འཕགས་མ་སྒྲོལ་མ་ཀུ་རུ་ཀུལླེའི་རྟོག་པ།
The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā
Āryatārākurukullākalpa
ཀུ་རུ་ཀུལླེའི་རྟོག་པ།
ku ru kul+le’i rtog pa
The Practice Manual of Kurukullā
Kurukullākalpa

Toh 437
Degé Kangyur, vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), folios 29.b–42.b.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2011
Current version v 2.3 (2019)
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84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative that aims to translate all of the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.
Warning: Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read this translation are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility for reading this text or sharing it with others who may or may not fulfill the requirements lies in the hands of readers.

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Summary
The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā is the most comprehensive single work on the female Buddhist deity Kurukullā. It is also the only canonical scripture to focus on this deity. The text’s importance is therefore commensurate with the importance of the goddess herself, who is the chief Buddhist deity of magnetizing, in particular the magnetizing which takes the form of enthrallment.
The text is a treasury of ritual practices connected with enthrallment and similar magical acts—practices which range from formal sādhana to traditional homa ritual, and to magical methods involving herbs, minerals, etc. The text’s varied contents are presented as a multi-layered blend of the apotropaic and the soteriological, as well as the practical and the philosophical, where these complementary opposites combine together into a genuinely spiritual Buddhist work.
Acknowledgements
Translation by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee.
Translated by Thomas Doctor from the Tibetan of the Degé Kangyur, with continuous reference to an English translation and critical edition of the extant Sanskrit manuscripts by Wieslaw Mical. English text edited by Gillian Parrish.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Introduction
The very foundation of all Buddhist paths is the recognition of the unsatisfactory nature of saṃsāra, the cycle of conditioned existence, and the quest for liberation from it. Building upon that basis, the Great Vehicle holds that saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are indeed inseparable and that the goal of all practice must be the liberation from suffering, not only of oneself, but of all other beings. It is a debated point as to whether tantra has its own unique view. Where there is unanimity, however, is that the path of the tantras adds a panoply of methods that enable the practitioner to achieve the goal of the Great Vehicle swiftly and effectively.
The tantras are concerned principally with the stages of “deity yoga.” With the guidance of a skilled teacher and after suitable preliminary training and empowerment, the practitioner is introduced to, and subsequently trains in recognizing, the divine nature of the world and its inhabitants. This is symbolically centered on the generation of the deity as the embodiment of enlightenment in one of its many aspects—a depiction in terms of form, sound, and imagination of the very goal to which the practitioner aspires. Through various modes of such practice, which differ according to the different levels of tantra, the practitioner is able to recognize, access, and actualize his or her own innately enlightened nature.
The female deity Kurukullā, whose practice is the subject-matter of this text, has a particular place and orientation amid the pantheon of meditational deities. Like all deities, she is a personification of buddhahood in its entirety. As a female deity, she is understood to embody the wisdom aspect of enlightenment (i.e., emptiness), and as a form of the savioress Tārā, herself a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, she personifies all-embracing compassion. But her particular quality is related to the “activity” of enlightenment. Many Great Vehicle scriptures describe the spontaneous and effortless activity of buddhas for the benefit of beings. In Vajrayāna that enlightened activity is spoken of in terms of four modes, or types, of activity: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destroying. It is the third of these, magnetizing, that is the special field of Kurukullā, and it is to deploy that particular quality of enlightenment that a practitioner would undertake her practice.
While there are as many as thirty-seven Kurukullā sādhana liturgies included in the Tengyur, and many more in the indigenous Tibetan literature, the text translated here is the only work in the Kangyur that focuses on Kurukullā. Rather than being a systematic presentation of one form of practice, it takes the form of a compendium of varied elements—ranging from formal sādhanas to traditional fire offering ritual, and to magical recipes and methods involving herbs, minerals, and other ingredients—from which a practitioner might draw in order to constitute a range of Kurukullā-centered practices. The text’s varied contents are presented as a multi-layered blend of the apotropaic and the soteriological, as well as the practical and the philosophical.
The text’s pattern of contents is in keeping with the term kalpa figuring in the title. An ancient meaning, already found in the Ṛgveda, of the word kalpa, is “sacred rule” or “precept,” applying, in particular, to ritual procedures. As such, the scriptures that carry this term in their title are mostly ritual compendia or manuals of ritual practice. With the emergence of Vajrayāna a number of these works appeared, such as the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, the Kurukullākalpa, and the Vajravārāhīkalpa. As these titles might then suggest, they are ritual compendia for their specific deities.
The word kalpa derives from the root kḷp, which means “to prepare” or “to arrange.” This meaning is also reflected in the contents of the works that belong to this genre—they are primarily concerned with the technicalities of the ritual rather than with philosophical debate about the principles involved. This is, however, not to say that the latter is altogether absent. Genre-wise, kalpas are closely related to tantras, inasmuch as they are divinely revealed by the Buddha or one of the great bodhisattvas, such as Avalokiteśvara or Vajrapāṇi. Moreover, both kalpas and tantras are concerned with a particular deity, or set of deities, and aim to guide the practitioner in the rituals and practices related to that deity.
The Tibetan version of the Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā 1 is structured into five chapters, whereas the Sanskrit has essentially the same content structured into eight. Chapter One begins with the statement of its authenticity, and for this, the text declares that it is a direct literary descendant of the Tantra of the Arising of Tārā (Tārodbhava). These Kurukullā teachings, as found in our text, were given by Lord Avalokiteśvara on the Potala mountain, in response to a plea by a female audience consisting of different classes of semi-divine beings. Responding to their request, Avalokiteśvara begins to explain Kurukullā worship and its requisites, which include the drawing of the deity’s image (Kurukullā in her four-armed, seated form), the eighteen-fold pūjā, the mantra and the gathering offering. The main three benefits of this practice are the ability to enthrall beings, to increase wisdom, and to remove poison.
These benefits all have a spiritual dimension if the practitioner possesses a bodhisattva attitude: with loving kindness he or she will be able to control wild animals, with compassion practitioners will deliver the entire world from pain, and by becoming identical with Tārā-Kurukullā, they will be able to provide assistance to beings in need. The practice of compassionate virtue is the key to this success.
In Chapter Two there follows a description of the sādhana of the wish-fulfilling tree, through which one makes offerings to the buddhas and provides sentient beings with all that they need. This sādhana of the wish-fulfilling tree is followed by the main sādhana of the Kurukullākalpa. It is introduced by the statement that the mind is the sole “reality,” and because this is so, the key to attaining buddhahood is the cleansing of the mirror of mind. The means by which to accomplish this cleansing is this very sādhana. As it follows the formal structure of a typical yoginītantra sādhana with its prayers, worship, visualizations, etc., it is unnecessary to recount here all the traditional details.
After summoning the “wisdom being,” one requests an empowerment, and along with the empowerment one is given the injunctions regarding the follow-up practice. The sign of success is that the lotus-mudrā formed with one’s hands at the end of the six-month practice period will burst into flames. By proceeding as described, the practitioner will attain the three enlightened bodies and will thereby be able to enact the great deeds of the Buddha.
At this point in the text, there is an interruption in the description of the empowerment and of the samaya-pledges (which are resumed much later in the text), and we have instead a discourse, given by Vajrapāṇi, on the three enlightened bodies, followed by a Nāgārjuna-style exposition of the doctrine of emptiness. When asked how the mudrās, mantras, maṇḍalas and siddhis should be interpreted in the context of emptiness, Varjapāṇi explains that they too are part of the chain of dependent origination—i.e., that the accomplishments are achieved in dependence on the mudrās, the mantras and so forth.
Chapter Three begins with a section containing various methods and related information on the main types of Kurukullā activity—enthralling, increasing wisdom, and removing poison, with discussion of the deeper spiritual implications of these three acts. We are told what materials should be used as mālā beads for these three types of activity, and are given specific instructions on the lighting of sacrificial fires (the shape of the fire pit, the type of firewood, etc.) and on the substances used as offerings. Some methods further described involve medicinal plants and other materials. The teacher also points out the more profound purposes: by enthralling beings with the mind of loving kindness one can establish all of them in enlightenment, by increasing intelligence one can attain the perfection of wisdom and achieve liberation, and by removing poison one brings peace to the world.
Further, we are given instructions on the method of visualizing the syllable hrīḥ (the seed syllable of Kurukullā) on different parts of the body and told the benefits arising from that: if it is on the clitoris, then enthrallment will follow; if on the chest, wisdom will increase; if between the teeth, one will remove poison. Connections are explained between the removal of faults of the body, speech and mind, and the acts of enthrallment, removing poison, and increasing wisdom, respectively. There is also a connection between removing poison (in the spiritual sense) and increasing wisdom. When the poison of ignorance is neutralized, desire is pure wisdom. It is explained that the goddess Pāṇḍarā (implicitly identified with Kurukullā) is, in essence, desire. Her non-dual passion is, however, completely free from poison and thus none other than wisdom.
The section on these different methods ends with a description of other Kurukullā magical practices, mostly for bringing results other than the main three outcomes specified above. These include: a yantra for warding off snakes, amulets for enthrallment and protection, rituals for bringing wealth with the help of drawings or a cowrie shell (the latter is also said to help one obtain a kingdom or even win at dice).
In Chapter Four we return to the description of the empowerment and the samaya ritual. This includes the description of the Kurukullā maṇḍala and the divination wherein a flower is tossed into the maṇḍala. After the divination, the initiand is told to observe secrecy regarding his practice and is given the samaya injunctions. The practitioner is instructed to rely on red substances, abstain from non-virtue, accomplish all the qualities associated with the perfections, and respect and pay homage to all women.
Once the samaya has been received, the four empowerments are bestowed, using water from the four jars of “the arrow,” “the bow,” “fearlessness,” and “the lotus.” An offering maṇḍala is described, with eight pitchers containing precious substances, along with a “pitcher of victory.” The disciple, suitably attired, is ushered into the maṇḍala and taught a secret method to control the nāgas. The Kurukullā dhāraṇī is now given—a lengthy formula aimed at bringing rain and prosperity. Further methods involving interaction with nāgas are also described—for stopping excessive rain, for curing leprosy and snakebites, and also for magically summoning and enthralling nāga women.
Chapter Five contains three nidāna stories, which are accounts of situations that prompted the Buddha to give the Kurukullā teachings. The first story is about the Buddha’s son, Rāhula, who, while being “pulled” (i.e., subjected to a particular kind of magic) by a nāga, recites the Kurukullā mantra and is miraculously transported into the Buddha’s presence. Witnessing thus the power of Kurukullā’s mantra, he requests from the Buddha the Kurukullā teachings.
The second story is about Mahākāla and Hārītī. Mahākāla, not being happy in his marriage with the ill-tempered demoness Hārītī, neglects his duty to protect the teachings. The Kurukullākalpa is then taught to help Hārītī enthrall Mahākāla, and in this way, mend things between these two unhappy lovers. As this is successfully accomplished, great happiness ensues.
The third story is about Rohiṇīkumāra, a boy who, although born with auspicious marks, is dull-witted. His father asks the Buddha about possible ways to increase Rohiṇīkumāra’s intelligence, and in response, Buddha teaches the boy the Kurukullākalpa. As a result, Rohiṇīkumāra acquires great learning and wisdom.
The next section treats of alchemy (applied in combination with the Kurukullā mantra), which, as may be expected, is meant to bring the accomplishments of sky-travel and longevity. Here we find instructions on: 1) producing a mercury preparation which will enable the alchemist to fly through the sky as well as give him the power to enthrall women, 2) producing silver using a specially processed mercury (this is meant to lead, eventually, to the ultimate benefit for oneself and others), and 3) attaining the accomplishment of longevity by employing special plant-preparations.
The last part of Chapter Five describes the magical use of herbs and other substances (in combination with the Kurukullā mantra), as well as amulets, yantras, and other practices, which may be described as magical. Some of these means include: an ointment protecting one from wild elephants; a paste, which, when smeared on shoes, will enable the wearer to walk on water; an incense for the well-being of monks; an ointment to stop children from vomiting breast-milk; inscribed amulets affording protection and bringing good fortune; an amulet to be worn on one’s forearm to bring wealth; an alms-bowl inscribed with the Kurukullā mantra which enables the owner to procure alms in a place where they are difficult to obtain; various methods of enthrallment; a method preventing miscarriage; methods ensuring easy childbirth; remedies for breast diseases; practices meant to prevent premature greying of the hair; a paste meant to help women secrete vaginal lubrication (for pleasurable love-making); a remedy for premature ejaculation; a method for putting out a fire by sprinkling it with wine; and enthrallment methods involving yantra. Other wished-for results include: obtaining a fine son, healing different types of fever, curing eye diseases, overcoming impotence and finding buried treasures. Finally, the closing passages of the chapter once more ground the text and its teaching in the compassion of Avalokiteśvara, and beyond him in the infinite activity of the buddhas throughout space and time.
The final colophon in the Tibetan text gives the names of its two translators: the Indian Kṛṣnapaṇḍita and the Tibetan Tsültrim Gyalwa (1011-c. 1068), also known as Naktso Lotsawa, a prolific translator who was sent to India to invite the Indian master Atiśa Dipaṃkāraśrījñāna (982-1054), met and studied with him at the monastic university of Vikramaśīla, and accompanied him on his journey to Tibet. With Atīśa and Kṛṣnapaṇḍita, Tsültrim Gyalwa translated numerous classical texts of both sūtra and mantra.
This English translation was prepared on the basis of the readings of the Degé Kangyur found in the Comparative (dpe bsdur ma) edition. The translation emerged in a process of continuous reference to a critical edition of the extant Sanskrit manuscripts and an English translation from the Sanskrit already prepared by one of the collaborators in this project.2 As the various Sanskrit manuscripts of the Kurukullā are not readily available and present important variants, we have decided to include the critical edition as an appendix to this translation.
While endeavouring to produce a rendering of the Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā informed by the full range of available Sanskrit and Tibetan manuscripts and editions, we have nevertheless retained the primary objective of translating here the Tibetan text contained in the Degé Kangyur. Where the Tibetan text is open to multiple interpretations, the English translation follows the Sanskrit manuscripts whenever this can be done while staying within the field of meanings conveyed by the Degé text. In general, words in Sanskrit have been reconstructed on the basis of the Sanskrit manuscripts rather than the Tibetan transliterations. Where the translation diverges from the explicit message of the Tibetan manuscript, the discrepancies have been noted. There are numerous further instances where the Tibetan and Sanskrit texts differ. These can be appreciated through a comparison with the forthcoming annotated translation from the Sanskrit.
The Translation
The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā
Chapter 1
The canvas should be woven with a thread spun by a female of fair complexion. Both she and the weaver should eat milk-porridge.
Upon a lotus seat, wearing an upper garment of red cloth, jewel earrings and a jewel diadem, [F.30.b] she displays the mudrā granting fearlessness with her lower right hand, and with her second right hand holds an arrow that she draws to the tip of her ear.3 In her upper left hand she holds a bow, and in the second left, a red utpala. Crowned by Amitābha, dwelling in a cave in the mountains, she is Kurukullā.
Below Kurukullā is Rāhu, and above him, Kāmadeva with his spouse. Above Kāmadeva there is a moon disk, and upon the moon disk a red lotus seat. On this seat one must paint the Blessed Lady with all her beautiful features, and then consecrate her image. In front of the painting, from the eighth through the full moon day, one should perform the eighteen-fold pūjā, and recite the mantra. This is the heart essence of Tārā:
Oṃ kurukulle hrīḥ hūṃ svāhā
This is the mantra. Having done the preliminary propitiation consisting of 100,000 recitations, next, on a buddha-day in the month of Kārttika, Vaiśakha or Āṣāḍha, having bathed at dawn and observed the restoration of vows ceremony, the practitioner should offer a complete pūjā.
He should present a feast for the congregation of listeners, and next offer a feast with gifts for the community of those practicing the secret mantra of the Great Vehicle. Placing his right knee on the ground, and with his robe thrown over one shoulder, he should receive the desired accomplishments. He should salute and ask the pardon of the saṅgha of listeners and the community of those who delight in the Great Vehicle.
Having gone to the place where the painting of the Blessed Lady is displayed, this knowledge holder should, for the sake of the desired accomplishments, enter meditation and recite the mantra one hundred thousand times for each of its syllables.
This was the first chapter, the instructions for the practice of painting.
Chapter 2
Now follows the practice method of the wish-fulfilling tree:
This was the practice method of the wish-fulfilling tree.
Oṃ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ˈham 9
All the blessed ones, the thus-gone ones, then addressed the great bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, so as to examine his noble mind: “How, O Vajrapāṇi, could the buddhas, the blessed ones, who possess vajra bodies, who possess dharmadhātu bodies, possibly die at some location on earth?”
Vajrapāṇi, in turn, offered the following words to those buddhas and bodhisattvas: “The bodhisattvas have asked me this, ‘How could buddhas, who possess vajra bodies, dharmadhātu bodies, bodies of non-duality, possibly die at some location on earth?’ ” And he proceeded, “Listen, O bodhisattvas, the so-called nirvāṇa [F.34.a] means a passage to the realm of bliss.”
The bodhisattvas enquired, “O Vajrapāṇi, do the buddhas, the blessed ones, go to the realm of bliss after they relinquish the dharma body, or do they go to the realm of bliss by means of the enjoyment body, having left behind their emanation body? How could they depart, having left behind the dharma body?”
Vajrapāṇi replied, “A person with magical powers, may employ magic for some specific purpose, and so also succeed in achieving that purpose. Likewise:
The bodhisattvas asked, “How is it, O Vajrapāṇi, that the buddhas, the blessed ones, the teachers of the three worlds, neither arise nor cease?”
Vajrapāṇi said, “Now, O bodhisattvas, what do you think? Does the one who is the Buddha exist, or not exist?”
The bodhisattvas replied, “O Vajrapāṇi, buddhas neither exist nor do they not exist.”
Vajrapāṇi spoke:
“The bodhisattvas should understand the nirvāṇa that pertains to the buddhas, the blessed ones, through this reasoning.”
The bodhisattvas asked:
Vajrapāṇi replied:
This was the second chapter.
Chapter 3
In a pit the shape of an aśvattha-tree leaf, which is the pure nature of the place of birth, one should light a fire with wood from the aśoka-tree. One must then, in the prescribed way, perform one hundred and eight offerings of red lotus flowers. The fire should be obtained from the home of an actor. The offerings are to be smeared with the three sweets and presented together with the root mantra.
Next comes the diagram. One should draw a triangular maṇḍala on cotton smeared with the mark of the moon. Within it, one writes entreating words that include the names of the practitioner and the one to be won: “Let me succeed in attracting such and such a person!” As one enriches this with the root mantra, one should write with a paint of liquid lac, blood from one’s left ring finger, camphor, kunkuma, and musk.
If one wishes to increase insight one should, in the same pit as before, burn arka and karavīra with the sacrificial fire used for brahmin oblations. One should offer aṭarūṣaka leaves11 or sweet flag ten thousand times.
For removing poison, one should light a fire in the same basin with wood of the sandal tree, and in that offer the flowers of the piṇḍatagara. Thus one will become a curer of all poison. One will heal the different pains and bring peace.
As the negativities of speech completely disappear, one will be able to remove poison; when those of the mind disappear, insight will increase; and when the flaws of the body are exhausted, one will bring about enthrallment.
Hence, since this world is attached to non-virtue, it does not gain accomplishment. Therefore, O sons of the victorious ones, you must act to benefit, and give up evil. By means of the specific gestures the faults associated with the body certainly disappear [F.36.a] and, through the mantra, so do the faults associated with the composites of the tongue.
The faults associated with the mind fade away in those whose minds delight in meditation. With the joy of stainless faith, the cognitions of the body become unmoving—that is the time of the Buddha’s blessing. The one who sees with an eye free from evil and who possesses compassion will become king of the three worlds. With his power of merit superior because of generosity, he becomes the foremost on the surface of the earth, a benefactor endowed with diligence.
Having given up laziness, and by means of wisdom, he will not experience even a bit of the suffering of hell. Therefore, one relies on the wealth of the compassion of the sons of the victorious ones, and on their diligent conduct. Perceiving the buddhas in the center of the sky, one regards the buddhas by the power of concentration. Even in sleep one should always perceive oneself to be surrounded by the buddhas.
Now, to bring women fortune, another method shall be explained:
One should draw a lotus flower with seven petals and apply the seven syllables to it. In its center one should, according to the enthrallment-procedure, write the name of the person to be enthralled, [F.36.b] supported by a pair of hrīḥ syllables. One should draw this on birch bark, or on cotton with flowers, and make it into a charm that is to be worn on the upper arm.
If one desires the attainment of a lord, one should draw a citron and, in its center, a bow. Inside the bow, one should draw a jewel-shaped lotus-bud. In the center of the lotus-bud is the syllable jrūṃ, surrounded by the seven syllables. One should draw this on a golden tablet and keep it in the upper part of the house. One should surround it with an outer garland of lotuses, and, on the eighth or twelfth day of the month, using a jar containing five types of jewels, one should take it down. Having washed and worshipped it, one should recite the mantra one hundred and eight times. Within a year, one will become the equal of Kubera. Such a charm should be worn correctly.
Next follows another method: on a Tuesday, if one finds a cowrie shell lying with its face up, one should place it in the palm of the hand and recite the mantra one hundred thousand times. If one plays dice, one will win.
Taking up the cowrie one should recite the Kurukullā mantra one hundred and eight times. On the twelfth or eighth day of the month, one should perform ablutions and make offerings. Then one should wrap the shell in silk and wear it on one’s arm. [F.37.a] Whoever does so will become a great master of riches. If one puts this shell in a box and hides it in the ground one will every day obtain a kārṣa’s worth of wealth.
This completes the third chapter.
Chapter 4
At this point the sattvavajrī mudrā should be displayed, a flower should be offered to the circle, and the words “praticcha vajra hoḥ” be spoken. Then, as the cover is removed, the maṇḍala is to be revealed. In the best case, the flower has fallen in the center. If it has fallen on the arrow, the student will be capable of performing the acts of enthrallment. If it has fallen on the giver of fearlessness, the student should study the removal of poison. If it has fallen on the utpala, it is the development of insight that should be studied. And if it has fallen on the bow, omniscient wakefulness is to be pursued.
At the time of the entry, the following should be declared: “You must not speak of this supreme secret of all the thus-gone ones in front of anyone who has not entered this maṇḍala. Your samaya vow would definitely degenerate. Having failed to avoid the distressful, you would certainly die and fall into hell.”
After that the samayas are to be given with the words, “The Three Jewels must never be abandoned…” and so forth, just as it is extensively taught in the tantra. The oath is to be administered with the following words:
namo ratnatrayāya. namaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvebhyaḥ. namo ˈṣṭasarpapudgalāya. namaḥ samastebhyo buddhakoṭibhyaḥ.. tadyathā. oṁ hrīḥ hrīḥ hrīḥ sarvanāgānām anantakulānāṃ vāsukikulānāṃ takṣakakulānāṃ śaṅkhapālakulānāṃ karkoṭakulānāṃ padmakulānāṃ mahāpadmakulānāṃ kulikakulānāṃ varāhakulānāṃ puṇḍarīkakulānāṃ ghanakulānāṃ meghakulānāṃ jaladakulānāṃ jaladharakulānāṃ jīmūtakulānāṃ saṃvartakulānāṃ vasantakulānāṃ airāvatakulānāṃ kumudakulānāṃ kahlārakulānāṃ saugandhikakulānāṃ hana hana śareṇa bandha bandha cāpena tāḍaya tāḍaya utpalena bhītānām abhayaṃ dehi pralayakāla iva jaladhāram avatāraya varṣaṃ [F.38.b] tān nāgān vaśīkuru kuru phuḥ kulāpaya kulāpaya phuḥ phuḥ, oṁ kurukulle hrīḥ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā phaṭ 16
With this mantra, one should draw the maṇḍala with gaur dung. As prescribed, one should draw an eight-petal lotus with sandalwood paste and place on its petals, starting from the eastern one, Ananta and the others—the eight nāgas—using candied sugar and bdellium. When the moon is in the Rohiṇī lunar house, one should perform a hundred and eight recitations, offer incense to the nāgas, and make offerings. If it does not begin to rain, they should be washed with wine and tormented with the fire of khadira wood. Doing this will bring rain. However, if the nāgas do not send rain, leprosy will break out.
This is to be carried out by a knowledge holder who is a performer of rites. Afterwards, they should be gathered and released in a great river.
One who wishes to stop excessive rainfall should obtain a snake from a snake charmer, anoint it with sandalwood paste, and feed it milk. One should pronounce this mantra over it seven times, put it in a red, unbaked jar, and seal it with the great seal. Breaking the vase will make the rain stop immediately.
The king, along with his sons and queens, should bathe on the fifth day of the waning moon. They should obtain the root of pratyaṅgirā, blend it with milk or ghee, and having poured it into a silver dish, they should drink it. If the dish is offered to an ordained monk there will not be any danger from snakes for one year. Moreover if, because of its unvirtuous actions, [F.39.a] a snake does bite, the snake itself will die. Success comes with seven repetitions of the mantra.
Also, if one wishes to cure leprosy, one should, by means of this very mantra, neutralize a poison and then ingest it. This will cure leprosy.
If one recites the root mantra over water, and then uses that water to wash the wound from a snake bite, that will remove the poison.
Moreover, if one wishes to see nāgas, one should pronounce the mantra upon a red utpala petal one hundred thousand times for each of its syllables. The petal should then be tossed into a pond, or the like, that is inhabited by nāgas and blessed. This will make the females of the nāgas tremble. They will request orders from the practitioner: “What shall we do, O lord?” The practitioner of mantra should then request what he wishes.
This was the fourth chapter.
Chapter 5
Once when young Rāhulabhadra had gone to Rājagṛha to receive alms, he went to the Veṇuvana grove, and there descended into a long pond to wash his alms-bowl. While there, he, the son of Yaśodharā, was mistaken for a white ascetic and so was pulled into the pond. At that time the young Rāhulabhadra recited this spell. No sooner had he recited the mantra than—just like someone emerging from his house—he arrived in the presence of the Blessed One.
Having approached the Lord, he said, “Father, I have seen the power of the secret mantra which you have granted.”
The Blessed One spoke: “Where have you seen that?”
“In the presence of the nāgas. Therefore, I request that the Blessed One teach this mantra, so that other beings too may be protected by it.”
So then, at that very time and on that occasion, the Lord dispatched Vajrapāṇi, and benevolently granted this mantra and this manual of instruction to the listeners and the bodhisattvas, to monks and nuns, and to male [F.39.b] and female lay practitioners. Therefore, children of noble family, one who creates a sandalwood maṇḍala and reads this mantra and this manual of instructions will not be harmed by poison, will not die from poison, will have no fear of boils, eczema, leprosy, disease, nāgas, snakes, tigers and other beasts of prey, weapons, enemies, poverty, or untimely death. None of these will occur.
In order to protect the Teachings, the Lord granted Mahākāla the demoness Hārītī, whom he had nourished from his own alms-bowl. She however, was lacking in fortune because of her former bad deeds. She was not agreeable to Mahākāla, and so he did not stay with her, did not love her, and did not protect the Teachings either. She therefore became depressed, and in order to enthrall Mahākāla this Kurukullā compendium was taught. From then on, her fortune became vast and excellent. For that reason, children of noble family, if you wish to enthrall sentient beings you should familiarize yourselves with this mantra and this manual of instructions.
It also came to pass that Sunanda’s son was born handsome and good looking, athletic and in possession of auspicious marks, and yet nevertheless dull-witted.
Sunanda therefore asked the Blessed One, “O Lord, my son was born handsome and good looking, athletic and in possession of auspicious marks, and yet nevertheless dull-witted. How, O Lord, may he develop insight? Lord, if this child becomes literate he shall become a protector of your doctrine.”
Upon hearing this, the Blessed One, with words preceded by mindfulness, [F.40.a] spoke this manual of practice and gave this mantra. As soon as he had done so, Sunanda’s son, Rohiṇīkumāra by name, acquired insight. By the twelfth year he was free from being intimidated by any of the treatises, as he was thoroughly acquainted with all of the crafts and arts. Therefore, children of noble family, in order to accumulate great insight, you should study this very mantra and its manual of practice.
Then the Blessed One spoke of the magical power of sky travel:
When the Blessed One, noble Avalokiteśvara, had spoken these words, the entire retinue, and the whole world with its gods, humans, demi-gods, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This completes “The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā.”
Colophon
The translation was prepared, edited, and established by the Indian preceptor, Kṛṣnapaṇḍita, and the lotsāwa monk, Tsültrim Gyalwa.
Appendix
Appendix Prologue
Sources referred to in critical apparatus, listed by the code letter(s):
Manuscripts
• Sanskrit manuscripts of the Kurukullākalpa:
C – Shelfmark “Add. 1691/II”, Cambridge (UK) University Library; see Bendall 1992.
G – Shelfmark “Xc 14/50 no. 4”, Göttingen University Library; see Bandurski 1994.
J – “New 104” (“Old 198”); see Matsunami 1965.
Y4 – “New 105” (“Old 203”); see Matsunami 1965.
R – Running no. 5257, Asha Archives, Kathmandu
• Sanskrit manuscripts containing Kurukullā dhāraṇī (used only for the edition of KK (this document) 5.39):
E1 – Reel E 1774/3 (multi-title), National Archives, Kathmandu
E2 – Reel E 614/3 (multi-title), National Archives, Kathmandu
• Sanskrit manuscripts of the Sādhanamālā (used for the overlapping passages only):
SMB – Reel B 0105-09, National Archives, Kathmandu
Editions
• editions of the Sanskrit text of the Kurukullākalpa:
Es – Pandey (2001) (see Bibliography)
KK – this document
• editions of the Tibetan text of the Kurukullākalpa:
T – Tibetan: Pandey (2001) (see Bibliography)
S – Tibetan: Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Kangyur
• editions of other Sanskrit texts (used for the overlapping passages only)
SM – Bhattacharyya (1968)
Critical apparatus:
[ ] – square brackets indicate text missing or illegible in C (due to physical damage) and supplied from Es. When the text has been supplied from another source, this has been specified in a footnote.
ac – ante correctionem
conj. – conjectured
CS – classical Sanskrit
em. – emended
m.c. – metris causa
om. – omitted
pc – post correctionem
tr. – translated
Please note that the numbering of chapters and verses or paragraphs does not correspond to the numbering in the present English translation of the Tibetan.
Chapter A1
tato lakṣamātraṃ89 pūrvasevāṃ kṛtvā puna[ḥ kā]rtikasya vā mādhavasya vā90 āṣāḍhasya vā91 buddhaparvaṇyāṃ tithau prātaḥ snātaḥ poṣadhikaḥ sarvapūjāṃ nivedya śrāvakasaṅghāya bhojanaṃ dattvā92 paścād gaṇaṃ mantrama[hāyā]nikaṃ93 bhojayitvā yathāsiddhau vijñapya94 dakṣiṇāṃ dattvā ekāṃsottarāsaṅgī dakṣiṇaṃ jānumaṇḍalaṃ pṛthivyāṃ pratiṣṭhāpya yena śrāvakasaṅghaḥ. yena ca95 mantramahāyānara[to96 gaṇa]s tān abhivandya kṣamāpya yatra97 paṭāvatāritā bhagavatī tenopagamya98 yathāsiddhyarthaṃ99 dhyānopeto vidyādharo ˈkṣaralakṣaṃ japet..
Chapter A2
Chapter A3
atha te sarvabodhisattvā284 ātmanaivātmacitta285 parivitarkam286 āpadya vajrapāṇiṃ287 mahābodhisattvam evam āhuḥ. kathaṃ vajrapāṇe288 buddhā bhagavanto vajrakāyā dharmadhātukāyāḥ289 abhedyakāyāḥ290 kasmiṃścit291 pṛthivīpradeśe kālakriyāṃ kurvanti.. atha khalu vajrapāṇis tān bodhisattvān292 evam āha. bodhisattvā mahāsattvā mā evaṃ procuḥ.293 kathaṃ buddhā294 vajrakāyā295 abhedyakāyā dharmadhātukāyāḥ kasmiṃścit296 pṛthivīpradeśe kālakriyāṃ kurvantīti. athāha297 vajrapāṇiḥ298. tatraivaṃ299 śṛṇvata300 bodhisattvā yad bhagavān parinirvṛtaḥ301 sukhāvatyāṃ gataḥ..
atha bodhisattvāḥ procuḥ. kiṃ vajrapāṇe buddhā302 bhagavantaḥ kāyaṃ303 prahāya sukhāvatīṃ304 gacchantīti305. āha. ārya306 kulaputrā nirmāṇakāyaṃ prahāya saṃbhogakāyena307 sukhāvatīṃ308 prayāntīti309. bodhisattvā āhuḥ310. tat311 kathaṃ vajrapāṇe kāyaṃ312 tyaktvā yāntīti313..
343 bodhisattvāḥ procuḥ344.. kathaṃ vajrapāṇe buddhā bhagavantas traidhātukaśāsino345 notpannā na niruddhā iti. vajrapāṇir346 āha. bodhisattvās tat kiṃ manyatha347. yo yāvān buddhaḥ so ˈsan348 uta sann iti. bodhisattvāḥ procuḥ. vajrapāṇe buddhā na santo nāsantaḥ..{1}..
Chapter A4
paścād yantraṃ bhavati. rajasvalākarpaṭe trikoṇamaṇḍalaṃ vilikhya madhye sādhyāyāḥ sādhakasya ca nāmagrahaṇena codakapadasamanvitenāmukī369 me vaśībhavatv iti kṛtvā paścān mūlamantreṇa370 vidarbhya lākṣārasenāvasavyānāmikāraktasammiśreṇa371 karpūreṇa kuṅkumena372 kastūrikādibhir373 varṇakair likhet374..
athāparo ˈpi prayogaḥ strīṇāṃ saubhāgyakaraṇāya. utpalaṃ saptapattraṃ kṛtvā saptākṣarāṇi tatra prayoktavyāni. tasya puṣkare hrīḥkāradvayavidarbhitaṃ sādhyasādhyāyā vā446 nāma vaśyavidhinā likhet. bhūrje ˈthavā rajasvalā447 karpaṭe bāhau448 vidyāgataṃ kṛtvā paridhāpayet..
atha īśvaraṃ463 kartukāmena464 bījapūrakaṃ vilikhya465 tasya madhye dhanur likhet. dhanuṣi ca466 ratnākārām utpalakalikāṃ467 likhet. utpalakalikāmadhye jrūṁ468 kāraṃ saptākṣareṇa veṣṭitam. jātarūpapattre vilikhyedaṃ469 gṛhamūrdhni dhārayet. bahirutpalamālāveṣṭitaṃ kṛtvā dvādaśāṣṭamyāṃ470 pañcaratnabhṛta471 kumbhenāvatārya snāpya saṃpūjya mantraśataṃ472 japet. ekavarṣeṇa dhanadasamo bhavati. vidyāṃ ca tādṛśīṃ paridhāpayet..
473 maṅgalavāre madhyāhnavelāyāṃ cittakapardakaṃ prāpya kurukullāmantreṇāṣṭaśatajaptenārabhya pūjāṃ kṛtvā dvādaśāṣṭamīṣu snāpayitvā bāhau netrakarpaṭena prāvṛtya dhārayet. mahādhaneśvaro bhavati. taṃ kapardakaṃ karatale sthāpayitvā koṭiṃ japet. dyūteṣu jayo bhavati. taṃ kapardakaṃ bhāṇḍe prakṣipya dharaṇyāṃ gopayet. pratidinaṃ kārṣāpaṇaṃ labhate..
Chapter A5
anena sattvavajrīmudrāṃ baddhvā cakre puṣpaprakṣepaṇaṃ486 kārayet. pratīccha vajra487 hoḥ muktvā maṇḍalaṃ darśayet. madhye patati varaṃ bhavati. bāṇe patati488 vaśyakarmaṇi yogyo bhavati. abhaye patati
viṣāpakarṣaṇaṃ489 śikṣayet. utpale patati prajñāvṛddhiṃ śikṣayet. dhanuṣi490 patati sarvajñajñānaṃ śikṣayet.491 praveśyaivaṃ492 vadet. na tvayedaṃ sarvatathāgataparamarahasyaṃ kasyacid amaṇḍalapraviṣṭasya493 purato vaktavyam. mā te samayo vyathet494. viṣamāparihāreṇa kālakriyāṃ kṛtvā narake495 patanaṃ syāt..
tatra prathamaṃ tāvan nāgākṣepaṇaṃ551 guhyaṃ śikṣayet.. namo552 ratnatrayāya. namaḥ sarvabuddha553 bodhisattvebhyaḥ. namo ˈṣṭasarpapudgalāya554. namaḥ samastebhyo buddhakoṭibhyaḥ555.. tadyathā. oṁ hrīḥ hrīḥ hrīḥ556 sarva557 nāgānām anantakulānāṃ vāsukikulānāṃ takṣakakulānāṃ śaṅkhapālakulānāṃ karkoṭakulānāṃ padmakulānāṃ mahāpadmakulānāṃ558 kulikakulānāṃ varāha559 kulānāṃ puṇḍarīkakulānāṃ ghana560 kulānāṃ megha561 kulānāṃ jaladakulānāṃ562 jaladharakulānāṃ563 jīmūtakulānāṃ saṃvartakulānāṃ564 vasantakulānāṃ565 airāvatakulānāṃ kumudakulānāṃ kahlāra566 kulānāṃ saugandhika567 kulānāṃ568 hana hana śareṇa bandha bandha cāpena tāḍaya tāḍaya utpalena bhītānām569 abhayaṃ dehi pralayakāla iva jala570 dhāram571 avatāraya572 varṣaṃ tān nāgān573 vaśīkuru kuru phuḥ574 kulāpaya kulāpaya575 phuḥ phuḥ576 , oṁ577 kurukulle hrīḥ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā phaṭ578.. anena mantreṇāraṇya579 gomayena maṇḍalaṃ580 kṛtvā vidhinā candanenāṣṭapattra581 padmaṃ vilikhya pūrvādidale ˈnantādyān aṣṭanāgān saṃsthāpya582 śarkarayā guggulena rohiṇī583 ṛkṣe aṣṭottaraśataṃ japtvā nāgān dhūpayet.584 paścāt pūjayet. tato varṣanti585. yadi na varṣanti586 tadā madyena snāpayitvā khadirā587 nalena tāpayet. tato varṣanti. yadi na varṣanti588 tadā kuṣṭhā589 bhavanti. kriyābhojinā vidyādhareṇaivaitat590 kartavyaṃ. paścāt saṃhārya mahānadyāṃ pravāhayet..
ativṛṣṭiṃ stambhayitukāmo592 vyāḍavaidyakāt593 pannagam594 ākṛṣya candanena mrakṣayitvā595 kṣīraṃ pāyayet. etan596 mantreṇa saptābhimantritaṃ kṛtvā597 apakva598 lohitakumbhe nidhāya mahāmudreṇa mudrayitvā599 jale kumbhaṃ bhañjayet. tat600 kṣaṇaṃ vṛṣṭiṃ stambhayet601..
athavā613 kuṣṭham apanetukāmo614 ˈnena mantreṇa lohitaṃ viṣaṃ615 nirviṣīkṛtya khādet616. kuṣṭham apanayati. mūlamantreṇa vāri japtvā sarpāghātaṃ617 prakṣālayet. nirviṣaṃ kurute..
atha nāgadarśanakāmo618 raktotpalapattram akṣaralakṣajaptaṃ619 kṛtvādhiṣṭhāna620 nāgahrade prakṣipet621. tato nāgāṅgaṇā622 uttiṣṭhanti. sādhakād ādeśaṃ mārgayanti. kiṃ kurmo bhagavann623 iti. yathepsitaṃ mantriṇā vaktavyam..
Chapter A6
atha rāhulabhadrakumāro yadā piṇḍapātrāya rājagṛhaṃ praviṣṭaḥ praviśya625 ca veṇuvanaṃ gatavān. tatra ca626 pātraprakṣālanāya dīrghikām avatīrṇo627 yaśodharāsuto nāgena628 śvetabhikṣubhrāntyā ākṛṣṭaḥ. tasminn api629 samaye rāhulabhadreṇa630 kumāreṇa iyaṃ vidyā paṭhitā. paṭhitamātreṇa yathā kaścit svagṛhān niṣkrāntas tathā rāhulabhadrakumāro bhagavato ˈntikaṃ631 gataḥ. upasaṃkramya ca632 bhagavantam evam āha633. tāta tvayā yan mantraṃ prasādīkṛtaṃ634 tasya mantrasyānubhāvo mayā dṛṣṭa iti. bhagavān āha. kutra. nāgānām antikāt. tad bhagavān anyeṣām api prāṇināṃ rakṣārtham idam eva mantraṃ pravartayatu. atha bhagavāṃs tena samayena635 idaṃ mantram asya kalpaṃ [ca]636 vajrapāṇiṃ637 preṣayitvā śrāvakāya bodhisattvāya bhikṣubhikṣuṇyupāsakopāsikābhyaḥ prasādīkṛtavān. tena bhoḥ kulaputrā638 idaṃ mantram asya639 kalpaṃ [ca]640 yaḥ641 paṭhati642 candanena maṇḍalaṃ643 kṛtvā644 tasya śarīre viṣadūṣaṇaṃ viṣanāśanaṃ645 na lūtabhayaṃ na sarpabhayaṃ646 na pāmābhayaṃ647 na nāgabhayaṃ na kuṣṭhabhayaṃ na rogabhayaṃ648 na vyāḍabhayaṃ649 na mṛgabhayaṃ650 na śastrabhayaṃ na śatrubhayaṃ na dāridrya651 bhayaṃ nākālamṛtyubhayaṃ bhaviṣyati. nātikramiṣyati652..
atha653 bhagavān śāsanarakṣārthaṃ mahākālāya svapiṇḍapātra654 puṣṭāṃ hārītīṃ655 rākṣasīṃ656 dattavān. sā ca657 paurvakeṇā658 śubhakarmaṇā durbhagā ˈbhūt659. asaṃpratipanno mahākālo na tiṣṭhati na ramate śāsanaṃ na rakṣati. sā ca rākṣasī660 udvignā. tasyā eva661 mahākālasya ca662 vaśīkartum idaṃ kurukullākalpaṃ bhāṣitaṃ. tataḥ prabhṛti sā663 mahāsaubhāgyābhūt664. tena hi kulaputrāḥ sarvasattvānāṃ vaśīkaraṇāya idam eva mantram asya kalpaṃ vā abhyasanīyam iti..
atha sunandasya putro665 ˈbhirūpaḥ prāsādiko darśanīyaḥ salākṣaṇiko jātaḥ kiṃtu jaḍabuddhiḥ666. atha667 sunando bhagavantaṃ pṛṣṭavān668. bhagavan669 mama putro ˈbhirūpaḥ prāsādiko darśanīyo lākṣaṇiko670 jātaḥ kiṃ tu jaḍabuddhiḥ. tat kathaṃ bhagavan tasya671 prajñā vardhate. yadi bhagavann asau vatsaḥ sākṣaro bhavet tadā yuṣmākaṃ śāsane672 pratipanno bhaviṣyati. evaṃ śrutvā bhagavān abhimukhī673 smṛtim upasthāpyedaṃ kalpam idaṃ [ca] mantram abhāṣata674. tena bhāṣitamātreṇāsau sunandasya putro rohiṇīkumāro nāma675 prajñāvān676 abhūt. dvādaśena varṣeṇa677 sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ sarvaśilpakalābhijño678 ˈbhūt. tena hi kulaputrā679 mahāprajñāvṛddhaye idam eva mantram asya kalpaṃ vā śikṣaṇīyam iti..
Chapter A7
Chapter A8
candramaṇḍalamadhye daśadalam utpalaṃ vilikhya862 pratyekadalāgre863 oṁ tāre tuttāre ture864 svāheti vilikhya865 varaṭake ˈpi866 tāṃkāra867 madhye devadattaṃ vaśam ānayeti. tāṃkāram api868 om aḥ kurukulle devadattaṃ vaśam ānaya hrīḥ ityanena veṣṭayet. candramaṇḍalād bahiḥ869 870 oṁ prasannatāre871 prasanne872 prasannakāriṇi devadattaṃ vaśam ānaya873 hrīḥ ityanena mantreṇa874 veṣṭayitvā875 ito ˈpi876 bahiḥ ṣoḍaśadalam utpalaṃ vilikhya877 pratyekadalāgre878 oṁ prasannatāre prasanne879 prasannakāriṇi hrīḥ880 devadattaṃ vaśīkuru hrīḥ ityanena mantreṇa veṣṭayitvā881 882 ito ˈpi bahis883 triṣoḍaśabhir akṣarair veṣṭayet. lākṣāgorocanena raktacandanena kuṅkumakarpūraraktair884 bhūrjapattre sikthakena885 veṣṭya trimadhure sthāpya raktopacāreṇa trisandhyaṃ pūjayet. vaśībhavati na saṃdehaḥ..
ṣoḍaśadalam utpalaṃ vilikhya pratyekadale a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ ḷ ḹ e ai o au aṃ aḥ madhya887 varaṭake ˈpi oṁ haḥ kurukulle devadattaṃ vaśam ānaya haḥ svāhā. utpalabāhye oṃkārapaṅktitrayeṇa veṣṭayet888. vaśībhavati na saṃdehaḥ889..
890 evam avocan nāthaḥ891 parṣanmadhye sthitāś892 ca ye sattvāḥ potalake nagarāje893 paraduḥkhair894 duḥkhito bhagavān. tan nāsti yan na buddhā bhūtāḥ895 sattvārthakāriṇo niyataṃ. neyam apūrvī896 caryā naṣṭā. unnayanaṃ897 punaś cakruḥ..
idam avocad bhagavān avalokiteśvara898 āttamanās te ca bodhisattvāḥ mahāsattvāḥ899 sā ca sarvāvatī parṣat sadevamānuṣāsuragaruḍagandharvaś ca loko bhagavato900 bhāṣitam abhyanandann iti..
Abbreviations
Abbreviations (notes 1–22)
D | Degé Kangyur |
---|---|
H | Lhasa (zhol) Kangyur |
K | Kangxi Peking Kangyur |
KY | Yongle Peking Kangyur |
N | Narthang Kangyur |
See Appendix Prologue for abbreviations in notes 23–900.
Notes
Bibliography
’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kulle’i rtog pa (Āryatārākurukullākalpa). Toh. 437, Degé Kangyur, vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), F.29b–42b.
’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kulle’i rtog pa. Toh. 437, bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006-2009, vol 81, pp 127-169.
’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kulle’i rtog pa. Stog 403. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma). Leh: smanrtsis shesrig dpemzod, 1975-1980,vol. 95 (rgyud ’bum, nga), F.316b–435a.
Bandurski, Frank (1994). Übersicht über die Göttinger Sammlung der von Rahula Sankrtyayana in Tibet aufgefundenen buddhistischen Sanskrit-Texte (Funde buddhistischer Sanskrit-Handschriften, III). (Sanskrit-Wörterbuch der buddhistischen Texte aus den Turfan-Funden: Beiheft ; 5). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1994.
Bendall, Cecil (1992). Catalogue of the Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge (p. 178), 1992.
Beyer, Stephan (1973). The Cult of Tārā: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1973.
Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh (1958). The Indian Buddhist Iconography: mainly based on the Sādhanamālā and cognate Tāntric texts of rituals. 2nd edition. Calcutta, K.L. Mukhopadhyay, 1958.
Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh (editor) (1968). The Sādhanamālā. 2nd edition. Baroda: Oriental Institute, 1968.
Matsunami, Seiren (1965). A Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library. Tokyo: Suzuki Research Foundation, 1965.
Mehta, R. N. (2005). “Kurukullā, Tārā and Vajreśī in Śrīpura.” In Tantric Buddhism: Centennial Tribute to Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya, edited by N.N. Bhattacharyya. Reprint. New Delhi, Manohar.
Pandey, Janardan Shastri (editor) (2001). Kurukullākalpaḥ. Rare Buddhist Texts Series, 24. Sarnath, Varanasi: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 2001.
Shaw, Miranda Eberle (2006). Chapter 22 in Buddhist Goddesses of India. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.
Snellgrove, David (1959). The Hevajra Tantra: a critical study. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1959.
Willson, Martin (1996). In Praise of Tārā: Songs to the Saviouress: source texts from India and Tibet on Buddhism’s great goddess, selected, translated, and introduced by Martin Willson. Boston, MA.: Wisdom Publications, 1996.
Websites
http://envis.frlht.org/indian-medicinal-plants-database.php
Glossary
Ākhaṇḍala
mi phyed pa
མི་ཕྱེད་པ།
Ākhaṇḍala
(Indra)
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Amitābha
’od dpag med
འོད་དཔག་མེད།
Amitābha
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Amorous sentiment
sgeg byed
སྒེག་བྱེད།
śṛṅgāra
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Āṣāḍha
dbyar zla ’bring po
དབྱར་ཟླ་འབྲིང་པོ།
Āṣāḍha
The month of Āṣāḍha.
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Avalokiteśvara
’jig rten dbang phyug
འཇིག་རྟེན་དབང་ཕྱུག
Lokeśvara
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Bhagavatī
bcom ldan ’das ma
བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་མ།
bhagavatī
Also rendered as “Blessed Lady.”
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Blessed Lady
bcom ldan ’das ma
བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་མ།
bhagavatī
Also rendered as “Bhagavatī.”
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Blessed One
bcom ldan ’das
བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
bhagavat
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Caitra
dpyid bzla dang po
དཔྱིད་བཟླ་དང་པོ།
Caitra
The month of Caitra.
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Empowerment
dbang
དབང་།
abhiṣeka
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Enthrall
dbang byed
དབང་བྱེད།
vaśīkṛ
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Ghost
yi dags
ཡི་དགས།
preta
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Guardian of the nether world
sa ’og skyon
ས་འོག་སྐྱོན།
pātālapāla
guardians of the nether world
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Hārītī
’phrog ma
འཕྲོག་མ།
Hārītī
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Indra
dbang po
དབང་པོ།
Indra
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Jaya
rgyal ba byed pa
རྒྱལ་བ་བྱེད་པ།
Jaya
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Kārttika
ston zla tha chung
སྟོན་ཟླ་ཐ་ཆུང་།
Kārttika
The month of Kārttika.
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Khavajra
nam mkha’i rdo rje
ནམ་མཁའི་རྡོ་རྗེ།
Khavajra
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Knowledge
rig pa
རིག་པ།
vidyā
In different contexts in this text, also translated as “spell.”
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Kurukullā
ku ru kul le
ཀུ་རུ་ཀུལ་ལེ།
Kurukullā
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Lakṣmī
phun tshogs mnga’ ba
ཕུན་ཚོགས་མངའ་བ།
Lakṣmī
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Mahākāla
nag po chen po
ནག་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
Mahākāla
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Maitreya
byams pa
བྱམས་པ།
Maitreya
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Mañjuśrī
’jam dpal
འཇམ་དཔལ།
Mañjuśrī
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Nārāyaṇa
sred med bu
སྲེད་མེད་བུ།
Nārāyaṇa
A name of Viṣṇu.
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Oblation
sbyin sreg
སྦྱིན་སྲེག
homa
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One to be won
bsgrub bya
བསྒྲུབ་བྱ།
sādhya
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Padmapāṇi
pad+ma bsnams
པདྨ་བསྣམས།
Padmapāṇi
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Pārvatī
ri khrod ma
རི་ཁྲོད་མ།
Pārvatī
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Perfections
pha rol tu phyin pa
ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།
pāramitā
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Potala
gru ’dzin ri
གྲུ་འཛིན་རི།
Potala
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Practice manual
rtog pa
རྟོག་པ།
kalpa
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Practitioner
sgrub pa po
སྒྲུབ་པ་པོ།
sādhaka
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Rāhulabhadra
sgra can ’dzin bzang po
སྒྲ་ཅན་འཛིན་བཟང་པོ།
Rāhulabhadra · Rāhula · Rāhu
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Rājagṛha
rgyal po’i khab
རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
Rājagṛha
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Realm of Bliss
bde ba can
བདེ་བ་ཅན།
Sukhāvatī
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Restoration of vows ceremony
gso sbyong
གསོ་སྦྱོང་།
poṣadha
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Rohiṇīkumāra
gzhon nu snar ma
གཞོན་ནུ་སྣར་མ།
Rohiṇīkumāra
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Rouse
bkul ba
བཀུལ་བ།
√cud; sam + √cud
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Rudra
drag po
དྲག་པོ།
Rudra
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Śacī
bde
བདེ།
Śacī
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Sāgaramati
blo gros rgya mtsho
བློ་གྲོས་རྒྱ་མཚོ།
Sāgaramati
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Samaya vows
dam tshig
དམ་ཚིག
samaya
vows
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Sarvanivaraṇaviṣkambhin
sgrib pa rnam sel
སྒྲིབ་པ་རྣམ་སེལ།
Sarvanivaraṇaviṣkambhin
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Spell
rig pa
རིག་པ།
vidyā
In different contexts in this text, also translated as “knowledge.”
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Śrī
dpa’ mo
དཔའ་མོ།
Śrī
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Summon
bkug pa
བཀུག་པ།
ā + √nī
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Sunanda
shin tu dga’ ba
ཤིན་ཏུ་དགའ་བ།
Sunanda
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Tārā
sgrol ma
སྒྲོལ་མ།
Tārā
Lit. “the Saviouress.”
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The Arising of Tārā
sgrol ma ’byung ba
སྒྲོལ་མ་འབྱུང་བ།
Tārodbhava
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The Enchantress
dbang du byed ma
དབང་དུ་བྱེད་མ།
vaśakāriṇī
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The Meditative Absorption of Tārā
sgrol ma ’byung ba’i ting nge ’dzin
སྒྲོལ་མ་འབྱུང་བའི་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
Tārāsamādhi
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Tsültrim Gyalwa
tshul khrims rgyal ba
ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་རྒྱལ་བ།
Prolific 11th century Tibetan translator also known as Naktso Lotsawa (nag tsho lo tsā ba). He was sent to India by Lhalama Yeshe-Ö (lha bla ma ye shes ’od), the king of Western Tibet, and his grand-nephew Changchub-Ö (byang chub ’od) to invite Atiśa to Tibet.
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Upendra
sa ’dzin lha
ས་འཛིན་ལྷ།
Dharaṇīṃdhara · Dharaṇīdhara
“The Sustainer of the Earth,” a name of Viṣṇu.
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Vācaspati
tshogs bdag
ཚོགས་བདག
Vācaspati
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Vaiśakha
dpyid zla ’bring po
དཔྱིད་ཟླ་འབྲིང་པོ།
The month of Vaiśakha.
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Vajradharma
rdo rje chos
རྡོ་རྗེ་ཆོས།
Vajradharma
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Vajrapāṇi
lag na rdo rje
ལག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།
Vajrapāṇi
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Vajrasattva
rdo rje sems dpa’
རྡོ་རྗེ་སེམས་དཔའ།
Vajrasattva
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Veṇuvana grove
’od ma’i tshal
འོད་མའི་ཚལ།
Veṇuvana
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White Amalagīśvariṇī
dri med dbyangs kyi dbang phyugs dkar mo
དྲི་མེད་དབྱངས་ཀྱི་དབང་ཕྱུགས་དཀར་མོ།
Amalagīśvariṇī
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Yaśodharā
sgrags ’dzin ma
སྒྲགས་འཛིན་མ།
Yaśodharā