In this sūtra, the goddess Tārā warns the gods of the desire realm about the miseries of saṃsāra and offers a pithy Dharma teaching to free them from harm. Tārā begins by vividly portraying the various kinds of suffering endured by beings in each of the six realms of saṃsāra and then points out the futility of reciting mantras without maintaining pure conduct. She goes on to encourage the listeners to engage in virtue, which puts an end to saṃsāra, and she bestows on them a dhāraṇī that will help them to achieve this goal, a praise of her qualities, and a request for her divine protection that they should recite. Finally, she enjoins the audience to read and practice the teaching and share it with others.
Translated by Samye Translations under the guidance of Phakchok Rinpoche. The translation and introduction were produced by Stefan Mang and Peter Woods, and edited by Oriane Lavolé.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
While the Buddha is dwelling on top of Mount Meru, along with the goddess Tārā and an assembly of gods, Tārā warns the divine gathering about the various kinds of suffering endured by beings in each of the six realms of saṃsāra. She explains that the fate of each being is the result of past negative actions and that virtuous conduct is the only way to avoid suffering in the future. Tārā describes the path to liberation using a series of evocative metaphors and also offers a sacred dhāraṇī as a means to help others achieve liberation from saṃsāra. She also outlines for recitation a praise of her myriad qualities, in particular of her ability to protect beings from the eight dangers. Finally, she encourages the audience to read, practice, and share this teaching widely.
The sūtra can be divided into three sections: (1) a concise teaching given by Tārā on the suffering of saṃsāra and the virtuous practices that will eradicate such suffering and lead to fortunate states; (2) a dhāraṇī that practitioners can employ as a method for advancing toward liberation;1 and (3) a praise to be recited to Tārā. In this third section, Tārā is praised as an awakened protectress2 and requested to keep those who petition her safe from the eight dangers. These dangers are identified in this text as lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, waters, infectious diseases, and demons. These final verses, in which Tārā’s ability to protect beings from the eight dangers is described, are thus what lend the text its title.3
There is to our knowledge no extant Sanskrit version of this sūtra, nor is there a Chinese version recorded in the Taishō Buddhist Canon. It is also not found in the Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) or Phangthangma (’phang thang ma) Tibetan imperial translation inventories. The translation has no colophon, so we do not know who the translators were, nor do we have knowledge of any other circumstances surrounding the translation into Tibetan.4
The text has previously been introduced and translated into English by Martin Willson.5 The English translation presented here is based on the Tibetan version in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and the Lhasa Kangyur edition.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the realm of gods atop Mount Meru. At that time, the goddess Tārā, who was in the assembly, spoke the following words:
oṁ, bodhisattva great lady, goddess, please protect us!7 oṁ nama āryāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya |8 tadyathā |9 oṁ tāre tuttāre ture sarvaduṣṭān praduṣṭān mama kṛte jambhaya stambhaya mohaya bandhaya hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |10 nama āryāvalobhayā narā bodhisattvā mahāsattvāni adhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite mama sarvakarmāvaraṇa svabhāvaśuddhe[F.224.a] viśuddhe śodhaya viśodhaya hūṁ phaṭ svāhā |11
“Sons and daughters of noble family should write down this teaching, read it, recite it, understand it, contemplate it correctly, and explain it extensively to others.”[F.224.b]
At her words, the whole assembly rejoiced and offered praise.
This completes the sūtra “Venerable Lady Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers.”13
In this sūtra, the goddess Tārā warns the gods of the desire realm about the miseries of saṃsāra and offers a pithy Dharma teaching to free them from harm. Tārā begins by vividly portraying the various kinds of suffering endured by beings in each of the six realms of saṃsāra and then points out the futility of reciting mantras without maintaining pure conduct. She goes on to encourage the listeners to engage in virtue, which puts an end to saṃsāra, and she bestows on them a dhāraṇī that will help them to achieve this goal, a praise of her qualities, and a request for her divine protection that they should recite. Finally, she enjoins the audience to read and practice the teaching and share it with others.
Translated by Samye Translations under the guidance of Phakchok Rinpoche. The translation and introduction were produced by Stefan Mang and Peter Woods, and edited by Oriane Lavolé.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
While the Buddha is dwelling on top of Mount Meru, along with the goddess Tārā and an assembly of gods, Tārā warns the divine gathering about the various kinds of suffering endured by beings in each of the six realms of saṃsāra. She explains that the fate of each being is the result of past negative actions and that virtuous conduct is the only way to avoid suffering in the future. Tārā describes the path to liberation using a series of evocative metaphors and also offers a sacred dhāraṇī as a means to help others achieve liberation from saṃsāra. She also outlines for recitation a praise of her myriad qualities, in particular of her ability to protect beings from the eight dangers. Finally, she encourages the audience to read, practice, and share this teaching widely.
The sūtra can be divided into three sections: (1) a concise teaching given by Tārā on the suffering of saṃsāra and the virtuous practices that will eradicate such suffering and lead to fortunate states; (2) a dhāraṇī that practitioners can employ as a method for advancing toward liberation;1 and (3) a praise to be recited to Tārā. In this third section, Tārā is praised as an awakened protectress2 and requested to keep those who petition her safe from the eight dangers. These dangers are identified in this text as lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, waters, infectious diseases, and demons. These final verses, in which Tārā’s ability to protect beings from the eight dangers is described, are thus what lend the text its title.3
There is to our knowledge no extant Sanskrit version of this sūtra, nor is there a Chinese version recorded in the Taishō Buddhist Canon. It is also not found in the Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) or Phangthangma (’phang thang ma) Tibetan imperial translation inventories. The translation has no colophon, so we do not know who the translators were, nor do we have knowledge of any other circumstances surrounding the translation into Tibetan.4
The text has previously been introduced and translated into English by Martin Willson.5 The English translation presented here is based on the Tibetan version in the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and the Lhasa Kangyur edition.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the realm of gods atop Mount Meru. At that time, the goddess Tārā, who was in the assembly, spoke the following words:
oṁ, bodhisattva great lady, goddess, please protect us!7 oṁ nama āryāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya |8 tadyathā |9 oṁ tāre tuttāre ture sarvaduṣṭān praduṣṭān mama kṛte jambhaya stambhaya mohaya bandhaya hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |10 nama āryāvalobhayā narā bodhisattvā mahāsattvāni adhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite mama sarvakarmāvaraṇa svabhāvaśuddhe[F.224.a] viśuddhe śodhaya viśodhaya hūṁ phaṭ svāhā |11
“Sons and daughters of noble family should write down this teaching, read it, recite it, understand it, contemplate it correctly, and explain it extensively to others.”[F.224.b]
At her words, the whole assembly rejoiced and offered praise.
This completes the sūtra “Venerable Lady Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers.”13
Parts of this dhāraṇī are also found in other dhāraṇīs to Tārā such as the Sādhanamālā mantra of Vajratārā (Bhattacharyya 1925, p. 178) and The Dhāraṇī of Tārā (Toh 729, sgrol ma’i gzungs), to give only two examples.
For various iconographic descriptions of Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers, see for example Shin 2010, pp. 20–22 and Shaw 2006, pp. 319–322.
The Kangyur manuscripts suggest that the Sanskrit title of this text was *Āryatārāṣṭaghoretāsvīsūtra or a variant thereof. We have followed the Tōhoku catalogue, amending the title to *Āryatārāṣṭaghoratāraṇīsūtra. It is worthwhile to note that the Sanskrit term *aṣṭaghora appears to be a unique way to refer to the eight dangers. The commonly used Sanskrit term is aṣṭamahābhaya. Both terms are very similar in meaning and both can be translated into Tibetan as ’jigs pa [chen po] brgyad.
Interestingly, the text is only found in Kangyur collections of the Tshalpa (tshal pa) group, such as the Degé, Lhasa, Lithang, and Choné Kangyurs. It is not included in any of the Thempangma (them spangs ma) group, the Ladakh/Mustang Kangyur collections, or the Dunhuang collections.
See Willson 1996, pp. 87–93. Willson’s translation is based on the Peking Kangyur version of the sūtra.
Quintessence (hṛdaya, snying po) here refers to a dhāraṇī that is considered to encapsulate the essence of a deity, in this case Tārā.
The first part of this dhāraṇī is an homage to Tārā. Since the Tibetan translators chose to render this part into Tibetan, it is also translated into English here.
The second part of this dhāraṇī presents a standard homage to Avalokiteśvara. We have amended namo to nama following the homage as given in the Vajratārāsādhanas in the Sādhanamālā (see e.g. Bhattacharyya 1925, p. 178) and The Dhāraṇī of Tārā. A tentative translation of it is as follows: “oṁ! Homage to Noble Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva mahāsattva, the great compassionate one!”
The third part of this dhāraṇī is a request to Tārā to dispel obstacles. This part is found as an independent dhāraṇī in, for example, the Sādhanamālā as the mantra of Vajratārā (Bhattacharyya 1925, p. 178), The Dhāraṇī of Tārā, and elsewhere (Beyer 1978, pp. 280–281). A tentative translation of it is as follows: “It is like this: oṁ! Deliverer! Savior! Swift One! Crush, suppress, confound, restrain all the wrong and evil beings for me! hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā!”
The fourth part of this dhāraṇī is a request to Tārā to purify one’s obscurations. We have amended the first two beginning syllables mama to nama following the dhāraṇī as given in Butön’s Dhāraṇī Collection (gzungs bsdus) in his Collected Works (gsung ’bum). The remaining part of the dhāraṇī appears to be corrupted. The letters bha and ka are very similar and often confused in old Newar and other scripts, so āryāvalobha- probably was originally āryāvaloka-. This is probably a reference to Āryāvalokiteśvara, whose name might have been followed by the standard bhodhisattvo mahāsattvaḥ. A tentative translation is as follows: “Homage to you, [Tārā,] empowered with the blessing of Noble Avalokita, the great bodhisattva mahāsattva! Purify, completely purify, cleanse, and completely cleanse all my karmic obscurations! hūṁ phaṭ svāhā!”
This is a tentative rendering of the phrase: de nas sangs rgyas nyid kyis su/ /lha mo nyid la rab tu bstod.
The title listed here differs from the title given on the first page as “Noble” (’phags ma) is missing. Instead, “Venerable Lady” (rje btsun ma) is added. The Comparative Edition notes that the Lithang and Choné versions add yang zhus ste/te skar to the end of the colophon (p. 601). The phrase could be rendered as “re-edited and sorted.”
A fast-growing fig tree that can quickly become a large tree. It features prominently in Indian stories and myths.
A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.
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.
Listed in Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers as lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, waters, infectious diseases, and demons. A more common enumeration gives “imprisonment” rather than “infectious diseases.”
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 and so compelling that it could 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.
A measure of distance. The exact value varies in different sources, though typically it is between 6 and 14 km.
A flower belonging to the lcam pa family, a type of malva flower used in Tibetan medicine.
According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.
The trainings of the bodhisattva path. Most commonly listed as six: generosity, moral conduct, patience, diligence, concentration, and insight. Sometimes, such as in this text, an additional four are added: method, aspiration, strength, and wisdom.
One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, into which beings are born as the karmic fruition of past miserliness. As the term in Sanskrit means “the departed,” they are analogous to the ancestral spirits of Vedic tradition, the pitṛs, who starve without the offerings of descendants. It is also commonly translated as “hungry ghost” or “starving spirit,” as in the Chinese 餓鬼 e gui.
They are sometimes said to reside in the realm of Yama, but are also frequently described as roaming charnel grounds and other inhospitable or frightening places along with piśācas and other such beings. They are particularly known to suffer from great hunger and thirst and the inability to acquire sustenance. Detailed descriptions of their realm and experience, including a list of the thirty-six classes of pretas, can be found in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 2.1281– 2.1482.
Likely refers to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (Trāyastriṃśa, sum cu rtsa gsum), the second heaven of the desire realm situated on the summit of Mount Meru and presided over by thirty-three gods, of whom Śakra is the chief.
A goddess (lit. “Savior”) known for giving protection. She is variously presented in Buddhist literature as a great bodhisattva or a fully awakened buddha.
Incarvillea compacta maxim, an herb with pink trumpet-shaped flowers used in Tibetan medicine.
A sacred utterance or spell made for the purpose of attaining either worldly or transcendent benefits.
The lord of death who judges the dead and rules over the hells.
’phags ma sgrol ma ’jigs pa brgyad las skyob pa’i mdo (*Āryatārāṣṭaghoratāraṇīsūtra). Toh 731, Degé Kangyur vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folios 222.b–224.b.
’phags ma sgrol ma ’jigs pa brgyad las skyob pa’i mdo (*Āryatārāṣṭaghoratāraṇīsūtra). Toh 731, Lhasa Kangyur vol. 90 (rgyud, na), folios 473.b–476.a.
’phags ma sgrol ma ’jigs pa brgyad las skyob pa’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol. 94, pp. 597–602.
sgrol ma’i gzungs [The Dhāraṇī of Tārā]. Toh 729, Degé Kangyur vol. 94 (rgyud, tsha), folio 222.a. English translation in Samye Translations (2021).
sgrol ma’i gzungs [The Dhāraṇī of Tārā]. Toh 1001, Degé Kangyur vol. 102 (gzungs, waM), folio 160.a. English translation in Samye Translations (2021).
dam pa’i chos pad ma dkar po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Saddharmapuṇḍarīkanāmamahāyānasūtra). Toh 113, Degé Kangyur vol. 51 (mdo sde, ja), folios 1.b–180.b. English translation in (2018).
Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh, ed. Sādhanamālā: Vol I. Baroda: Central Library, 1925.
Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). “sgrol ma ’jigs pa brgyad skyob kyi sngags.” In gsung ’bum rin chen grub [Collected Works], vol. 16 (ma), folio 218.b. Lhasa: zhol par khang, 2000.
Beyer, Stephan. The Cult of Tārā: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Samye Translations, trans. The Dhāraṇī of Tārā. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2021.
Roberts, Peter Alan, trans. The White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sutra. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.
Shaw, Miranda. Buddhist Goddesses of India. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.
Shin, Jae-Eun. “Transformation of the Goddess Tārā with Special Reference to Iconographical Features.” Indo Koko Kenkyu: Studies in South Asian Art and Archaeology 31 (2010): 17–31.
Willson, Martin. In Praise of Tara: Songs to the Saviouress. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 1996.
