Toh 667 — The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla

Śrīmahākālatantra

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla

F.199.a Homage to the body of Enthralling Paramāśva.

Chapter 1: The Introduction

Thus did I hear at one time. At the southeastern charnel ground Aṭṭahāsa, in the sandalwood grove called Joyous, the vināyaka Glorious Mahākāla was present in the palace where a multitude of male and female nonhuman beings gathered. At the time,^[1] in the midst of a retinue of cruel beings, he was known as “Mahākāla Who Controls the Life Breath of Living Beings.” F.199.b

At the same time, in the western world system, the King of Horses, Bringer of Death, was surrounded by an assembly of the Four Great Kings and the rest. He entered the absorption that tames arrogant beings while using the hook mudrā and reciting the mantra oṃ vajrakrodha hayagrīva hūṁ hulu hulu hūṁ vaṃ. Powerless to do otherwise, Mahākāla appeared before the King of Horses, Bringer of Death, from his abode in the Aṭṭahāsa charnel ground.^[2]

“What can I do for you?” he asked, and politely offered his own mark, the essence of his life force, oṃ vajramahākāla kṣiṃ kṣetravighnān vināyaka hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ.

This is chapter 1 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla,” the “Introduction.”

Chapter 2: The Worship Rite and Sādhana

Then King Virūpakṣa supplicated the King of Horses, Bringer of Death, with the following verses:

“O Wrathful Lotus Lord,

Please explain the secret practice

For the terrible form of Mahākāla.

Regarding the acts for practicing the Lord,

“Great Supreme Horse, please tell us about

Killing and severing the life force and the body,

Instructions for when the rite does not work, and the place of death,

The Lord’s signs, and casting hailstorms.”

Wrathful Lotus then gave the following teaching

On the Black One’s sādhana:

“For a mantrin who holds the samayas

To protect the teachings of the Buddha,

“They should gather the accumulation of merit

During an auspicious planetary conjunction and lunar day

In a place with a single tree such as a charnel ground

And perform Mahākāla’s sādhana.

“Construct a square altar using

Soil from a mound or black soil, and

Sprinkle it with perfume, incense, and blood.^[3]

In the middle, draw a triangle with a half moon

“Surrounded by a lotus with eight petals.

There should be a large skull^[4] in the middle of that, containing

A bali offering and offering cake one cubit high,

Adorned with the five meats and various bodily essences.

“One should insert an arrow and a dark red cloth into it,

Along with a knife, a heart, and a small image of the deity.

Set this out as the Lord’s seat.

Write the Lord’s F.200.a life-force mantra

“On the inside of the skin of the ḍamaru.

Roll it up with a soul stone and place it inside.^[5]

Present an offering of incense and the daily bali.

Set out the common offering to the Three Jewels.

“Visualize oneself on a lotus,

Imagine light rays radiating from the hṛīḥ at the heart,

Make the guru, the Buddha, and so forth

Appear right before oneself,

“And offer them five offerings.

After the sevenfold purification rite,

Meditate on the four immeasurables, beginning with

Equanimity and so forth, and the syllables vaṃ, raṃ, and tri.

“Out of the syllable hūṁ on top of the lotus

Emerges Mahākāla with a black face and six arms,

Holding a hooked knife, rosary, ḍamaru,

Skull, spear, and noose

“In his right hands and left hands respectively.

He is adorned with snakes and jewelry.

He wears a multicolored garment on his lower body

And a lower garment made of a tiger’s skin.

“He has three fierce eyes and bares his fangs.

His forehead is adorned with a drop of filth.

Akṣobhya’s emanation body sits on his crown.

Visualize him clearly before oneself while

“Performing the invitation, offering, and mantra recitation.

Present gifts to Mahākāla using the

Bali offering, offering ceremony, and the like.

The syllables of the vitality mantra emerge from

“The hūṁ at the Lord’s heart and circle clockwise as one

Recites the following mantra in continuous rounds:

oṃ vajramahākāla kṣiṃ kṣetravighnān vināyaka hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ |

An excellent recitation practice will result in signs

That one has accomplished the Black One’s siddhi.”

This is chapter 2 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla” on “The Worship Rite and Sādhana.”

Chapter 3: Severing the Life Force from the Body

“Now I will teach the following:

If one wants beings who destroy the Buddhist teachings

Or create obstacles for yogins

To be liberated by Mahākāla,

“Make a square altar again and place

The skulls of a man and woman with no descendants

With wax effigies inside of them

Inside of a fierce triangular diagram.^[6]

“Affix their name and clan name and

Add the word ‘kill’ or ‘infect’ as appropriate.

Set up the image of the Lord and the samaya substances,

And place some in each of their mouths.

“Place powerful substances in a boar’s skull

And set the continual and daily bali offerings F.200.b on the left and right.^[7]

“Perform the killing rite with the following mantra:

oṃ vajramahākāla kṣiṃ kṣetravighnān^[8]vināyaka hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ | oṃ mahākālāya^[9]śāsanopakāriṇi^[10]eṣa apaścimakālo ’yam idaṃ ratnatrayāya apakāriṇaṃ yadi pratijñāṃ^[11]smarasi tadā idaṃ duṣṭaṃ kha kha khāhi khāhi | māra māra | ghṛhṇa ghṛhṇa | bandha bandha | hana hana | daha daha | paca paca | dinam ekena māraya hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ | hūṁ vināyakavilāsa^[12]traṃ vi tri hūṁ ja si ma bu vināyaka create obstacles for the life force of so-and-so whose name has been written ja māraya I implore you! |

“Recite the fierce mantra while pelting them with the powerful substances.

Do not speak for an entire week.

At that point, the signs will be directly apparent.”

This is chapter 3 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla” on “Severing the Life Force from the Body.”

Chapter 4: The Concluding Rite

“Now I will explain the end of the rite,

Which is concluded with a fire offering.

Generate Mahākāla with his retinue in the middle

Of a triangle of sarala pine branches.^[13]

“Place the effigy, bali offering,

And ritual substances in Mahākāla’s mouth.

Recite the mantra while performing the fire offering,

And finish with the phrase agne jvala raṃ.

“Let the ashes be taken away by a strong wind.

The target of the rite will quickly come to ruin.”

This is chapter 4 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla” on “The Concluding Rite.”

Chapter 5: The Enhancing Rite for When the Rite Does Not Work, and the Mending Rite

“Next, I shall teach the following:

If one performs the practice but it does not work,

Generate it in earnest once or twice more.

If one does that and it still does not work,

“Make an image of the Black One out of

The three soils, three bloods, and three types of poison

That is one cubit tall, and place it atop two switches^[14]

So that it hovers over the middle of the triangle.

“The painting, samaya substances, and soul stone

Are placed beneath one’s own triangular cushion

And should be covered with poison and thorns.

Pelt it with powerful substances while reciting this mantra:

oṃ vajrakrodha hayagrīva hūṁ hulu hulu hūṁ phaṭ | phaṭ hūṁ hūṁ akayāniv nānghivarteṣk ṃiṣk alākāhamarjav oṃ |^[15]

“Signs that the rite has worked will become fully apparent while

One is pelting it with powerful substances and reciting the mantra.

After that, one should perform the mending ritual.

Wash the painting, F.201.a soul stone, and samaya substances

“With perfumed water and recite this mantra:

oṃ vajramahākāla kṣiṃ kṣetravighnān vināyaka hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ mend mend svāhā |

“Wash the statue of the Lord with perfumed water

In the location where you have recited the mantra.

Remove it from the middle of the triangle and

“Place the enemy’s name and clan name in the heart.

Perform this practice for seven days, bring it to the enemy,

And it will quickly destroy the designated target.”

This is chapter 5 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla” on “The Enhancing Rite for When the Rite Does Not Work and the Mending Rite.”

Chapter 6: A Series of Signs of Accomplishment

“Now, I will teach the following:

A raven will take flight and circle,

And tribal people, mendicants,

Spiritual friends, venerable ones, and masters

“Will all perceive the Lord’s light, sound,

Walled palace, and body before them.

The being leading the enemy’s army will be killed.

Ordinary people will gain confidence.^[16]

“Lepers and beggars will arise, as will

Ravens that have alighted in a field.”

This is chapter 6 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla” on “A Series of Signs of Accomplishment.”

Chapter 7: Hailstorms

“Next, I will teach the following:

To perform a rite to make it hail,

Draw a wheel with four spokes

In the skull of a tribal person or a leper.

“Inscribe it with the seed syllables of the five classes of nāgas.

The large spokes should bear the name and family names of the hail protectors

And have the phrase ‘fall in this country’ written on them.

Write the mantras of the arrogant spirit beings

“On a wheel with nine spokes outside of that.

Write the name of the country and

The wind heart mantra on the back side.

Visualize yourself as Wrathful Lotus

“And strike their vital points using this mantra:^[17]

oṃ vajramahākāla kṣiṃ kṣetravighnān vināyaka hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ | torment the nāga’s mind | phu create obstacles ja khroṃ śar hril bhyo^[18] |

“Recite that mantra while

Pelting the skull with white and black

Mustard seeds, blood, and poison.

“If a gust of wind carries off the harvest, it is a sign

That hail will fall in the enemy’s country.

If it does, it will bring ruin to the people.” F.201.b

This is chapter 7 in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla” on “Hailstorms.”

Chapter 8

Then he gave the following definitive instruction:

“Marvelous ones gathered in this assembly,

In the future, when samaya holders perform this sādhana,

They should maintain the samayas, uphold the vows,

“And diligently perform the bali offerings.

They should wear the samaya substances and soul stones on their body.”

After he said that, King Virūpakṣa along with the rest of the assembly rejoiced, promised to maintain Mahākāla’s teaching, and then vanished.

This concludes chapter 8^[19] in “The Tantra of Glorious Mahākāla.”

Colophon

This text was translated by the Indian preceptor Amoghavajra and the Tibetan translator Phurbu Ö.

Notes

Following D: de’i tshe. S does not include this.
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Following N, H, and S: dur khrod ha ha drag tu rgod pa’i gnas nas. D: dur khrod ha ha drag tu rgod pa’i gnas.
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Following D and S: dri spos khrag gis chag chag bya. This translation is tentative. It is entirely possible that this phrase should simply be translated as “perfume, incense, and blood,” as it is here. However, it seems more likely that the first two members of the Tibetan compound dri spos khrag would also refer to bodily substances or their substitutes. The Tibetan dri may be a shortened form of dri ma, which can refer to any bodily excretion or excrement. The term spos might be translated here as “sulphur” (Skt. gandha), a coded term commonly used for either vaginal secretion or, in the case of mercury sulfide, an alchemical preparation that corresponds to the combined male and female sexual fluids in Buddhist and, particularly, Śaiva tantric and alchemical literature.
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Following D and S: de dbus thod chen nang du ni. The Tibetan thod chen literally translates as “a large skull” but might also be interpreted as a coded term for “a human skull.” Given the size of the bali offering it contains here, the former is more likely the primary reading.
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Following D and S: ldo yi nang du bla rdos dril. This translation is tentative. Here it is assumed that the mantra is rolled with a “soul stone” (bla rdo), and then placed inside the bali offering. The Tibetan ldo yi nang du might be amended here to lto yi nang du, which would translate “inside the abdomen,” and could refer to placing the soul stone wrapped in a life force mantra inside an effigy of some sort.
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Following D and S: drag po e yi nang du ni. The literal translation of this line is “inside of a fierce e.” This refers to the fact that the Sanskrit syllable e is depicted as a triangle in a number of Sanskrit scripts.
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Following Y, K, N, C, H, and S: rtag gtor rgyun gtor g.yas dang g.yon. D: rta gtor rgyun gtor g.yas dang g.yon.
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D: k+She tra ya big+h+nAn. S: k+She tra big+h+nAM. This transliteration is amended based on the way this mantra has been rendered previously in the Degé Kangyur, which is confirmed by the transliteration in the Stok Palace Kangyur.
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Following N, H, and S: ma hA kA lA ya. D: ma hA kA la ya. The reading in the Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs reflects the correct Sanskrit declension.
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D: shA sa na u pa ka ri Ni. S: shA sa na u pa ha ri Ni. This transliteration amends the reading in the Degé Kangyur to reflect the correct vowel sandhi and spelling of this compound.
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D: pra ti dz+nyA. S: prati dzraM. This transliteration amends the reading in the Degé Kangyur to the correct Sanskrit declension.
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Following S: bi la sa. D: pi las. This transliteration amends the reading in the Stok Palace Kangyur to the correct Sanskrit spelling.
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D and S: gru gsum dbus su gdug pa’i shing. This translation amends the reading in the Tibetan witnesses to bdug pa’i shing, which is an attested translation of the Sanskrit dhūpavṛkṣa. The literal reading of gdug pa’i shing translates as “poisonous wood,” though the Negi dictionary also notes that the spelling gdug pa is attested as a synonym (or perhaps scribal error) for bdug pa and is an attested translation of the Sanskrit term dhūpa.
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D and S: spyi tshar dag tu lding du gzhug. This translation is tentative. The phrase spyi tshar dag tu is relatively obscure. In this translation, the term tshar is read as tshar rgyug, which can refer to any switch of bendable wood made from a young tree branch or shoot.
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D: phaT hUM hUM ka ya nA vi nA n g+ha vi tra kShe kShiM la kA hA ma badz+ra oM. This is the reverse recitation of the Mahākāla mantra oṃ vajramahākāla kṣiṃ kṣetravighnān vināyaka hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ. The vowel and consonant order have been altered here somewhat to properly transliterate this reverse mantra using an English alphabet system.
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Following N, H, and S: mi nag dag la snying stobs dang. D: mi nag bdag la snying stobs dang.
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D and S: gsang sngags ’di yis gnad la bor. The antecedent to the pronoun “their” is not clear here, but it most likely refers to one or all of the beings that have been inscribed in the mantra wheel.
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D and S: khroM shar hril bh+yo. This transliteration is tentative.
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The text does not provide a title for this chapter.
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