དཔུང་བཟང་གིས་ཞུས་པའི་རྒྱུད།
The Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions
Notes
Subāhuparipṛcchātantra
འཕགས་པ་དཔུང་བཟང་གིས་ཞུས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་རྒྱུད།
’phags pa dpung bzang gis zhus pa zhes bya ba’i rgyud
The Noble Tantra “Subāhu’s Questions”
Āryasubāhuparipṛcchānāmatantra
Toh 805
Degé Kangyur, vol. 96 (rgyud ‘bum, wa), folios 118.a–140.b
Imprint
Translated by Dr. Lozang Jamspal, Kaia Fischer, and Erin Sperry of the Tibetan Classics Translators Guild of New York, under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2022
Current version v 1.1.17 (2025)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions is a Kriyātantra scripture that presents a series of practices and rites that can be employed in diverse Buddhist ritual contexts, rather than for a specific deity or maṇḍala. The tantra records a conversation between the Buddhist deity Vajrapāṇi and the layman Subāhu, whose questions prompt Vajrapāṇi to share a wealth of instructions on ritual practices primarily intended to bring about the accomplishment of worldly goals. The rites described in The Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions address concerns about health, spirit possession, the accumulation of wealth and prosperity, and warding off destabilizing and obstructing forces. Special attention is given to rites for animating corpses and using spirits and spirit mediums for divination purposes. Despite the generally worldly applications for the rites explained to Subāhu, Vajrapāṇi is careful to establish the Mahāyāna orientation that must frame them: the quest for complete liberation guided by ethical discipline, insight into the faults of saṃsāra, and the motivation to alleviate the suffering of other beings and assist them in reaching awakening.
Text Body
The Translation
The Noble
Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions
Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions
Notes
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī, Toh 543 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020).
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa, Toh 686 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2022).
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra, Toh 747 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020).
Note, however, that here in the tantra the name Subāhu is rendered in Tibetan as dpung bzang, while in the sūtra it is lag bzangs. In the sūtra, Subāhu only poses one question. See Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans., The Sūtra of the Question of Subāhu, Toh 70 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020).
Derived from the name of the Brahmanical god Śiva, the term śaiva refers to the followers of Śiva and to the myriad religious systems that look to Śiva as their primary deity.
This “shared ritual syntax” has been summarized and discussed in Goodall and Isaacson (2016). Many of the shared features they discuss are on display in the Subāhu.
A survey of the various Śaiva schools and the literature mentioned here and below can be found in Sanderson (1988).
For discussions of vetālas and corpse magic in Indic literature, see Dezső (2010) and Huang (2009).
See Amoghapāśakalparāja folios 27.b, 54.a, 63.a, 67.a, 142.a–b, and 208.a–b, and Huang (2009), pp. 224–25, n. 42.
A similar scene is described in Somadeva’s eleventh-century Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 18, verses 53–55.
Frederick M. Smith studies both types of possession in some detail in chapters 11 and 12 of The Self Possessed (2006). Somadeva Vasudeva (2015) offers a more concise treatment of the prasenā rite discussed below, as does Giacomella Orofino (1994), who also discusses its Tibetan parallels.
The term prasenā is not used in the Subāhu itself; it is found, however, in Notes on the Meaning in its commentary on this rite. The term appears there in transliterated Sanskrit as pra se nA.
Orofino (1994), p. 614 and n. 21. Both the Sanskrit term prasenā and the Pali pañha are derived from the Middle Indo-Aryan pasiṇa (equivalent of the Skt. praśna), meaning “to question.” For more on the term prasenā, its precedents, and its synonyms, see Vasudeva (2015), pp. 369–70.
The practice is mentioned in the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra itself and in Bhavabhaṭṭa’s commentary. In the Kālacakra corpus we find references to it in the Sekoddeśa and its commentaries by Nāropā and Sādhuputra, as well as in Puṇḍarīka’s Vimalaprabhā. Toh 1347
In chapter 10 of the Subāhu, Vajrapāṇi lists the mantra systems of non-Buddhist deities and confirms their efficacy. The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (verses 14.72–77) states that all mantras, regardless of their origin, are effective within the ritual framework explained there by Mañjuśrī. Phyllis Granoff (2000) discusses the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa in the context of Indic ritual eclecticism in “Other People’s Rituals: Ritual Eclecticism in Early Medieval Indian Religions.”
Denkarma, folio 301.b.3. See also Herrmann-Pfandt (2008), p. 178, n. 325.
Buddhaguhya composed a letter to Trisong Detsen declining the invitation, which is preserved in the Tengyur as the gces pa bsdus pa’i ’phrin yig bod rje ’bangs la brdzangs pa (Toh 4355). In the letter Buddhaguhya clearly states he will not visit Tibet, and while there are some passages in the letter that may be apocryphal, there is general consensus that its contents are historically sound. The Testament of Ba (sba bzhed, p. 1) also indicates that Trisong Detsen’s invitation to Buddhaguhya was unsuccessful. Later Tibetan historical accounts suggest Buddhaguhya visited Mt. Kailash, and that the king’s envoys met him there, but this appears to be apocryphal.
There is considerable variation in this line across versions of the Tib. translation, with H, N, and S closely aligned with the reading from F and Notes on the Meaning followed here: dka’ thub nges par spyad pa rnams. D has yang dag sdom pa mi bzad pa (“tedious prohibitions”).
The Tib. term for “preparation” is bsnyen pa, which could translate the Skt. term sevā or an equivalent. The context of this tantra suggests that this not be read as the technical term for a stage of tantric sādhana, but rather as the more general set of preliminary practices (pūrvasevā) that prepare the practitioner to engage in more advanced rites using a specific mantra.
This translation follows the reading from F, N, S and Notes on the Meaning in reading mchod las gyur, instead of the D reading of ’chol las gyur (“[were the mantras] confused?”). Notes on the Meaning explains that this refers to offerings for the wrong class of deity or that were meant for a different purpose.
This translation follows D in reading mi rdzi pa. N and S read mi ’byed pa (“not discern”) and K and F read mi brjed pa (“not forget”).
D omits the verb “listen.”
This is how Notes on the Meaning explains the pronominal phrase de yis (Skt. tena), the precise meaning of which is otherwise ambiguous.
This translation follows the reading bsten par bya attested in H, N, and S, and which is an attested variant in Notes on the Meaning as well. D reads bsnyen bkur bya (“venerate”).
All translations of the root text agree in reading two types of being here: piśācas (Tib. sha za) and herukas (Tib. khrag ’thung). Notes on the Meaning uniquely has sha khrag za ’thung, which is glossed therein as a generic group of beings who consume flesh (sha) and blood (khrag).
This translation follows F, H, K, Y, N, and S in reading lta. D reads blta.
Notes on the Meaning states that the phrase “according to samaya” (dam tshig ji bzhin) refers to the devas and asuras that are drawn as appropriate for a samaya maṇḍala (dam tshig gi dkyil ’khor). The commentary further explains that the phrase “keep watch over meritorious deeds” implies that their presence in the maṇḍala increases merit.
Notes on the Meaning identifies this as “Mother Māmakī” (Tib. yum mA ma kI).
The syntax of this verse has been interpreted based on the commentary in Notes on the Meaning.
This translation follows the reading in D, which is supported by Notes on the Meaning. H, N, and S read de yi lus la lus kyi byin rlabs ’jug (“the blessings of the body enter their body”).
This line is enigmatic, but as is often the case in the Kriyātantras, the mantras and maṇḍalas taught in the Buddhist tantras, which are considered transcendent, can be used as the framework for using the mantras of non-Buddhist deities, which are considered mundane.
This translation follows F, H, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading ma mthong (“not see/observe”). D reads ma thob (“not attain”).
Notes on the Meaning states that the person is “disheartened” because they “lack the means” insofar as they lack the material requisites to draw and enter the maṇḍala. According to Notes on the Meaning, these lines refer to poor practitioners (sgrub pa po dbul po) who cannot erect the elaborate maṇḍalas typically prescribed in Kriyātantra rites.
According to Notes on the Meaning, this means that practitioners maintain the three types of discipline while they are acting as a vidyādhara. The commentary does not specify what the three types of discipline are in this context, but it does add that, as a benefit of maintaining these kinds of discipline, all the malicious forces mentioned here will avoid such practitioners, and do nothing to oppose them.
Here we follow the Degé reading of klu dag (nāgas). C, J, K, Y, and Notes on the Meaning agree in reading klu bdag po (nāgādhipati). Notes on the Meaning glosses this with klu’i rgyal po (nāgarāja).
Tib. sa bla’i gdon. According to Notes on the Meaning, this term refers specifically to residents of the city of yakṣas, likely Aḍakavatī, who hover in the air a short distance above the ground.
This translation follows K, N, and P in reading nges gsung instead of the reading from D, ngas gsung (“I taught”). This interpretation also aligns with the gloss provided by Notes on the Meaning, which states that this line means “the Buddha carefully deliberated and then taught.” It should be noted that Notes on the Meaning cites this line as ngas gsung in line with the Degé version of the root text, but based on the fact that the commentary glosses ngas gsung with shin tu legs par phye te bstan, it is likely a scribal error for nges gsung.
Notes on the Meaning explains the “outer signs” to be the shaving of the head and face and wearing saffron robes, and glosses “rites” with the act of going for alms and so forth.
The Essence of Dependent Arising (Skt. pratītyasamutpādahṛdaya; Tib. rten ’brel snying po) is a frequently-cited formula that summarizes the teachings on interdependence: ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hy avadat teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃ vādī mahāśramaṇaḥ.
The term “assistant” (grogs; grogs po) likely refers to a ritual assistant.
According to Notes on the Meaning, a place of the pratyekabuddhas is exemplified by Ṛṣipatana near Vārāṇasī; those of the sugatas’ heirs (identified as bodhisattvas) include Wutai Shan; a place where the Victor lived is exemplified by Vulture Peak; a place “suffused with merit” would include places visited by a noble being of the past; and places venerated by devas and asuras refers to those places where such divinities venerated and worshiped noble beings, or that they venerate now because of the site’s past association with noble beings.
Notes on the Meaning says this is because south is the direction of Yama, the lord of death, and thus is inauspicious.
The commentary on this verse in Notes on the Meaning is extensive, and cites a number of Kriyātantra sources to present significantly more detail on the requisites and processes for executing the painting.
Here we follow the Degé and Phukdrak reading of lha bshos. H, N, and S repeat “garland” (phreng ba), perhaps intending “row of lamps.”
This could be understood to mean that the remaining hair not in the topknot is to be shaved. Notes on the Meaning does not clarify, but it does state that this applies to a practitioner who is a householder.
In the interpretation given in Notes on the Meaning, using “mineral dyes” refers to the saffron-colored clothing of renunciants, “white clothes” are for householders, and the remaining options are associated with specific observances (vrata) that can be followed by either renunciants or householders.
The Tib. term used here, smrang, is often associated with brahmanical contexts, and thus may be indicating that the following statement is “proverbial” for the Brahmanical community.
According to Notes on the Meaning, the “six activities” include performing sacrificial rites (Tib. mchod sbyin; Skt. yajña), facilitating their performance, reciting [Vedic] hymns, facilitating their recitation, offering gifts, and receiving gifts.
The understanding that this passage refers to mealtimes is provided by Notes on the Meaning.
The precise meaning of the analogy is not entirely clear from the syntax. Notes on the Meaning does not comment on this verse.
“Machine of the body” is a conjectural translation of the Tib. lus kyi ’khrul ’khor, which perhaps translates the Skt. dehayantra.
This translation follows the reading rig bya ste attested in F, H, N, and S. D reads rig byas ste.
The analogy of a plantain tree, which grows as a series of sheathed leaves rather than developing a solid core, is used often in Buddhist literature to describe something that is apparent but ultimately devoid of essence.
According to Notes on the Meaning, this refers back to the verse earlier in this chapter on the different types of alms bowls.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading ’debs. D reads ’jebs (“seductive”). Notes on the Meaning also reads ’jebs, but its commentary is more closely aligned with the reading followed here, suggesting this may be a scribal error.
Notes on the Meaning specifically links this to going on alms rounds.
Tib. sems kyis sems ni rnam par ’dul. Notes on the Meaning states that this refers to intentionally relying on remedies such as recognizing the impermanence of mental involvement with the five sense pleasures.
Given the content of the next verse, this series of verses presumably refers to places one should not seek alms. Notes on the Meaning simply states that these places are to be avoided because of the dangers they pose from violence or attachment.
Notes on the Meaning identifies these as three specific portions: a first portion to the deity, a second to guests, and a third for oneself.
Notes on the Meaning identifies “the appropriate time” as the midday meal.
According to Notes on the Meaning, the “three occasions” (dus gsum) are 1) greater and lesser external washing, 2) after eating food, and 3) mantra recitation.
These are, to the best available knowledge, Spermacoce hispida, crown flower (Calotropis gigantea) or milkweed (Asclepias gigantea), Indian bael (Aegle marmelos), black nightshade (Solanum indicum), and halfa grass (Desmostachya bipinnata), respectively.
The recollections (Skt. anusmṛti; Tib. rjes su dran pa) are distinct focal points of meditation and are typically represented in a list of ten. When only six are listed, the specific members of the list vary. According to Notes on the Meaning, the six in this context are: the Buddha, Dharma, Saṅgha, deity, generosity, and discipline.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in not reading a genitive particle at the end of line three.
This translation follows F, H, N, S and Notes on the Meaning in reading rdul sogs (“dust and the like”) instead of the reading in D rdul tshogs (“a heap of dust”).
This translation follows F, H, K, Y, and S in reading bo de tse, “bodhi seed,” the seeds of Ficus religiosa. D has pu tra dzi, which is the transliteration of the Skt. putrañjīvika. The putranjiva plant (Putranjiva roxburghii) is a native Indian species whose seeds are reported to be used in mālās such as described here.
The seeds of Elaeocarpus sphaericus.
Tib. lung tang; Skt. ariṣṭa. A plant of the Sapindus genus. This could alternatively be a reference to the neem tree (Azadirachta indica).
“Gently” is a translation of the Tibetan shin tu mdzes pa, which more literally means “beautifully,” “artfully,” “elegantly,” and so forth. “Gently” was chosen based on the commentary given in Notes on the Meaning, which states that this means that the mantra should be recited at a whisper.
F and Notes on the Meaning read spre’u, “monkey,” in place of sprin, “clouds.”
This translation follows F, H, N, S and Notes on the Meaning in reading zlos dga’i sems. D reads zlos pa’i sems (“the mind of the reciter”).
This translation follows the reading bde bar gzhag pa attested in F, H, and S. D reads ci bder gzhag pa, “rest as one likes.”
Tib. ma ning. There are a number of different Sanskrit gender classifications this Tib. term could refer to, few of which are well defined in Indic literature. See Gyatso (2003) for a treatment of this topic.
This translation follows Degé and Notes on the Meaning in reading dri snod. F, N, and S attest to an equally plausible reading, dri bstod, “fragrances and praise.”
The idea that this verse refers to the content of a person’s dedications is taken from Notes on the Meaning. “They should dedicate” has thus been inserted for clarity.
Notes on the Meaning explains that a corpse that is thrown into the ocean will be continuously buffeted by its waves and thus not sink.
This translation follows the reading mchong ba found in F, H, J, K, Y, and S. D reads mchod pa (“worship”).
Without knowing precisely which Skt. terms were translated here it is difficult to determine which specific plants are being referred to.
Tib. su ra Na; Skt. sūraṇa. It is not possible to precisely identify this plant, but it may be the elephant-foot yam (Amorphophallus campanulatus).
Punning on the overlapping meaning of the Skt. term śukla as “white” and “pure,” these three food items are considered appropriate for a spiritual lifestyle, and are frequently prescribed in preparation for and during ritual practices such as are found in this text. The three vary across different sources, but tend to include milk, rice, and a milk product such as cream, curd, cheese, or butter.
Tib. ’jigs pa sgrub pa. This is perhaps a translation of the Skt. bhayaṅkara, literally “fear inducers,” which is both a generic descriptor and the name of a specific class of beings. Alternatively, this could translate the Skt. bhairava, which would refer to a class of violent, terrifying deities.
It is unclear from the syntax if “magical device” (Tib. ’khrul ’khor; Skt. yantra) is meant to be construed with each of these beings or just with the asurī. The term asurī is uniquely feminine (Tib. lha min bu mo) in this line.
According to Notes on the Meaning, this refers to engaging in meritorious acts, recitation, reading sūtras, erecting caityas, and so forth.
This refers to the concluding ritual act of asking one’s personal deity, or any deities or other beings involved in a given rite, to depart the ritual space.
Tib. sa rnams. This translation follows the gloss in Notes on the Meaning, which states that the phrase “obtain any lands” refers to royal sovereignty.
The translation of the final line is conjectural.
Notes on the Meaning says this is a mixture of gold, silver, and copper.
Acacia catechu.
This translation follows H and N in reading gnod sbyin ma mo’i sgrub. D omits ma mo (“mātṛkā”) and instead reads gnod sbyin ma (“yakṣiṇī”).
Unidentified.
Ficus religiosa.
Azadirachta indica. H and S read ’jim pa, “clay.”
Terminalia belliric. There is a good deal of variation in the Tibetan spelling of this term across recensions, making this identification speculative.
This translation follows F, H, N, S and Notes on the Meaning in reading rtag tu (“always”), which is omitted in D.
This is possibly a reference to deodar (Skt. devadāru) cedar.
The Skt. term nāgavṛkṣa can refer to many plants, often Mesua roxburghii.
Neolamarckia cadamba.
This translation follows F and S in reading the transliteration pu na ka, which has been corrected to punnāga, a type of plant commonly used in Kriyā rites. Punnāga can refer to a number of plants, including Alexandrian laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum). D reads pun da ka.
Perhaps Crown Flower (Calotropis gigantea)
Unidentified. Because of the wide variation in the transliterated term across versions of the Tibetan translation, this reconstruction is conjectural.
Terminalia arjuna.
Acorus calamus.
The translation “renowned” (Tib. bsgrags pa) follows F, K, Y and S. D has bsgrubs pa (“accomplished”), which is also attested by H. The Degé version of Notes on the Meaning reads sgrub pa po (“practitioner”), while the Peking version supports bsgrubs pa and the Narthang (N) has the near-identical sgrub pa. As most of these are plausible readings, and all are almost certainly the result of a scribal error in the Tibetan texts, it is difficult to choose a preferable reading from among them.
According to Notes on the Meaning, the three levels of siddhi in esoteric ritual are known by three signs that indicate success: the main ritual object or substance heats up, smokes, or bursts into flame. These three signs are, respectively, indications of the attainment of lesser, middling, and major siddhis. While the details of when and in what manner these signs appear are specific to different rites, these three signs are ubiquitous in both Buddhist and non-Buddhist esoteric ritual manuals.
The term “industrious” translates brtson pa, which is attested in C, F, H, K, Y, N, and S. D reads brtsen pa (“playful”).
Notes on the Meaning states that this refers to the Four Great Kings (Skt. caturmahārāja; Tib. rgyal po chen po bzhi), presumably Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, and Vaiśravaṇa. Each of these four great kings rules over a cardinal direction, and specific classes of nonhuman beings of the type that frequently appear in the Kriyātantras. Dhṛtarāṣṭra rules over gandharvas in the east, Virūḍhaka rules over kumbhāṇḍas and pretas in the south, Virūpākṣa rules over nāgas and piśācas in the west, and Vaiśravaṇa rules over yakṣas and rākṣasas in the north.
This challenging line has been interpreted based on Notes on the Meaning, which identifies Aśoka (Tib. mya ngan med pa) as a general (Tib. sde dpon; Skt. senāpati) in the retinue of those four guardians. Alternatively, this line could read “whose retinue is without sorrow.”
Notes on the Meaning states that this verse describes the destroyer group of obstructors, which is not made explicit here.
The term gajamukha (glang chen gdong) means “elephant faced,” and likely refers to Gaṇeśa, the elephant-headed son of Śiva, who is referred to in the previous line using the epithet Maheśvara.
Tib. gtsug nas ’byung. This figure could not be identified, but also appears in a maṇḍala recorded in the Vidyottama Tantra (Toh 746).
Tib. nga yi rigs dang sngags la bgegs byed do. This line is stable across the different versions, but one might be inclined to emend rigs to rig, thus rendering “my vidyās and mantras.”
This translation is conjectural. Maṇicara is the name of a yakṣa who sided with the yakṣa lord Kubera in a battle with Rāvaṇa, the antagonist of the Rāmāyaṇa. It is not clear if that is the figure intended here, and this may be an alternate name or translation for Maṇibhadra, a prominent yakṣa. Pūrṇa is the name of several figures in Buddhist literature, but here is likely the yakṣa general of that name. Glossing a later occurrence of the term “father of Pūrṇa” (Tib. gang po pha), Notes on the Meaning says this refers to Vaiśravaṇa at 10.9.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading sgrub pa po la. D reads sgrub pa po ni, which suggests sgrub pa po as the syntactical subject.
The text reads simply mantra, but given the context it is clear that mantra is to be understood as co-extensive with the deity whose mantra it is.
The final verb for the last two lines varies significantly across different versions of the translation. D reads gtong (“devise” or “instigate”), K and Y read btong (“forsake”), while C and J have the synonymous btang. F has bstod (“praise”), S reads ston (“teach” or “reveal”), and Notes on the Meaning attests to gtod (“set forth”). This translation follows D, but the readings of F and S also seem plausible. Based on the general sense of the verse, the readings of C, J, K, and Y seem less likely, but are nonetheless syntactically and semantically valid.
The translation of this challenging verse is conjectural and influenced by the commentary in Notes on the Meaning.
Here the term siddha refers to the class of nonhuman beings, not accomplished practitioners.
This translation follows D and Notes on the Meaning in reading ’don. H, N, and S read ’dod (“desiring”), and F reads ’dzin (“holding”).
The Tib. term me shel is likely a translation of the Skt. sūryakānta, a kind of naturally occurring stone that is said to absorb sunlight and produce heat and fire. Indic literature similarly describes a candrakānta, a “moonstone” that absorbs moonlight to produce coolness.
F alone preserves the reading skom, “thirst.” This term would make perfect contextual sense and, given its orthographic similarity to snyom/s as attested in other versions, is worth noting as a possible valid reading.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading lus che/chen (“large body”). D reads gzugs can (“possessing the form”), while K and Y attest to the synonymous lus can.
This translation follows F, N, and S in reading rab gtum. D reads rab tu, which serves as a prefix for the final verb ’dzag.
Tib. gtsug phud gcig pa. This figure is otherwise unidentified, but also appears in the Vidyottama Tantra where it is explicitly identified as a vināyaka. One might be tempted to identify this figure as Ekajaṭā/ī, but the name of this important deity is commonly translated into Tib. with ral pa gcig ma, a translation equivalent that was used in Tibetan translations from the time of the early translations. Additionally, the use of the masculine pa rather than the feminine ma argues against identifying this deity as Ekajatā/ī.
This translation follows F, N, and S in reading sbrul (“snake”). D reads hrul (“ragged”).
This translation follows F, K, Y, N, S and Notes on the Meaning in reading gsang sngas lam zhugs pa. D reads gsang sngags ma zhugs pa, “not use his mantra.”
In The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi (Skt. Bhagavannīlāmbaradharavajrapāṇitantra, Tib. bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje gos sngon po can gyi rgyud), his mantra is given as oṃ amṛtakuṇḍalī hana hana hūṃ phaṭ.
Tib. ’gro lding ba. The precise identification of this deity is elusive. According to Edgerton’s Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary, Dramiḍa is a nāga king. However, the term drāmiḍa (with a long ā) is a general term for the Dravidian languages of South India, and is also translated into Tib. with ’gro lding. That the term is meant to refer to a deity is supported by Notes on the Meaning, which states that the three deities mentioned here are the heart-essence of Vajrapāṇi.
Tib. bud med phal. This translation follows the commentary given in Notes on the Meaning, where the term is glossed with smad ’tshong.
Tib. bus pa’i gdon. The translation is conjectural. Notes on the Meaning offers no comment here, and while the term appears in other Kriyātantras, none have extant Sanskrit witnesses.
Syzygium jambos.
Ficus microcarpa.
Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma).
The cluster fig (Ficus racemosa).
Tib. a pa mara. Unidentified.
Saraca asoca.
Banyan (Ficus benghalensis).
Tib. a mra sha. Unidentified, but possibly the Mango tree (Magnifera indica).
Because a deity and its mantra are indivisible, this likely refers to an effigy of the deity associated with the offending mantra. It could also possibly refer to the practitioner wielding it. Notes on the Meaning does not specify, but it does describe the process of the effigy’s destruction in some detail.
Notes on the Meaning states that, in this case, the effigy is of the deity the mantrin is employing.
This translation follows H, N, and S, which do not attest to an instrumental particle after ’chang ba.
Tib. rigs. This could alternately mean “clan.”
Tib. phyogs. Notes on the Meaning simply says this includes “regions (yul) such as the center and so forth.”
According to Notes on the Meaning, this refers to the painting or physical image used in the rite.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading sa gzhi as part of this line. It is not attested in D.
Tib. klad kor; Skt. anusvāra.
The translation follows H, Y, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading mi dger instead of the D reading mi dga’ (“not joyful”).
This translation follows F, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading gsang sngags yi ge mchod. D reads gsang sngags yi ge mchod yi ge mchog, “mantra’s supreme syllables.” Notes on the Meaning explains that this demonstrates that “earnest, respectful recitation is itself an offering pleasing to the nobles one because it is not possible in this context to offer mudrās and mantras, or to make mental or material offerings.”
This translation follows D and Notes on the Meaning in reading thogs pa med par ’gyur. F, N, and S have dogs pa med par ’gyur (“becomes free of doubt”).
Notes on the Meaning explains that this refers to siddhis that can be attained by people with both worldly and transcendent orientations.
Tib. rnam par ’jig pa. Notes on the Meaning glosses this with ther zug ma yin pa, “not everlasting.”
Notes on the Meaning explains that the mind remains inclined toward liberation by giving up conceptual attachment to such contemptible results of accomplishment.
The Tib. term skyes bu (Skt. puruṣa) could refer to the Sāṅkya principle of puruṣa, part of an ontological binary with prakṛti, just above. That this is not the case is suggested by the commentary in Notes on the Meaning, which explicitly identifies prakṛti as the technical term of the Sāṅkhya school, while glossing puruṣa more generically to refer to one of the various terms, along with ātman and māṇava, used by those who believe in a truly existing self.
This verse shows similarities to verse 50 of Nāgārjuna’s Letter to a Friend (Skt. Suhṛllekha; Tib. bshes pa’i spring yig, Toh 4182).
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading bse. D repeats seng ge (“lion”).
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading lha khang mchod rten ’dug nas rgyal ba’i gzugs. D reads lha khang mchod rten gdugs dang rgyal ba’i gzugs, “a shrine, caitya, parasol, or image of the Victor.”
This translation follows F and S in reading me. D reads mi (“a person”).
Tib. sa bon ’thung ba. The precise meaning of this statement is unclear.
F, N, and S read lus kyi nang nas/du bud med zhugs, “a woman lives inside their body.” It is quite possible this is the preferable reading.
This translation follows N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading ’dod lha’i mdangs ’phrog pa. D reads ’dod lha’i mdas phog pa.
There is considerable variation in this line. The translation here follows the reading ’dod la longs spyod attested in D, F, and Notes on the Meaning. H, N, and S read ’dod lha’i longs spyod, “pleasures of the gods of the desire realm.” K and Y read lus la longs spyod, “physical pleasure.”
F uniquely preserves the reading mkha’ la, “in the sky,” in place of mkhas pas, “by a learned person.”
This reference could not be identified.
F, S and Notes on the Meaning read rdo rje ’dzin pa nga la mchod, “worship me, the vajra holder,” and omit the term ’khor, “retinue.”
H, N, and S read rang sngags lha, “one’s own mantra deity,” instead of gsang sngags lha attested in D and other sources.
This is possibly a reference to the Mahāsamaya Sūtra (Toh 34: ’dus pa chen po’i mdo), which is found within the Prajñāpāramitā section of the Kangyur.
This could refer to a number of texts of diverse genres, but the only one with this precise title is the Maṅgalagāthā (Toh 826: bkra shis kyi tshigs su bcad pa), which is found in the Tantra section of the Kangyur. It is also possible that this Tibetan phrase refers to any “auspicious verses.”
This could be a reference to the Dharmacakra Sūtra (Toh 337: chos kyi ’khor lo’i mdo) or the Dharmacakrapravartana Sūtra (Toh 31: chos kyi ’khor lo rab tu bskor ba’i mdo).
This appears to be an abbreviated title and could refer to a number of texts, none of which stand out as the intended referent here.
The identification of this text is uncertain, but could be the Tattvapradīpa (Toh 423: dpal de kho na nyid kyi sgron ma).
The ritual practice of “donning armor” typically involves the visualized instantiation of mantra syllables at different points in the body.
Notes on the Meaning clarifies that it is the ritual substance that is to be washed. This text itself does not specify what is to be washed.
Leaves of the Ficus religiosa.
In this context, the term gandharva does not refer to the class of celestial beings, but to the being in the intermediate state waiting to enter the womb at the moment of conception, thereby initiating the beginning of life in a new body.
The precise meaning of this passage is unclear, but it is possible this refers to different aspects of the image represented in the painting.
Because a deity and its mantra are essentially identical, this could refer to the mantra or the deity appearing in the sky.
This translation follows K, Y, N, and S in reading sbrengs, “to arrange” or “measure out.” D reads sbring, the meaning of which is not clear.
Tib. legs bsrungs, perhaps translating the Skt. saṃrakṣa or its equivalent. This phrase likely refers to the rites of protection a practitioner employs as a preliminary to esoteric rituals.
Tib. bcings. This term could also refer to death through restraint, hanging, or other means that involve binding, imprisonment, etc.
This translation follows F, N, and S in reading “wind” (rlung) in place of “snake” (sbrul), which already appeared in this list. “Wind” is preferable because, like bile, it is one of the three humors (tridoṣa) of traditional Indian medicine. The third humor is “phlegm,” which is likely what is intended by the phrase “and so forth” (la sogs pa).
This translation follows F, which uniquely reads ma snad pa rather than the more widely attested but less plausible ma smad pa, “irreproachable.”
The phrase “draw the samaya” is unclear, but likely refers to the main deity and/or maṇḍala to be employed in the rite. Notes on the Meaning does not comment on this line.
This translation follows the Degé reading of “white clothes.” H reads “red,” and F, N, and S read “new.”
As above, this likely refers to formal ritual procedures of protection.
What systems and traditions this statement may include is unclear. Notes on the Meaning comments that this line means one will attain the siddhis that are specified in those alternate systems.
The siddhi of eye ointment (añjana) refers to the preparation of an ointment that, when applied to the eyes, grants invisibility
This cryptic statement seems to indicate the person should not accept these offers, but continue offering the flesh for sale. Notes on the Meaning explains that the person should haggle until receiving the value they seek.
Notes on the Meaning explains that this refers to a person who has not completed the requisite stages of practice, or to one who has but did not receive authorization from the deity to engage in such an activity.
This translation follows S in reading rig mchog, and thus as a reference to the Vidyottama Tantra. D and other sources attest to rigs mchog, “sublime families.” Both the Subāhuparipṛcchā and Notes on the Meaning reference the Vidyottama Tantra and Mahābala, separately and together.
The precise text being referenced here is unidentified. There are numerous esoteric works with uṣṇīṣa in the title, but this is perhaps a reference to a text of the Uṣṇīṣavijaya collection, about which see Toh. 594-98.
This could refer to either the Mahābala Sūtra (Toh 757: ’phags pa stobs po che zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo) or the Mahābala Tantrarāja (Toh 391: dpal stobs po che’i rgyud kyi rgyal po)
Tib. sha za ba. Rather than referring to piśācas specifically, this adjectival phrase seems to refer to a category of beings, which Notes on the Meaning says includes rākṣasas and similar beings.
Here F, H, N and S read mar me byug pa can, “viscous lamps.”
Aquilaria agallocha.
Tib. sa bon ’byung ba. Notes on the Meaning explicitly states that this refers to the emission of semen.
After this line the Degé version contains a line that appears to be out of order based on its location in the majority of versions consulted. The line bsams nas phung bar yang mi ’gyur is omitted here in F, H, K, Y, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning. It does, however, appear five lines later in the majority of those versions (it is absent altogether in F, and not commented on in Notes on the Meaning), and thus has been translated in that position here as well (see the next note).
This is the line that was seemingly out of place in the Degé version.
Acacia sirissa.
Olibanum (Boswellia serrata).
Unidentified.
Another term for olibanum.
Punica granatum.
As will be clarified below, the thumb is to be smeared with lac and oil as part of the rite. This application is echoed in a similar list found in the Jayadrathayāmala, an esoteric Śaiva text, about which see Frederick M. Smith, The Self Possessed (2006), p. 430. A similar list of reflective surfaces can also be found in Nāropā’s Sekoddeśaṭīkā, where he cites the now-lost Pratisenāvatāra Tantra in listing the eight modes a pratisenā can appear: pratisenāvatāratantre kila darpaṇakhaḍgāṅguṣṭhapradīpacandrasūryodakakuṇḍanetreṣv aṣṭasu [em. avastuṣu] pratisenāvatāra uktaḥ (Carelli, ed.,1940, p. 49).
The Tibetan has been interpreted here as gsal bar ston pas rtogs instead of the attested gsal bar ston par rtogs.
Notes on the Meaning explains that “beyond time” refers to arhats and other realized beings who transcend the three times.
The Tibetan has been interpreted as mi la gsal ston pa ’bab par mi ’gyur, which is supported by F, rather than the more widely attested mi yi gsal ston pa ’bab par mi ’gyur.
Notes on the Meaning explains that the child, no older than sixteen, should be bathed, supplicate the deity, be ritually protected, be given offerings, wear clean clothes, and otherwise be ritually purified.
Notes on the Meaning states that “clean ash” is the ash left behind from a homa rite.
At this point Notes on the Meaning provides some additional detail on the rite as the author understood it. As the mantra is being recited, the practitioner dips their fingers into the ash of a homa fire and rubs it in or around the eye of the child while making the supplication that the child be blessed with divine sight.
The Tib. term rgya skyegs khu ba is often used to translate the Skt. lākṣārasa, or “lac secretion.” It is unclear from what specific source the lac is procured.
This translation follows K and Y in reading sa gzhag. D and S read sa btsags.
Tib. sku gzugs. The text does not specify what the “image” is, but it is perhaps the principal deity of the maṇḍala selected to frame this divination rite. It is also possible that the Tib. term refers to the body of the child into whom the oracle will descend.
About these last two lines, Notes on the Meaning says that if there is doubt about whether or not the oracle actually descended, the mantrin should not recite mantras to malevolent worldly deities as they pose a danger to the life of the child serving as the vessel for the oracle.
“Mantra” is supplied for clarity, as it seems the most likely referent for the pronoun as given in the text. Notes on the Meaning says it is the deity that one is to focus on, but considering that mantra and deity are identical, this amounts to the same referent.
All versions of the Tib. translation are in agreement that ten is included twice in this list.
The “three belly folds” (Skt. trivalī) are a traditional aesthetic trope of beauty in Indic literature and the arts.
These words, rendered in transliterated Sanskrit in the Tibetan translation, mean “Seize! Possess!”
There is a significant degree of variation in the first two lines of this verse across the different versions of the Tibetan translation. As none produce an entirely satisfactory reading, this translation follows the Degé while acknowledging that other interpretations may be preferable.
Unidentified.
Unidentified, but this may refer to a text associated with the deity Vajrāṅkuśa.
Conjectural for rab tu ’dus pa’i mdo. The full canonical title of this work (Toh 138) is ’phags pa ’dus pa chen po rin po che tog gi gzungs.
Butea frondosa (Skt. palāśa).
“Stacked as a lion throne” is conjectural for seng ge gdan gyi a+rka’am pa la sha’i yam shing.
This translation follows Notes on the Meaning in reading ngag where all other extant versions of the Tibetan translation read dag, which appears to be a pervasive scribal error, as the set of eight is incomplete without ngag.
This translation follows F, H, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading mtho ris thar pa thob. D omits mtho ris and instead reads thar pa myur du thob (“swiftly attain liberation”).
This translation attempts to capture the pun of using the verbal form gshegs to describe both having “gone” (gshegs) on the eightfold path and the state of a thus-gone one (de bzhin gshegs pa) that is reached.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in omitting dge ba. Degé reads dge ba’i bsod nams, “virtuous merit,” which is redundant and so seems like the less plausible reading.
This translation follows C, F, N, and S in reading bstod pa nam yang mi bya. D reads bstod pa rnams kyang mi bya.
There is wide orthographic variance for this term, which here follows F, H, J, K, Y, and S in reading sten/bsten. The Degé attests to bstan (“instruct/advise”), which is a plausible reading, and F has brtan (“stable”), which is not as plausible.
Notes on the Meaning points us to the verses on practice sites located near the beginning of chapter 2 as the referent of this statement.
According to Notes on the Meaning, the “eight months” extend from the month of kārttika (October–November) until the month of āṣāḍha (June–July).
This translation follows C, H, K, and Y in reading sngags pa instead of bsngags pa (“to praise”) as attested in D.
Notes on the Meaning clarifies that the rainy season is a difficult time to engage in more involved practices.
Notes on the Meaning points out that the rites listed in this line fall under the category of “enhancement rites” (Tib. rgyas pa; Skt. pauṣṭika). Thus the round pit is best used for two broad categories of rites: those of pacification (Tib. zhi ba; Skt. śāntika) and of enhancement. It also states that “invitation” refers to the homa rites used for inviting the presiding deity of a given ritual.
Though not stated explicitly, it is evident that the triangular and square pits are intended for aggressive rites (Tib. mngon spyod; Skt. abhicāra).
For this translation the genitive particle between bu mo (“girl”) and grong (“village”) has been omitted, as supported by F and Notes on the Meaning.
Notes on the Meaning explicitly states that the lotus-shaped pit is to be used for the fourth general category of rites, “enthralling” (Tib. dbang; Skt. vaśīkaraṇa).
Notes on the Meaning states that the cow dung is “pure” because it has not fallen on the ground, and thus is presumably free from dirt and other impurities.
Tib. yum. This term, literally meaning “mother,” likely refers to the principal female deity associated with the clan or maṇḍala being employed in the rite. Notes on the Meaning does not offer a suggestion as to whom this might refer.
Notes on the Meaning states that the specific ritual substance is to be learned from the ritual manual being used.
The meaning of this phrase is elusive, and the translation conjectural. There is significant variation across versions of the Tibetan translation, offering the readings me lce sgab/brgab/’gab/dga’ nas ’phros. This translation follows H and S in reading ’gab.
Palāśa (Butea frondosa) is commonly known as Flame of the Forest because its flowers look like the flames of a fire.
Mahābala is the one of the ten “kings of wrath” (krodharāja).
About this enigmatic verse Notes on the Meaning says only that it is a proscription against such behaviors.
This reading follows D, F, and other versions. N, H, and S read gsan nas phan gdags phyir ni longs spyod cig (“Hearing this, please enjoy [this offering] so it may be of benefit”).
Each of the following deities presides over a specific direction, giving us the following sequence: northeast (Iśāna), southeast (Agni), south (Yama), southeast (Nirṛti), west (Varuṇa), northwest (Vāyu), and north (Kubera). For reasons that are not clear from the text, the eastern direction, governed by Indra, appears to have been left out. It is possible that the list begins with Indra (east) rather that Iśāna (northeast), but this would result in the latter being omitted from the list. Either way, one direction has been omitted.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading ’byung po’i tshogs. D reads ’byung po’i bdag po (“lord of bhūtas”).
The Tib. reads rākṣasa (srin po) here instead of the expected deity of the southwest. This is likely because the deity is mythologically associated with rākṣasas, and is often considered one himself.
In other words, in their current body and life.
Tib. chos kyi sku; Skt. dharmakāya. This translation follows the earlier usage of the term dharmakāya to refer to the corpus of Buddhist teachings, and not to ultimate reality as in the system of the three kāyas (Skt. trikāya).
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading rigs ngan mi dang dud ’gror skye ba ’thob. D reads rigs ngan mi yi nang du skye ba ’thob (“they will take rebirth among people of low caste”).
This translation follows H, N, S and Notes on the Meaning in reading dkon mchog gsum gyi gdung yang bsabs pa. D reads dkon mchog gsum gyi rgyud du snying nas skyes (“develop conviction in the lineage of the Three Jewels”).
This translation follows F, H, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading phan gnod byas pa’i de sdig mtha’ mi rtogs. Degé reads phan dang gnod pa byas pa’i mtha’ mi rtogs (“one cannot fathom the benefit and harm that has been done”).
Notes on the Meaning clarifies that “Māra’s Foe” refers to the Buddha, and that these lines are to be understood to refer to all flowers that had been offered to the Three Jewels or any transcendent mantra deity.
The text uses a plural pronoun to mark the recipient of the food offerings, but the precise referent is uncertain. It could be that “Mara’s Foe” is to be understood as plural in reference to all buddhas, or it can be understood as glossed in Notes on the Meaning, which says this line refers to oblations offered to bhūtas, devas, and other deities as explained elsewhere in the root text.
This translation follows C, F, K, Y, N, H, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading mngon mtho bslab pa. D reads mngon mthong bslab pa (“directly apparent precepts”).
There are a number of variants in this verse across the different Tibetan versions. Thus, this translation is conjectural, and could plausibly be interpreted to say: “Why would anyone not venerate them, / [People] who are like only children.”
Notes on the Meaning says that an “astonishing person” is one who is well versed in the five arts and sciences and works for the benefit of self and other in marvelous ways.
F uniquely reads gdul bya’i don phyir khro la khro ba (“For the sake of those to be tamed [they show] anger to the angry…”).
This translation follows the Degé in reading rjes su ’jug mdzad pa. Notes on the Meaning and F read rjes su chags mdzad pa. The latter would result in the translation “Show a predilection for mantra forms / That are most suited to every being.” In the commentary on the last two lines of this verse, Notes on the Meaning explains that the guides of mantra display miraculous forms—wrathful, peaceful, or otherwise—that satisfy the beings to be tamed.
According to Notes on the Meaning, this refers to the total number of verses (śloka) in which they were taught.
Notes on the Meaning, quoting the Vidyottama Tantra, enumerates them as: Vajramatī (rdo rje’i blo gros ma), Ghantā (dril bu ma), Kālī (nag mo), Aparājitā (gzhan gyis mi thub ma), Sundarī (mdzes ma), Vegā (shugs), thog thag (unidentified), *Satyā (conjecture: bden ma), *Suryā (conjecture: nyi ma), and *Vajradaṇḍā (rdo rje’i dbyug pa ma).
Notes on the Meaning, quoting The Tantra of Vajrapāṇi’s Initiation, enumerates these as Susiddhi (rab tu grub pa), Mauli (dbu rgyan rtse gsum), Vajrakīlikīla (va dz+ra ki li ki la), Ratnakīlikīla, (rin chen ki li ki la), *Surūpa (conjecture: gzugs legs), *Vajrabindu (conjecture: rdo rje thigs pa), and *Vajralalita (conjecture: rdo rje’i rol pa).
These sixty-four are not enumerated in Notes on the Meaning.
Notes on the Meaning cites two sources here, The Rite of Mahābala and the Vidyottama Tantra, to enumerate this list of eight. There is no extant text titled The Rite of Mahābala (Tib. stobs po che ’ i cho ga zhib mo); however, the list below is found in the Mahābalanāmamahāyānasūtra (Toh 757/947: ’phags pa stobs po che zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo). The list cited in Notes on the Meaning is: Kīlikīla (ki li ki la), Dramiḍa (’gro lding), Raktāṅga (lus dmar), Vajravidāraṇa (rdo rje rnam par ’joms pa), rdo rje rgya chen (unidentified), snying po’i mchog (unidentified), sog med gtum po (unidentified), and dpal ldan zhi bar grags pa (unidentified).
Notes on the Meaning, again quoting from The Tantra of Vajrapāṇi’s Initiation, provides the following list: Vidyottama (rig pa mchog), Kuñjarakarṇa (glang po’i rna ba), Sumbha (gnod mdzes), *Bhīma (conjecture: bsdigs su rung ba), *Hārita (conjecture: ’phrog byed), and Vajrapāśa (rdo rje’i zhags pa).
Notes on the Meaning clarifies that this refers to the large numbers of deities that are aligned with the vidyā kings.
This translation follows D and most versions in reading spyan ras gzigs kyis gsang sngags bye ba phrag / gsum dang de bzhin ’bum phrag lnga rnams bshad. H, N, and S read spyan ras gzigs kyi gsang sngags …, resulting in the reading “the mantras of Avalokiteśvara.” While this is a plausible reading, it is more likely that Avalokiteśvara is the grammatical subject as he is the head of the lotus clan, and thus would teach a different set of mantras than Vajrapāṇi, head of the vajra clan.
This translation follows the Degé reading de yi ming can dkyil ’khor dam pa gsungs. H, N, and S read … dam pa gsum, “the three sublime maṇḍalas….”
There appear to be only six names listed here. Notes on the Meaning clarifies that the seven include the six forms of Amoghapāśa mentioned in this verse plus Hayagrīva from the previous verse. An alternate reading is also possible: rather than the “seven forms of Amoghapāśa,” the text could be interpreted to say “seven forms [of Avalokiteśvara] have been taught,” in which case Amoghapāśa would be the seventh in the list.
This translation follows H, N, and S in reading gos dkar can ma as a translation of Pāṇḍaravāsinī alone. D reads gos dkar spyan ma, which would translate two names, Pāṇḍaravāsinī and Locanā. As indicated in Notes on the Meaning, these lines are supposed to contain the names of eight “mothers” of the lotus clan, but if D were followed there would either be nine names, or grags ldan, here translated as Yaśovatī, would need to be read as an adjective (“famed”) of Bhṛkuṭī. This solution is less plausible because Locanā is typically associated with the tathāgata clan, whereas Yaśovatī generally belongs to the lotus clan.
Conjectural for rnam gzigs.
Both the term ’og pag can and the context that follows support understanding this figure as the female deity Mekhalā, despite the fact that many of the Tibetan versions use the male adjective bdag po to describe her. F and Notes on the Meaning are clear in citing this line with the expected feminine term bdag mo.
Notes on the Meaning indicates that with this reference to Mekhalā, the text switches its focus from the lotus clan of Avalokiteśvara and Hayagrīva to the “enriching clan” (rgyas pa’i rigs), which is synonymous with the jewel (ratna) clan.
According to Notes on the Meaning, “his wife” is Hārītī.
Notes on the Meaning states that this refers to Maṇibhadra.
Notes on the Meaning identifies this figure as Vaiśravaṇa.
According to Notes on the Meaning, the latter half of this verse indicates that there are some things taught in esoteric scriptures that do not fall neatly into the four families, but instead are rites that were taught by people of faith in the presence of the buddhas. Such rites fall outside the four-family paradigm, but are implicitly assumed to be valid because they were taught in the presence of buddhas.
Notes on the Meaning says this refers to the four stages of realization on the śrāvaka path—stream enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arhat—which are divided into the stages of entering it and then maintaining it. Thus they are referred to as the “four pairs,” eight persons.
This translation follows the reading tshul ’chos ’jungs pa found in D and supported by Notes on the Meaning; H, N, and S read tshul khrims ’jungs pa (“hypocritical in their discipline”).
The Tib. term here, nor lha’i bu, could refer to a few different deities. The choice to use Vāsudeva is based on the gloss in Notes on the Meaning, which says it is another name for Viṣṇu, and the fact that nor lha’i bu is the translation of Vāsudeva recorded in the Mahāvyutpatti.
This translation follows D and Notes on the Meaning in reading mdo sde (“scriptures”); H, N, and S read rdo rje (“vajra”).
Though called the “eight instructions” (brgyad po bstan pa), this list is nearly identical to the list of eight major worldly siddhis that appears in Buddhist and non-Buddhist literature. Though too lengthy to cite here, Notes on the Meaning offers an illuminating, detailed commentary on each of these eight instructions and their benefits.
That is, those described as “supreme” in the previous verse.
This verse employs a triad of terms drawn from Āyurveda, the classical system of Indian medicine. Here the text is equating each of the three levels of attainments mentioned in the previous verse with the three primary qualities of the mind that are core to Āyurvedic thought: clarity (sattva), passion (rajas), and dullness/torpor (tamas). Of these three, only sattva is not named explicitly, but rather is described through the qualities associated with it: strength of mind, spiritual enthusiasm, and the observance of austere religious practices. Rajas is translated by the Tib. term rdul, while tamas is directly translated with mun pa. Thus, when reading this verse it is necessary to know that the passion and dullness mentioned here are not precisely synonymous with those counted among the three poisons of Buddhist thought, but rather refer, along with clarity, to the three inherent and natural qualities of mind that collectively serve as the basic constituents of physical and mental health as articulated systematically in the literature of Āyurveda.
Notes on the Meaning states that this refers to the different mantra deities, both those that are pure, such as the buddhas, and those that are impure, such as yakṣas, and the like.
There is considerable variation across the different versions of the Tibetan translation, with some versions reading the masculine rgan po (“elderly men”), and others the feminine rgan mo (“elderly women”). Since it is impossible to know which is the most likely reading, and since the masculine form can be read as inclusive of women, we have used the nongendered “elderly” here.
Notes on the Meaning defines “solemn activity” as mantra recitation, reading scripture, casting caityas, performing worship, and other kinds of virtuous acts.
This translation follows D in reading bsags; H, N, and S read gnas (“persist”).
Though the terminology used in this line is generally consistent across the versions of the Tibetan translation, this English translation follows the specific syntax provided in F, H, N, S and Notes on the Meaning.
This translation follows F, H, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading bsod nams. D reads gsang sngags (“mantra”).
This list of seven elements of sovereignty is most famously enumerated in Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāśtra: a king, minister, realm, fort, treasury, army, and allies. Notes on the Meaning provides a slightly different list: a fort, loyal and capable ministers, a ship, wealth, an elephant, a horse, and an army.
Notes on the Meaning lists the following seven factors and aligns them with the seven mentioned in the first half of the verse: morality (the fort), diligence (the ministers), patience (the ship), faith (wealth), a mind that aspires to perfect and complete awakening (the elephant), not using one’s own mantra to disrupt or otherwise weaken the mantras of others (the horse), and forsaking laziness (the army).
This translation follows F, H, N, and S and Notes on the Meaning in reading the final line as ldan par ’gyur na sdog pa ’dul bar byed. D reads ldan na dngos grub dam pa’ang thob par ’gyur (“when they possess them, they will achieve the sublime siddhis”).
Notes on the Meaning states that these instructions are for someone new to the performance of the rite.
Tib. dpal gyi phug. According to Notes on the Meaning, this is the proper name of a specific subterranean realm, but no additional evidence could be located to confirm this or its potential Sanskrit name.
Notes on the Meaning states that “nocturnal activities” consist of practices that take place in charnel grounds, such as animating corpses.
Tib. sa bdag; Skt. bhūmipati. Notes on the Meaning explains that this term refers to worldly kingship.
All of the following procedures are treatments for poisoning and the ingestion of intoxicants. Notes on the Meaning offers brief descriptions of some of these practices.
F and S read rnam par bzlas (“recite”) instead of rna bar bzlas as found in D and supported by Notes on the Meaning.
This translation is conjectural. Notes on the Meaning says that this refers to setting mantra syllables on or around an afflicted eye, and continuously staring with the eye open.
This translation, which follows S, is tentative as portions of this line appear corrupt and no version offers a clear reading. Notes on the Meaning does not comment on this part of the line.
Tib. yan lag gzhig pa. The meaning of this statement is uncertain, thus the translation is conjectural.
Tib. klu la bstan pa. Both Notes on the Meaning and F preserve an alternate reading that sheds light on this enigmatic phrase. They read klu rnams gzhig pa, “destroying nāgas,” which Notes on the Meaning explains to mean “displaying (bstan pa) the mudrā of a snake’s head and the like in order to subjugate malevolent nāgas.”
Tib. dug gi rgyud; Skt. viṣatantra. There are a number of chapters of texts or entire works that could fall into this category. Most notable are the non-Buddhist Gāruḍa tantras, which are alternatively known as viṣatantras. Notes on the Meaning references the Gāruḍa tantras in the commentary on this section. For more on tantric medicine, treatments for snakebites and poisoning, and the Gāruḍa tantras, see Slouber (2017).
Notes on the Meaning points out that the total count adds up to 81 not 80, but argues that this is not a mistake insofar as the additional one can be counted among the crossbreeds. The division of snakes into eighty types with five subcategories is a traditional classificatory scheme in Indic medical literature, going as far back as at least the Suśrutasaṃhitā (5.4.9), a surgical treatise dating arguably to the turn of the Common Era. The five subcategories recorded there are similar, but not the same as those found here: hooded (darvīkara), spotted (maṇḍalin), striped (rājimat), nonvenomous (nirviṣa), and crossbreeds (vaikarañja).
This translation follows a variant found in F and attested in Notes on the Meaning: sbal pa go dha. This variant includes a transliteration of the Skt. term godha, which is distinct from “frog” (Tib. sbal pa), and which Notes on the Meaning clarifies is a poisonous lizard-like creature. Most versions of the Tibetan translation read sbal pa’i mgo, “frog’s head,” but this is likely an emendation by later Tibetan editors who believed go dha was a scribal error.
Here the Tib. reads “eight-faced” (kha brgyad), which Notes on the Meaning specifies is a type of poisonous spider.
This translation follows the text as reported in Notes on the Meaning: dug bdo ba. D reads dug mod; C, J, K, Y, and S read dug mdo; and F reads dug bod.
This translation follows D in reading sngangs pa, which is supported by Notes on the Meaning. F, H, and S read sngags pa (“mantrin”). Notes on the Meaning adds that venomous creatures bite people when they are startled by the sound of drums and so forth.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading char babs. D reads the similar phrase chu babs (“water falls”).
This line does not appear in F, H, N, or S, but is attested in Notes on the Meaning.
This translation follows D and Notes on the Meaning in reading mya ngan. H, N, and S read mi ngan (“a bad person”).
Though the root text seems to refer to the male Vajrāṅkuśa, it does not in fact specifically clarify if the deity is male or female. Notes on the Meaning, however, attests to rdo rje lcags kyu ma, indicating the female Vajrāṅkuśī. Both a male Vajrāṅkuśa and female Vajrāṅkuśī appear elsewhere in the esoteric Buddhist pantheon, making it a challenge to determine precisely which one is being referred to in the root text. There is also the possibility that Notes on the Meaning contains a scribal or editorial error, mistaking the well-attested reading of the root text, rdo rje lcags kyu ’am (“Vajrāṅkuśa or…”), for rdo rje lcags kyu ma. Thus the use of Vajrāṅkuśa here is conjectural.
This translation follows D and other versions in reading me. H, N, and U read mi (“humans”). Notes on the Meaning also reads mi, but there is nothing in the commentary itself to confirm if this is a valid reading or a scribal corruption. Preceding the word for “wind” (Tib. rlung), “fire” makes more sense contextually.
This is a reference to Śiva and the famous myth of his destruction of the three asura cities.
Vaiśravaṇa, according to Notes on the Meaning.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading the genitive gdon gyi instead of the instrumental gdon gyis attested in the other versions.
This translation follows H, N, S, and Notes on the Meaning in reading rig gsum. D reads rigs gsum (“three clans/families”). Notes on the Meaning adds that this line and the next refer to the Buddha. It explains the “three knowledges” to be the highest states of morality, thought, and insight; the “three existences” to refer to the three realms; the “three faults” to be desire, aversion, and ignorance; and the “three paths” to be the three vehicles.
This translation follows F, H, N, and S in reading bdag nyid chen po without the genitive particle reported in D and other versions.
Tib. rdo rje ’chang; Skt. vajradhara. Though this term is often intended as the name of the esoteric buddha Vajradhara, here it is likely meant as an epithet of Vajrapāṇi, and so has been translated as such.
This description echoes Vajrapāṇi’s earliest role in the Buddhist pantheon as the club-wielding (vajra-pāṇi) yakṣa bodyguard of the Buddha. Numerous works of early Buddhist art, especially statuary from the Gandhāra region, depict him in this manner.
D, along with most other versions, reads gzhal med theg pa, while H, N, and S have gzhal med khang. In either case, this phrase has been interpreted as a translation of vimāna, a “flying palace” of the type that is frequently used by divinities in Indic literature.
Of all the canonical translations of the Subāhuparipṛcchā Tantra, the Phukdrak version alone includes a translator’s colophon. For the reasons mentioned in the introduction there is reason to doubt its accuracy, but it is a notable variant nonetheless. It reads, “This was translated by the great Indian preceptor, the accomplished Buddhaguhya, and the great and learned translator of the Wé clan, Mañjuśrīvarman.”
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