Toh 564, Toh 988 — The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī
Mārīcīdhāraṇī
The Noble Mārīcī Dhāraṇī
F.157.aF.142.a Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.[1]
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park, with a large saṅgha of 1,250 monks and a great number of bodhisattva great beings.
“Monks,” said the Blessed One, “there is a certain goddess named Mārīcī who arrives just before the sun and moon. She cannot be seen, cannot be seized, cannot be bound, cannot be stopped, cannot be opposed, cannot be enchanted, cannot be cut by a blade, cannot be decapitated, cannot be injured, cannot be burned, and cannot be brought under an enemy’s control.
“Monks, whoever knows the goddess Mārīcī’s name also cannot be seized, cannot be bound, cannot be stopped, cannot be opposed, cannot be enchanted, cannot be cut by a blade, cannot be decapitated, cannot be injured, cannot be burned, and cannot be brought under an enemy’s control.
“Since I know the name of the goddess Mārīcī, may I, too not be seen, not be seized, not be bound, not be stopped, not be opposed, not be enchanted, not be cut, not be decapitated, not be injured, not be beaten, not be burned, and not be brought under an enemy’s control. These are the mantra verses:
“tadyathā oṃ padākramasi[2] parākramasi udayamasi F.142.b nairamasi arkamasi markamasi urmamasi vanamasi gulmamasi cīvaramasi[3] mahācīvaramasi F.157.bF.158.a[4] antardhānamasi[5] svāhā.
“Oṃ goddess Mārīcī, protect me on the path. Protect me from the wrong path. Protect me from perils related to people. Protect me from perils related to kings. Protect me from perils related to elephants. Protect me from perils related to robbers. Protect me from perils related to nāgas. Protect me from perils related to lions. Protect me from perils related to tigers. Protect me from perils related to fire. Protect me from perils related to water. Protect me from perils related to serpents. Protect me from perils related to poison. Protect me from all adversaries and enemies. Protect me when there is conflict and calm and when there is disorder and order. Protect me from lions.[6] Protect me from tigers. Protect me from nāgas. Protect me from serpents,[7]svāhā. Protect me from all perils and from all manner of harm, infectious disease, and conflict. Protect me!
“namo ratnatrayāya tadyathā oṃ ālo tālo kālo sacchalo sattvamudrati[8]rakṣa rakṣa māṃ. Protect me and all beings and from all manner of injury, peril, and illness, svāhā.
“Homage to the Three Jewels. I will recite the heart mantra of the goddess Mārīcī:
“tadyathā oṃ vattāli vadāli varāli varāhamukhī[9] sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānāṃ[10] cakṣurmukhaṃ bandha bandha bandha mukhaṃ jaṃbhaya staṃbhaya mohaya svāhā.
“oṃ mārīcyai svāhā.
“oṃ varāli vadāli vattāli varāhamukhi[11] sarvaduṣṭānāṃ[12] praduṣṭānāṃ cakṣurmukhaṃ F.143.a bandha bandha svāhā.”
When the Blessed One said this, the entire retinue of monks and bodhisattvas and the entire world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas F.158.b rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This concludes “The Noble Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī.”Colophon
This work was translated by the paṇḍita Amoghavajra and the lotsāwa-monk Bari Rinchen Drakpa.
Notes
Skt. reads oṃ namo bhagavatyai āryamārīcīdevatāyai. The alternate homage in the Sanskrit witnesses translates “Oṃ Homage to the blessed noble goddess Mārīcī.”
backFollowing S pa dA kra ma si, which is supported by Skt. padākramasi. Toh 564 and 988 read pa tā kra ma si.
backFollowing Toh 564, Toh 988, and Skt. tsI va ra ma si (cīvaramasi). S reads tsI ba rA ma si.
backThe version of this text in the Collection of Tantras section in the Degé Kangyur contains a blank folio on 157.b.
backFollowing S aM ta ra d+hA na ma si, which is supported by Skt. antaradhānamasi. Toh 564 reads an tara d+hvaM na ma si, and Toh 988 reads an+tara d+hvaM na ma si. The Pedurma Kangyur also confirms this reading in the Yongle, Lithang, Peking, and Choné witnesses that correspond to Toh 988.
backToh 564 and 988: ’khrugs pa dang / ma ’khrugs pa dang / nyams pa dang ma nyams pa thams cad du bdag seng ge las srungs zhig. S: ’khrugs pa dang / ma ’khrugs pa dang / nyams pa dang / ma nyams pa thams cad du’ang seng ge las srungs shig. Dhiḥ42: ākuleṣu māṃ gopaya | anākuleṣu māṃ gopaya | mūrcchiteṣu māṃ gopaya | amūrcchiteṣu māṃ gopaya | [– – – – – – |] nāgato me rakṣa. NE 1480/9: akṣuleṣu nākṣuleṣu mucchiteṣu siṃhato me rakṣa. This translation is tentative. The command “protect me” (māṃ gopaya) in the first sentence does not occur in the Tibetan and is supplied from the Sanskrit witnesses. The section marked with a series of six dashes in Dhiḥ42 notes an omission in the Sanskrit edition. Aside from this amended reading, the English translation follows the Tibetan witnesses.
backFollowing Toh 564, Toh 988, and S sbrul pa las srungs shig. Dhiḥ42 reads caṇḍamṛgatas, and NE 1480/9 omits. Dhiḥ42 preserves an alternate reading that translates “Protect me from wild animals.”
backFollowing Dhiḥ42sattvamudrati. Toh 564 and 988 read sa ma pa mU ra d+hi Ti, S reads sa ma pa mUr+d+ha, and NE 1480/9 omits. The reading in Dhiḥ42, where we see Mārīcī referred to in the feminine locative singular as “she who delights beings” (sattvamudrati), is the only option that makes any clear sense.
backFollowing NE 1480/9 and Dhiḥ42varāhamukhī. Toh 564 and 988 read bA rA ha mu khi, and S reads ba rA ha mu khi.
backFollowing Skt. sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānāṃ. Toh 564 and 988 read sarba duSh+TA/ praduSh+TA nAM, and S reads sarba du Sh+Ta/ pra duSh+Ta naM.
backFollowing S ba rA ha mu khi. Toh 564 and 988 read bA rA ha mu khi, Dhiḥ42 reads varāhamukhī, and NE 1480/9 omits.
backFollowing Toh 564 sarba duSh+TA nAM/ pra duSh+TA nAM and Toh 988 sarba duSh+TA nAM pra duSh+TA nAM. Dhiḥ42 reads sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānam, and NE 1480/9 omits.
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