The Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions
Glossary

The last and worst of the four ages (yuga), the present age of degeneration.

The Brahmanical god of fire; also the deity who governs the southeastern direction.

The name of Indra’s elephant.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.

Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.

The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, he is also known as Amitābha.

“Unfailing Noose,” a prominent emanation of Avalokiteśvara in esoteric literature. The Amoghapāśakalparāja, a Kriyātantra, is dedicated to his rites.

A vidyā king (vidyārāja) of the vajra clan.

A class of female celestial beings known for their great beauty.

One who has achieved the fourth and final level of attainment on the śrāvaka path, and who has attained liberation with the cessation of all mental afflictions.

A class of nonhuman beings that are engaged in a perpetual war with the gods (deva) for possession of the nectar of immortality. In Buddhist cosmology, they count as one of the six classes of beings and are tormented by their intense jealousy of the gods.

A female asura.

Harsh, often extreme practices that can include deprivation and physical mortification. Such practices are typically rejected in the Buddhist “middle way.” The term can be used in a more positive sense to refer to the hardships of practice one must endure to reach liberation.

A prominent bodhisattva and buddha of the Mahāyāna pantheon, he is considered the embodiment of compassion. In esoteric literature, he presides over the lotus clan (padmakula).

The lowest of all hell realms (Skt. naraka). The worst possible place for rebirth.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In the general Mahāyāna teachings the mind of awakening (bodhicitta) is the intention to attain the complete awakening of a perfect buddha for the sake of all beings. On the level of absolute truth, the mind of awakening is the realization of the awakened state itself.

A vināyaka.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

A member of the highest class in the Indian caste hierarchy, which is most closely associated with religious vocations.

An Indian master from the eighth century who was a prolific commentator, especially on works of the Kriyā-, Caryā-, and Yogatantra classes.

A shrine or other structure used as a focal point for offerings. When these contain relics of a buddha or other realized beings, they are more commonly called stūpas.

A frequently invoked deity in esoteric Buddhist literature, her name references one of the lowest castes in Indian society.

The deified moon.

“Shadow”; a type of harmful being believed to be the source of disease and mental illness.

A generic term for a range of beings that includes both animals and spirits of various types.

A king of the asuras.

The general of the One-Tooth clan according to The Tantra of Subāhu’s Questions.

One of the three realms of saṃsāra, it is traditionally comprised of six realms of its own, from the hell realm to the realm of the gods, including the human realm. Rebirth in this realm is characterized by intense cravings via the five senses and their objects.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In the most general sense the devas‍—the term is cognate with the English divine‍—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.

An epithet of Indra.

The cultivation of morally virtuous and disciplined conduct and the abandonment of morally undisciplined conduct of body, speech, and mind. Often the term is used in relation to the maintenance of formal vows.

An esoteric deity associated with Vajrapāṇi, sometimes identified as a nāga king.

A class of nonhuman female beings (masc. dūta); the name literally means “messenger,” which implies that these beings can be employed as messengers through magical rites.

Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).

Five actions that bring immediate and severe consequences at death, so that the person who commits them will take rebirth in the lower realms directly after they die. The five are: patricide, matricide, killing an arhat, intentionally injuring a buddha, and causing a schism within the saṅgha.

A subsidiary set of actions that bring immediate and severe consequences at death, so that the person who commits them will take rebirth in the lower realms directly after they die. These five are: damaging a caitya, killing a bodhisattva, violating a nun or woman who has exhausted her afflictions, killing a novice student, and stealing from the saṅgha.

Notes on the Meaning glosses them only as “great kings,” but this term could refer to a number of Brahmanical deities or the deities that govern the cardinal directions.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).

A class of nonhuman beings able to enter and possess the human body. They are often explicitly associated with astrological forces, have a harmful effect on physical and mental health, and are specifically said to cause seizures and insanity. Often this term is used to broadly refer to multiple classes of beings that can affect a person’s physical and mental health.

A vighna/vināyaka.

A subclass of yakṣas, but often used as an alternative name for yakṣas.

An important wrathful deity of the lotus clan. Hayagrīva is also a deity in the Brahmanical pantheon.

The second heaven of the desire realm, located above Mount Meru and reigned over by Śakra (Indra) and thirty-two other gods.

A type of bloodthirsty, charnel ground-dwelling being considered threatening to people and practitioners. In the higher classes of Buddhist tantra, the central deity of many maṇḍalas takes the form of a heruka.

The casting of a prescribed offering into a ritual fire. The practice of homa is first attested in pre-Buddhist Vedic literature, and serves as a core, pervasive ritual paradigm in exoteric and esoteric rites in both Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions into modern times. In Buddhist esoteric rites, the ritual offerings are made repeatedly, with each offering accompanied by a single repetition of the respective mantra.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.

A mode of describing the relative nature of phenomena, in which each phenomenon arises in dependence upon causes and conditions. In many contexts, the term refers specifically to the twelve links of interdependent origination that describe the process of being bound in cyclic existence: ignorance, formation, consciousness, name and form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, becoming, birth, and old age and death.

A yakṣa king associated with the attainment of wealth.

A class of nonhuman beings that are typically revolting and putrid in appearance and are a specific threat to the well-being of children.

An esoteric deity, often included in the class of wrathful (krodha) deities.

A class of tantric scripture that generally features elaborate rites directed toward both mundane goals‍—such as health, prosperity, and protection‍—and to the ultimate goal of liberation. In this class of tantra, the practitioners do not identify themselves with the deity as in other classes of tantra, but rather seek their power, assistance, and intervention in pursuit of their goals. The Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa and Amoghapāśa­kalpa­rāja exemplify this class of tantra.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ruling caste in the traditional four-caste hierarchy of India, associated with warriors, the aristocracy, and kings.

Lord of yakṣas and deity of wealth, he is the guardian king of the northern direction, ruling from his city of Aḍakavatī. He is also known as Vaiśravaṇa.

A class of nonhuman beings that are so-named for having “testicles” (aṇḍa, “egg” being used euphemistically) that are as large as “pots” (khumba). In Buddhist cosmology they are subordinate to the king of the south, Virūḍhaka.

An epithet for Vajrapāṇi, who is also referred to as the yakṣasenāpati, the “yakṣa general.”

One of the three, four, or five clans into which esoteric Buddhist deities are organized. In Kriyātantra literature, the head of this clan is Avalokiteśvara.

A magical diagram; any mechanical tool or device.

An epithet of Śiva that is widely used in Buddhist sources.

A string of beads, much like a rosary, that is used to count recitations of mantra. The beads may be made from seeds, gemstones, shells, or other natural substances, which are often specifically selected for the mantra deity being recited or the intended purpose of the rite.

A wealth deity.

The name of a yakṣa

A syllable or phrase used in esoteric rites to invoke a deity and its power for the purposes of both worldly aims and liberation.

Literally “one who has mantra,” this term is used to refer to practitioners specifically engaged in mantra recitation and other esoteric practices.

A class of beings portrayed as the primary adversaries and tempters of people who vow to take up the religious life. They can be understood to perpetuate the illusion that keeps beings bound to the world and worldly attachments and the mental states those attachments elicit.

“Mothers”; a class of female spirits common to both the Buddhist and Brahmanical pantheon. They are typically eight in number.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).

An emblem, symbol, or gesture of esoteric significance related to specific deities or ritual acts.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

A prominent yakṣa.

The deity governing the eastern direction.

Notes on the Meaning identifies this deity as a yakṣa general, but the name is also used as an epithet of Śiva.

A food offering made to a deity or spirits; such an offering may be varied and elaborate, or may be a simple sacrificial cake.

Specific behavioral prescriptions, often time-delimited, that are adopted in esoteric Buddhist practices. They differ from rite to rite, and practice system to practice system.

“Vitality thief”; a class of nonhuman beings believed to be the cause of disease.

A vighna/vināyaka.

An oracular spirit that can be summoned into a reflective object or made to take possession of a human medium, typically a young child.

A class of nonhuman beings associated with disease and mishaps.

The term used to describe both the scriptures and the deities of the “five protectress goddesses” popular in the Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna tradition. The five goddesses are Mahāpratisarā, Mahāsāhasrapramardanī, Mahāmāyūrī, Mahāśītavatī, and Mahāmantrānusāriṇī.

A prominent yakṣa.

An imprecise term that is difficult to translate, it designates people of different gender statuses and a diverse array of physiological and behavioral conditions related to gender and sexuality.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).

“Lord of All Animals,” an epithet of Śiva.

A class of nonhuman beings traditionally associated with the consumption of meat and flesh, alcohol, and other impure or taboo substances, especially when those substances are in the form of refuse, human waste, and carrion. They are said to live in forests, mountains, and other wild places, or near charnel grounds and sites where refuse is deposited, sites that are typically on the margins of society. Piśācas are generally considered threatening, and are closely associated with the transmission of disease. 

An epithet of Brahmā.

The spirits of deceased ancestors who need to be regularly appeased through ritual offerings of food. The term preta is a derivation of pitṛ.

While this term most often refers to the fortnightly ceremony during which monastics gather to recite the prātimokṣa vows and confess faults and breaches, in the Kriyātantras and other esoteric texts, the term is used in the more general sense of a prescriptive ritual fast and period of abstinence that precedes the performance of many rites. This typically lasts between one and three days, and is to be performed by any practitioner, lay or monastic.

A fundamental ontological principle of the non-Buddhist Sāṅkhya tradition. Prakṛti is the undifferentiated potentiality that contains all possible transformations of thought and matter. It can either persist in an unmanifest or manifest state, manifesting only when it comes into contact with the second fundamental Sāṅkya principle, puruṣa, a basic mode of timeless awareness. When these two come into contact, the internal complexities of cognition and perception and the external complexities of the material world progressively unfold, thereby creating the known universe.

The vows and regulations that constitute Buddhist discipline. The number and scope of the vows differ depending on one’s status (lay, novice monastic, or full monastic) and whether one is female or male.

In a Kriyātantra context, sevā or pūrvasevā refers to the formal preliminary rites and behavioral observances that a practitioner follows for a prescribed period of time before being permitted to engage in the main rite.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

A fundamental ontological principle of the non-Buddhist Sāṅkhya tradition, puruṣa is the basic mode of timeless awareness. When puruṣa comes into contact with prakṛti, the undifferentiated potentiality that contains all possible transformations of thought and matter, prakṛti begins a sequential unfolding of internal and external metaphysical principles, thereby creating the known world. Puruṣa remains as the eternal, passive witness to this creation, until such time as puruṣa withdraws from prakṛti, thereby ending the process of creation and manifestation.

A class of nonhuman beings specifically associated with illness and danger to children.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

A female rākṣasa.

An esoteric deity, sometimes counted as a king of vidyās (vidyārāja).

A wrathful form of Śiva.

The person who performs a sādhana or a ritual aimed at a particular result. This term can loosely be translated as “practitioner.”

A nonsectarian, honorific title applied to accomplished and realized representatives of India’s religious traditions.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.

In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to remain on the same object over long periods of time. The Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa) commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference without getting distracted.

Pledges or commitments to specific behaviors that bind a practitioner of mantra to their deity and/or spiritual master. Samaya are often specific to the deity or rite being practiced.

A state of involuntary existence conditioned by afflicted mental states and the imprint of past actions, characterized by suffering in a cycle of life, death, and rebirth within different realms of being.

Though the term is most often used for the monastic community, it can be applied to any of the four Buddhist communities‍—monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen‍—as well as the community of bodhisattvas.

One of the two chief disciples of the historical Buddha, along with Maudgalyāyana.

The objects perceived by the senses and their consciousnesses: visual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and mental phenomena.

Literally “perfumed chamber”; this was the name given to the Buddha’s personal room at the Jetavana monastery. The term was then later applied to the room in any monastery where an image of the Buddha was installed, to signify his presence. In the context of a Kriyātantra, the term seems to refer generically to a shrine chamber, perhaps one specifically enshrining the deity that is the focus of a given rite.

A class of nonhuman beings renowned for their magical powers. They can be supplicated and ritually propitiated to bestow those powers on people. In this usage, siddhas are not to be confused with the human adepts who bear the same title.

An attainment that is the goal of a ritual or meditative practice; specifically, a supernatural power or ability.

The senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, together with a sixth “mental” sense that takes phenomena (Skt. dharma; Tib. chos) as its object.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The Sanskrit term śrāvaka, and the Tibetan nyan thos, both derived from the verb “to hear,” are usually defined as “those who hear the teaching from the Buddha and make it heard to others.” Primarily this refers to those disciples of the Buddha who aspire to attain the state of an arhat seeking their own liberation and nirvāṇa. They are the practitioners of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma on the four noble truths, who realize the suffering inherent in saṃsāra and focus on understanding that there is no independent self. By conquering afflicted mental states (kleśa), they liberate themselves, attaining first the stage of stream enterers at the path of seeing, followed by the stage of once-returners who will be reborn only one more time, and then the stage of non-returners who will no longer be reborn into the desire realm. The final goal is to become an arhat. These four stages are also known as the “four results of spiritual practice.”

A swirl of chest hair that in the Buddhist tradition is counted as one of the eighty minor marks of a great being. It is also a regular iconographic feature of the Brahmanical deity Viṣṇu. The srīvatsa can be stylistically depicted as an endless knot, and is thus included among the eight auspicious symbols in Buddhism.

The main interlocutor for the Subāhu­paripṛcchā Tantra.

The fourth and lowest of the classes in the caste hierarchy of India, which generally includes the laboring class.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the standard epithets of the buddhas. A recurrent explanation offers three different meanings for su- that are meant to show the special qualities of “accomplishment of one’s own purpose” (svārthasampad) for a complete buddha. Thus, the Sugata is “well” gone, as in the expression su-rūpa (“having a good form”); he is gone “in a way that he shall not come back,” as in the expression su-naṣṭa-jvara (“a fever that has utterly gone”); and he has gone “without any remainder” as in the expression su-pūrṇa-ghaṭa (“a pot that is completely full”). According to Buddhaghoṣa, the term means that the way the Buddha went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su) and where he went (Skt. gata) is good (Skt. su).

A class of mythic birds, similar to and often including garuḍas. When used as a proper name, Suparṇa refers to the name of a garuḍa king.

The deified sun.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī), Tārā is more generally regarded as a deity from the Buddhist pantheon known for bestowing her protection.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

A frequently used synonym for buddha. According to different explanations, it can be read as tathā-gata, literally meaning “one who has thus gone,” or as tathā-āgata, “one who has thus come.” Gata, though literally meaning “gone,” is a past passive participle used to describe a state or condition of existence. Tatha­(tā), often rendered as “suchness” or “thusness,” is the quality or condition of things as they really are, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms. Therefore, this epithet is interpreted in different ways, but in general it implies one who has departed in the wake of the buddhas of the past, or one who has manifested the supreme awakening dependent on the reality that does not abide in the two extremes of existence and quiescence. It is also often used as a specific epithet of the Buddha Śākyamuni.

Abstaining from killing, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, uttering divisive talk, speaking harsh words, gossiping, covetousness, ill will, and wrong views.

Toh 496. An important tantra of the Kriyā class.

According to Notes on the Meaning, this is another name for Mātaṅgarāja (Tib. gdol pa’i rgyal po), who is often described in Indic literature as a king of a tribe outside the caste system. He also appears in the Śārdūlakarṇāvadāna (Toh 358: stag rna’i rtogs pa brjod pa).

King of Tibet who reigned circa 742/55–798/804 ᴄᴇ. It was during his reign that the “early period” of imperially sponsored text translation gathered momentum, as the Buddhist teachings gained widespread acceptance in Tibet.

A class of nonhuman beings who are said to cause mental illness.

A class of serpent-like beings.

A set of eight esoteric deities. According to The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī, they are Cakravartyuṣṇīṣa, Abhyudgatoṣṇīṣa, Sitātapatra, Jayoṣṇīṣa, Kamaloṣṇīṣa, Vijayoṣṇīṣa, Tejorāśi, and Unnatoṣṇīṣa. There are, however, different sets with other names included.

A water lily, often confused with a type of lotus.

The class of merchants and farmers in India’s caste hierarchy.

One of the three, four, or five clans into which esoteric Buddhist deities are organized. In Kriyātantra literature, the head of this clan is Vajrapāṇi.

An esoteric Buddhist deity who can be employed in rites of subjugation.

First appearing in Buddhist literature as a yakṣa bodyguard of the Buddha Śākyamuni, Vajrapāṇi evolved into one of the primary transmitters of tantric scriptures, and is regarded as the head of the vajra clan (vajrakula) of esoteric Buddhism.

A form of Vajrapāṇi widely employed in esoteric rites.

The Vedic god of the waters; also the deity who governs the western direction.

Another name of the Brahmanical deity Viṣṇu.

The deified wind; also, the deity who governs the northwestern direction.

A class of beings that typically haunt charnel grounds and are most often depicted as entering into and animating corpses. A vetāla can be ritually induced to enter a corpse and then serve the ritualist in a variety of capacities.

A common epithet of the buddhas, and also used among the Jains, whose name is derived from the term jina.

A term that at once refers to a type of mantra or dhāraṇī and to the deity it invokes, thereby reflecting their inseparability. A vidyā is typically applied to female deities, and is often, but not exclusively, used for worldly goals in esoteric ritual. In worldly contexts a vidyā is similar to a “spell.”

A class of nonhuman beings that are 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 human ritual specialist and officiant in Kriyātantra and other esoteric Buddhist rites.

A compendium of esoteric ritual manuals, now lost. There may never have been a single text with this title, or the title may refer to a mythical source text from which extant ritual manuals were transmitted.

The full title of this text as preserved in the Tibetan canon is the Vidyottamamahā­tantra (Toh 746), which can be translated as The Great Tantra: The Supreme Vidyā. This lengthy tantra of the Kriyā class appears to be a compendium of diverse rites arranged as a single collection.

Similar to vināyakas, the term vighna refers to a broad class of nonhuman beings that create obstacles and problems for spiritual practitioners specifically, and all people in general.

A stringed instrument, similar to a lute, that is used in Indian classical music, especially of the Carnatic (South Indian) style.

One of the three piṭakas, or “baskets,” of the Buddhist canon, the one dealing specifically with the code of monastic discipline.

Similar to vighnas, the term vināyaka refers to a broad class of nonhuman beings that create obstacles and problems for spiritual practitioners specifically, and all people in general.

This translation and identification is conjectural.

One of the primary gods of the Brahmanical tradition, he is associated with the preservation and continuance of the universe.

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

A female yakṣa.

The Indic lord of death who judges the dead and rules over the hells. Also, the deity who governs the southern direction.

A vidyā queen (vidyārājñī).