Toh 661, Toh 998 — The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas”

Grahamātṛkānāmadhāraṇī

The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas”

F.183.bF.153.b Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

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, Sūrya, Candra, Aṅgāraka, Śukra, Bṛhaspati, Budha, 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.184.a and surrounded by a saṅgha of bodhisattvas including 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 F.154.a Lotus Eyes, the bodhisattva great being Mañjuśrīkumāra, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, and more.

He sat before them teaching the Dharma. He was giving a Dharma teaching called, “A 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, 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 casting his majestic gaze at the assembly with his vajra palms placed together at his heart, and addressed the Blessed One.

“Blessed One, the grahas are horrible F.184.b and have a horrible nature. They are fierce and have a fierce disposition. They are wrathful and have a wrathful nature. 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. Since they cause such harm to beings and affect their lifespan, will the Blessed One please teach a Dharma discourse that can be used to protect all beings?”

“Well done,” the Blessed One responded. “It is good that the compassion you have generated has led you to ask Thus-Gone One about the most secret of great secret teachings so that it might benefit beings. Please listen well and pay attention. F.154.b I will explain the most secret of secret excellent offerings and excellent recitation for incanting offering water for the grahas who have a vicious nature and are so very wrathful and terrifying.^[1]

“I will give a systematic explanation

Of worshiping them with the offering rite,

Identifying the perpetrator when harm has occurred,^[2]

The colors of the celestial grahas,

“How they can be appeased,

And the offerings and mantras

That will pacify wrathful

Devas, asuras,

“Kinnaras, nāgas,

Yakṣas, rākṣasas,

Humans, and nonhumans

Brimming with fierce, fiery energy.”

A radiant light referred to as “the manifestation of compassion” blazed forth from blessed Śākyamuni’s heart and entered the crowns of the grahas. Just then, Sūrya and the rest of the celestial grahas all got up, made a divine offering to the blessed, thus-gone Śākyamuni, bowed, knelt on one knee with their palms together, and F.185.a addressed the Blessed One:

“The blessed, thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha has shown us hospitality. Blessed One, please teach a Dharma discourse that will guard and protect Dharma reciters from us and other beings, that will bring them peace and happiness, and that will allow them to dispel weapons, dispel punishment, neutralize poison, nullify poison, create a protective boundary, and bind the ground.”

The blessed, thus-gone Śākyamuni then pronounced the following mantra for making offerings to the grahas:

“Vajrapāṇi, this is the heart mantra of the celestial grahas. Offerings are made just by reciting it. One should perform the offering in the middle of a maṇḍala that is twelve fingers in diameter and made with the appropriate colored powders. Present the water offering in a clay, copper, or other vessel or in a vessel made of silver and gold and incant each one with the mantra one hundred and eight times.

“After that, Vajrapāṇi, one should recite the mantra verses of The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas” seven times. All the grahas will offer their protection, and one will be free from grahas who cause poverty. They will extend one’s lifespan after one’s lifespan has been exhausted. Vajrapāṇi, any monk, nun, male lay practitioner, female lay practitioner, or any other type of being who hears it will not suffer an unnatural death.

“Vajrapāṇi, one should perform the following offering in the middle of the maṇḍala of the celestial grahas. F.185.b The celestial grahas themselves will fulfill every wish for the dharma reciter who recites it every day. One’s impoverished state and the destitution of one’s family will be brought to an end.”

Then, the blessed, thus-gone one Śākyamuni pronounced The Mother of the Grahas:

“Homage to the buddhas. Homage to Vajradhara. Homage to Padmadhara. Homage to the celestial grahas who fulfill every wish. Homage to the nakṣatras. Homage to the twelve houses of the celestial grahas.

tadyathā | oṁ buddhe buddhe vajre vajre padme padme sara F.155.b sara prasara prasara smara smara krīḍaya krīḍaya māraya māraya mārdhaya mārdhaya ghātaya ghātaya sarvavighnān kuru kuru cchindha cchindha bhinda bhinda kṣāpaya kṣāpaya śānte śante dānte dānte dāmaya dāmaya Quick, Blessed Lady, please reveal yourself to me! Please protect me, my retinue, and all beings. Please protect us. Please dispel the harmful influences of all grahas and nakṣatras. Blessed Lady with great magical power, please clear away all wicked beings and please dry up my own misdeeds caṇḍe caṇḍe turu turu caṇḍani caṇḍani muyu muyu mucu mucu vaha vaha ugre ugrata me pūraya me manoratham paripūraya sarvatathāgatādhiṣṭhite samaye svāhā |

“Vajrapāṇi, the mantra verses of The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas” are the foundation of all of the siddhis. 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 continue to take temporary vows and make offerings to the grahas 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.^[4]F.156.a One will not fear perils caused by grahas or harm caused by meteors and nakṣatras. One will remember one’s past lives. The grahas will worship them and give them whatever they want.”

After that, the celestial grahas bowed to the Blessed One, expressed their approval, and disappeared.

This concludes The Dhāraṇī “The Mother of the Grahas.”

Notes

Following N, H, and S: shin tu ’jigs par byed pa rnams kyi. Toh 661 and Toh 998 read shin tu ’jigs par byed pa rnams kyis. This translation is also informed by the corresponding line in Toh 660 and Toh 997, where the locative particle la is given in place of the instrumental particle kyis.
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The term “identifying” has been added to the English translation for the sake of clarity.
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This transliteration emends dz+yo tiSh+ke ta bai (Toh 661) to dz+yo tiSh+ke ta be to conform with the expected Sanskrit syntax.
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This translation emends the reading in Toh 661 and Toh 998 based on the reading in Toh 660 and 997: lo dgu bcu rtsa dgu’i bar du. Toh 661 and Toh 998 read lo dgu’i bar, which translates “for nine years.” The variant reading corresponding to Toh 661 and Toh 998 in K reads lo dgu bcu pa’i bar, which translates “for ninety years.”
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