Toh 593 — The Invincible Sitātapatrā (2)
Sitātapatrāparājitā
Translated by Samye Translations under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
The Noble Dhāraṇī
The Invincible Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata
F.224.b Homage to the Three Jewels!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Excellent Dharma, the assembly hall of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, together with a great assembly of monks, an assembly of bodhisattvas, and Śakra, the lord of the gods. The Blessed One sat down on a seat arranged for him and entered the samādhi called uṣṇīṣa gaze. As soon as he entered this samādhi, the rite of the mantra formula issued from the center of the Blessed One’s uṣṇīṣa:
“After paying homage to these blessed ones,[5] this great spell for averting named the invincible blessed Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata annihilates all bhūtas who are grahas; disrupts all opposing spells; averts untimely death; frees beings from all that binds them; averts all malice, nightmares, and bad omens; destroys the eighty-four thousand types of grahas; appeases the twenty-eight lunar mansions; destroys the eight great celestial bodies; averts all enemies; destroys all violence, malice, and nightmares; and frees beings from poison, weapons, fire, and water.
“May this entire host of mudrās[15] protect me, please protect me!
oṁ ṛṣigaṇapraśastāya sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṁ | jambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | mahāvidyāsambhakṣanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | paravidyāsambhakṣanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | sarvaduṣṭānām stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | caturaśitīnāṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | aṣṭānāṃ mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | rakṣa mām |[16]
“Blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, Vajroṣṇīṣā, great averting goddess, great goddess with a thousand arms, great goddess with a thousand heads, great goddess with a trillion eyes and indestructible blazing features, great exalted vajra goddess who rules over the maṇḍala of the three realms of existence. Protect me from everything; please protect me!
“Oṁ, grant me auspiciousness in the face of dangers[17] from rulers, thieves, fire, water, poison, weapons, opposing armies, famines, enemies, disease, thunderbolts, untimely death, earthquakes, falling meteors, royal punishment, devas, nāgas, lightning, suparṇas, and ferocious beasts.
“Grant me auspiciousness in the face of grahas who are of devas,[18] nāgas, asuras, maruts, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, F.226.b yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, apasmāras, unmādas, chāyās, and ostārakas![19] Grant me auspiciousness in the face of all these grahas!
“Grant me auspiciousness in the face of those who steal energy and vitality;[20] who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, filth, and urine; who drink sewage and consume leftovers; who drink saliva and consume snot, mucus, pus, oblations, garlands, fragrances, and incense; who capture people’s minds; and who consume flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings!
“Homage to you, blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata! Protect me, please protect me!
oṁ asitānalārkaprabhāsphuṭavikasitasitātapatre[24] jvala jvala | khāda khāda | dara dara | vidara vidara[25] | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda[26] | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | he he phaṭ | ho ho phaṭ | amoghe phaṭ | apratihatāya[27] phaṭ | varapradāya[28] phaṭ | pratyaṅgire phaṭ | asuravidrāvakarāya[29] phaṭ | sarvadevebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvanāgebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāsurebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamarutebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagaruḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagandharvebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakinnarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamahoragebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayakṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvarākṣasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapretebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapiśācebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṭapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaskandebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvonmādebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvachāyebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāpasmārebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvostārakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadurlaṅghitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarva duḥprekṣitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvajvarebhyaḥ phaṭ | F.227.b sarvakṛtyakarmaṇakākhordebhyaḥ phaṭ | kiraṇavetāḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | cichapreṣakaduścharditebhyaḥ phaṭ | durbhuktebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvatīrthakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśramaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvavidyādharebhyaḥ phaṭ | jayakaramadhukarebhyaḥ | sarvārthasādhakebhyo vidyācārebhyaḥ phaṭ[30] | caturbhyo bhaginībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaumārīyebhyaḥ phaṭ | vidyārajñīyebhyaḥ phaṭ | mahāpratyaṅgirebhyaḥ phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya pratyaṅgirarājāya phaṭ | mahākālāya mātṛgaṇanamaskṛtaye phaṭ | viṣṇāvīye phaṭ | brahmaṇīye phaṭ | agnīye phaṭ | mahākālīye phaṭ | kāladaṇḍīye phaṭ | indrīye phaṭ | raudrīye phaṭ | kaumārīye phaṭ | vārāhīye phaṭ | cāmuṇḍīye phaṭ | rātrīye phaṭ | kālarātrīye phaṭ | yamadaṇḍīye phaṭ | kapālīye phaṭ | adhimuktiśmaśānavāsinīye phaṭ |[31]
“Dispel all beings who harbor malicious and dangerous intentions toward me; who steal vitality; who consume fetuses; who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, filth, and urine; who drink sewage and consume leftovers; who drink saliva; who consume snot, mucus, pus, oblations, garlands, fragrances, and incense; who capture people’s minds; who consume flowers, F.228.a fruits, grains, and burnt offerings; and who harbor evil, malicious, or dangerous intentions.
“Dispel grahas who are devas, nāgas, asuras, maruts, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, unmādas, chāyās, apasmāras, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, revatīs, yāmakas, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, and kaṇṭakamālinīs!
“Dispel all fevers that last one day, two days, three days, four days, or seven days; those that they are chronic, irregular,[32] or intermittent; those that are caused by bhūtas, arise from disturbances in the wind, bile, phlegm, or from their combination; all infectious diseases and all illnesses of the brain!
“Dispel splitting headaches,[33] loss of appetite, illnesses of the eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and heart, laryngitis F.228.b and pain in the ears, teeth, heart, brain, neck, ribs, back, stomach, hips, pelvis, thighs, calves, hands, feet, and all the major and minor appendages![34] Please dispel them!
“May this great averting spell of the vajra uṣṇīṣa Sitātapatrā bind the spells[35] of everything within twelve yojanas, including all bhūtas, vetālas, ḍākinīs, fevers, skin disease, scabies, pruritus, leprosy, boils, skin irritations,[36] erysipelas, itching, blood boils, emaciation, anxiety, poisonous brews, poisonous compounds, kākhordas, fire, water, pestilence, enemies, harm, untimely death, tryambuka flies, tralāṭa flies, scorpions, snakes, mongooses, lions, tigers, bears, jackals, makaras, and all other life-threatening creatures such as bees. May it bind their energy! May it bind all opposing spells! May it bind all grahas![37]
tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | viṣade viṣade[38] | vaire vaire | vajradhari | bandha bandhani | vajrapāṇi hūṁ phaṭ | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | bandha phaṭ phaṭ svāhā ||[39]
“Whoever writes this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, on birch bark, cloth, or tree bark and wears it on their body or around their neck will not be harmed by poison, weapons, fire, water, poisonous brews, F.229.a poisonous compounds, or kākhordas for as long as they live, nor will they meet an untimely death. They will become dear to all grahas, vighnas, and vināyakas. The eighty-four billion members[40] of the vajra family will guard, protect, and defend them, hold them dear, and delight in them. They will recall their rebirths of the past eighty-four thousand great eons. They will never become yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, pūtanas, or kaṭapūtanas, nor will they ever be poor. They will gain a quantity of merit equal to that of the blessed buddhas as innumerable and limitless as the grains of sand in the river Ganges.
“If one keeps this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, one will become chaste, even if one was not chaste. Those who did not observe silence will observe silence.[41] The impure will become pure. Those who did not practice abstinence will practice abstinence. Those who did not fast will observe fasts.[42] Even those who have committed the five acts with immediate retribution will see all their evil purified. All the obscurations resulting from their past actions will be exhausted without exception.
“If a woman who wishes to have a child keeps this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, she will gain a child. The child will have a long life and possess merit and strength. After they pass away they will take birth in the realm of Sukhāvatī.
“Those who are threatened by diseases[43] that affect humans, livestock, or cattle F.229.b or by any calamities, violence, epidemics, harm, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies should affix this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, to the top of a banner and worship it with great offerings. The banner should be planted at the gateway to a large city or in a city, town, market town, country, or wilderness residence. As soon as this great, invincible spell for averting has been worshiped and planted, war will be pacified, as will calamities, violence, harm, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies.
tadyathā | oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha |bdag la srungs shig srungs shig svāhā[44] | rāḳsa rāḳsa māṃ | oṁ hūṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha vajra | bdag la srungs shig srungs shig | rāḳsa rāḳsa mām | vajrapāṇiye hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa avalokite mūrdhani tejorāśi || oṁ hūṁ jvala jvala | dhaka dhaka | dara dara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā || tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | khasame khasame | vaire vaire | saumye saumye | sarvabuddhādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite | oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ phaṭ svāhā | hūṁ mama hūṁ ni svāhā ||[45]
“This should be done in connection with the Buddha.[46] The nāga kings will send timely rain.”
The buddhas and bodhisattvas, along with the world with its devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This concludes the noble dhāraṇī “The Invincible Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata.”Colophon
This version of the Uṣṇīṣa, the shorter of those of the heavenly realm, was translated by the Kashmiri paṇḍita Mahājana[47] himself.
Notes
Reading legs ldan here and throughout as bhagavat following the Sanskrit.
backIt is not clear who the “five great mudrās” (mahāpañcamudrā; phyag rgya chen po lnga) are in the context of Nārāyaṇa.
backIn the corresponding passages in the Sanskrit sources, this final clause is treated as a separate object of homage: “Homage to the one accompanied by the horde of mātṛs” (namo mātṛgaṇasahitāya Dh33, CL1326, UTM 441-01; oṁ namo mātṛgaṇavāndena sāhitāya RASH 77).
backThis Sanskrit rendering is tentative, as the Tibetan term used here differs slightly from the Sanskrit sources. All Sanskrit sources consulted have Vikasitakamalotpalagandhaketurāja, a term that aligns with the Tibetan translation of the name given in Toh 590, pad+ma rgyas pa dang ut+pa la’i dri’i tog gi rgyal po.
backIn the Sanskrit versions aligned with this text, as well as in Toh 590, the verbal statement “I will teach…” (pravakṣyāmi; rab tu brjod par bya) is given here, with the title of the spell as the object of the verb. Toh 593 lacks this verb and does not provide a finite verb until the end of the verse section that follows.
backIn this series of verses it is difficult to determine what is a descriptive phrase and what is a proper name. Both the Tibetan and Sanskrit sources are ambiguous in places, and a number of the names/descriptive phrases are repeated. Thus, the parsing of this sequence of proper names, epithets, and adjectives that follows in these verses is tentative. The Sanskrit sources clarify that all the terms are in the feminine nominative singular, apart from the first few lines, about which see the following note.
backThis translation follows the Tibetan translations in rendering the preceding lines in verse. It is in prose in all Sanskrit version consulted apart from KT728, in which the original structure is unclear from the published edition. According to the Sanskrit syntax, each of these descriptive phrases is in the accusative case (apart from KT728), marking them as adjectival phrases that construe with pratyaṅgirāṃ (the “averting [spell]”) as the object of the verb “teach,” which is absent in Toh 593. Beginning with the next verse, the syntax changes to render the epithets in the nominative singular. From that point the text is rendered in verse in the Sanskrit as well as the Tibetan sources.
backReading rgyal ba’i rdo rje ’phreng as rgyal ba rdo rje phreng.
backThe term aparājitā (gzhan gyis mi thub), “invincible,” is frequently used in this text as an adjective describing Sitātapatrā. Aparājitā is also the proper name of a protective deity, which is how the term seems to be used here.
backConjectural for rdo rje mkhar bsnams joms pa mo, a reading unique to Toh 592 and 593. The decision to render the ambiguous phrase rdo rje mkhar bsnams as “bears a vajra staff” interprets mkhar as “staff” following KT728, which reads vajradaṇḍī (em. vajradhaṇḍī). The other Sanskrit witnesses consulted read vajratuṇḍi viśālī ca (“the vast Vajratuṇḍī”), while Toh 590 and 591 read rdo rje mchu can rnam sgeg ma (“the alluring Vajratuṇḍī”).
backTib. zhi ba’i lha rnams kyi mchod pa. Most of the Sanskrit versions consulted read, “Peaceful, she is worshiped by vaidehas” (śāntā vaidehapujitā CL1326, Dh33, UTM 441-01).
backReading rigs as rig based on the attested Sanskrit vajravidyā (CL1326, Dh33, UTM 441-01).
backThe Tibetan reads le brgan rtsi dang rin chen ma, which could be interpreted as two names/epithets, but it is clear from the Sanskrit that this should be read as the single compound kusumbharatnā.
backThe interpretation of these two lines follows Dh33, which reads ºvijṛmbhamānikā || vajrā kanakaprabhā locanāº. D reads rnam par bsgyings ma’i rdo rje dang / gser ’od lta bu’i spyan mnga’ ba. Other interpretations are possible based on variants attested in the Sanskrit and Tibetan sources.
back“Mudrās” (phyag rgya) refers to the forms of Sitātapatrā just listed.
backThis can be tentatively translated as “Oṁ, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, praised by the host of ṛṣis, hūṁ drūṁ! Crusher, hūṁ drūṁ! Paralyzer, hūṁ drūṁ! Devourer of great spells, hūṁ drūṁ! Devourer of opposing spells, hūṁ drūṁ! Paralyzer of all evil ones, hūṁ drūṁ! Destroyer of all yakṣas, rākṣasas, and grahas, hūṁ drūṁ! Destroyer of the eighty-four thousand types of grahas, hūṁ drūṁ! Appeaser of the twenty-eight lunar mansions, hūṁ drūṁ! Destroyer of the eight great celestial bodies, hūṁ drūṁ! Protect, protect me!” The majority of Tibetan and Sanskrit witnesses of this dhāraṇī conclude with rakṣa rakṣa mām, but uniquely the Tibetan translators of Toh 593 translated the second rakṣa with bsrung du gsol. It has thus been included here in the translation of this dhāraṇī, rather than the next prose passage.
backThis translation follows the syntax of the Sanskrit sources, in which this and each of the subsequent phrases are declined in the ablative case.
backHere and in the next paragraph the initial supplication, “Grant auspiciousness...” has been inserted for the sake of clarity in the English translation.
backF includes “revatīs” (revatīgrahāt; nam gru’i gdon), which is also found at the same point in the lists reported in the Sanskrit sources and Toh 590, 591, and 592.
backF includes “consume fetuses” (garbhahāriṇyāḥ; zas su mngal za ba) here, which aligns with the Sanskrit sources and Toh 590, 591, and 592.
backThe Sanskrit versions confirm that the following sentences are in the first person singular present indicative voice. Additionally, the Tibetan phrase phur bus gdab bo suggests that the pinning is done by a kīla (“dagger”), but the Sanskrit texts indicate that the Tibetan phrase is a translation of kīlayāmi (√kīl), meaning “to pin down.” The Sanskrit versions consulted, as well as Toh 590, read kilayāmi vajrena (rdo rje phur bus gdab bo), “pin down with a vajra.”
backFollowing Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), the ambiguous phrase nam mkha’ lding yang dag pa dang lhan cig pa has been interpreted to be a specific reference to the garuḍa who serves as Viṣṇu’s mount. An equivalent to yang dag pa dang lhan cig pa does not appear in any of the Sanskrit sources consulted.
backThe precise identity of these figures is uncertain, and this translation is conjectural. In his Nāmamantrārthāvalokinī, a commentary on the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṅgīti, Vilāsavajra refers to three brothers named Jayakara, Madhukara, and Sarvārthasiddhikara (Tribe 2016, p. 226: jayakaramadhukarasarvārthasiddhikarās trayo bhrātaras). In all available sources the first two names are consistently given as Jayakara and Madhukara, but the third name varies in the Sanskrit witnesses consulted. The oldest, KT728, reads ºsarvārtha(sā)dhanaº; CL1326, Dh33, and UTM 441-01 have ºsiddhikarasarvārthasādhanaº; and RASH 77 has ºsarvārthāsiddhisādhakaº. It is possible to interpret the Sanskrit reported in these sources to read “[the spells] of Jayakara, Madhukara, and Siddhikara used to accomplish all aims (sarvārthasādhana).”
backEmended based on the Sanskrit sources as well as Toh 590, wherein this Sanskrit line is translated into Tibetan. D and S read, in transliteration, asitānalārkaprabhāspuṭavikāsitātapatre.
backFollowing the Sanskrit sources, Toh 590, 591, and 592, and F and S in reading dara dara | vidara vidara. D reads dhara dhara | vidhara vidhara.
backFollowing the Sanskrit sources as well as Toh 590, 591, and 592 in reading bhinda bhinda. D, F, and S read binda binda or vinda vinda.
backEmended based on the Sanskrit sources. D reads, in Tibetan transliteration, apratihatā phaṭ, F reads apratihasta phaṭ, and S reads apratihata phaṭ.
backEmended based on the Sanskrit sources and Toh 590 and 591. D and S read, in Tibetan transliteration, varapdradā phaṭ. F reads varaprada phaṭ.
backEmended based on the Sanskrit sources and Toh 590 and 591. D, F, and S read, in Tibetan transliteration, asuravidrāvaka phaṭ.
backThe preceding two lines possibly reflect a corruption in the scribal transmission of Toh 593. Though there is some variation among the Sanskrit and Tibetan sources consulted, all agree that Jayakara, Madhukara, and the third figure whose name varies are included in the same compound, which accounts for the use of the dative plural form. Treating them as a single compound also aligns with their previous mention in this text above. No version of this passage apart from Toh 593 and its correlates in other Kangyur collections treats the third name separately. Similarly, vidyācārebhyaḥ (“to the masters of spells”) is treated separately in the majority of sources.
backThis can be tentatively translated as “Oṁ, White Umbrella (sitātapatrā) opened broadly and shining with the white fire of the sun! Blaze, blaze! Devour, devour! Break, break! Destroy, destroy! Cut, cut! Cleave, cleave! Hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā! He he phaṭ! Ho ho phaṭ! To the unfailing one, phaṭ! To the unobstructed one, phaṭ! To the boon granter, phaṭ! To the averter, phaṭ! To the disperser of the asuras, phaṭ! To all devas, phaṭ! To all nāgas, phaṭ! To all asuras, phaṭ! To all maruts, phaṭ! To all garuḍas, phaṭ! To all gandharvas, phaṭ! To all kinnaras, phaṭ! To all mahoragas, phaṭ! To all yakṣas, phaṭ! To all rākṣasas, phaṭ! To all pretas, phaṭ! To all piśācas, phaṭ! To all bhūtas, phaṭ! To all kumbhāṇḍas, phaṭ! To all pūtanas, phaṭ! To all kaṭapūtanas, phaṭ! To all skandas, phaṭ! To all unmādas, phaṭ! To all chāyās, phaṭ! To all apasmāras, phaṭ! To all ostārakas, phaṭ! To all those difficult to violate, phaṭ! To all unsightly spirits, phaṭ! To all fevers, phaṭ! To all kākhordas and kṛtyā rites, phaṭ! To all kiraṇas and vetālas (vetāḍa), phaṭ! To all ciccas (cicha), preṣakas, and spirits of vomiting, phaṭ! To all indigestion spirits, phaṭ! To all non-Buddhists, phaṭ! To all ascetics, phaṭ! To all vidyādharas, phaṭ! To Jayakara and Madhukara, phaṭ! To those who accomplish all aims, the masters of spells, phaṭ! To the four bhaginīs, phaṭ! To all kaumārīs, phaṭ! To the queens of spells, phaṭ! To the great averters, phaṭ! To Varjaśṛṅkhala, king of averting, phaṭ! To Mahākāla, who is honored by the host of mātṛs, phaṭ! To Vaiṣṇavī, phaṭ! To Brahmaṇī, phaṭ! To Agni, phaṭ! To Mahākālī, phaṭ! To Kāladaṇḍī, phaṭ! To Indrā, phaṭ! To Raudrī, phaṭ! To Kaumāri, phaṭ! To Vārāhī, phaṭ! To Cāmuṇḍī, phaṭ! To Rātrī, phaṭ! To Kālarātrī, phaṭ! To Yamadaṇḍī, phaṭ! To Kapāli, phaṭ! To those who prefer to dwell in charnel grounds, phaṭ!”
backTib. mi bzad pa; Skt. viṣama. While viṣama can be interpreted as “unbearable,” as the Tibetan translators did, in the context of the duration or recurrence of illness it means “irregular.”
backThis translation follows the attested Sanskrit term ardhāvabhedaka. The Tibetan term, gzhogs phyed na ba, could also be interpreted as a translation of pakṣavadha, referring to hemiplegia.
backThe “major” appendages would include the head, arms, legs, etc. The “minor” appendages include the nose, ears, fingers, and toes.
backToh 592 and 593 differ here from Toh 590, 591, and the Sanskrit sources consulted in omitting the verbal statement “please dispel” (apanayantu; bsal du gsol). Toh 592 and 593 instead treat “bind the spells of” as the main verb in this passage. In Toh 590, 591, and the Sanskrit sources this is a separate verbal statement that follows “please dispel.”
backTib. bas bldags. The Tibetan term, for which there is no Sanskrit equivalent in the sources consulted, means “cow licked” (Skt. golīḍha?) and refers to a type of skin irritation with a sensation similar to that of being licked by a cow.
backThis line is unique to Toh 593.
backViṣada (“poisoner”) is attested in the majority of sources but should perhaps be emended to viśada (“brilliant”). The confusion of sibilants is a consistent feature of Sanskrit manuscripts, thus the reading viśada is perhaps preferable. However, none of the Sanskrit and Tibetan sources consulted attest to viśada.
backThis can be tentatively translated as “It is like this: Oṁ, O fire, fire! O poisoner, poisoner! O vengeful one, vengeful one! O vajra-holding goddess! Bind, O you who bind! Vajrapāṇi, hūṁ phaṭ! Bind, phaṭ phaṭ svāhā!”
backThe Tibetan text of Toh 592 does not specify who the number eighty-four billion quantifies. The Sanskrit sources as well as Toh 590 refer to “vidyā deities” (vidyādevatā; rigs sngags kyi lha) here, while Toh 591 provides “goddesses” (lha mo rnams).
backFollowing the Sanskrit sources in reading maunin for the Tibetan thub pa.
backThough the phrasing of these two lines in Tibetan is different, it would appear that this line and the previous line translate the same line of Sanskrit text. In all Sanskrit sources consulted there is only one line related to abstinence (upavāsa), which reads anupavāsī upavāsī bhaviṣyati. In Toh 590, that line is translated into Tibetan as bsnyen gnas ma byas pa yang bsnyen gnas byas par ’gyur. In Toh 591, the same Sanskrit line is translated with smyung ba ma byas pa yang smyung ba byas par ’gyur. Here in Toh 593, as in Toh 592, both Tibetan lines appear in sequence, despite meaning the same thing. This is likely the result of revisions to the Tibetan translation without knowledge of the Sanskrit source material. Though the two lines are essentially synonymous, they have both been translated here with slightly different English terminology to preserve the reading of this text.
backTib. nad. The Sanskrit sources all read ºmāra, which could be understood as “obstacles,” or perhaps “fatalities.”
backCuriously, and unlike any of the other Tibetan translations, the Tibetan equivalent of rakṣa rakṣa mām was inserted into the Sanskrit mantra immediately before the Sanskrit it translates. It has been left untranslated here but has been translated along with the corresponding Sanskrit in the footnote.
backThis can be tentatively translated as “It is like this: Oṁ ṣṭoṁ, bind, bind! Protect me, protect, svāhā! Protect me, protect, svāhā! Oṁ ṣṭoṁ, bind, bind, vajra! Protect me, protect! Protect me, protect. To Vajrapāṇi, hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā! Oṁ, the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, a mass of brilliance on the head that gazes down! Oṃ, blaze, blaze! Burn, burn! Break, break! Destroy, destroy! Cut, cut! Cleave, cleave! Hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā! Oṁ, the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā! It is like this: Oṁ, O fire, fire! O one equal to space, equal to space! O vengeful one, vengeful one! O gentle one, gentle one! O you who are empowered by the blessings of all the buddhas! Oṁ Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣas of all tathāgatas, hūṁ phaṭ! Hūṁ mama hūṁ ni svāhā!”
backTib. sangs rgyas rnal ’byor du bya; Skt. buddhayogena… kartavyā. This enigmatic statement, which varies significantly across the Tibetan versions, perhaps indicates that one should recite this formula while meditating on or contemplating the Buddha, or perhaps in the presence of an image of a buddha.
backThe Tibetan text of the D reads Mahājñāna (ma hA dz+nyA na), but this translation follows F in reading ma hA dza na, which better reflects the name of the known historical figure. For a synopsis of the life of this Kashmiri paṇḍita active in the second half of the eleventh century, see Kano 2016, pp. 5–8.
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