Kangyur Translations

Toh 471, Toh 2006 — The Myth Chapter

The Myth Chapter

F.173.bF.213.b Homage to the glorious Vajrabhairava.

“Now, I will explain

How the great Vajrabhairava—

He who has emerged from the vajras

Of the Blessed One’s body, speech, and mind—

Crossed the southern ocean

And reached the city of Yama.

“With his overwhelming sixteen legs

He trampled the sixteen gateless iron castles.

With his organ^[1] of single-pointed wisdom

He pounded the great central iron castle.

“Once he gained victory over the great Māra,

He roared ha ha hi hi.

Yama Dharmarāja and the rest,

Feeling overwhelmed, said to him:

“ ‘Great hero, what is this? F.214.a

We will do whatever you require, hero.^[2]

We likewise offer our essential life forces.

Please accept them, hero.’

“The eight classes of beings^[3] also offered their essential life forces:

Yama offered ya, the mātṛsma,^[4]

The rākṣasas offered ra, the yakṣas kṣe,

The humans offered ṇi,^[5] the earth lords sa,

The tsen offered tsa, and the māras da.^[6]

“They came together as one

And promised to become his servants.

Due to this great declaration,

They were well-regarded by the wisdom deity^[7]

And gained a profound experience of service.^[8]

“After they gained this experience of serving the deity,

They would never transgress their former oath

And it became impossible for them to fail.

‘ya ma rā ja sa do me ya | ya me do ru ṇa yo da ya | ya da yo ni ra yakṣe ya | yakṣe yaccha ni rā ma ya’ ^[9]

“After saying this,

The great Vajrabhairava

Empowered Yama Dharmarāja

And all of Yama’s messengers

To become servants of liberation.^[10]

“To their mothers, sisters, daughters,

And their retinues, he gave this command:

“ ‘In the final five hundred years^[11]

During which my teachings appear,

You must correctly carry out activities

Of yogins and vidyādharas.’

They took this oath and were released from the oppression that afflicted them.^[12]

The Myth Chapter is complete.

Notes

Tib. mtshan ma, which is here understood to be equivalent to the Sanskrit liṅga.
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H, N, S and Toh 2006 read “we will follow your wishes” (dpa’ bo’i dgongs pa bdag gis bgyi).
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Neither Toh 471 nor Toh 2006 offers an entirely satisfactory reading of this line. Toh 471 reads lha ma srin ni sde brgyad kyis, which could be interpreted to mean “The devas (lha), mātṛs (ma), rākṣasas (srin) [and others from] the eight classes of beings...” Alternatively, lha ma could indicate devas (lha) and asuras (lha ma yin). Toh 2006 reads (lha ma yin sde brgyad), which could be interpreted as “the eight classes of asuras.” Since eight classes of beings are listed in the next four lines, we have rendered this simply as “the eight classes of beings.”
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These eight syllables are part of Vajrabhairava’s root mantra.
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Toh 2006 reads “the humans offered na” (mi yis na phul).
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Tāranātha believed this verse to be a later addition since the tsen are indigenous Tibetan deities. See Tāranātha, folio 17.b.
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This translation follows Toh 2006 in reading ye shes lha yis dgongs pa. Toh 471 reads ye shes lha yi dgongs pa.
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Translation tentative.
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This transliteration follows Toh 471 without emendation. Toh 2006 reads oṁ ya ma rā jaḥ sa do me ya | ya me do ru | ṇa yo da ya | ya da yo ni ra yakṣe ya | yakṣe yaccha ni rā ma ya | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ.
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According to Tāranātha (ff. 17.b–18.a), this means, “he blessed them as messengers of the lord of death” (bsod byed pho nyar byin gyis brlabs).
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Likely referring to the final five hundred years in which the Dharma will remain in this world. This is generally considered a time of degeneration.
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This translation is tentative. Toh 2006 reads, tentatively, “They took this oath, and were freed from the oppression that oppressed them” (zhes byas dam bcas pa dang / mnan bzhin du mnan bor ro). Both versions are syntactically ambiguous.
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