Toh 660, Toh 997 — The Noble Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas”

F.180.bF.150.a Homage to the blessed noble Mother of the Grahas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Aṭavika’s great city, where he was being praised by a multitude of devas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas kinnaras, and mahoragas as well as Māra, Yama, Sūrya, Candra, Aṅgāraka, Budha, Bṛhaspati, Śukra, Śani, Rāhu, Ketu, the twenty-eight nakṣatras, and so forth while seated on a lion throne graced with the ornaments of the great vajra samaya.

He was accompanied by a multitude of bodhisattvas F.150.bF.181.a and surrounded by many hundreds of members of the saṅgha of bodhisattvas, such as the bodhisattva great being Vajrapāṇi, the bodhisattva great being Vajracaṇḍa, the bodhisattva great being Vajrasena, the bodhisattva great being Vajra Bow, the bodhisattva great being Vajra Master, the bodhisattva great being Vajra Ornament, the bodhisattva great being Vajra Light, the bodhisattva great being Noble Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva great being Samantadarśin, the bodhisattva great being Lokaśrī, the bodhisattva great being Lotus Flag, the bodhisattva great being Broad Face, the bodhisattva great being Padmagarbha, the bodhisattva great being Lotus Eyes, the bodhisattva great being Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, and more.

He sat before them teaching the Dharma. He was delivering a Dharma teaching called “A Wish-Fulfilling Jewel Adorning the Great Array” that was good at the beginning, good in the middle, good at the end, excellent in meaning, beautiful in its expression, unadulterated, perfectly pure, and thoroughly erudite.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, Vajrapāṇi rose from his seat in the assembly, and, through his own magical power, circled the Blessed One many thousands of times, bowed, and sat before him. With pride, he sat in a perfect cross-legged position gazing at the assembly F.151.a with his vajra palms placed together at his heart, and addressed the Blessed One.

“Blessed One F.181.b the grahas are vicious and have a vicious nature. They are fierce and have a fierce nature. They are wrathful, and, because of their wrathful intention, they hurt, harm, and steal the life force of beings. Some take wealth, some take life, and some shorten the length of a being’s lifespan. Will the Blessed One please teach a Dharma discourse that will protect beings from these beings who are harmful and bring misfortune?”

“Well done, Vajrapāṇi,” the Blessed One replied, “it is good that the compassion you have generated for being of benefit to beings has led you to ask the Thus-Gone One about the most secret of secret teachings. Please listen, pay attention, and focus as I explain them. I will explain the most secret of secret excellent offerings and the excellent recitation for incanting offering water for the grahas who have a vicious nature and are so very wrathful and terrifying.

A radiant light referred to as “the manifestation of compassion” blazed forth from blessed Śākyamuni’s heart and entered the crowns of the grahas. At that very instant, Sūrya and the rest F.151.b of the celestial grahas got up and addressed the Blessed One:

“The blessed, thus gone, worthy, perfect Buddha F.182.a has shown us hospitality. Please teach the Dharma discourse, Blessed One. Will the Blessed One, who has gathered us here, please teach the dharma reciters who act in your service about guarding and protecting themselves, bringing peace and happiness, healing, dispelling punishment, eliminating weapons, neutralizing poison, nullifying poison, establishing a protective boundary, and binding the ground.”

And so, the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha Śākyamuni taught the offering rites and mantras of the celestial grahas:

“One should make a maṇḍala circle in which the directions are illustrated using the particular color that is appropriate for each one. Then, one should draw a lotus on it with petals that are twelve fingers long and a center that is twelve fingers in diameter and decorate the maṇḍala with four gates following the proper procedure—oṁ maigholkāya svāhā. One should imagine Sūrya on top of the blooming lotus. His body is like a blazing orange mass of fiery energy and his radiant light is equal to a thousand suns. Candra is white and in the east—oṁ śitāṃśave svāhā. Aṅgāraka is red and in the southeast—oṁ raktāṅga­kumārāya svāhā. The kṣatriya Budha is yellow and in the south—oṁ budhāya svāhā. Aṅgiras is orange and in the southwest—oṁ bṛhaspataye svāhā. Śukra is white and in the west—oṁ asurottamāya svāhā. Śani is as black as collyrium and in the northwest—oṁ kṛṣṇa­varṇāya svāhā. Rāhu is dark red and in the north—oṁ amṛta­priyāya svāhā. Ketu is the color of a cloud of smoke and in the northeast—oṁ jyotiketave svāhā.

“The venerable Buddha is at the eastern gate. F.152.a Vajrapāṇi is at the southern gate. Lokanātha is at the western gate. Manjuśrī is at the northern gate.

“For the outer maṇḍala, all the celestial grahas should be depicted in the northeast. F.182.b The lunar mansions and the nakṣatras are in the southeast. The upadravas are in the southwest. Venerable Mahāvidyā^[2] is in the northwest. Dhṛtarāṣṭra is in the east at the outer maṇḍala gate. Virūḍhaka is in the south. Virūpākṣa is in the west. Kubera is in the north.

“There should be kheer for Sūrya, yogurt for Candra, a meal of chickpeas and maṣa beans for Aṅgāraka, ghee for Budha, milk for Bṛhaspati, cake for Śukra, a mixture of chickpeas, maṣa, and mung beans for Śani, sesame kheer for Rāhu, and a soup of sesame kheer and molasses for Ketu.

“The bali offering for the yakṣas consists of yogurt for Dṛtarāṣṭra, a dish prepared with yogurt, chickpeas, and maṣa beans for Virūpakṣa, rice pudding for Virūḍhaka, a meal of kheer for Virūpākṣa, and a meal of yogurt, chickpeas, and maṣa beans combined with alcohol and molasses for Kubera.

“They should be given the correct type of flowers, the correct type of incense, and the correct type of banner. Then, one should present a lamp to each one and perform the appropriate offering.

“One should fill a conch shell with butter and honey, set out the five precious substances and present the offering water, and tie a silk cloth around the mouth.^[3]

“Vajrapāṇi, the following things should be done while reciting the celestial grahas’ heart mantra. One should perform the offering in the middle of a maṇḍala that is twelve fingers in diameter and in which the appropriate type of incense is burning. Present the water offering in vessels made of silver and gold or of clay, copper, and so forth, F.152.b and incant each one of them with the mantra one hundred and eight times.^[4]

“After that, Vajrapāṇi, one should recite the mantra verses of The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas” seven times. All the celestial grahas beginning with Sūrya and so forth will offer their protection and one will be free from the grahas who cause poverty. Those whose lifespan has been shortened will have a long life.

“Vajrapāṇi, F.183.a any monk, nun, male lay practitioner, female lay practitioner, or any other being known to take birth in the realm of beings who hears it will not suffer an unnatural death. Vajrapāṇi, all the celestial grahas will fulfill everything that might be wished for in every way by the Dharma reciter who makes offerings in the center of the celestial grahas’ maṇḍala and recites this dhāraṇī every day. The impoverished state of their family lineage will be brought to an end.”

Then, the blessed Thus-Gone One Śākyamuni recited The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas”:

namo buddhāya namo vajradharāya namo padma­dharāya namo kumārāya namo grahānāṃ sarvāśa­pari­pūrakānāṃ namo nakṣatrāṇāṃ namo dvādaśa­rāśinām |

tadyathā | oṁ buddhe buddhe vajre vajre padme padme sara sara prasara prasara smara smara krīḍaya krīḍaya māraya māraya mārdhaya mārdhaya ghāṭaya ghāṭaya sarva­vighnān kuru kuru mama kāryāṃ cchindha cchindha sarva­duṣṭān kṣāpaya kṣāpaya śānte śānte dānte dānte dāmaya dāmaya svāhā |

drutam ādarśaya^[5] ātmanaṃ rakṣa rakṣa māṃ sarvasattvāṃś ca sarva­grahāna­kṣatravi­dhvaṃsaṃ^[6] nivartaya bhagavati mahāmāye prasādaya sarva­duṣṭaṃ śodhaya sarvapāpaṃ caṇḍe F.153.a caṇḍe turu turu caṇḍeni caṇḍeni muyu muyu mucu mucu vaha vaha ugre ugrata me pūraya me manoratham pari­pūraya sarva­tathāgatādhiṣṭhite samaye svāhā |

oṁ svāhā | hūṁ svāhā | hṛ svāhā | dhruṁ svāhā | dhriṁ svāhā |

padma­dharāya svāhā | adityāya svāhā | saumāya svāhā | dhāraṇī­sutāya svāhā | budhāya svāhā | bṛhaspataya svāhā | śukrāya svāhā | kṛṣṇavarṇāya svāhā | rāhave svāhā | ketave svāhā | buddhāya svāhā | vajradharāya svāhā | padmadharāya svāhā | kumārāya svāhā | sarva­grahebhyaḥ svāhā | sarva­nakṣatrebhyaḥ svāhā | sarva­dvādaśa­rāśinibhyaḥ svāhā F.183.b sarvopdravebhyaḥ svāhā | oṁ sarvavidye hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

“Vajrapāṇi, the recitation of these mantra verses of The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas” should begin on the seventh day during the waxing moon in the autumnal month of Kārtika. One should take temporary vows, perform the offering rite, and recite the dhāraṇī every day until the fourteenth day of the month. If one recites it day and night during the full moon, one will not have to fear death for ninety-nine years. One will not fear distress caused by meteors, grahas, and nakṣatras. One will remember one’s past lives, be worshipped by all the grahas, and the grahas will provide whatever one desires most.”

After that, the celestial grahas voiced their approval in agreement with the Blessed One and disappeared.