Toh 669, Toh 1086 — The Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
The Noble Mahākāla Dhāraṇī:
A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses
F.202.aF.252.b Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
I will recite the dhāraṇī[1] of Mahākāla, the great black being with sharp yellow fangs, the great fanged one who cures all diseases and illnesses. Wherever I direct my gaze, may I be free of disease and illness.[2]
tadyathā | hana hana rājadhūtena daha daha rājadhūtena paca paca rājadhūtena bahuśrave bahuparipāri bahupariśodhane imaṃ jāracaṇḍalaṃ hana hana
oṃ suṃbha nisuṃbha śira muñca cakṣu muñca śrotra muñca ghrāṇa muñca jihvā muñca kaṇṭha muñca grīva muñca pṛṣtha muñca[3] kaṭikā muñca kukṣa muñca ūru muñca jānu[4] muñca hasta muñca pādau muñca aṅguli muñca aṅgapratyaṅga muñca[5] apasara anyasmiñca gaccha[6] jvara mukto ’si me[7] svāhā
oṃ jvala mā aṅguli hūṁ sarvajvarānan [8] phaṭ |
This concludes “The Noble Mahākāla Dhāraṇī: A Cure for All Diseases and Illnesses.”Colophon
This text was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptor Prajñāvarman and the great editor-translator Bande Yeshé Dé.
Notes
Toh 669 and Toh 1086: brjod par bya ste. S: brjod par bya ba ste. The phrase “the dhāraṇī of” has been added to the English translation for the sake of clarity.
backD and S: phyogs gang dang gang du bltas pa der bdag la rims nad med par gyur cig. The text does not state this in any explicit way here, but the actual content of the dhāraṇī that follows indicates that the “place” or “location” where one might direct one’s gaze refers to any location on the body.
backThis translation follows Toh 1086 and S: priSh+Tha muny+tsa. Toh 669: preSh+Tha muny+tsa. The Tibetan transliteration priṣṭha is amended to reflect the correct Sanskrit vowel for the term pṛṣṭha.
backToh 669, Toh 1086, and S read dza nau muny+tsa. This translation amends the Tibetan transliteration dza nau to the proper spelling of the Sanskrit term for the “knee,” or jānu. The declension of jānu has been dropped in line with the prevailing pattern established in the dhāraṇī.
backFollowing Toh 1086, K, N, and H: aM ga pra tyaM ga muny+tsa. Toh 669 and S: oM ga pra tyaM ga muny+tsa.
backToh 669: a pa sa ra a n+ya sI muny+tsa/ gats+tshaH. Toh 1086: a ba sa ra/ a n+ya si maM gats+tsha. S: a ba sa ra/ ar+ya swI muny+tsa/ gats+tshaH. This transliteration corrects the corruption in the Tibetan transliteration to the Sanskrit apasara anyasmiñca gaccha, which translates “depart (apasara) and go elsewhere (anyasmiñca gaccha).” We are grateful for Péter-Dániel Szántó for this suggested correction to the Tibetan transliteration of the Sanskrit.
backToh 669 and Toh 1086: dzwa ra mu to si bdag la. S: dzwa ra mu to si/bdag la. This translation amends the Tibetan transliteration of this phrase, where the reading jvara mutosi bdag la appears to be a corruption of the Sanskrit jvara mukto ’si me, which translates “illness, you are released by me.” The Tibetan translation bdag la likely reflects a misinterpretation of the shortened form of the Sanskrit genitive singular first-person pronoun (Skt. me) as the shortened form of the dative singular first-person pronoun (Skt. me). In this case, the genitive form functions as an instrumental pronoun.
backThis transliteration follows Toh 669, Toh 1086: sarba dzwa rA nan phaT. S: sarba dzwA ra nan phaT. The Tibetan transliteration of this phrase is likely a corruption of the Sanskrit sarvajvarān hana phaṭ, but the reading in the Tibetan witnesses has been retained here to reflect the transmission of Mahākāla’s dharaṇī in this particular textual tradition.
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