we follow Narthang and Stok Palace in reading vajramahākaruṇika in place of vajramamamahākaruṇika.
Against the Degé witness, we follow Narthang and Stok Palace in reading saṃtrāsaya in place of santrasaya.
This dhāraṇī has been reproduced primarily as it appears in the Degé witness of the Tibetan translation, and the word divisions have been arranged in a way that seems most appropriate given the available readings. This dhāraṇī employs conventions typical of dhāraṇīs, which are difficult to understand with precision and to translate. Moreover, it is evident that the transmission of this dhāraṇī has suffered from various corruptions. Therefore, it is not possible to conjecture alternative readings or offer a complete translation. Generally, the dhāraṇī can be understood to invoke the goddess as one who is described as victorious in various ways. She is asked to recollect her vows (smara smara) and to manifest beautifully (vilasa vilasa) as a great, boon-granting goddess. Her connections with vajra-emptiness and compassion are evoked, and she is asked to spring forth (sphuṭa sphuṭa), enter or possess (āveśa āveśa), shake (kampa kampa), and to make others shake (kampaya). Her fragrance and white color are mentioned, she is asked to terrorize obstructive forces (santrāsaya vighanān), to “surround us” and provide protection (parivalāya asmākaṃ asmākaṃ), and spring into action (cara cara). She is then described as one who is rich in driving force (vegavatī). The dhāraṇī ends by paying homage to her (namo namo namaḥ svāhā).
Reading mtshan dag in accordance with the Narthang and Stok Palace Kangyurs. Degé and other editions have mtha’ dag.
Tentatively interpreting the Tib. phrase dbang phyug rab dga’ as a variant of dga’ rab dbang phyug, which is an epithet of Kāmadeva.
Tib. sngo ba and sngon po (both appear in the Tibetan verse) can refer to a range of colors from green (Skt. harita) to blue (Skt. nīla).
Tib. mi mchog dam pa (Skt. narottama or naravarapravara), which more literally means “the very best of humans.”
Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace read rje (“lord”) instead of rjed (“to honor, to respect”), which makes “Lord over Candra and the outstanding gods.”
Three folds or lines on the belly that typify feminine beauty in classical Indian aesthetics.
Tib. sgyu ’phrul sgyu ’phrul ldan zhing ’dul. Tentatively reading the repeated word sgyu ’phrul (Skt. māya, “illusion” or “illusory display”) as first referring to Tārā herself. The Phukdrak Kangyur reads sgyu phrul rdzu ’phrul ldan zhing ’dul, “you tame the field of illusory and miraculous displays.”
In Tibetan the word rgyags, whose meaning ranges from “exhilaration” to “vanity,” is repeated twice in close succession. Here it is translated as “elation” and “exhilaration” to avoid the repetition.
Tib. tshangs par ldan, possibly from Skt. brahmavat. Could also be read as “possessing and granting purity.”
Reference unclear. Could also be read as “You hold [a sprig of] neem leaves as your companion.”
Tib. rlung dang ldan, possibly from Skt. vāyuvat, here understood as “wind-like” rather than the more literal reading “endowed with wind.” Understood as vāyuvat, this phrase could also be read as “swift like Vāyu,” referring to the wind god.
Following Stok Palace ’od ’phro ma (Kangxi and Yongle also have ’od ’phro dang, with the same general meaning). Other versions have ’od ’phrog ma, “steals the light of the supreme goddess.”
Tentatively reading ping ka as an abbreviation for ka la ping ka (Skt. kalaviṅka), the kalaviṅka bird.
Meaning unclear; Lhasa has stobs mang (“many strengths”) rather than stobs med (“lack of strength”), but all other editions agree on stobs med.
The reading of this verse is quite tentative. In the Tibetan, the relationships between Tārā’s skill and voice, a courtyard or (banquet) hall, and being illuminated by a bouquet of campaka flowers, are not made explicit. We read khyams dang khyams bza’ (“courtyard and hall”) with the Narthang Kangyur, where Degé has the repetition khyams dang khyams bzang (“courtyard and excellent courtyard”).
This reading is also highly conjectural. We read ser mo tsan pa as ser mo btsun pa (“yellow-[clad] venerable ones”), for lack of a better alternative, despite the high level of agreement between the different witnesses. The Tibetan syllable tsan exists as part of the word tsan dan (“sandalwood”), so if tsan were taken to be short for tsan dan, a literal reading would be something like “excellent support for those to do with yellow sandalwood.”
“Qualities” here translates the Tibetan word chos, Skt. dharma, which has a wide range of meanings.
Could also be understood as the Blessed One himself, meaning that the Buddha has recited the dhāraṇī at one point as well.
Meaning unclear. Here, the Tib. term rab ’byed pa is understood to align with the Skt. term prabhāvana.
Reading khyad par stobs, following the Lhasa, Narthang, Phukdrak, and Stok Palace Kangyurs. Degé reads khyab par stobs (“pervading power”).
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.
A yellowish, fragrant substance obtained from the solidified bile of elephants and cattle.
This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.
A major deity in the Brahmanical pantheon presiding over a divine world where other beings consider him the creator. He is also considered to be the “Lord of the Sahā world” (our universe).
A type of flower, often identified as Magnolia champaca.
The moon personified as a deity.
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and as such can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulae.
Supernatural powers of perception gained through spiritual practice. Their number and type can vary, but they are traditionally given as a set of five: (1) miraculous abilities, (2) clairvoyance, (3) clairaudience, (4) knowledge of others’ minds, and (5) recollection of past lives.
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”
The Brahmanical goddess identified with the Ganges River.
A mythical poison, blue in color, created from the churning of the ocean by the devas and asuras.
A divine river whose gold is believed to be especially fine.
In Buddhist literature refers to a mythical bird with the head of a human and the body of a bird. The kalaviṅka’s call is said to be far more beautiful than that of all other birds—so compelling that it can be heard even before the bird has hatched. The call of the kalaviṅka is also used as an analogy to describe the voice of the Buddha.
The god of love and desire in the Brahmanical pantheon. In Buddhist literature, he is often associated with Māra.
A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name—which means “is that human?”—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.
An epithet of Kāmadeva.
A name for Śiva.
Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.
A class of beings related to the demon Māra or a term for the demon Māra himself. Māra and the māras are portrayed as the primary adversaries and tempters of people who vow to take up the religious life. They can be understood as a class of demonic beings responsible for perpetuating the illusion that keeps beings bound to the world and worldly attachments and the mental states those beings elicit.
Female form of Nārāyaṇa, which is another name for Viṣṇu.
The divine nectar that prevents death, often used as a metaphor for the Dharma.
Azadirachta indica.
The Vedic deity associated with the creation of humanity and the human world.
A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.
Sash, waistband.
Major deity in the classical Indian religious traditions. He is sometimes portrayed as one part of the divine triad that also includes Brahmā and Viṣṇu.
Lit. “Savior.” Though often described as a goddess known for giving protection, she is variously presented in Buddhist literature as a great bodhisattva or a fully awakened buddha.
The ten levels of a bodhisattva’s development into a fully awakened buddha.
The ten knowledges, as given in the Abhidharmakośa, are (1) worldly knowledge, (2) the knowledge of phenomena (dharma), (3) inferential knowledge, (4) knowledge of suffering, (5) knowledge of the origin of suffering, (6) knowledge of the cessation of suffering, (7) knowledge of the path, (8) knowledge of others’ minds, (9) knowledge of exhaustion, and (10) knowledge of non-arising.
A set of practices to be mastered by those on the bodhisattva path: (1) generosity, (2) discipline, (3) patience, (4) diligence, (5) meditative concentration, (6) wisdom, (7) skillful means, (8) strength, (9) aspirations, and (10) knowledge.
A set of powers or qualities specifically possessed by a tathāgata: (1) the knowledge of what is possible and not possible; (2) the knowledge of the ripening of karma; (3) the knowledge of the variety of aspirations; (4) the knowledge of the variety of natures; (5) the knowledge of the different levels of capabilities; (6) the knowledge of the destinations of all paths; (7) the knowledge of various states of meditation (dhyāna, liberation, samādhi, samāpatti, and so on); (8) the knowledge of remembering previous lives; (9) the knowledge of deaths and rebirths; and (10) the knowledge of the cessation of defilements.
A type of blue flower often identified as a lotus or water lily.
Vedic deity of the waters (and sometimes the sky) who is also regarded as a protector of cosmic order.
A synonym for bodhisattvas.
A class of semidivine being that is famous for wielding (dhara) spells (vidyā). Loosely understood as “sorcerers,” these magical beings are frequently petitioned through dhāraṇī and Kriyātantra ritual to grant magical powers to the supplicant. The later Buddhist tradition, playing on the dual valences of vidyā as “spell” and “knowledge,” began to apply this term to realized figures in the Buddhist pantheon. The term is often applied to practitioners of Buddhist ritual magic.
A female vidyādhara.
A sacred utterance or spell made for the purpose of attaining either worldly or transcendent benefits.
A class of nonhuman beings that deceive, harm, or otherwise obstruct humans, especially practitioners. Their name literally means “those who lead astray.”
A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa.
Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.
The Lord of Death who judges the dead and rules over the hells.
lha mo sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa (Tārādevīnāmāṣṭaśataka). Toh 728, Degé Kangyur vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folios 219.a–222.a. Folio numbers in brackets refer to this edition.
lha mo sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa. 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. 94 pp. 582–91.
lha mo sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa. Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Kangyur vol. 107 (rgyud, ma), folios 122.a–126.a
rje btsun ma ’phags ma sgrol ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa. Toh 727, Degé Kangyur vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folios 217.a–219.a
Beyer, Stephan. The Cult of Tārā: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
Blonay, Godefroy de. Materiaux pour servir à l’histoire de la déesse buddhique Tārā. Paris, 1895.
Willson, Martin. In Praise of Tara: Songs to the Saviouress. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 1996.
