Toh 747 — The Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra

Chapter 1

F.238.a Homage to Vajrasattva!

“I will now teach,” said the great lord Vajradhara, the supreme master of the triple universe, “the detailed rituals for mastery over all male and female spirits found in this great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra.

“One should perform the sādhana at places such as the confluence of two rivers, a charnel ground, a lonely tree, a shrine of a deity, or a temple of the glorious Vajradhara. One will succeed instantly. If a male or a female spirit does not submit to the sādhana, it will perish along with its family and clan.”

Then Maheśvara-Mahādeva respectfully bowed his head to the feet of Lord Vajradhara and said, “May the lord, the supreme master Great Wrath, pronounce the words of the mantra that slays wicked spirits.”

The supreme master Great Wrath applauded Maheśvara-Mahādeva: “Well done! Well done, Mahādeva! This was rightly said!”

The lord then spoke the words of the mantra that slays all spirits:

“Oṁ, Vajrajvālā, kill! Kill all the spirits! Hūṁ phaṭ!”^[1]

As soon as this was said, many vajra flames issued forth from the pores of the glorious Vajradhara’s skin, and the bodies of all the male and female spirits dried up and withered. All the gods, headed by Indra, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu, were killed.

Amazed, all the tathāgatas said to the lord, “Excellent, Vajradhara! It is excellent, O supreme master Great Wrath, that you will at a later time, on future occasions, subjugate all the male and female spirits.”

Then the lord in turn pronounced a mantra of the goddess who summons the consciousness of the dead:

“Oṁ, Vajrāyuṣā, flow! Flow into him!”^[2]

As soon as this was spoken, a great stream of vivifying air issued forth from the glorious Vajradhara’s nostrils. As soon as it came out, it entered the bodies of all the male and female spirits. F.238.b The male and female spirits immediately got up, reeling with great fear, and said, “May the lord protect us! May the bliss-gone one protect us! May the lord command us!”^[3]

Then, in this great gathering, Aparājita, the great lord of bhūtas, prostrated at the feet of the venerable lord Great Wrath^[4] and said to the lord, “Master Great Wrath! May you, the glorious conqueror of the triple universe, protect us! May you, the bliss-gone one, protect us!”

The lord said, “You, friends, and you, lord of bhūtas, must promise^[5] that you will grant every success to people on the four continents of the human realm; that you will give to the inhabitants of Jambudvīpa the elixir of long life, power substances, and the comfort of good health,^[6] as well as gold bullion and coins, pearls, beryls, rubies, sunstones, moonstones, clothes, fragrances, and desirable foods; that you will be servants and helpers of the reciters of the Great Wrath;^[7] that to anyone who recites one of the tathāgatas you will give every possible object without any reservation, including articles of worship such as fine jewels, clothes, fragrances, incense, flowers; and that you will dispel all fear of kings and enemies, and of lions and tigers.^[8]

“Ho, ho, Aparājita! Great lord of bhūtas! Speak truthfully! Say again and again^[9] that you will definitely grant success even to the slothful and the immoral, to evildoers and liars. Say that if they do not grant success, the vidyādharīs, bhūtinīs, nāginīs, yakṣiṇīs, śālabhañjikās, kinnarīs, mahoragīs, garuḍīs, piśācīs, and gandharvīs will have their heads split by a great invincible thunderbolt, F.239.a and that you will cause them to fall into one of the eight great hells.”^[10]

All the tathāgatas remarked with amazement, “Well done! Well done, Vajrapāṇi! Well said! For the benefit of all may you, great bodhisattva, teach about the great Dharma king of the triple universe who has completely mastered energy, strength, and power, who is honored by all the gods, who exercises mastery over all the world spheres that comprise the four continents, who turns all Dharma wheels, who removes all suffering, and whose numerous mudrās and mantras are employed in different, elaborate rituals.^[11] Venerable king Great Wrath, speak!”

Then Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath, again uttered a mantra that revives the dead:

“Oṁ, summon the consciousness, summon! Revive the dead! Hrīḥ, āḥ!”^[12]

The moment this was intoned, all the deities who were brought back to life collapsed in a swoon. Reeling with great fear, they got up again.

Mahādeva then said, “May the great bodhisattva protect me!”

Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath, said, “Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, O lord of spirits! In order that you may be victorious over your adversaries, I will enthrall all gods and subjugate all spirits.”

Then all the apsarases, along with the lord of vidyādharas,^[13] said, “May the lord protect us! May the glorious Vajradhara protect us! Please protect us, O great king!”

Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath, then said, “Make a promise, apsarases, that you will be of service to those who recite the glorious Vajradhara^[14] and give them all kinds of riches—gold, pearls, beryls, rubies, and so forth.” F.239.b

Starting with the apsarases, each of the celestial maidens and yakṣiṇīs said, “I am willing to die, I am willing to die, O lord. Let me become a servant of anyone who recites the glorious Vajradhara. We shall become their attendants. If we do not become attendants of those who recite the glorious Vajradhara, we will bring ruin upon all our families and clans. We would be opposing the true Dharma and disparaging all tathāgatas. The lord should then split our heads with the thunderbolt of wrath. With our heads split into a hundred pieces, death would come very quickly and we would enter the eight great hells.”

Then the great bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi applauded all the apsarases, celestial maidens, nāginīs, and yakṣiṇīs, “Well done! Well done, apsarases, celestial maidens, nāginīs, and yakṣiṇīs! You must resolve that in the future, on future occasions, you will become helpers of anyone who recites the tathāgatas.”

Each of the bhūta kings who rule over servant bhūtas, starting with Aparājita, stood up in the midst of his retinue and, having bowed at the feet of the supreme master Great Wrath, the glorious Vajradhara, offered to him his heart mantra:^[15]

“Oṁ, the glorious Sundarī of the great spirit family,^[16]hūṁ! Oṁ, the glorious Sundarī of victory, hrīḥ! Oṁ, the stainless Sundarī, āḥ! Oṁ, the glorious Sundarī of pleasure, vāḥ! Oṁ, the glorious Sundarī that captivates the mind, dhīḥ! Oṁ, the glorious, terrifying Sundarī, iḥ! Oṁ, the glorious, brilliant white Sundarī, maṃ! Oṁ, the glorious Sundarī with the sweet look in her eyes, bhīḥ!”^[17]

“Thus are these eight spirit queens celebrated in glorious terms.”

Next is the sādhana procedure that grants every success as soon as it is recited. By merely saying the glorious Vajradhara’s name, all male and female spirits become one’s servants.^[18]

The lord said, “If you break your pledges I will immediately destroy the families and clans of every male and female spirit.”

Then Aparājita, the great lord of bhūtas, told the great Vajradhara, F.240.a “I will keep the pledges of Mahādeva. To all ordinary people I will grant every success obtainable through mantra and mudrā. All they have to do is recite the glorious Vajradhara, and we will grant all accomplishments. If we do not, our families and clans will be destroyed. We will break our pledges to the teachings of all the tathāgatas, and the lord will split our heads with the thunderbolt of wrath. Our death would be quick, and we would enter the eight great hells.”

“Now I will describe the best places for practice.

“These are places for the practice of the eight spirit queens.

“Now I will describe the mudrās employed when practicing the eight female spirits.

“Place the fingers of one hand upon the other and, placing your right hand to the right of the groin, press your right hand down with your left.^[21] This is the ultimate essence—the pledge mudrā of female spirits.

“As soon as these mudrās are formed, the female spirits swiftly arrive. If they do not arrive quickly their foreheads will burst,^[22] and they will wither and die.”

At that moment the glorious Vajradhara, supreme master Great Wrath, said, “If these female spirits break their respective pledges, one should summon them by reciting the following wrathful mantra one hundred and eight times:

“Oṁ, summon, summon! Sruṃ hrīḥ! Summon such-and-such spirit, hūṁ phaṭ!^[23]

“The practitioner should recite the above wrathful mantra one hundred and eight times; she will soon arrive. If she does not arrive, she will burst at the forehead and will wither and die.

“The instructions for the formal practice are as follows:

“The practitioner should go to the confluence of two rivers, prepare a maṇḍala with sandalwood powder, and offer abundant flowers. He should burn bdellium incense and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. His purpose will be achieved. At night, he should again recite the mantra one thousand times, and she is certain to come. When she has come, he should make love to her, and she will become his wife. She will depart at daybreak, leaving one hundred palas of gold on the bed. Doing this every day, he will definitely attain success within one month.

“The practitioner should go to the bank of a river and prepare a maṇḍala with sandalwood powder. After sponsoring a bali of curds and rice, he should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times over seven days.^[24] On the seventh day she is certain to arrive. When she does, he should give her a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. She will be pleased and say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should say, ‘Grant me kingship.’ She will grant kingship and will protect the realm. In addition she will bestow clothes, adornments, food, and so forth.

“In a temple to Vajradhara, the practitioner should offer oleander flowers, burn bdellium incense, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. His purpose will be achieved. At night, he should again recite one thousand times; she is certain to come. When she does, he should prepare a seat of flowers for her and say, ‘Welcome.’ She will become his wife. She will offer divine elixirs of longevity and power substances and will topple all his enemies. F.241.a Taking him upon her back, she will carry him to heaven. He will live ten thousand years.

“Having gone to the bank of a river, the practitioner should prepare a maṇḍala of sandalwood,^[25] offer white flowers and fragrant white substances, and burn frankincense. He should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times,^[26] and his purpose will be achieved. At night, he should again recite the mantra; she is certain to come. When she does, he should present her with a welcome offering of flowers and water and ask, ‘Please be my sister.’ She will offer elixirs of longevity and power substances. She will entice women, even from a thousand leagues away.^[27]

“The practitioner should go to an empty shrine and make a bali offering as just described. He should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times, and his purpose will be achieved. He should again recite the mantra one thousand times at night while making a bali offering. She is certain to come. When she does, he should make love to her, and she will become his wife. Every single day she will provide him with a thousand dinars. Taking him upon her back, she will carry him to Mount Sumeru. In addition, she can give him an entire kingdom and a princess. He will live five thousand years and will be reborn in a royal family upon his death.

“The practitioner should go to the confluence of two rivers and offer oleander flowers along with a dish of meat. He should burn bdellium incense and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. His purpose will be achieved. At night, he should again offer an elaborate pūjā, light a butter lamp, and recite the mantra one thousand times. She will arrive surrounded by a retinue of five hundred.^[28] When she arrives, he should make love to her in silence, and she will become his wife. Should she fail to do so, she will perish. Taking him upon her back, she will carry him to heaven every single day. In addition, he will become a king and live five thousand years. He will be reborn in a royal family upon his death.

“The practitioner should go to a riverbank, draw a maṇḍala with saffron,^[29] and burn incense of aloeswood. He should offer a bali as previously described and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. His purpose will be achieved. At night, he should again offer an elaborate pūjā and recite the mantra one thousand times. She will arrive in person glowing with a great light. He should give her a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. She will then be pleased F.241.b and say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my mother.’ She and her retinue of five hundred will then care for him like a mother, offering him food, ornaments, and clothes every day. He will live for ten thousand years and will be reborn in a brahmin family upon his death.

“At a confluence of two rivers, the practitioner should offer elaborate worship with a bali offering. He should light a butter lamp and recite the mantra all night. Consequently, she will arrive at midnight glowing with a magnificent light and say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please grant me kingship!’ She will give him one hundred thousand dinars every single day. He will live for ten thousand years and, upon his death, be reborn as a king of the entire earth.”

Chapter 2

Then, each of the great female spirits who roam charnel grounds stood up, bowed at the lord’s feet, and offered him her heart mantra.

The ultimate heart mantra:

Oṁ hrīḥ hūṁ aḥ!

The mantra for summoning the female spirits who inhabit charnel grounds:

Oṁ hūṁ! Summon them, summon! Guard the pledge of all female spirits! Kill, kill! Bind, bind! Trample them, trample them! Hey! Hey you, great wild one who inhabits charnel grounds, please come swiftly! Dhruṃ phaṭ!^[30]

The pledge mantra of all the female spirits who roam charnel grounds:

Oṁ, shake, shake! Shake thoroughly, shake! Run, run! Drive them on, drive them on! Enter, enter! Strike, strike! Stay, stay! Guard the pledge! Hey, hey you who roam charnel grounds! Hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā!^[31]

[Next are the mantras of each of the eight female spirits.]

Daṃṣṭrākarālī:

Oṁ, move, move! Burn them, burn! O great spirit, you who are fond of and well disposed toward practitioners! Go, go! Go in various directions, go! Summon the spirits, summon! Make them speak, make them speak! Break the evil demons, break them! Seize them, seize! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Hrīḥ svāhā!^[32]

Ghoramukhī:

Oṁ, Ghoramukhī, you who inhabit charnel grounds! You who are favorably disposed toward practitioners and grant them indestructible accomplishments! Oṁ oṁ oṁ oṁ! Homage to you! Svāhā!^[33]

Jarjaramukhī:

Oṁ, Jarjaramukhī! Harm, harm! Overwhelm them with sorrow!^[34] You inspire fear in all enemies! Strike, strike! Burn, burn! Cook, cook! Murder, murder! You diminish the chances of my untimely death. F.242.a You instill fear in all nāgas. You are the loud-laughing queen of all the spirits. Thā thā thā thā! Dhā dhā dhā dhā! Oṁ oṁ oṁ oṁ! Svāhā!^[35]

Kamalalocanī:

Oṁ, Kamalalocanī who is fond of humans! Dispeller of all suffering! Fond of practitioners!^[36] Conquer, conquer! You of divine beauty! Hrīḥ! Seize, seize! Jaḥ jaḥ! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Homage to you! Svāhā!^[37]

Vikaṭamukhī:

Oṁ, Vikaṭamukhī with fangs bared and eyes ablaze! You instill fear in all yakṣas. Run, run! Go, go! “Hey! Hey practitioner! What do you command me to do?” Svāhā!^[38]

Dhudhurī:

Oṁ, Dhudhurī, the piśācī who performs tasks!^[39] Speak, speak! Shake them up, shake! You who are worshipped by great asuras, split them, split! Break, break! O great piśācī who performs tasks! “Hey! Hey, practitioner! What can I do for you?” Hrīḥ! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā!^[40]

Vidyutkarālī:

Oṁ, shake them, shake! Move, move! Summon them, summon them! Break, break! Paralyze, paralyze! Bewilder, bewilder! You with fangs that flash like lightning! You who grant the best indestructible accomplishment! Ha ha ha! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā!^[41]

Saumyamukhī:

Oṁ, Saumyamukhī! Summon them, summon them! Conquer all the spirits, conquer! “Hey! Hey, great practitioner!” The practitioner commands, “Remain, remain! Protect the pledge!” Svāhā!^[42]

These are the mantras of the eight great female spirits who roam charnel grounds.

“Now I will teach the characteristics of the mudrās of these great female spirits who roam charnel grounds.

“The pledge mudrā of the female spirits:

“Hold your fists together and extend both index fingers. This pledge mudrā should be used for the summoning.

“Next are the mudrās of the eight great charnel ground-roaming piśācīs who perform tasks.^[43]

“The mudrā of Ghoramukhī:

“Form your left hand into a fist^[44] and extend your index finger.

“The mudrā of Daṃṣṭrākarālī:

“Hold your fists together and extend both index fingers while enclosing the little fingers, and then position this mudrā at your mouth.

“The mudrā of Jarjarī:

“Form your left hand into a fist and extend your middle finger.

“The mudrā of Kamalalocanī:

“The mudrā is the same as before, but the middle finger should be bent at a sharp angle and the ring finger extended.

“The mudrā of Vikaṭamukhī:

“The mudrā is the same as before, but you should fold the ring finger inward while extending the little finger.

“The mudrā of Dhudhurī:

“Form your right hand into a fist and extend your index finger.

“The mudrā of Vidyutkarālī:

“The mudrā is the same as before, but the index finger should be bent and the middle finger extended.

“The mudrā of Saumyamukhī: F.242.b

“Form your right hand into a fist and extend your little finger.”

Chapter 3

“The practitioner should go to a charnel ground and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times as a preliminary practice. Then he should start the main practice.

“He should go to a charnel ground at night and offer into a fire one thousand and eight^[46] oblations using sticks of cutch wood smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. A female spirit who roams charnel grounds will quickly arrive and offer her services. She will work the fields and will give one dinar every single day.

“He should go at night to a cultivated field and make the prescribed offerings of fish and meat that have been incanted twenty-one times. A piśācī who performs tasks will then do the work as described above.

“He should go at night to a charnel ground and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. A female spirit of the piśācī class who performs tasks will soon arrive in her gentle aspect, eager to receive orders. She will do house chores, help resolve disputes, carry out fierce activities, and perform other tasks.

“He should go at night to a charnel ground and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. A female spirit of the piśācī class who performs tasks will swiftly arrive surrounded by a retinue of one hundred.^[47] Once she has arrived, the practitioner should offer her a bali of blood^[48] following the procedure as required for fish and meat. She will be pleased and will perform the tasks of a servant. Every single day she will give, to the practitioner and four others, a pair of garments, one dinar, food, and ornaments. She will fetch and deliver a beautiful woman even from a distance of one hundred leagues. In short, she will perform the duties of a servant for as long as the practitioner lives.”

Chapter 4

Then each of the fierce kātyāyanīs—very wild female spirits—stood up in the midst of the assembled audience, F.243.a bowed to the feet of the glorious supreme master Great Wrath, and offered her heart mantra.

Surakātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, truṃ hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā!”

Mahākātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, bhū! Blaze up! Hūṁ phaṭ!”^[49]

Raudra­kātyāyanī:

“Oṁ oṁ. Hrīḥ hrīḥ. Hūṁ hūṁ. He he! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā!”

Caṇḍakātyāyanī, the great queen of spirits:

“Oṁ, you who spread wild panic! Loud-laughing one who is fond of practitioners! Great one of many forms! Source of gems! One with gold in her hands! Destroyer of Yama! Appeaser of all suffering! Oṁ oṁ oṁ oṁ. Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ. Please swiftly grant me accomplishment! Hrīḥ, jaḥ, svāhā!”^[50]

Rudrakātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, Destroyer of Yama who prevents untimely death, bearing a sword and spear in your hands, please grant me swift accomplishment! So commands the practitioner. Hrīḥ svāhā!”^[51]

Kuṇḍala­kātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, you with golden earrings! Burn, burn! Blaze up, blaze! You who are adorned with divine earrings! The crusher of Rāvaṇa! The lord commands you! Svāhā!”^[52]

Jaya­mukha­kātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, you with knitted brows! Summon them, summon!^[53] Run, run! Burn, burn! You with a fiery mouth! Come, come! Rouser of vetālas! Enter, enter! Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ phaṭ! The lord commands you! Hrīḥ svāhā!”^[54]

Sumbha­kātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, the crusher of ancestral spirits! Summon them, summon! Conquer, conquer! You who are worshipped by all asuras! Hūṁ, jaḥ, svāhā!”^[55]

Śubhakātyāyanī:

“Oṁ, you who are fond of carnal delights! The divine-eyed queen of lovers! You who bewitch the world! O fortunate one adorned with a golden necklace! Please enter, enter with the sound of your anklets! Fulfill the needs, fulfill! You who are fond of practitioners! Hrīḥ, svāhā!”^[56]

One will achieve one’s aim merely by reciting the mantras^[57] of these eight kātyāyanīs,^[58] the queens of spirits.

“I will now teach that which is most secret among all that is secret in the great Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra, the characteristics of the mudrās of the eight kātyāyanī spirits.^[59]

“The mudrā of Surakātyāyanī:

“With the other fingers folded, extend your index finger, bending it slightly.

“The mudrā of Mahākātyāyanī that summons all female spirits:

“Folding the other fingers in, extend your index fingers in the shape of hooks.

“The mudrā of Raudra­kātyāyanī, the spirit-queen of the family who is fond of practitioners but kills all female spirits and destroys their families: F.243.b

“This mudrā is the same as the one before, except that the practitioner should join the tips of his middle fingers, enclosing the little fingers underneath. Simply by forming this mudrā the spirit will be quickly mastered.^[60]

“The mudrā of Rudrakātyāyanī:

“Clench both hands into fists and extend each of your index fingers. Make offerings of perfume, incense, flowers, and lamps,^[61] and also offer a bali of fish and meat. All female spirits will immediately become one’s servants.

“The mudrā of Kuṇḍala­kātyāyanī^[62] that binds female spirits:

“Firmly clench both hands into fists, enclosing both index fingers.

“The mudrā of Caṇḍakātyāyanī, which can burst eyeballs, is the same. It brings mastery over all great female spirits.^[63]

“The mudrā of Jaya­mukha­kātyāyanī that enthralls all female spirits:

“Form your left hand into a fist and extend your index finger.^[64] This mudrā masters^[65] all female spirits and brings their families and clans under control.

“The threatening mudrā of Śubhakātyāyanī that summons the triple universe:

“Hold your fists together, enclosing your two little fingers, then extend and bend both your index fingers.^[66] This mudrā can subdue even Rudra and Brahmā,^[67] not to mention the minor female spirits. It masters all the gods.^[68] This mudrā of Śubhakātyāyanī quickly brings accomplishment.”

So spoke the lord, the supreme master Great Wrath.

Chapter 5

“I will now teach the practice of the eight kātyāyanī spirits from the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra, the most secret among all that is secret.

“The practice of kātyāyanī spirits is as follows:^[70]

“The practitioner should go to a charnel ground and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for three days. Each of the eight kātyāyanī spirits will swiftly arrive. When one of them appears, she should be given a welcome offering of a skull cup filled with blood. She will be pleased and say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ He should reply, ‘Please be my mother.’ She will then protect and support him like a mother. She will give him a kingdom and fulfill his every wish. He will become extremely wealthy^[71] and will live for five hundred years. When he dies, he will be reborn in a royal family.

“The practitioner should go to a temple of the glorious Vajradhara F.244.a and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times^[72] as a preliminary practice. At night, he should return to the Vajradhara temple and recite; he will then see the form of a beautiful woman. She will grant him whatever boon he requests.

“The practitioner should go at night to a solitary Śiva liṅga and recite the mantra one thousand times. Within one day he will hear the sound of a woman’s anklets. On the second day he will see a celestial woman before him. He should neither dishonor her nor speak to her. On the third day, she will say, ‘Hey practitioner! What do you command me to do?’ He should reply, ‘Hey goddess, be my servant!’ She will serve him for as long as he lives. Taking him upon her back, she will carry him to Mount Sumeru or to the ocean, or any other such place. In addition, she will go to the house of the noble Kubera, take his riches, and offer them. She will procure, in the expanse of Jambudvīpa, a girl of superior beauty and offer her to the practitioner. If this celestial girl makes love to him, he will live five hundred years. When he dies, he will be reborn in a vassal royal family.

“The practitioner should go to the confluence of two rivers at night and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. A celestial female spirit will arrive along with her retinue. When she has arrived, he should neither dishonor her nor address her. If he makes love to her in silence, she will stay, offering five dinars and a pair of garments every day.

“The practitioner should go to a garden at night and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for three days. On the third day, he will hear the sound of a woman’s anklets. On the fourth, he will see the spirit herself. On the fifth, she will stand right in front of him. On the sixth, she will give him five dinars. On the seventh, she will come to his home. On the eighth, he should prepare a maṇḍala on a pillow,^[73] offer bdellium incense, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. A celestial spirit-girl will arrive at his home. When she arrives, he should make love to her, and she will become his wife. She will depart at daybreak, leaving a string of divine pearls on the bed. As soon as he grasps this string, F.244.b she will give another five hundred dinars and a pair of garments. She will topple all his enemies. His lifespan will extend to one thousand years. When he dies, he will be reborn in a royal family.

“The practitioner should go to an empty shrine at night and recite the mantra one hundred and eight times for three days. The female spirit, radiating bright light, is bound to come with a retinue of one hundred and eight. Once she has arrived, he should present her with a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. She will be pleased and become his wife. She will give him an elixir of longevity as well as clothes, adornments, food, and so forth to one hundred and eight of his dependents. He will live five thousand years, and upon death he will be reborn in a royal family.

“The practitioner should go to a royal residence at night and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times as a preliminary practice. On the fifth night, he should light a fire with the wood of Indian oleander and make an offering of one thousand and eight^[74] jasmine flowers smeared with curd, honey, and ghee. The great spirit lady, the queen of spirits, will swiftly arrive with her retinue of five hundred, accompanied by the loud jingling of anklets. Once she has arrived, she should be presented with a welcome offering of water with flowers^[75] and addressed with the words, ‘Please be my mother, sister, or wife.’ If she becomes the practitioner’s mother, he must not hurt her feelings. She will grant divine food, enjoyments, and a hundred thousand pieces of gold. If she becomes his younger sister, she will offer a kingdom and will travel one thousand leagues to find a woman to bring back and offer to him. If she becomes his wife she will, in her celestial form, offer sensual pleasure and fulfill all his wishes. He will live ten thousand years and be reborn in a royal family upon death.

“On the full moon, the practitioner should recite the mantra ten thousand times. He should go to a temple at night, make elaborate offerings, and recite the mantra all night. A female spirit will arrive at dawn. When she does, she should be given a welcome offering of blood. Pleased, she will be eager to serve, and she will give the practitioner five dinars and desirable food every day. He will live five hundred years.”

Chapter 6

“Now I will teach F.245.a the sādhana practice for female and male servants from the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra.^[76]

“The mantra for trading the meat of a black goat:

“Oṁ, Rāhu, Rāhu! Seize, seize the great servant spirits in order to benefit those who are poor! Oṁ, hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ! Grant me magical power over meat! Svāhā!^[77]

“The practitioner should go at night to a charnel ground and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times; all his endeavors concerning the trading of meat will be successful.

“He should then go to a charnel ground and, holding one pound of meat, look in the four directions and call out, ‘Great female spirits who inhabit charnel grounds, do you want to buy any meat?’^[78] A great female spirit inhabiting the charnel ground will then appear before the practitioner in the form of a brahmin and say, ‘Hey great one, what do you wish for?’ The practitioner should say, ‘I want gold,’ and she will offer one pound of gold. He should then give her the meat. If she does not take it, she will burst at the forehead and die.”

Maheśvara-Mahādeva, surrounded in this great gathering by a retinue of many tens of millions of vidyādharas and many hundreds of thousands of apsarases, kinnaras, nāgas, and mahoragas, circumambulated the glorious Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath, three times, bowed to his feet, and said to the lord, “May the great bodhisattva please teach the secret maṇḍala of the great king of the three realms whose instructions are perfect; who instills fear in all the bhūtas, nāgas, yakṣas, and vidyādharas; who removes all obstacles, afflictions, and pain; and who kills all the pretas,^[79] vetālas, and pūtanas dwelling in charnel grounds—the secret maṇḍala that accomplishes everything.”

Then, in this great gathering, the great bodhisattva, the princely youth Mañjuśrī, applauded Mahādeva, the lord of spirits, “Well done! Well done, Mahādeva! F.245.b In order to benefit the people of Jambudvīpa in the future, in times to come, may the supreme master Great Wrath teach the practice of engaging all the female bhūtas, nāgas, kinnaras, and yakṣas as servants.”

Chapter 7

“Now I will teach the supreme great maṇḍala.

“Those eight goddesses are inside the second zone of the maṇḍala.^[85]

“The procedure for entering the maṇḍala:

“Acting as vajra master, one should tie on a blue turban and put on a pair of blue garments. Then, raising the vajra-scepter, one should say the following:

“Forming the mudrā of Great Wrath one should then enter the maṇḍala and say, ‘Hūṁ phaṭ!’^[88] As soon as one has pronounced this, Great Wrath will enter oneself.

“Next, one should invite the disciple to enter. After blindfolding the disciple with a deep blue cloth, one should form the mudrā of Great Wrath and place it on the disciple’s head. Then, one should give him vajra water to drink while reciting this mantra:

“Oṁ, remain! Give an accomplishment, hūṁ!”^[89]

“One should invite the deity to enter the initiate with the mantra of Wrath’s entry:

“Oṁ, enter, O Wrath! Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ! Āḥ!^[90]

“With the syllable hūṁ one will even be able to penetrate Mount Sumeru, and to describe events of the past, future, and present.

“Next, one should scatter flowers on the maṇḍala, remove the disciple’s blindfold, and show him his family deity. One should then conduct the pūjā for the ‘name initiation’ and teach the mudrās and the mantras.”

Chapter 8

“Now follows the detailed procedure of the ritual from the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra.^[91]

“To begin, one should visualize a moon disk between one’s folded hands. At its center is the syllable hūṁ, bright within a halo of flames. One should say the following mantra:

“Oṁ, the vajra of accomplishment! Hūṁ!^[92]

“Then, one should say the mantra that destroys all evil. To do this, one should visualize a moon disk at one’s heart. It is marked with a red syllable ca and bindu^[93] and is surrounded by a halo of flames. One should then recite the following mantra:

“Oṁ, kill, crush, and destroy evil! Hūṁ phaṭ!^[94]

“Immediately after reciting the mantra one should meditate on emptiness.

“One should next visualize bodhicitta the color of jasmine flowers, the moon, or a crystal, in the middle of which is the syllable hūṁ and an eight-petaled lotus. In the center of the lotus one should imagine that the syllable hūṁ is haloed with flames. One should invite the deity to enter with the following mantra of Wrath’s entry:

“Oṁ, Wrath! Please enter! Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ! Aḥ!^[95]

“Then, forming the mudrā of Wrath’s entry, one should say the following mantra: F.247.a

“Oṁ, Vajra! Please enter and take control! Hūṁ!^[96]

“One should then visualize oneself in the form of the deity.

“Then, acting as the supreme master Great Wrath, one should use the mudrā of King Wrath to perform the sixfold placement while reciting:

• “At the head: Oṁ, kill, O vajra! Hūṁ!^[97]

• “At the topknot: Oṁ, burn, O vajra! Hūṁ!^[98]

• “At the eyes: Oṁ, O blazing vajra! Hūṁ!^[99]

• “At the chest: Oṁ, O vajra anger! Hūṁ!^[100]

• “As the armor: Oṁ, O firm vajra! Hūṁ!^[101]

• “As the weapon: Oṁ, kill, burn, and cook them! O Krodhavajra, kill all the evil ones! Hūṁ phaṭ!^[102]

“In this way one should perform the sixfold placement of the king Great Wrath.

“Next, one should summon the essence of the maṇḍala deities. One should extend one’s index fingers in the shape of hooks, fold the other fingers, and combine the mudrā with the following mantra:

“Oṁ, Vajradhara Great Wrath! Keep your commitments and come quickly! Hrīḥ jaḥ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ svāhā!^[103]

“One will then summon all the deities of the maṇḍala.

“The mantra for the welcome offering:

“Oṁ, all deities! Please be kind and well disposed. Hūṁ!^[104]

“The mantra to castigate the evil ones:

“Oṁ, destroy all evildoers! Burn them, cook them, and turn them to ashes! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ!^[105]

“The mantra to bind the directions:

“Oṁ, intensely fierce Great Vajra Wrath! Bind, bind the ten directions! Hūṁ phaṭ!^[106]

“Each of the maṇḍala deities should be addressed with their mantra:

• “Mahādeva: Oṁ, bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ!^[107]

• “Viṣṇu: Oṁ, ā! Svāhā to the glorious one with a discus in his hand!^[108]

• “Prajāpati: Oṁ, svāhā to the teacher and preceptor of gods!^[109]

• “Kumāra:^[110]Oṁ, hrīḥ! To the one with the power to split Mount Krauñca, phaṭ svāhā!^[111]

• “Gaṇapati: Oṁ, grūṃ! Svāhā to the leader of the troops!^[112]

• “Āditya: Oṁ, śrī svaḥ! Svāhā to the thousand-rayed one!^[113]

• “Nandi:^[114]Oṁ, to Lord Nandi, dance, dance! Hrīḥ svāhā!^[115]

• “Rāhu: Oṁ, courageous enemy of the moon, hūṁ phaṭ svāhā!^[116]

• “Candra: Oṁ, to Candra, śrīḥ svaḥ svāhā!^[117]

“The heart mantras of the goddesses of offerings:^[118]

• “Umā: Oṁ sprūṃ namaḥ!

• “Śrī: Oṁ śrī namaḥ!

• “Śaśī: Oṁ śrī jaṃ namaḥ!^[119]

• “Tilottamā: Oṁ śrī namaḥ!

• “Rambhā: Oṁ śrī svaḥ namaḥ!

• “Sarasvatī: Oṁ, Sarasvatī! Tell everything! Svāhā!^[120][121]F.247.b

• “Surasundarī: Oṁ, the queen of yakṣas! Kṣīṃ svāhā!^[122]

• “Bhūti: Oṁ, Subhūti! Hrīḥ!^[123]

“Next is the mantra for the female-spirit gatekeepers:

“Oṁ āḥ śrī vāṃ māṃ svāhā!^[124]

“The heart mantras of the eight great female spirits are the same as specified before.”

Chapter 9

^[125] “Next are the detailed instructions on mudrās from the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra.

“The mudrā of the lotus throne:^[126]

“Fold in the other fingers and extend both your index fingers to form the shape of a needle.

“The great mudrā of Great Wrath’s entry:

“Hold your fists together and enclose both index fingers. Great Wrath will instantly be made to enter the triple universe.

“The following are the mudrās of the six limbs:^[127]

“The mudrā for the head:

“Hold your fists together and extend the middle fingers.

“The mudrā for the topknot:

“This mudrā is the same as above, but here one should enclose both middle fingers and form the index fingers into the shape of a needle.

“The mudrā for the eyes:

“This is the same as above, but here one should stick the thumbs out to the side, touch one’s right eye with the right thumb, and touch one’s left eye with the left thumb.

“The mudrā for the heart:

“Hold your fists together, enclose both little fingers, and extend both index fingers.

“The mudrā for the armor:

“Form the same mudrā as above and form both index fingers into a circle.

“The mudrā for the weapon:

“Form the same mudrā as above and extend your index fingers.

“The mudrā for the welcome offering:

“Join your hands with the palms flat in a gesture of greeting, with the middle fingers side by side with the other fingers.^[128]

“The mudrā for castigating evil ones:

“Hold your fists together and extend both thumbs.

“The mudrā for binding the directions:

“Holding your fists apart, extend your left index finger and place it at the base of your arm. On your right hand, cover the fingernail of your little finger with your thumb and extend your remaining fingers, placing them at the base of your right arm.^[129]

“The mudrā of Mahādeva:

“Join your hands in a gesture of greeting with the palms flat while bending your index and ring fingers at a sharp angle. This is the ‘broken mudrā’ of Rudra. F.248.a

“The mudrā of Viṣṇu’s conch:

“Join your hands in a gesture of greeting with the palms flat while bending your index fingers inward so that they are enclosed.

“The mudrā of Prajāpati’s water pitcher:

“Folding in the other fingers, extend both little fingers.

“The mudrā [of Kārttikeya] with the power to crush Mount Krauñca:

“Make your left hand into a fist and extend your middle finger.

“The mudrā of Gaṇapati’s axe:

“Form your left hand into a fist and extend your index and middle fingers. Then, bending your index finger, hold it against the middle joint of your middle finger.^[130]

“The mudrā of Āditya’s chariot:

“Join your hands in a gesture of greeting with the palms flat, making the sign of the svastika. Bend the little finger of the left hand at a sharp angle and place it on the tip of the thumb. Also place your right thumb on the tip of your left thumb.

“The mudrā of Rāhu:

“Extend your right hand and bend your index and ring fingers at a sharp angle.

“The mudrā of Narteśvara:

“Place your right hand upon your head in the dancing gesture. Make your left hand into a fist with the index and middle fingers extended. Use your middle finger and thumb in the gesture of dance to hold down your little and ring fingers.^[131]

“The mudrā of Candra:^[132]

“Hold your fists apart and enclose the little fingers.

“The mudrās of the eight goddesses of offerings are as follows:

“The mudrā of the goddess Umā:^[133]

“Form both your hands into the shape of a serpent’s hood and place it on your head.

“The description of the mudrā of the goddess Śrī:^[134]

“Join your cupped palms in the gesture of greeting and extend them toward the sky.

“The mudrā of the goddess Śaśī:

“Hold your fists together and enclose the index fingers. Then swing your hands in a dancing motion that imitates the flame of Śeṣa’s lamp.^[135]

“The mudrā of Ratnabhūṣaṇī:

“Hold your fists together and extend both index fingers. Then place the extended index fingers at your forehead in the shape of a jewel while binding them with a rosary. This is the mudrā of Ratnabhūṣaṇī. Her mantra is ‘Oṁ, svāhā to the one with the splendor of a jewel!’^[136]

“The mudrā of Sarasvatī:

“Folding the other fingers in, extend both index fingers and touch them to your mouth.

“The mudrā of Tilottamā:

“Folding the other fingers in, place your index fingers on your head.^[137]

“The mudrā of Rambhā: F.248.b

“Form both hands into the shape of a plough^[138] and place them at your heart.^[139]

“The mudrā of Surasundarī, the queen of all yakṣas:^[140]

“Hold your fists together and extend both little fingers while bending them a little.^[141]

“The mudrā of Bhūtinī:

“Hold your fists together and enclose both little fingers while slightly bending both index fingers.^[142]

“The mudrā of the queen who rules over the spirits:

“Hold your fists together and enclose both index fingers within them.

“These are the mudrās of the eight female spirits.”^[143]

Chapter 10

“Next are the detailed instructions for the heart mantras of the deities of the third, outer zone of the maṇḍala.^[145]

“The mantra of Indra, in the east:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Indra!^[146]

“The mantra of the god of fire, Agni, in the southeast:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Agni!^[147]

“The mantra of Yama, in the south:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Yama!^[148]

“The mantra of the Lord of Rākṣasas,^[149] in the southwest:

“Oṁ, svāhā to the lord of rākṣasas! Conquer, conquer!^[150]

“The mantra of Varuṇa, in the west:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Varuṇa, the lord of nāgas! Kill, kill!^[151]

“The mantra of the deity Vāyu, in the northwest:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Vāyu! Move, move!^[152]

“The mantra of Vaiśravaṇa,^[153] in the north:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Kubera, the lord of yakṣas!^[154]

“The mantra of Candra, in the northeast:

“Oṁ, svāhā to Candra!^[155]

“The mantra of Īśāna, in the northeast:^[156]

“Oṁ, svāhā to Īśāna!^[157][158]

“Next are the descriptions and the detailed instructions on the mudrās of the deities of the maṇḍala of wind.^[159]

“The mudrā of Indra:^[160]

“Stretching your right hand, press down on the fingernail of your little finger with your thumb while spreading out your remaining fingers.

“The mudrā of Agni:

“Stretching your left hand, make it quiver slightly.

“The mudrā of Yama’s staff:

“Make your right hand into a fist and extend your index finger.

“The mudrā of the sword of the Lord of Rākṣasas:

“Make your right hand into a fist and extend your index and middle fingers.

“The mudrā of Varuṇa’s noose:

“Making your left hand into a fist, stretch out the index finger and then bend it into a semicircle.

“The mudrā of Vāyu’s banner:

“Form your left hand into a fist, position it on your head,^[161] and extend your index and F.249.a middle fingers.

“The mudrā of Vaiśravaṇa’s elephant:

“Make your right hand into a fist and extend the thumb.

“The mudrā of Īśāna’s trident:

“Making your right hand^[162] into a fist, use the thumb to press down on the fingernail of the little finger while extending the remaining fingers.

“The mudrā of Pūrṇa:^[163]

“The mudrā of Pūrṇa is formed by joining the cupped palms of one’s hands together. His mantra is ‘Oṁ, you are the vajra of accomplishment! Please bring full satisfaction, bring it! Hūṁ!’^[164]

“The mudrā for bringing accomplishment:

“Holding your fists together, enclose both little fingers, then extend both index fingers to form a circle.

“The corresponding mantra for bringing accomplishment:

“Oṁ, Great Wrath, you are the vajra anger! For the bringing of accomplishment, hūṁ, jaḥ!”^[165]

“Brandishing the vajra-scepter, one should recite:

“The mudrās for the seats fashioned out of spirits are as follows:^[166]

“The mudrā of Vajradhara’s spirit seat:

“Stretch out your left hand while raising your thumb. With the fist of your right hand, grab your left thumb while holding up the right thumb. You should visualize yourself standing astride Aparājita.

“The mantra of this seat:

“Oṁ, conquer, conquer! O supreme master Great Wrath, king of wrath, please display this spirit-seat, display it! Please protect us, protect us! Svāhā!”^[167]

“The mudrā for the seats of the deities in the retinue:

“Join the cupped palms of your hands together and spread all your fingers apart. This is the lotus mudrā.

“The mantra of the lotus mudrā, the seat of all retinue deities:

“Oṁ, each deity is to be seated on a seat arising from a lotus. Svāhā!”^[168]

“The mudrā for dismissing all the deities:^[169]

“One should form exactly the same lotus mudrā while moving the thumbs.

“The mantra for dismissing the deities:

“Oṁ, all deities, please go, go! Depart, depart! F.249.b Go on, go on! So commands the glorious Vajradhara. Svāhā!”^[170]

“One should offer praise with the following verse:

Chapter 11

Then Vajrapāṇi, the supreme master Great Wrath, said, “By merely seeing this maṇḍala one will obtain sovereignty over the three realms. By merely reciting Vajradhara one will become equal to him. Should one fail in this, one will become the universal monarch of the four continents. If one merely utters the name of the glorious Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath, all spirits will become one’s servants.

“Further, if mantra practitioners merely become angry, all worldly deities will immediately be shattered into a hundred pieces. All gods,^[173] nāgas, and yakṣas will die if merely looked upon. All worldly deities will flee at the mere sound of the syllable hūṁ.”

“Next is the preliminary practice of the glorious Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath.

“The practitioner will swiftly achieve his purpose if he recites the mantra of self-protection^[174] 100,000 times.

“If he wants to attain mastery in the practice of Vajradhara, he should recite Vajradhara’s mantra one thousand times at the three junctions of the day for one month. Then, at the time of the full moon, he should make offerings according to his means. Forming Great Wrath’s mudrā, he should recite all night. The following morning the ground will shake and the mudrā will emit flames. As soon as the flames spring forth, he will be like Vajradhara: ageless, deathless, and divinely beautiful.

“If he wants to attain mastery in the practice of the goddess Umā, he should step on her^[175] with his left foot and recite the mantra ten thousand times. Umā will then arrive in person and present all precious substances, including the elixir of long life. She will become his wife. If he is not successful, he should smear her effigy with poison and blood.^[176] Stepping on the effigy with his left foot,^[177] he should recite F.250.a the mantra of Great Wrath, ‘Oṁ, kill kill! Vajra-kill^[178] so-and-so! Hūṁ hūṁ, phaṭ!’^[179] He should recite this wrathful mantra one thousand and eight times. By merely reciting it, the head of the target will burst and they will wither and die.^[180] The practitioner should employ this wrathful mantra in all acts of killing.

“If he wants to attain mastery in the practice of the goddess Śrī, he should step on her effigy with his left foot and recite the mantra ten thousand times. Śrī will then arrive. When she does, he should offer her a seat of flowers, say ‘Welcome!’ and then ‘Please be my wife.’ He can make love to her as much as he likes. She will offer him a kingdom.

“The practitioner should place his left foot upon the effigy of Bhairavī and recite the mantra ten thousand times. She will arrive in person in her natural form and perform the tasks of a servant.

“He should place his left foot upon the effigy of Cāmuṇḍā and recite the mantra ten thousand times. Cāmuṇḍā will swiftly arrive and submit to his control.

“In this way, he will swiftly be successful in the various practices of all mother goddesses.”

Chapter 12

Homage to the fierce Vajradhara!^[181]

Next are the rituals of inviolable and utterly fierce sādhanas that accomplish every purpose.

“One should go to a place with a solitary Śiva liṅga, place one’s left foot upon it, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Then Mahādeva will arrive. If he does not come, he will die instantly.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Nārāyaṇa and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Nārāyaṇa will then swiftly arrive. If he does not come, his head will burst and he will die. By this method Nārāyaṇa^[182] will become enthralled and eager to serve.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Brahmā and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Brahmā will then swiftly arrive. If he does not come, he will wither and die. When he arrives, he will be eager to serve.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Indra and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Indra will then definitely arrive, F.250.b eager to serve. He will fetch Urvaśī and offer her. If he does not arrive his head will burst and he will be shattered into a hundred pieces. He will perish along with his family and clan.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Kumāra and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Kumāra will then swiftly arrive, eager to serve. The spirits under his command that cause possession will become one’s servants. Kumāra can be induced to kill or preserve the life of anyone.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Gaṇapati and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Gaṇapati will then swiftly arrive. If he does not come, he will die.^[183] All the obstacle-removing spirits will become one’s servants.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Āditya and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Āditya will then swiftly arrive and give one a kingdom.^[184]

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Candra and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Candra will then swiftly arrive and offer a hundred palas of gold.^[185] By this method Candra will become subject to one’s control.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Bhairava and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Then, at night, one should prepare an elaborate pūjā, burn incense made with human flesh, offer food containing human flesh, and burn a lamp fueled with human fat. Then, at midnight, the Bhairava effigy will emit a great roar and will rise up, laughing loudly. Bhairava will say words such as “Hey you! Feed me!” One should not be afraid. If at any point fear arises, pronounce the syllable hūṁ and all will be well. Bhairava^[186] will submit to one’s control and will grant sovereignty over the triple universe. One will be able to destroy all worldly deities by merely pronouncing the syllable hūṁ.

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Narteśvara-Śiva and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Narteśvara will arrive that very moment, eager to serve. F.251.a If he does not come, he will die.^[187]

“One should place one’s left foot upon an effigy of Mahākāla and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. He will then arrive surrounded by his retinue of spirits. If he does not arrive, he will die instantly.^[188] He will become one’s servant.^[189]

“One should go to a shrine of the god Śiva in his four-faced form and, stepping on him with one’s left foot, recite the mantra ten thousand times for seven days. He will then arrive surrounded by his retinue. If he does not arrive, he will die.^[190] He will serve one in every way. Taking one upon his back, he will carry one as far as the heavenly realms. He will fetch and offer the goddess Urvaśī and will give one the divine elixir of immortality.”

So spoke the lord, the glorious Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath.

Chapter 13

“I will now teach the practice of female servants, who are distinguished by unlimited power and courage and who are honored throughout the universe. It was taught by Wrath himself for the benefit of humanity and brings numerous supreme accomplishments. Since it produces results even for those who are lazy, perpetrate evil, and lie, there is no need to mention those who are always peaceful, maintain their vows of chastity, and always recite the mantra of Great Wrath.

“It is said that one will become a master of white magic, a master of the sword,^[193] and will win the accomplishments of the rain of riches, the great treasure trove, the wish-fulfilling gem, the vase of fortune, and so forth. Since even a yakṣiṇī, a piśācī, a śālabhañjikā, and so forth F.251.b can be controlled through the sādhana, what need is there to mention other spirits? So the wise one has declared. One can instantly turn female spirits, nāgas, kinnaras, and others into male and female servants.^[194] Relying on this great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra, the practitioner will instantly, completely, and definitively succeed if they so desire.

These words were spoken by the glorious lord Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath.

“Next in this most secret, great, sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra are the additional sādhanas. One will immediately succeed in turning the male and female spirits into obedient servants merely by reciting the mantra. One will quickly succeed by merely reciting the glorious Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath.

“The mantra that is effective for removing obstacles:

“Oṁ, hrīḥ, hūṁ! Summon, summon such-and-such! Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ, jaḥ!^[195]

“One should recite the above wrathful mantra. The spirits will swiftly arrive after only one hundred and eight repetitions. They will all become male and female servants. If they don’t arrive quickly, their heads will burst through their eyes, and they will perish along with their families and clans.

“One should draw the likeness of the female spirit with bovine bezoar, step on it with one’s left foot, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. She will arrive immediately with exclamations of woe and say, ‘I am dying, I am dying. Hey practitioner, what do you command me to do?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Hey spirit! Be my servant!’ She will perform the duties of a servant for one hundred years.^[196]

“One should draw the likeness of the female spirit with bovine bezoar on birch bark, step on it with one’s left foot, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. She will arrive immediately. If she does not arrive immediately, one should throw mustard seeds at her face. The spirit will cry out and die, wasting away with fever. To bring her back to life, one should throw ghee and honey at her and she will revive. F.252.a Through this method, the spirit will perform the duties of a servant and will give clothes, ornaments, and food to the practitioner and two other people every day.

“One should stand at the door of a temple and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. As a result, a spirit by the name of Kuñjaramati will arrive. When she does, one should offer a bali. She will say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my mother.’ She will protect him as a mother would, and she will give clothes, ornaments, and food to him and four other people.”

Chapter 14

“I will now teach the detailed sādhana procedure for female spirits that has been taught by Great Wrath himself in this great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra, the most secret among all that is secret. It produces manifold accomplishments for the sake of benefitting poor and unfortunate ones.

“The names of the spirits are Vibhūṣaṇī, Kuṇḍalahāriṇī,^[197] Siṃhārī, Hāsinī, Naṭī, Rati, Kāmeśvarī, and Devī.

“In short, the sādhanas of eight female spirits can be understood as turning the spirits into one’s wife, mother, or sister.

“The sādhana of Vibhūṣaṇī:

“The practitioner should go at night to a champak tree^[198] and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for three days.^[199] When the recitations are complete, he should offer an elaborate pūjā, burn bdellium incense, and recite again. Vibhūṣaṇī will arrive at midnight without fail. When she does she should be given a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. She will be pleased and will become his mother, sister, or wife.^[200] If she becomes a mother, she and her retinue of one hundred and eight will offer clothes, ornaments, food, and so forth. If she becomes a wife, she will offer one thousand^[201] dinars and an elixir of long life. If she becomes a sister, she will travel up to one thousand leagues to procure a celestial woman to offer. She will also give divine elixirs and treasures.

“The sādhana of Kuṇḍalahāriṇī:^[202]

“The practitioner should go at night F.252.b to a charnel ground and recite the mantra ten thousand times. At the end of the recitation the spirit Kuṇḍalahāriṇī^[203] will arrive without fail. When she does, she should be given a welcome offering of blood. She will be pleased. The practitioner should say, ‘Please be my mother.’ She will care for him like a mother.^[204]

“The sādhana of Siṃhārī:

“The practitioner should go at night to a solitary Śiva liṅga and recite the mantra ten thousand times. Siṃhārī will arrive in person and say, ‘Hey practitioner! What can I do for you?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will offer a divine elixir of long life, eight dinars, and a pair of garments.

“The sādhana of Hāsinī:

“The practitioner should go to a temple of Vajrapāṇi and offer a bunch of oleander flowers to either a painting or figurine of Hāsinī placed near Vajrapāṇi.^[205] He should recite the mantra until midnight, at which time Hāsinī will swiftly arrive in person at the temple of Vajradhara. When she has arrived, she should be given a welcome offering of water mixed with red sandalwood. She will say, ‘Practitioner, what do you command me to do?’ He should reply, ‘Be my servant!’ She will follow him continually and offer clothes, ornaments, and food. These should all be used until nothing of them remains. If he stores any of these away, the same will not happen again. At night a celestial palace will appear.

“The sādhana of Naṭī:

“The practitioner should go to the confluence of two rivers and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. On the seventh day he should offer an elaborate pūjā and begin reciting as soon as the sun sets. Lighting sandalwood incense, he should recite until midnight. Then Naṭī will swiftly arrive in person. When she has arrived, she can be sexually embraced and will become his wife. Leaving behind on his bed a hundred palas of celestial gold, she will depart at dawn. She will always do the same, day after day. The practitioner should spend everything without any remainder. If he saves any of it, he will not receive more.

“Now I will give detailed instructions for the sādhana of Mahāceṭī F.253.a that will produce manifold accomplishments.^[206]

“The practitioner will definitely succeed by merely reciting her name. ‘Definitely’ means always. No recitation, burnt offerings, or preliminary practice is necessary. He will succeed right away, just as Vajrapāṇi has declared.^[207]

“The sādhana of Rati:

“The practitioner should go at night to the door of his own house and recite the mantra for three days. Rati is certain to arrive and perform the duties of a servant, including all the sowing of seeds, the ploughing of fields, all the housework, and so on.^[208]

“The sādhana of Kāmeśvarī:

“The practitioner should go at night to a place sacred to the mother goddesses bringing a dish of meat, and follow the procedure as prescribed for fish and meat. He should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. Kāmeśvarī is certain to arrive. When she does, he should give her a welcome offering of water and blood.^[209] She will say, ‘Master, what is your command?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Hey goddess, please be my wife.’ She will become his wife, fulfill his every wish, and grant him a kingdom.

“The sādhana of Devī:

“At night, the practitioner should prepare a bed in a temple^[210] and perform worship there using white sandalwood and jasmine flowers. He should light bdellium incense and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. At the end of this recitation Devī is certain to arrive. When she does, the practitioner should pleasure her with embraces and kisses or however he likes. In her form as a nubile, golden-colored woman adorned with every kind of jewelry, she will become his wife. She will offer eight dinars and a pair of garments.^[211] She will offer satisfying food to those in his own circle, while to himself she will offer riches brought from the abode of Vaiśravaṇa.

“One should recite these mantras in secret. One will achieve one’s purpose at the end of recitation every time.”

So spoke the lord.^[212]

Chapter 15

Homage to the glorious Vajradhara, one of invincible power!^[213]

Then, Vajradhara pronounced the words of a mantra of inviolable efficacy, words that can kill any god:

“Oṁ, Strike, strike! Kill everybody in the vajra fire! Hūṁ, phaṭ!”^[214]F.253.b

As soon as this was pronounced, the world systems of the great trichiliocosm filled with intense vajra fire.^[215]

The lord then said:

“Hūṁ, strike, phaṭ!”^[216]

As soon as this was pronounced, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, and all the worldly gods, as well as all celestial beings, including the many vidyādharas, nāgas, yakṣas, bhūtas, pretas, apsarases, piśācas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, and garuḍas shattered into hundreds of pieces and died.^[217]

Then Mañjuśrī, the princely youth, the bodhisattva, the great being,^[218] expressed his astonishment: “Well done! Well done, O glorious Vajradhara, supreme master Great Wrath! These wicked spirits and worldly deities will be overthrown in the future, in times to come.”

Then the apsarases, the celestial maidens present in the gathering, got up, respectfully bowed to the feet of the glorious Vajradhara, and offered each of their heart mantras:

• The goddess Śaśī: “Oṁ śrīṃ!”

• Tilottamā: “Oṁ śrī!”

• Kāñcanamālā: “Oṁ śrīṃ!”

• Kuṇḍalahāriṇī:^[219] “Oṁ śrīṃḥ!”

• Ratnamālā: “Oṁ hūṁ!”

• Rambhā: “Oṁ saḥ!”

• Urvaśī: “Oṁ śrūṃ!”

• Glorious Bhūṣaṇī: “Oṁ vāṃ!”

Next follow detailed instructions on the sādhanas of the apsarases and the accomplishments attained.

“[The sādhana of Śaśī:]

“Having climbed to the summit of a mountain, the practitioner should recite the mantra one hundred thousand times. His purpose will then be achieved. Then, during a full moon, he should prepare a pūjā according to his means, light a butter lamp, and recite the mantra all night. Precisely at dawn, Śaśī will arrive in person. When she does, he should give her a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. She will say words of appreciation.^[220] He should say, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will offer power substances and the elixir of long life, by means of which the practitioner will live one thousand years.

“The sādhana of Tilottamā:

“The practitioner should prepare a maṇḍala with sandalwood and dairy products and recite the mantra ten thousand times for seven days.^[221]F.254.a On the seventh day he should offer an elaborate pūjā, and on the eighth day of the bright fortnight he should recite the mantra all night on top of a mountain. Tilottamā is certain to arrive at dawn and stand before him smiling coyly. He should embrace her, kiss her, and make love with her in silence.^[222] He will then achieve his purpose. She will give whatever he wishes for. Riding on her back, he will be carried as far as the heavenly realms. In addition, she will even give him a kingdom.

“The sādhana of Kāñcanamālā:

“The practitioner should go to the confluence of two rivers and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times a day^[223] for seven days. On the seventh day, he should prepare an elaborate pūjā, light bdellium incense, and recite the mantra all night. Then, at dawn, Kāñcanamālā is certain to arrive, shining brightly.^[224] He should give her a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. Pleased, she will ask, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should say, ‘Please be my mother.’ She will then protect him like a mother. She will give food, ornaments, clothes, and so on to the practitioner and those close to him. He will live one thousand years.

“The full instructions for the sādhana of Kuṇḍalahāriṇī are:

“There are no restrictions with regard to a particular lunar day or astrological junction, nor is fasting prescribed. The practitioner should go to the top of a mountain and recite the mantra ten thousand times, repeating this again at night.^[225] Kuṇḍalahāriṇī is certain to arrive at midnight. She will become his wife and give 100,000^[226] dinars every day. Taking him upon her back, she will carry him all around the four continents.^[227] She will give him the elixir of long life and power substances.

“The sādhana of Ratnamālā:

“The practitioner should go to a temple and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times a day^[228] for one month. Then, when the month has passed, on a full moon day he should recite until midnight.^[229] Ratnamālā is certain to arrive at midnight, her anklets ringing. When she arrives, he should offer her a seat of flowers^[230] and say, ‘Welcome, goddess!’ She will reply, ‘What do you command me to do, master?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will then perform the duties of a wife and bestow divine pleasures.^[231] He will live one thousand years.

“The sādhana of Rambhā:

“Beginning on the first day of the bright fortnight, the practitioner should offer an elaborate pūjā, prepare a maṇḍala with sandalwood powder,^[232] burn bdellium incense, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times at the three junctions of each day. Then, during the full moon, he should prepare an elaborate pūjā and recite the mantra all night. Rambhā is certain to arrive at dawn.^[233] If she doesn’t arrive she will die. When she arrives she will become his wife and offer the elixir of long life. He can make love to her as much as he likes. He will live ten thousand years, and F.254.b when he dies he will be reborn in a royal family.

“The sādhana of Urvaśī:

“The practitioner should go at night to a temple, burn sandalwood incense, and recite the mantra ten thousand times for one month. At the end of this period he should offer a pūjā according to his means and recite the mantra all night. Urvaśī will swiftly arrive at dawn. Once she has arrived, he should offer her a seat of flowers and say, ‘Welcome!’ She will reply, ‘Hey practitioner! What do you command?’ The practitioner should say, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will offer the elixir of long life and power substances. He should avoid sexual contact with other women. He will live five thousand years.

“The sādhana of Bhūṣaṇī:^[234]

“Alone at night and ritually pure, the practitioner should draw the glorious Bhūṣaṇī with saffron ink on birch bark. Burning sandalwood incense, he should recite the mantra for one month. At the end of this period he should offer an elaborate pūjā and recite until midnight. Bhūṣaṇī is certain to arrive at midnight. When she does he should promptly make love to her. She will be pleased and will give him gold bullion and coins, pearls, and so forth. Every day she will present delicious foods. She will also offer the elixir of long life.”

So spoke the lord.

Chapter 16

Then Vajrapāṇi, the lord of guhyakas,^[235] said, “If the apsarases are not compliant, one should recite the following wrathful mantra:

“Oṁ, hrīḥ! Drag so-and-so here, drag! Hūṁ jaḥ! Hūṁ phaṭ!^[236]

“As soon as this wrathful mantra is pronounced, the target’s head will split, and she will shatter into a hundred pieces.^[237]

“One should bind an apsaras with the following mantra of Wrath:^[238]

“Oṁ, bind bind! Strike such-and-such, strike! Hūṁ phaṭ!^[239]

“With the following mantra one will be able to enthrall all apsarases:

“Oṁ, run run! Bring such-and-such to the state of enthrallment! Hūṁ phaṭ!^[240]

“It will produce manifold accomplishments.

“The mudrā that pacifies all suffering:

“Join both fists in the ‘spinning lotus’ gesture and form both middle fingers into the shape of a needle, thereby summoning the apsarases.^[247]

“The mudrā that gratifies all desires:

“Form both hands into the shape of a plough.^[248] This mudrā enthralls all apsarases, bringing them face-to-face with the practitioner.

“The mudrā to bewitch every apsaras:

“Form both hands into the ‘spinning lotus’ gesture. As soon as this mudrā is formed, every apsaras will immediately become one’s slave.

“The mantra for summoning all the apsarases:

“Oṁ, all the apsarases! Come, come! Hūṁ, jaḥ jaḥ!^[249]

“The mantra that brings them close:

“Oṁ, O goddess of the consummation of every accomplishment! Svāhā!^[250]

“The mantra for bringing them face-to-face:

“Oṁ, you who are fond of sensual delights! Svāhā!^[251]

“The mantra for bewitching all the apsarases:

“Oṁ, vāṃ, aṃ, hūṁ hūṁ, jaḥ, jaḥ!”

Chapter 17

Then each of the yakṣiṇīs stood up, respectfully bowed her head to the feet of the glorious Vajradhara, and offered him her heart mantra:

• Surasundarī: “Oṁ, Surasundarī, please come! Svāhā!”^[252]

• Manohāriṇī: “Oṁ, you who captivate everyone’s mind! Salutation to you! Svāhā!”^[253]

• Kanakavatī: “Oṁ, Kanakavatī, fond of sexual intercourse! Svāhā!”^[254]

• Kāmeśvarī: “Oṁ, Kāmeśvarī, please come! Svāhā!”^[255]

• Rati:^[256] “Oṁ, you who are fond of sexual pleasure! Svāhā!”^[257]

• Padminī: “Oṁ, Padminī! Svāhā!”^[258]

• Naṭī: “Oṁ, Naṭī! Beautiful great dancer! Svāhā!”^[259]

• Anurāgiṇī: “Oṁ, Anurāgiṇī, fond of sexual intercourse! Svāhā!”^[260]

Next are the detailed instructions on the sādhanas of the eight yakṣiṇīs.

“[The sādhana of Surasundarī:]

“The practitioner should go to a temple of Vajrapāṇi, light bdellium incense, F.255.b and recite the mantra one thousand times at the three junctions of the day. Surasundarī is certain to arrive within a month. When she arrives she should be given a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water. She will perform the duties of a mother, sister, or wife. If she becomes a mother, the practitioner must not hurt her feelings, and she will offer an elixir of long life every day, and also 100,000 dinars. If she becomes a sister, she will offer power substances and the elixir of long life. She will procure a celestial girl from the realm of the gods and offer her, and will be able to describe the past, present, and future. If she becomes a wife, she will fulfill every wish, and the practitioner will become immensely wealthy.

“The sādhana of Manohāriṇī:

“The practitioner should go to a riverbank, draw a maṇḍala with sandalwood powder, offer an elaborate pūjā, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. Burning aloeswood incense, he should recite the mantra ten thousand times every day for seven days. On the seventh day he should offer an elaborate pūjā and recite the mantra all night. Manohāriṇī is certain to arrive at midnight. If she does not, she will die. She will say, ‘Please command me.’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant.’ She will offer protection to one hundred and eight people from the practitioner’s close circle. She will offer one hundred dinars every day, which must be spent in its entirety. If the practitioner saves anything he will never receive more.

The sādhana of Kanakavatī:

“The practitioner should go to a banyan tree^[261] and offer alcohol following the procedure prescribed for fish and meat. Drinking some himself, he should use the remainder for a welcome offering.^[262] He should recite the mantra one thousand times. On the seventh day, he should practice the same way at night. He should recite until Kanakavatī arrives in person at midnight, adorned with all kinds of jewelry and surrounded by a retinue of one hundred and eight. He should make love to her once she arrives, and she will become his wife. She will give clothes, adornments, and food to twelve people every day. She will also offer eight dinars.

“The sādhana of Kāmeśvarī:

“The practitioner should draw an image of Kāmeśvarī on birch bark with bovine bezoar, climb into bed alone, and recite the mantra one thousand times. Then, when one month has passed, F.256.a he should offer an elaborate pūjā, light a butter lamp, and recite the mantra silently. Then, at midnight, she is certain to arrive. Once she has arrived, she will generously offer sexual pleasure and will become his wife. Leaving behind divine adornments on his bed, she will depart at daybreak. The practitioner should not approach the wives of others, otherwise he will perish.

“The sādhana of Rati:^[263]

“She should be painted on a piece of canvas as a nubile woman of golden color, adorned with every type of jewelry and holding a blue lotus in her hand. The practitioner should worship her with jasmine flowers, burn bdellium incense, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for one month. At the end of the month he should offer a pūjā according to his means, light a butter lamp, and recite the mantra until Rati arrives in person at midnight. When she does, he should make love to her in silence.^[264] In this way she will become his wife. She will protect him and his close circle and will offer delicious divine foods, an elixir of long life, and twenty-five dinars.

“The sādhana of Padminī:

“The practitioner should create a sandalwood maṇḍala in the upper part of his house. Burning bdellium incense, he should recite the mantra one thousand times for one month.^[265] Then, on the day of the full moon, he should offer a pūjā according to his means and recite the mantra until midnight, when Padminī is certain to arrive. When she does, he should make love to her. She will become his wife, grant divine pleasures bounteously, and offer an elixir of long life and power substances.

“The sādhana of Naṭī:

“The practitioner should perform this sādhana below an aśoka tree. Having offered perfume, flowers, and incense, along with a dish of meat, he should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times.^[266] Naṭī is certain to arrive within one month. When she does, she will become, in short, either a mother, or a sister, or a wife. If she becomes a mother, she will give delicious foods, a pair of garments, one hundred palas of gold, and the elixir of long life.^[267] If she becomes a sister, she will bring a celestial woman and offer her, even over a distance of one thousand leagues, She will also offer clothes, adornments, delicious foods, and the elixir of long life.^[268]F.256.b If she becomes a wife, she will offer a divine elixir of long life and eight dinars.^[269]

“The sādhana of Anurāgiṇī:^[270]

“The practitioner should draw this yakṣiṇī on birch bark with saffron ink and, starting on the first day of the bright fortnight, spend one month reciting the mantra while making ritual offerings of perfume, flowers, and lamps at the three junctions of the day. Then, on the day of the full moon, he should offer a pūjā according to his means, light a butter lamp, and recite the mantra all night. Anurāgiṇī is certain to arrive at dawn. Once she has arrived, she will bounteously bestow the pleasures of sex and become his wife. She will offer a divine elixir of long life and one thousand dinars. The practitioner will live thousands of years.”

Chapter 18

Next Vajrapāṇi, the lord of guhyakas, said, “If the yakṣiṇīs^[271] do not abide by their commitments, the practitioner should recite the following wrathful mantra to summon them:

“Oṁ, bhrūṃ! Summon, summon such-and-such yakṣiṇī! Hrīḥ, jaḥ, jaḥ, hūṁ, phaṭ!^[272]

“He should recite the above wrathful mantra one thousand times. The yakṣiṇī will swiftly arrive. If she does not arrive with haste, her forehead will burst and she will die that very moment. She will fall into one of the eight great hells.

“The description of the mudrā of Great Wrath:

“Holding your fists together, enclose both little fingers and extend both index fingers, bending them slightly. This is the inviolable mudrā of the hook of Great Wrath. With this king of mudrās one can even summon the triple universe.

“The description of the mudrā of yakṣiṇīs:

“Aligning the palms of the hands, turn your middle fingers backwards. Your ring fingers, positioned horizontally, should point outward and the index fingers inward. Your little fingers should be in the center.^[273] This is the ultimate root mudrā of all yakṣiṇīs. As soon as this mudrā is formed, all the yakṣiṇīs will arrive.

“The mudrā of invocation:

“Forming exactly the same mudrā, the practitioner invites the yakṣiṇīs with his right thumb. The accompanying mantra is ‘Oṁ, hrīḥ! Come, F.257.a come! Svāhā to all the yakṣiṇīs!’^[274]

“The mudrā of dismissing:

“Forming the same mudrā, the practitioner should dismiss the yakṣiṇīs with his left thumb. The accompanying mantra is ‘Oṁ, hrīḥ! Go, go! Svāhā to the swift return of the yakṣiṇīs!’^[275]

“The mudrā that brings all the yakṣiṇīs face-to-face with the practitioner:

“Hold your fists together and extend your middle fingers. The accompanying mantra is ‘Oṁ, O great yakṣiṇī, fond of sexual pleasure! Svāhā!’^[276]

“The mudrā of bringing all the yakṣiṇīs into immediate proximity:

“Hold your fists together and extend your little fingers, bending them slightly. The accompanying mantra is ‘Oṁ, the goddess of sensual enjoyment! Svāhā!’^[277]

“The heart mudrā^[278] of all the yakṣiṇīs:

“Form both hands into the shape of a plough.^[279] The yakṣiṇīs’ heart mantra is ‘Kṣī!’

“The mudrā of the perfume, flowers, incense, and lamps of all the yakṣiṇīs:

“Hold your fists together and extend your index and middle fingers. The corresponding mantra is ‘Oṁ, you who captivate everyone’s mind! Svāhā!’ ”^[280]

Chapter 19

Then, each nāga queen present in the gathering rose up, respectfully bowed to the feet of the glorious Vajradhara, and offered him her heart mantra:

• Anantamukhī: “Oṁ phuḥ oṁ phuḥ!”^[282]

• Karkoṭakamukhī:^[283] “Phuḥ oṁ phuḥ!”

• Padminī: “Phuḥ gaṃ phuḥ!”

• Mahāpadminī: “Phuḥ āḥ phuḥ!”

• Vāsukimukhī:^[284] “Phuḥ dhīḥ phuḥ!”

• Jvālāmukhī: “Phuḥ hūṁ phuḥ!”

• Dhūpamukhī:^[285] “Phuḥ kaṃ phuḥ!”

• Śaṃkhinī:^[286] “Phuḥ sa phuḥ!”

Next are the detailed instructions on the sādhanas of the eight nāginīs.

“The practitioner should go to a place where nāgas live and recite the mantra 100,000 times as a preliminary practice. Every nāginī will be pleased, and all nāgas and nāginīs will rejoice. On the fifth day^[287] of the bright fortnight, he should descend into the water at the nāgas’ dwelling place and offer perfume, flowers, incense, and milk in the prescribed way. Then, he should recite the mantra one thousand times for each of the eight nāginīs. Soon a nāga maiden will emerge, burning with heat.^[288] On her arrival, a welcome offering of milk and sandalwood should be given.^[289] The practitioner should say, ‘Welcome! Please be my wife.’ She will offer eight dinars every day, F.257.b and can be induced to kill anyone or let them live. She can do anything.

“The practitioner should go to the confluence of two rivers and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times while offering food made from milk. A divinely beautiful nāginī will arrive. When she does, he should place some flowers on her head and say, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will give delicious divine foods and five dinars every day.

“The practitioner should go at night to a place inhabited by nāgas and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. The moment the recitation is complete, a nāginī will arrive suffering from an intense headache. She will say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my mother.’^[290] She will then offer the practitioner and four other people^[291] clothes, adornments, food, and so forth every day, along with five dinars.

“The practitioner should go at night to a lotus pond and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. A nāginī will swiftly arrive. When she does, he should make love to her. She will become his wife and offer eight dinars. He should spend it all without remainder. If he saves anything, he will not get more.

“The practitioner should go at night to the confluence of two rivers and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. Then, at the end of the recitation, a nāga maiden is certain to arrive. When she does, he should offer to her a seat made of gold^[292] and say, ‘Welcome! Please be my wife.’ She will give one hundred palas of gold every single day.

“The practitioner should go at night to a great lake filled with lotuses and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. When the recitation is complete a nāga maiden is certain to arrive. When she does, he should say, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will offer one dinar and a pair of garments.

“The practitioner should go to a place inhabited by nāgas, descend into the water up to his navel, and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. When the recitation is complete a nāga maiden is certain to arrive. When she does, he should place flowers on her head and say, ‘Please be my wife.’^[293] She will give eight dinars and delicious divine food.

“The practitioner should go to a place inhabited by nāgas and recite the mantra all night. Then, at dawn, a nāga maiden adorned with all kinds of jewelry will arrive in an instant. F.258.a When she does, he should give her a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water and flowers. He should say, ‘Welcome! Please be my wife.’ She will present a divine elixir of long life and power substances. She will fulfill all his wishes and offer a kingdom.

“The practitioner should go^[294] to a place where nāgas are found and recite the mantra ten thousand times. A nāga maiden will soon arrive. When she does, he should promptly make love to her and say, ‘Please be my wife.’ Every day she will give him eight dinars, delicious divine food, and a pair of garments.

“The practitioner should go at night into the vicinity of nāgas and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. When the recitation is complete a nāga maiden will swiftly arrive. When she does, he should place nāga flowers^[295] on her head and say, ‘Please be my wife.’ She will give him divine clothes, adornments, delicious food, and so on.

“The pledge mantras of the nāginīs are:

• “The invocation mantra: Oṁ phuḥ! Come, O nāginī! Phuḥ!^[296]

• “The mantra of perfume and flowers: Oṁ ī phuḥ!

• “The mantra of the welcome offering and incense: Oṁ phuḥ, aḥ phuḥ!

• “The pledge mantra of all nāginīs: Ā phuḥ, ī phuḥ, vā phuḥ!

• “The mantra of dismissing: Phuḥ! Depart, depart! Svāhā to your swift return!^[297]

“Next are the descriptions of mudrās.

“The pledge mudrā of the nāginīs:

“Join the flattened palms of your hands together and raise them up, forming the shape of a topknot with the fingers. The tips of your index fingers should be placed together with the thumbs extended.^[298] This is the universal mudrā for all rites, including the invocation, the pledge, and the dismissal.^[299]

“The pledge mudrā of the nāginīs that enthralls all nāgas:

“Form your left and right hands into fists and press down on the fingernails of your little fingers with your thumbs. Extend the remaining fingers.”

So spoke the glorious lord Vajradhara.^[300]

Chapter 20

Then Vajrapāṇi, the lord of guhyakas,^[301] angrily raised his vajra-scepter^[302] and uttered the following wrathful mantra:

“Oṁ, the terrible vajra! Hūṁ! Please summon such-and-such nāginī! Hūṁ hūṁ! F.258.bPhaṭ phaṭ!”^[303]

As soon as this was spoken, all the nāginīs fainted and collapsed after being overcome by intense headaches.^[304]

“If they transgress their pledges, they will die at the moment of their transgression^[305] and fall into one of the eight great hells.”

So spoke the glorious lord Vajradhara.

Chapter 21

Then each of the six^[307] kinnarīs present in the gathering rose up, respectfully bowed to the feet of the glorious Vajradhara, and offered him her heart mantra:

• “Oṁ, Manohārī! Svāhā!”^[308]

• “Oṁ, Subhagā! Svāhā!”^[309]

• “Oṁ, Viśālanetrī! Svāhā!”^[310]

• “Oṁ, Suratapriyā! Svāhā!”^[311]

• “Oṁ, Aśvamukhī! Svāhā!”^[312]

• “Oṁ, Divākaramukhī! Svāhā!”^[313]

Next are the detailed instructions on the sādhanas of the six kinnarīs.^[314]

“The practitioner should go to the top of a mountain and recite the mantras one thousand and eight times. When the recitation of the six kinnarī mantras is complete, he should prepare an elaborate pūjā and light incense of cow meat mixed with bdellium. He should then recite the mantra until midnight when, unfailingly, a kinnarī will arrive. He should not be afraid of her. She will say, ‘Hey practitioner! What do you command me to do?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Kind one, please be my wife.’ Taking him upon her back, she will carry him to the god realm. She will offer delicious divine food.

“The additional sādhanas are:

“The practitioner should go to the foot of a mountain or to a monastery and recite the mantra ten thousand times. At the end of the recitation, the goddess herself^[315] will touch his feet with her lotus-like hands. He should promptly make love to her. She will become his wife and will offer eight dinars and a pair of garments.

“Having gone to a riverbank, the practitioner should recite the mantra ten thousand times, and continue to recite all night. A kinnarī is certain to arrive at dawn. Once she has arrived, she will become his wife and will offer five dinars every day.

“The practitioner should go at night to the confluence of two rivers and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. F.259.a A kinnarī is certain to arrive when the recitation is complete. On the first day she will merely show herself. On the second, she will stand in front of the practitioner and speak to him. On the third, he should make love to her. The sādhana will inevitably have an effect on her, and she will perform the duties of a wife. Every day she will offer eight dinars and a pair of garments.

“The practitioner should go to the top of a mountain every day, partake of a dish of meat,^[316] and recite the mantra ten thousand times. A kinnarī will soon appear in front of him in the form of an apsaras. Embracing and kissing her, he should make love to her in silence. She will become his wife and will offer eight dinars and delicious divine food.”

Chapter 22

Then Vajrapāṇi, the lord of guhyakas,^[317] said this to Maheśvara:^[318] “Listen, Mahādeva! I will make everyone a servant of the one who transcends the triple universe. I will bring the rogue deities under control.”^[319]

Maheśvara-Mahādeva then said to the lord, “Please give, O lord, the full instructions for the practice that will bond us to you^[320] along with the mudrās and mantric formulas of the one who is invincibly efficient^[321] and transcends the triple universe.”^[322]

Then the whole assembly applauded Śiva by saying, “Well done! It was well done, Mahādeva, to have requested the teaching that tames those who are wicked to one another!”^[323]

Then Vajradhara, the supreme master Great Wrath, said:

“These eight bhūtinīs, possessed of great miraculous powers,^[336] are described in glorious terms.

“The procedure for this maṇḍala is as follows:

“The vajra master should adorn himself with a garland of blue flowers, tie a blue bandana around his head, and put on a pair of blue garments. He should recite the following heart mantra of Great Wrath F.260.a for the benefit of all beings, resolved on success in the practice of Great Wrath. At that very time he will successfully take control of all deities.^[338]

“Hūṁ, O vajra! Phaṭ!^[339]

“As soon as this mantra is pronounced, all the deities will be brought under control.

“The mantras for vajra-castigation:

“The master should stand with his left leg outstretched and his right slightly bent. Raising the vajra-scepter,^[340] he will destroy all the deities with the mere utterance of the syllable hūṁ, just as Vajrapāṇi has declared. Instantly, the apsarases, yakṣiṇīs, nāginīs, bhūtas, and bhūtinīs, possessed of great powers, will perish, subjected to the mantra of vajra-castigation.^[341]

“Oṁ, Great Wrath, blazing like lightning! Strike, burn, cook, and kill! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ!^[342]

“Following this recitation all the deities will be dead or castigated.

“Hūṁ, hūṁ, hūṁ! Phaṭ, phaṭ, phaṭ!^[343]

“Using this mantra, even a buddha is certain to be torn to pieces.

“The master should then usher in the disciples. He should perform the armor protection by means of the mudrā of Great Wrath and cause the deity to enter with the following mantra:

“Oṁ, Great Wrath! Please enter! Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ, āḥ! You are the holder of the terrible vajra surrounded by a halo of flames. Āḥ!^[344]

“As soon as this mantra is uttered, he will become able to effect the ‘external’ possession, the summoning, and the humbling.

“Next in the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra are the detailed instructions on the ritual of the maṇḍala of Great Wrath.

“The mantra of Siṃha­dhvaja­dhāriṇī, who is located in front of Great Wrath:

“Oṁ, bhūḥ! Glorious Siṃha­dhvaja­dhāriṇī! Hrīḥ!^[345]

“The mantra of Padmāvatī, who is behind Great Wrath:

“Oṁ, hūṁ, bhūṁ! The great Padmāvatī, holding an arrow and bow! Hūṁ!^[346]

“The mantra of Vibhūti, who is to the right of Great Wrath:

“Oṁ, hūṁ! Vibhūti, holding a goad! Hūṁ, jaḥ!^[347]

“The mantra of Surahāriṇī, who is to the left of Great Wrath:

“Oṁ, hūṁ, bhūḥ! Surahāriṇī, holding a banner surmounted by a wish-fulfilling gem! Śrūṃ!^[348]

“The mantra for the northeast:^[349]

“Oṁ, Glorious Vārāhī, with a flower in her hand! Hūṁ!^[350]

“The mantra for incense, in the southeast:

“Oṁ, Ratneśvarī, with incense in her hand! Hūṁ!^[351]

“The mantra for perfume, in the southwest:

“Oṁ, glorious Vibhūṣaṇī, with perfume in her hand! Hūṁ!^[352]

“The mantra for the lamp, in the northwest:

“Oṁ, glorious Jagatpālinī, with a lamp in her hand! Āḥ!^[353]

“Next are the detailed instructions on the mudrās of the eight bhūtinīs.

“The mudrā of the lion banner:

“Hold your fists together and extend both index fingers.

“The mudrā of the goad:^[354]

“Form your right hand into a fist and extend your index finger, bending it slightly.

“The mudrā of the arrow and bow:

“Holding your fists together, extend your index fingers and place your fists on your left hip.^[355]F.260.b

“The mudrā of the banner surmounted by a wish-fulfilling gem:

“Form your left hand into a fist while extending your middle finger.

“The mudrā of the flower:

“Join your hands together with fingers outstretched and then slightly bend both index fingers.

“The mudrā of incense:

“Entwine your fingers and extend both index fingers.

“The mudrā of perfume:

“Stretch out both hands and place them on your shoulders.

“The mudrā of the lamp:

“Form your right hand into a fist while extending the middle finger.”

Chapter 23

Next follows the chapter from the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra that contains detailed instructions on the sādhanas of the eight bhūtas.

[Their mantras are:]

• Aparājita: Oṁ hrīḥ jaḥ!

• Ajita: Oṁ hūṁ jaḥ!

• Pūraṇa: Oṁ hrīḥ jaḥ!

• Āpūraṇa: Oṁ hūṁ jaḥ!

• Śmaśānādhipati: Oṁ śrūṃ jaḥ!

• Kuleśvara: Oṁ rūṃ jaḥ!

• Bhūteśvara: Oṁ hūṁ jaḥ!

• Kiṃkarottama: Oṁ āṃ jaḥ!

“The sādhana of the bhūta Aparājita:

“One should recite the mantra in front of Vajradhara^[356] 100,000 times. This constitutes the preliminary practice. Then, on the full moon day, one should prepare an elaborate pūjā and offer cooked white rice, curds, molasses, and milk^[357] as prescribed. Burning bdellium incense, one should recite all night. Aparājita is certain to arrive at dawn. If he does not arrive, he will die right then. Once he arrives, he will request orders, saying, ‘What can I do?’^[358] The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant.’ From then on he will perform the duties of a servant. He will offer the kingdom of the vidyādharas and will eliminate all one’s enemies. He will even bring the goddess Śaśī and offer her. Taking the practitioner upon his back, he will carry him to the realm of the gods, where he will bestow upon him the status of Indra. The practitioner will live for seven eons.

“The sādhana of Ajita:

“Standing in front of a caitya,^[359] one should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times at night for seven days. On the seventh day one should prepare an elaborate pūjā and offer bali. Burning bdellium incense, F.261.a one should recite the mantra. Ajita is certain to arrive at the end of the recitation. He will say, ‘Hey practitioner! What can I do for you?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant.’ Ajita, taking him upon his back, will carry him around the four continents. Furthermore, he will give him a kingdom. The practitioner will live one thousand^[360] years.

“The sādhana of Pūraṇa:

“One should go to a temple of Vajradhara and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. On the seventh day one should prepare an elaborate pūjā and offer cooked white rice and curds as prescribed. One should recite the mantra until midnight, when Pūraṇa is certain to arrive. One should give him a welcome offering of water with flowers. He will be pleased, offer a kingdom, and completely fulfill one’s every wish. One will live thousands of years, and for as long as one lives Pūraṇa will perform the duties of a servant. He can be induced to kill anyone or let them live. He can do anything.

“The sādhana of Āpūraṇa:

“One should go to a caitya that contains relics and recite the mantra ten thousand times. This constitutes the preliminary practice. Then, on the day of the full moon, one should offer a pūjā according to one’s means and recite the mantra until midnight, at which time Āpūraṇa will swiftly arrive. When he arrives, he will stand in front of one and say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant,’ and from then on he will perform the duties of a servant. He will bring a divine yakṣa maiden and offer her, disclose the location of every treasure hoard, and offer delicious divine food. Every day he will offer a pair of garments^[361] and five dinars. The practitioner will live five hundred years.

“The sādhana of Śmaśānādhipati:^[362]

“One should go at night to a charnel ground and recite the mantra one thousand and eight times for seven days. On the seventh day one should follow the prescribed rite to offer fish, meat, sesame, rose apple, cooked white rice, curds, molasses, and milk to this great bhūta.^[363]F.261.b One should recite the mantra until midnight while burning bdellium incense. Then, the sound hā hā will be heard. One should not be afraid—Śmaśānādhipati has arrived with his retinue. One should offer bali to this visitor. He will be pleased, and all the bhūtas will become one’s servants. Śmaśānādhipati will offer eight dinars every day and will crush all one’s enemies. One will live a thousand^[364] years.

“The sādhana of Kuleśvara:

“One should go to a temple and, after offering red perfumes, red flowers, and bdellium incense, recite the mantra ten thousand times. This constitutes the preliminary practice. At night, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, one should prepare fish, meat, sesame, rose apple, and cooked red rice as prescribed. Burning frankincense,^[365] one should recite until midnight. Kuleśvara will then arrive in a terrible, blazing form, but one should not be afraid of him. He will say, ‘What can I do for you, my dear?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant.’ He will then perform the duties of a servant for as long as the practitioner lives.^[366] Every day, three times a day, he will offer five dinars and delicious divine food. The practitioner will live five hundred years.^[367]

“The sādhana of Bhūteśvara:

“One should go alone at night to a solitary Śiva liṅga and, for three days, offer cooked red rice, fish, meat, sesame, and rose apple. While burning incense made of goat meat and bdellium mixed with honey,^[368] one should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times. On the first day one will see Bhūteśvara in a dream. On the second day Bhūteśvara will promptly arrive in person and stand in front of the practitioner.^[369] He will say, ‘What can I do for you?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant.’ Bhūteśvara will remain in close attendance. He will bring an apsaras and offer her^[370] and will describe the past, present, and future. He will give clothes, adornments, and delicious divine foods. F.262.a The practitioner will live for three hundred years.^[371]

“The sādhana of Kiṃkarottama:

“One should go to a temple of Vajradhara on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight and recite the mantra ten thousand times for seven days. This constitutes the preliminary practice. Then one should burn bdellium incense^[372] and offer cooked white rice, ghee, and milk.^[373] Sitting on a seat of kuśa grass, one should light a butter lamp and recite the mantra into the night until, at midnight, Kiṃkarottama arrives in person. Upon arrival, he should be given a welcome offering of water scented with white sandalwood. He will be pleased and say, ‘Hey practitioner! What can I do for you?’ The practitioner should reply, ‘Please be my servant.’ From then on, Kiṃkarottama will perform the duties of a servant and will offer delicious divine food.^[374] Taking the practitioner on his back, he will take him to the heavenly realm. Moreover, he will give him a kingdom and a lifespan of five thousand years.”^[375]

Chapter 24

“For the benefit of spiritual instructors I will now explain, just as it has been taught, the sādhana for servants that produces manifold accomplishments. No one among those one should not generally associate with is to be forsaken, including idlers and evildoers, liars, loafers, the poor and diseased, those with short lives, and the fickle-minded. If one wants enjoyments, wealth, and fame, these will be instantly and abundantly given.^[376]

“This magical mantra can win the elixir of long life that is precious to the lord of gods, so it certainly can win treasures from human kings.^[377] Likewise, it can instantly win a celestial maiden. When this magical mantra is recited, it quickly and easily produces accomplishments. These exceedingly secret four syllables that grant every comfort will grant all accomplishments to innumerable beings of inferior diligence. F.262.b They will be attained after only a single recitation, there is no doubt about this.”

Chapter 25

Next follow the descriptions of the mudrās of the eight bhūtas from the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra.

“The mudrā of Aparājita, the great king:

“Fold in the fingers of both hands while extending your middle fingers to form the shape of a needle.

“The mudrā of Ajita:

“Forming the above mudrā, fold in your middle fingers and extend your index fingers while slightly bending them.

“The mudrā of Pūraṇa:

“Forming the same mudrā as above, curl your index fingers into a semicircle^[378] and extend the little fingers, holding them apart.

“The mudrā of Āpūraṇa:

“Forming the same mudrā,^[379] fold in the fingers of both hands.

“The mudrā of Śmaśānādhipati:

“Forming the same mudrā, form your middle fingers into the shape of a needle.^[380]

“The mudrā of Bhūteśvara:^[381]

“Form the same mudrā, but hold both thumbs out to the side.

“The mudrā of Kuleśvara:

“Forming the same mudrā, fold your thumbs inward and extend your little fingers, holding them apart.^[382]

“The mudrā of Kiṃkarottama:

“Join the cupped palms of your hands together and slightly bend both index fingers.”

Chapter 26

Then Vajrapāṇi, the lord of guhyakas,^[384] said this to the lord:^[385]

“The preceding practice of bhūta-attendants is for the benefit of the vajra master. So is the following sādhana of the great bhūtinīs.^[386] Both will be thrilled, and joy will arise in the hearts of the bhūtinīs.

“Next follow the detailed instructions on the sādhana of the glorious great bhūtinīs found in the great sovereign Bhūta­ḍāmara Tantra.

“First, the detailed instructions for the gentle sādhana are:

“The practitioner should recite the mantra^[387] in front of the blessed lord Great Wrath 100,000 times. This constitutes the preliminary practice. Then, on the day of the full moon, he should offer a pūjā according to his means, burn bdellium incense, and recite the mantra all night. A bhūtinī is certain to arrive at dawn. Upon her arrival, he should give her a welcome offering of sandalwood-scented water and say, ‘Welcome!’ She will reply, ‘Hey practitioner, what do you command me to do?’ He should say, ‘Please be my wife.’ F.263.a She will offer a divine elixir of long life, power substances, treasures, and a kingdom.

“There are also forceful sādhanas:

“The practitioner should draw the glorious bhūtinī on birch bark with saffron ink.^[388] Then at night, he should recite the mantra one thousand and eight times while naked in front of Vajradhara. She will swiftly arrive. He should make love to her as soon as she arrives and she will be pleased. She will offer him a kingdom^[389] and even raise him to the status of Indra. Taking him on her back, she will take him to heavenly realms. He will live one thousand^[390] years. If she does not comply she will, at that very moment, burst at the forehead, wither, and die.^[391]

“Next are the detailed instructions for killing all bhūtinīs.

“The practitioner should perform the rites of killing and castigation in the center of the maṇḍala that was previously described. The bhūtinī will be killed in an instant. This has been said by Great Wrath himself.

“The practitioner should write a bhūtinī’s name with saffron. Then, stepping over it with his left foot and raising the vajra-scepter, he should repeat the syllable hūṁ^[392] seven times. He is certain to kill her instantly.”

Chapter 27

“Having summoned the spirits of divine origin, the practitioner should bow to them and then dismiss them.^[393]

“The mantra for inviting the deities who are to partake of the offering:

“Wherever any great spirit is, may he leave that terrible place! Svāhā!^[394]

“Having offered a bali of cooked red rice, flowers, and incense to the participating deities, the practitioner should cover it with a white cloth and recite the following mantra three times while bowing to and dismissing the spirits of divine origin:^[395]

“O great spirits, go to your respective abodes—to charnel grounds, shrines, solitary trees, riverbanks, crossroads, solitary Śiva liṅgas, or temples. Go quickly so you can keep your pledges of the spirits. If you do not go, your heads will be split with a thunderbolt, killing you in an instant. You will be dispatched to the terrible hell of spirits. Go to your respective places as you please! Svāhā!”^[396][397]

Chapter 28

“The formula for dismissing the spirits after the bali offering:

“Please go back quickly to your charnel grounds, shrines, mountain tops, or crossroads!^[399]

“The formula for the spirits to guard their pledges:

“Please keep your pledge!^[400]

“The mantras for summoning all deities and male and female spirits are:

“The reciter of Wrath is himself commanding you, please leave your terrible places! Svāhā!^[401]Oṁ, unfailing vajra hook! Act, act! Pull, pull! Hūṁ jaḥ!^[402]

“And:

“Oṁ, fierce Wrath with an unfailing hook—act, act! Make such-and-such enter, do it! Hrīḥ, hūṁ, jaḥ!^[403]

“The mudrā of the hook:

“One should join both index fingers so that they form the shape of a hook.

“One should offer a bali after incanting it with the following mantra three or seven times:

“Oṁ, Vajra Wrath! Please take this bali! Hūṁ, phaṭ!^[404]

“One should then recite:

“Oṁ, hrīḥ! To Bhūtaḍāmara, the great vajra! Hūṁ hūṁ hūṁ! Ślūṃ ślūṃ! Hūṁ hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā! May the servant beings take whatever bali is available, body, speech, and mind! Svāhā!^[405][406]

“The eighteen types of emptiness:

• 1. Internal emptiness

• 2. External emptiness

• 3. Internal and external emptiness

• 4. Emptiness of emptiness

• 5. Great emptiness

• 6. Emptiness of the absolute truth

• 7. Emptiness of conditioned phenomena

• 8. Emptiness of unconditioned phenomena

• 9. Emptiness that is beyond extremes

• 10. Emptiness of that which is beginningless and endless

• 11. Emptiness of that which cannot be repudiated

• 12. Fundamental emptiness

• 13. Emptiness of all phenomena

• 14. Emptiness of individual characteristics

• 15. Emptiness of that which cannot be apprehended

• 16. Emptiness of that which has its own nature

• 17. Emptiness of that which does not have its own nature

• 18. Emptiness of that which has and does not have its own nature

“The eight bhūtas are:

The Tathāgata has explained the causes of those phenomena that arise based on causes. The great monk also explained that which constitutes their cessation.