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The Great Amulet

Translation of འཕགས་པ་རག་པའ་རྒྱལ་མ་ས་སར་འབྲང་བ་ཆན་མ་སངས་རྒྱས་དང (འཕགས་པ་རིག་པའི་རྒྱལ་མོ་སོ་སོར་འབྲང་བ་ཆེན་མོ་སངས་རྒྱས་དང)

Language
English
Translator
James Gentry
Extent
145 passages, 15,449 words
Text
complete digital text
Source
84000 · Translated by The Dharmachakra Translation Committeeunder the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating… · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha). Shown whole and unaltered, with its notes, on a…

Contents

Text

84000's introduction

intro.1

The Noble Queen of Incantations: The Great Amulet, one of five texts that constitute the Pañcarakṣā scriptural collection, has been among the most popular texts used for pragmatic purposes throughout the Mahāyāna Buddhist world. As its title suggests, The Great Amulet prescribes the use of amulets into which the incantation is physically incorporated. These devices are then worn around the neck or arm, attached to flags, interred in stūpas and funeral pyres, or otherwise used anywhere their presence is deemed beneficial. Wearing or encountering the incantation promises a range of effects, including the prevention and healing of illness, the conception and birth of male offspring, and control over the world of nonhuman spirit entities. The text also protects against consequences of negative deeds, delivering evildoers from negative rebirths and ensuring their place among the gods. The promise of augmenting merit even extends in one passage to an increase of mindfulness and liberation from saṃsāra.

intro.2

The Noble Queen of Incantations: The Great Amulet is the third scripture in a series of five works that are widely popular in the Buddhist world for their power to bring about practical and liberative benefit. In addition to The Great Amulet, the other four texts are Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm (Mahā­sāhasrapramardanī­sūtra, Toh 558),¹ The Great Peahen (Mahāmāyūrīvidyārājñī, Toh 559),² The Sūtra of the Great Cool Grove (Mahā­śītavatī­sūtra, Toh 562),³ and Great Upholder of the Secret Mantra (Mahā­mantrānusāriṇī­sūtra, Toh 563).⁴ Together these scriptures have been apotheosized in the Mahāyāna tradition as five goddesses known collectively as the Pañcarakṣā, or the Five Protectresses. In the Tibetan tradition this collection is known as the gzungs chen grwa lnga, the Five Great Dhāraṇīs.

intro.3

Tibetan redactors of Kangyur collections have cataloged these five texts together within the Kriyātantra section of the Collected Tantras (rgyud ’bum) division of the canon. Indeed, these scriptures do contain elements that resonate with standard Kriyātantra practice as understood in Tibet: the use of powerful incantations, an emphasis on external ritual hygiene, the pragmatic application of ritual and mantra, and so forth. Yet, nearly absent from the five Pañcarakṣā texts are detailed descriptions of the contemplative visualization exercises, specialized ritual gestures (mudrā), elaborate maṇḍala diagrams, and initiation ceremonies typical of full-blown Buddhist tantra. A close perusal of these five texts might then lead the reader to construe them as Mahāyāna texts with a preponderance of elements—magical mantra formulas, ritual prescriptions, pragmatic aims, and so forth—that developed into a tantric practice tradition with its own unique view, meditation, and conduct. To complicate things further, core features of texts in this collection are rooted in Indian Buddhist traditions that are not specifically esoteric or even explicitly part of the Mahāyāna tradition. The great peahen incantation, for example, appears as a remedy for snakebites in the Mūla­sarvāstivāda­vinayavastu.⁵ This accords with Gregory Schopen’s general observation, based on inscriptional evidence, that “Dhāraṇī texts were publically [sic] known much earlier and much more widely than the texts we think of as ‘classically’ Mahāyāna.”⁶

intro.4

The rites and incantations found in the Pañcarakṣā texts have long functioned as important techniques for addressing pragmatic concerns throughout the Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna world. While it seems certain that these texts each developed independently and were only later combined into a five-text corpus, their popularity is attested by their eventual spread from India to Nepal, Tibet, Central Asia, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia.⁷ In East Asia, the textual tradition associated with The Great Peahen in particular was instrumental in integrating Buddhist and indigenous notions of divine kingship.⁸ Moreover, the tradition of all five goddesses and their texts still to this day occupies a place of central importance in the Vajrayāna Buddhism practiced by the Newar population of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Newar Buddhist communities have even translated the texts of the Five Protectresses into the modern vernacular, based on which they continue to stage a number of annual rites for a broad range of pragmatic purposes.⁹

intro.5

The designation “Five Protectresses” denotes the set of texts, the incantations presented therein, and the five goddesses presiding over each. It is believed that all these texts, specifically their incantations, provide special protection from a wide range of illnesses and misfortunes for those who memorize, recollect, read, copy, teach, wear, or otherwise come into contact with them. Each text promises protection from specific misfortunes, with considerable overlap witnessed between the texts. Despite the pragmatic thrust of these scriptures, each text also contains numerous allusions to doctrinal notions, the range of effects described therein sometimes, though rarely, extending beyond the pragmatic sphere to include the purification of negative karma, deliverance from the lower realms, and even the attainment of buddhahood.

intro.6

The Great Amulet represents what became the most popular scripture throughout the Mahāyāna world prescribing, as its title suggests, the production and use of protective threads and amulets (pratisara). The tradition of using protective threads or amulets for a broad range of goals is most likely rooted in the Atharvaveda and was only later integrated within a specifically Buddhist framework.¹⁰ Eventually, the dispensation of magically potent amulets became a staple component of the Buddhist community’s medicinal and ritual intercessions on behalf of the monastic and lay community. Indeed, The Great Amulet stipulates that it should be painted or written down and worn around the neck or arm of anyone and everyone, regardless of gender or ordination status. The Great Amulet can be attached to flags, interred in stūpas or funeral pyres, or otherwise used in circumstances for which it is deemed to be especially beneficial. The text also outlines the ritual procedures and material protocols that must be followed precisely when writing and affixing the scripture to ensure its efficacy. The effects promised by wearing the scripture include the prevention and alleviation of illnesses and nonhuman interference; the conception and birth of male offspring; the protection of travelers and seafarers; the protection of persons and fields from natural disasters, from unwanted creatures and pests, and from the elements in general; protection against military invasion and corporal punishment; and control over the world of nonhuman spirit entities. Wearing and otherwise coming into physical contact with The Great Amulet is even claimed to protect from the consequences of negative deeds, delivering evildoers from negative rebirths and ensuring their place among the gods. The promise of augmenting merit even extends in one passage to an increase of mindfulness, liberation from saṃsāra, and the attainment of nirvāṇa.

intro.7

The Great Amulet is structured according to its two dhāraṇīs and four mantra formulas and a series of nine narrative vignettes and two ritual procedures. The narratives are presented as proof of the scripture’s power and efficacy and often provide the background for the ritual preparations described in each episode. The text first unfolds without the dialogic structure of the Buddha responding to the questions of his entourage. Rather, after illuminating the universe with his brilliance, the Buddha simply states his desire to teach the scripture out of his compassion for beings, and without further ado he begins to dispense The Great Amulet. Only later in the text does a certain “great brahmin” emerge as the Buddha’s main interlocutor. Like The Great Peahen but with much less elaboration and specificity, The Great Amulet stipulates the invocation of the pantheon of Indian gods and goddesses, including the profusion of place-deities who dwell throughout the subcontinent. These litanies have the effect of hierarchically ordering the categories of nonhuman entities, rendering them all subordinate to the command of the Buddha and his community. Appeals to the pantheon are framed as methods both to protect against the violence of its members and enlist their protection in confronting other threats.

intro.8

The popularity of The Great Amulet is attested by the significant number of surviving Sanskrit witnesses, the earliest among which are manuscript fragments discovered in Gilgit that date to approximately the early seventh century. Also among the earliest Sanskrit versions are four manuscript fragments dating to the latter half of the second millennium that were found in East Turkestan. The majority of Sanskrit witnesses comprises manuscripts from eastern India, which can be dated to the tenth and eleventh centuries, and a large number of manuscripts that were scribed in Nepal beginning in the ninth century and continuing into modern times. In addition to manuscript sources, the main Sanskrit incantations from The Great Amulet have been found on amulets, copper plate inscriptions, and bricks that date between the eighth and eleventh centuries. These material applications of the incantations were discovered across a wide geographic range, from Central and East Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia.¹¹ Comparisons of these surviving Sanskrit versions of The Great Amulet indicate that this text may have gone through two major recensions—once in the sixth century and another in the late seventh century—before it was grouped with the other four Protectresses in the early eighth century.¹²

intro.9

The Great Amulet was first translated into Tibetan under Tibetan imperial patronage sometime during the early ninth century by a team that included the translator-editor Bandé Yeshé Dé (ban+de ye shes sde, ca. late eighth–early ninth centuries) and the Indian scholars Jinamitra and Dānaśīla. Their translation is listed in the Denkarma (ldan kar ma) catalog, along with the other Pañcarakṣā texts, under the category “the Five Great Dhāraṇīs” (gzungs chen po lnga).¹³ The translation was revised several centuries later by Gö Lotsāwa Shönu Pal (’gos lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal, 1392–1481), who based his work on a Sanskrit manuscript that had been in the possession of Chak Lotsāwa Chöjé Pal (chag lo tsA ba chos rje dpal, 1197–1263/64). The Stok Palace Kangyur contains another recension of Yeshé Dé’s translation that was revised by Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290–1364) based on two Sanskrit manuscripts from India.¹⁴

intro.10

The Great Amulet was translated into Chinese twice. The earlier of the two translations is the Foshuo suiqiu jide dazizai tuoluoni shenzhou jing (佛說隨求即得大自在陀羅尼神呪經, Taishō 1154),¹⁵ which was translated by Ratnacinta (Baosiwei 宝思惟, ca. seventh–eighth centuries) in 693. The second, the Pubian guangming qingjing chicheng ruyibao yinxin wunengsheng damingwang dasuiqui tuoluoni jing (普遍光明淸淨熾盛如意寶印心無能勝大明王大隨求陀羅尼經, Taishō 1153), ¹⁶ was prepared in the eighth century by Amoghavajra (Bukong 不空, 705–74). Hidas notes evidence that a third translation was made by Vajrabodhi (Jingang zhi 金刚智, ca. seventh–eight centuries) but is now lost.¹⁷

intro.11

This English translation is based primarily on the Degé edition of the Tibetan translation, with close consultation of Gergely Hidas’ Sanskrit editions of the Gilgit fragments and Indian/Nepalese manuscript sources.¹⁸ We have also consulted his English translation and study of the incantation. In addition to these sources, we have relied on the Stok Palace version of the Tibetan translation and on the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Degé Kangyur. Unless otherwise noted, the transcriptions of the Sanskrit incantations and mantras follow those given in the Degé edition. Minor orthographic emendations have not been noted.

1

I pay homage to Mahāpratisarā, queen of incantations,¹⁹ and to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling on the summit of great vajra Mount Meru, in a mansion resting on the ground of great vajra meditative absorption. The site was beautifully adorned with great vajra wish-fulfilling trees and illuminated by the luster of the jewels and lotuses in a great vajra pond. The ground was strewn with great vajra sand and consecrated as a great vajra. The site had a surrounding courtyard made of great vajras and was bedecked with billions of great vajra lion thrones of Śakra, lord of the gods. The site was consecrated by the blessings of all buddhas as a place of miracles where Dharma was taught, where the equality of all phenomena is entered, and that was perfected²⁰ by omniscience.

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The Blessed One was dwelling there together with eighty-four hundred sextillion²¹ bodhisattvas. They all had one rebirth remaining, had become irreversible from unexcelled, completely perfect awakening, and had attained great power. Through their great vajra liberation and their meditative absorption, they could manifest in numerous buddhafields and display great miracles. With the minutest moment of thought they could, with breadth and eloquence, give various Dharma teachings that were melodious, vast, and profound, and that were appropriate for the mentalities and conduct of all beings. Possessing miraculous powers, they could worship thus-gone ones in multiple buddhafields with clouds of great offerings. Their mindstreams were replete with the gates of liberation, retention, meditative absorption, control, higher knowledges, the unique qualities, and the aspects of awakening, with the paths, levels, and perfections, with skillful means, and with the means of magnetizing, as well as with love, compassion, joy, and impartiality, with the power of love, and with truth and complete purity.

These eighty-four hundred sextillion bodhisattvas included, among others, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajragarbha, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajragātra, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajramati, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrahasta, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrasaṃhata, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajranārāyaṇa, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajravikurvita, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrakūṭa, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajrarāśi, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Suvajra, and the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vajraketu.

There were also many great śrāvakas present. They were all arhats whose defilements had been exhausted and whose bonds to existence had been completely severed. Their minds were liberated through perfect knowledge. They had attained the great powers of magical prowess and the ability to create manifestations through inconceivable miracles, and they had a view free of desire. They had all attained freedom from stains and had completely scorched the seeds of afflictive habitual patterns.

They included, among others,

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venerable Śāriputra, venerable Pūrṇo Maitrāyaṇī­putraḥ, venerable Kaphina, venerable Subhūti, venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, venerable Cunda, venerable Nanda, venerable Kāśyapa, venerable Mahākāśyapa, and venerable Uruvilvākāśyapa.

There were also the gods from the pure abodes, immeasurably limitless and beyond description, led by the god Maheśvara; many gods from the Brahmā realm, led by Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world; the god Suyāma along with his retinue of gods from the Heaven Free from Strife; and the gods Santuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Paranirmitavaśavartin as well as Śakra, lord of the gods, and his many entourages of gods.

There were infinite, innumerable, and limitless asura lords, including Vemacitrin, lord of the asuras, Balin, Prahlāda, Rāhu, and Vairocana.

There were infinite, innumerable, and limitless nāga kings led by Sāgara, king of the nāgas, Takṣaka, Vāsuki, Śaṅkhapāla, Karkoṭaka, Padma, and Mahāpadma.

The kinnara king Druma and his entourage of many kinnara kings were there, as were the gandharva king Pañcaśikha with his entourage of many gandharva kings, the vidyādhara king Sarvārthasiddha along with his entourage of many vidyādhara kings, the garuḍa king Suparṇākṣa with his entourage of many garuḍa kings, and the yakṣa kings Vaiśravaṇa, Māṇibhadra, Pūrṇabhadra, and Pāñcika along with their entourages of many yakṣa kings.

Hārītī and her entourage of five hundred children²² were there, as were the seven mothers of the world, the seven great rākṣasīs, and the seven great and foremost ṛṣis.

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Also in attendance were the lunar mansions that course in the sky, the gods of all the planets, the gods of the cardinal and intermediate directions, Pṛthivī, Sarasvatī, bhutās, vighnas, vināyakas, pretas and bhūtas with great magical powers, all the mountain kings, and Varuṇa, protector of the world, along with his entourage of ocean gods.²³

Also present were Virūḍhaka, Virūpākṣa, Daṇḍapāṇi, Nairṛta, Jātavedas,²⁴ the seven great wind gods, and Īśāna with his wife and billionfold entourage. Nārāyaṇa and his entourage were present, as were Dattaka, Dāmaka, Śaśin,²⁵ and Lohaka. Mahāgaṇapati was present, as was Megholka, the lord of vināyakas, with his entourage of many vināyakas and vighnas. The sixty koṭarās²⁶ were present, as were as the Four Bhaginīs and their brother. Also present were Vajrasaṅkalā, the sixty-four vajradūtīs, Vajrasena, Subāhu, and Mūrdhaṭaka, together with their manifold entourages of members of the vajra family.

There were, moreover, infinite, innumerable, and limitless gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, chāyās, unmādas, apasmāras, skandas, sādhyas, vyālagrāhas,²⁷ and ostārakas, all with intense faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Also present were the god of the sun, the god of the moon, the god of the dusk, the god of the dawn, all the gods of the seasons, and the god of the earth.

The Blessed One, turner of the wheel of Dharma, had fully perfected the deeds of a buddha. He had completed the accumulations of merit and wisdom,

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had fully taken hold of omniscience, and had mastered the perfections and levels for the sake of awakening. His body, adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being, blazed brightly. His limbs and extremities were decorated with the eighty sublime characteristics, the top of his head was beyond the sight of all beings, and he understood all the activities of Māra. He comprehended the mentality and conduct of all beings and possessed the five eyes. He was replete with the most supreme of all characteristics and the wisdom of omniscience. He possessed all the qualities of a buddha, had defeated all the hordes of māras and foes, and was exalted in his use of speech, words, and verses.²⁸ He roared with the roar of a bull and a lion and had completely removed the darkness of ignorance. He had been unflagging for immeasurable, countless billions of eons in the practice of the perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration, insight, means, power, aspiration, and wisdom, as well as in the performance of austerities. His body was beautiful, adorned with the thirty-two major marks and the eighty sublime characteristics of a great being.

He took his seat on a great lion throne that sat at the heart of a lotus upon a vajra and jewel.²⁹ The throne chimed with the sound of many vajras, jewels, pearls, and lattices of bells. It sat solidly on a plinth made of many vajras and jewels and was arrayed with a pile of cushions bound with strings of red pearls that issued from the mouths of numerous sea monsters made of vajra and jewels. The throne sparkled brilliantly with the luster of jewels—chrysoberyl, great chrysoberyl, sapphire, great sapphire, and topaz—that were affixed to the pericarps of many jeweled lotuses. It was entirely alluring and was completely shaded with billions of parasols whose shafts were festooned with many sprigs of vajras and jewels.³⁰

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It was also abundantly beautified with many wish-fulfilling trees.

As the Blessed One sat on the vajra-jewel lotus throne the size of Mount Meru, his splendor blazed forth like the king of golden mountains. The area was engulfed³¹ in an orb of light brighter than a thousand suns. Like a full moon, he shone pleasingly throughout all worlds. He taught the Dharma while, like a great wish-fulfilling tree, he was in full blossom with the qualities of a buddha. He gave instructions on religious life that were virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end, excellent in word and meaning, and unique, perfect, pure, pristine, and genuine.³²

Then, from the hair between the eyes of the Blessed One streamed a matrix of light rays called the revealer of the fields of all buddhas.³³ This matrix of light rays flooded the entire trichiliocosm with its brilliance. It flooded with its brilliance as many buddhafields as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, where many blessed buddhas, seated on their lion thrones in celestial palaces, were teaching the Dharma to śrāvakas, bodhisattva mahāsattvas, monks, nuns, male and female laypeople, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas.

Then the Blessed One spoke to the vast assembly:

“Out of sympathy³⁴ for all beings,
I will teach this dhāraṇī of the amulet
That completely destroys
All wrongdoing and offenses.

“Just by hearing this,
All misdeeds will be exhausted.
It grants happiness to all beings
And delivers them from all illnesses.

“Out of compassion for all beings,
The lord of the world taught it

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To protect all embodied beings
Destined for the lower realms.

“When protected by this,
One can enter the asura realm
And, likewise, travel to Aḍakavatī
And the dwelling place of rākṣasas.

“When engaged in fierce and terrifying battle³⁵
With bhūtas, nāgas, and piśācas,
One will not be defeated by one’s enemies
Or by all the hordes of bhūtas.

“Memorizing just the title and uttering it
Vanquishes all grahas
As well as skandas, unmādas,
Apasmāras, ḍākinīs, and piśācas.

“The radiant power of the amulet
Paralyzes all the powerful beings
Who devour vitality
And bring harm to people.

“It destroys violent kākhordas
And the hordes of enemy armies.
One will not be harmed by mantra rites
And will be freed from root magic.³⁶

“One will not be affected by poison, poisonous compounds, and fire.
One will not be affected by weapons and water.
One will not be affected by lightning bolts.
One will not be harmed by seasonal winds.

“The radiant power of this queen of incantations
Will utterly defeat all foes.
It will accomplish all one’s aims,
And one will always be triumphant.

“Whoever keeps the incantation fastened
Around their neck or arm
Will have all their needs fulfilled—
Of this there is no doubt.

“They will always be protected
By courageous³⁷ bodhisattvas,
Buddhas, and solitary guides,³⁸
And likewise by nāga kings and lords of gods.

“Whoever holds the dhāraṇī of the great amulet
Will always be protected
By all śrāvakas and buddhas
And by the incantation goddess with her great magical powers.

“Vajrapāṇi, the lord of yakṣas,
And likewise the Four Great Kings,
Will protect one day and night—
Of this there is no doubt.

“Śakra with his gods,³⁹
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara,
Nandikeśa, Mahākāla,
Kārttikeya, and Gaṇeśvara,

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“All the hordes of mātṛs,
And likewise the class of māras,
Ṛṣis with radiant power,
And the gods with miraculous powers—

“Will all protect the one who holds
The dhāraṇī of the amulet.

“The buddhas, who are great beings,
The goddesses of incantations with their might,
Māmakī, Bhṛkuṭī,
The goddess Tārā, and Aṅkuśī,

“Vajrasaṅkalā, Śvetā,
And Mahāśvetā,
Mahākālī, her dūtīs,
And the other vajradūtīs,

Supāśī, Vajrapāśī,⁴⁰
Vajrapāṇi, Mahābalā,
The great incantation goddess Vajramālā,
And likewise Amṛtakuṇḍalin,

“The great goddess Aparājitā,
The mighty Kālakarṇī,
The opulent Mahābhāgā
And Padmakuṇḍali,

“Puṣpadantī, Maṇicūḍā,
Svarṇakeśī, Piṅgalā,
The goddess Mahātejā,
And the opulent goddess Vidyunmālinī,

“The rākṣasī Ekajaṭā,
The protector named Buddhā, ⁴¹
The auspicious Kāpālinī,
And the opulent Laṅkeśvarī,⁴²

“And many more goddesses⁴³
Who look after beings
Will protect the one
In whose hand the incantation is placed.

“Hārītī and Pāñcika,
Śaṅkhinī, Kūṭadantinī,
And Sarasvatī, goddess of good fortune,
Will follow and always protect one.

“Any woman who continually wears
This great amulet
Will accomplish all her wishes
And will always conceive sons.

“Her pregnancy will proceed comfortably,
And she will comfortably deliver.
All illnesses and misdeeds
Will be vanquished, without a doubt.

“A person will become meritorious and powerful.
Their wealth and their grain yield will always increase.
Their words will be agreeable,
And they will be worthy of veneration.

“A pure person who keeps it,
Be they a man or a woman,
Will exert great effort

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To liberate all beings.

“They will always be happy
And free of all illness.
Even kings, with their harem and court,
Will fall under their control.

“They will perpetually shine with success.
Their bounty of merit will increase.
Their wishes will all be accomplished.
They will enter all maṇḍalas.

“They will always know the commitments,
As taught by the victorious ones,
And nightmares will not occur.
The amulet is the supreme vanquisher of misdeeds.

“Along with negative deeds,
Foes, too, will be destroyed.
It was taught by the lords of wisdom
In order to destroy all grahas.

“It bestows all desires.
Thus, it should be worn continually!
Listen to me, host of bhūtas!
I will now speak it!⁴⁴

I pay homage to all thus-gone ones!
I pay homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!
I pay homage to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha!

Tadyathā oṁ vipula vipulagarbhe vipulavimale vipulagarbhe vimale jayagarbhe vajrajvālāgarbhe gatigahane gaganaviśodhane sarvapāpaviśodhane oṁ guṇavati gaganavicāriṇi gagariṇi gigi giri giriṇi giriṇi gamari gamari gaha gaha gargari gargari gagari gagari gambhari gambhari gabhi gabhi gahi gahi gamani gamani gari gari gubha gubha guha guha guru guru guruṇi cale guhaṇi guhaṇi guruṇi culu culu cale cale mucele mucele jaye vijaye sarvabhayavigate satva sarvagarbhasaṃrakṣaṇi siri siri bhiri bhiri miri miri miri miri giri giri ghiri ghiri ghiri ghiri samantaparṣaṇi.

Blessed lady, guide of beings, universal guide, vanquisher of all foes, protect me from all dangers, threats, plagues, and illnesses! Protect me!

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Ciri ciri viri viri dhiri dhiri vigatāvaraṇe viśodhane vividhāvaraṇavināśani muri muri muci muci muli muli cili cili kili kili mili mili kamale vimale jaye vijaye vijayāvahe jayavati viśeṣavati .

Blessed lady who wears a jeweled crown and garland⁴⁵ and who wears manifold types of garments! Blessed lady, great goddess of incantations who purifies all evil! Fully protect me everywhere! Protect me!

Huru huru muru muru rakṣa rakṣa mama.

I have no protection, refuge, or recourse! Protect me! Protect me! Deliver me from all suffering!

Caṇḍe caṇḍe caṇḍe caṇḍe caṇḍeni caṇḍeni vegavati sarvaduṣṭanivāriṇi vijayavāhini huru huru muru muru curu curu turu turu āyuḥpālani suravarapramathani sarvadevagaṇapūjite ciri cirri dhiri dhiri samantāvalokite prabhe prabhe suprabhe suprabhaviśuddhe sarvapāpaviśuddhe sarvapāpaviśodhane dhuru dhuru dharaṇi dhare dhare dhara sumu sumu sumu sumu musu musu ruru cale cālaya.

You of splendorous body, protect me from the ill intentioned! Fulfill my wishes!

Jayakamale kṣiṇi kṣiṇi varadāṅkuśe oṁ padmaviśuddhe śodhaya śodhaya śuddhe śuddhe bhara bhara bhiri bhiri bhuru bhuru maṅgalaviśuddhe pavitramukhi khaḍgini khaḍgini khara khara jvalitaśikhare samantāvalokitaprabhe suprabhaviśuddhe samantaprasāritāvabhāsitaśuddhe jvala jvala sarva­deva­gaṇa­grahanakṣatrasamākarṣaṇi satyaprati oṃ hrī traṃ tara tara tāraya tāraya.

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O lady who peers with an elephant’s gaze! Deliver me from harm by humans!

Lahu lahu hulu hulu hutu hutu turu turu kiṇi kiṇi kṣiṇi kṣiṇi huṇi huṇi sarva­graha­bhakṣaṇi piṅgali piṅgali mucu mucu cumu cumu suvicare tara tara.

O lady who peers with an elephant’s gaze! With the binding of the directions and the binding of the vajra fence and vajra lasso, deliver me from the eight great dangers, everywhere and in all ways!

Vajra­jvālāviśuddhe bhuri bhuri dhara dhara tiri tiri turu turu bhagavati garbha­viśuddhe garbha­saṃsodhaṇi kukṣisampūraṇi jvala jvala cala cala jvālani.

May divine water pour down everywhere!

Amṛtavarṣaṇi deva­tāvatāraṇi.

O you with the body composed of the supreme ambrosia of the Sugata’s sublime speech, please anoint me! Purify all strife, contention, quarrels, disputes, nightmares, bad omens, inauspiciousness, and evil! Vanquish all yakṣas, rākṣasas, and nāgas! Protect me, always and everywhere, from all threats of harm and from all fears, calamities, epidemics, and illnesses! Protect me!

Bala bala balavati jaya jaya vijaya vijaya.

Grant me victory always and everywhere! May this great incantation be successful for me! Accomplish the great maṇḍala! Accomplish the secret mantras! Destroy all obstructions!

Jaya jaya siddhi siddhi sidhya sidhya budhya budhya sūcaya sūcaya pūraya pūraya pūraṇi pūraṇi.

Fulfill my wishes! O blessed lady whose body has risen from all incantations, triumphant one, supremely triumphant one who is the pristine essence of the thus-gone ones, please remain!

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Please remain! Honor your commitment! See me through the dreadful eight great dangers!

Sara sara prasara prasara sarvāvaraṇaviśodhani samantākāramaṇḍalaviśuddhe vigate vigate vigatamale sarvamalaviśodhani kṣiṇi kṣiṇi sarvapāpaviśuddhe malavigati jayavati tejo tejovati vajra vajravati svāhā.

To he who is blessed throughout the three worlds, svāhā!
To he who is anointed by the crowns of the thus-gone ones,⁴⁶ svāhā!
To he who is anointed by all bodhisattvas, svāhā!
To he who is anointed by all deities,⁴⁷ svāhā!
To he who is blessed by the essence of all thus-gone ones, svāhā!
To he who has fulfilled the commitments of all thus-gone ones,⁴⁸ svāhā!
To he who is like Indra and is beheld by Indra, svāhā!⁴⁹
To Brahmā, who dwells in his Brahmā realm,⁵⁰ svāhā!
To he who is honored by Viṣṇu, svāhā!
To he who is honored and worshiped by Maheśvara, svāhā!
To he who is blessed by the power and vigor of the vajra-bearing Vajrapāṇi, svāhā!
To Dhṛtarāṣṭra, svāhā!
To Virūḍhaka, svāhā!
To Virūpākṣa, svāhā!
To Vaiśravaṇa, svāhā!
To he who is honored by the Four Great Kings, svāhā!
To Yama, svāhā!
To he who is worshiped and honored by Yama, svāhā!
To Varuṇa, svāhā!
To Māruta, svāhā!
To Mahāmāruta, svāhā!
To Agni, svāhā!
To he who is beheld by nāgas, svāhā!
To the assemblies of gods, svāhā!
To the assemblies of nāgas, svāhā!
To the assemblies of yakṣas, svāhā!
To the assemblies of Yama, svāhā!⁵¹
To the assemblies of rākṣasas, svāhā!
To the assemblies of gandharvas, svāhā!
To the assemblies of asuras, svāhā!
To the assemblies of garuḍas, svāhā!
To the assemblies of kinnaras, svāhā!
To the assemblies of mahoragas, svāhā!
To the humans, svāhā!

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To all nonhumans, svāhā!
To all grahas, svāhā!
To all bhūtas, svāhā!
To the pretas, svāhā!
To the piśācas, svāhā!
To the apasmāras, svāhā!
To the ostārakas,⁵² svāhā!
To the kumbhāṇḍas, svāhā!

Oṁ dhuru dhuru svāhā turu turu svāhā muru muru svāhā hana hana sarvaśatrūn svāhā daha daha sarvaduṣṭānāṃ svāhā paca paca sarva­pratyarthika­pratyamitrānāṃ svāhā.

Let the body of all those wicked-minded beings who are hostile to me blaze, svāhā!⁵³

To the blazing one, svāhā!
To the brilliant one, svāhā!
To the blazing vajra, svāhā!
To the blazing flame, svāhā!
To the pervasively blazing one, svāhā!
To Māṇibhadra, svāhā!
To Pūrṇabhadra, svāhā!
To Mahākāla, svāhā!
To the assembly of mātṛs, svāhā!
To the yakṣiṇīs, svāhā!
To the rākṣasīs, svāhā!
To the mātṛs of the sky, svāhā!
To those who live in the oceans, svāhā!
To those who move at night, svāhā!
To those who move during the day, svāhā!
To those who move during the three periods of the day, svāhā!
To those who move at the proper time, svāhā!
To those who move at the improper time, svāhā!
To those who devour wombs, svāhā!
To those who seize wombs, svāhā!

Hulu hulu svāhā oṁ svāhā svaḥ svāhā bhūḥ svāhā bhūvaḥ svāhā bhūr bhuvaḥ svāhā ciṭi ciciṭi svāhā viṭi viṭi svāhā dhāraṇi svāhā dhāraṇi svāhā agni svāhā tejovayuḥ svāhā cili cili svāhā mili mili svāhā sili sili svāhā budhya budhya svāhā sidhya sidhya svāhā maṇḍalabandhe svāhā sīmābandhe svāhā dhāraṇibhandhe svāhā sarvaśatrūṇāṃ bhañjaya svāhā jambhaya jambhaya svāhā stambhaya stambhaya svāhā chinda chinda svāhā bhinda bhinda svāhā bhañja bhañja svāhā bandha bandha svāhā mohaya mohaya svāhā maṇiviśuddhe svāhā sūrye svāhā sūryaviśuddhe svāhā śodhani svāhā viśodhani svāhā caṇḍe caṇḍe paripūrṇacaṇḍe svāhā grahebhyaḥ svāhā nakṣatrebhyaḥ svāhā śivibhyaḥ svāhā śāntibhyaḥ svāhā puṣṭibhyaḥ svāhā svastiyanebhyaḥ svāhā garbhadhare svāhā śivaṅkari svāhā śaṅkari svāhā śāntiṅkari svāhā puṣṭiṅkari svāhā balavardhani svāhā balavardhinikari svāhā

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śrīkari svāhā śrīvardhani svāhā śrījvālini svāhā muci svāhā namuci svāhā muruci svāhā vegavati svāhā.

“Oṁ, blessed lady, stainless supreme body of all thus-gone ones! Pacify all my evil! May auspiciousness be mine!

Oṁ muni muni vimuni vimuni dhari cala calani bhagavati bhayavigate bhayahariṇi bodhi bodhi bodhaya bodhaya buddhili buddhili cumbuli cumbuli svāhā sarvatathāgatahṛdayajuṣṭe svāhā. Oṁ muni muni munivare.

May I be consecrated with the consecrations of the incantations of all thus-gone ones, all of which have been sealed with the great vajra armor seal!⁵⁴

Sarva­tathāgata­hṛdayādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭita­vajre svāhā.

A great brahmin and his retinue then entered into the assembly. The Blessed One addressed the great brahmin,⁵⁵ “Great brahmin, this is the queen of incantations, the great amulet, a dhāraṇī that is an invincible essence-seal, a wish-fulfilling gem that sparkles all around with a pristine garland of flames.

“A son or daughter of noble family is freed from all their misdeeds as soon as they hear this dhāraṇī. Great brahmin, the body of a person in whose heart this incantation resides should be understood to be a vajra. Fire cannot harm their body. How do I know? Once, in the great city of Kapilavastu, the child Rāhulabhadra resided in his mother’s womb. At that time the Śākya girl Gopā threw herself into a fire, but a lotus appeared within it. Rāhulabhadra had brought this incantation to mind while he was dwelling in the womb, and he instantly quelled the fire by simply recollecting it. The fire did not touch the body of the Śākya girl Gopā. Why? This incantation has been blessed by all the thus-gone ones. That is why, great brahmin, the fire did not burn her.

“Poison, too, cannot separate one from life. How so? Well, great brahmin, once, in the city called Śūrpāraka,

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⁵⁶ a wealthy and powerful merchant had a son who cast incantations. Through the power of his incantation he summoned the nāga king Takṣaka, but he was careless after summoning him and failed to control him. The nāga king angrily bit him, causing a painful sensation. He thought, ‘This is how my life ends.’ Although several magicians were called, none could cure him of the poison.

“A very compassionate woman with lay vows named Vimalaviśuddhi lived in the city of Śūrpāraka. She knew to recite this great queen of incantations, so she went to where the man was staying and uttered this great incantation. By just reciting it to him once, the poison vanished and he regained consciousness. After he was delivered from that intense suffering, the merchant’s son took the mantra of the great incantation to heart, precisely according to the prescribed procedure.

“But how do we really know, great brahmin? In the great city of Vārāṇasī, during the reign of a king known by the name Brahmadatta,⁵⁷ the monarch who ruled the land along the eastern border amassed a four-division army and surrounded Vārāṇasī in preparation for attack. The ministers said to King Brahmadatta, ‘Your Majesty, if the enemy army should take the city, what tactic could we employ to defeat them? Please tell us!’ The king then declared, ‘Do not worry! I have a queen of incantations called the great amulet. With it I will defeat and pulverize this four-division army!’ The ministers all bowed their heads and said, ‘O great king! What is this thing about which we have never before heard?’ The king replied,

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‘I will demonstrate it.’ Thereupon, King Brahmadatta washed his head with various perfumes, donned clean clothes, and wrote down the great queen of incantations precisely as prescribed. Placing it inside his topknot, he used the great queen of incantations as his armor and entered into battle. He then singlehandedly defeated the entire four-division army. Defeated, the enemy monarch was released once he took refuge in the incantation.

“Great brahmin, this directly reveals the great power of the queen of incantations, which has been blessed by the essence and seal of all thus-gone ones. Given this evidence, it should be upheld. It should be seen as equal to all thus-gone ones. It should be viewed as something that at a future time, in future contexts, will benefit beings who have short lifespans, little merit, and meager possessions. Great brahmin, anyone who writes the great amulet, queen of incantations precisely as prescribed and fastens it around their arm or around their neck should be understood to be blessed by all thus-gone ones. They should be understood to have the body of all thus-gone ones. They should be understood to have a great vajra body. They should be understood to possess the essence of the relics of all thus-gone ones. They should be understood to have the eye of all thus-gone ones.⁵⁸ They should be understood to have a great vajra body. They should be understood to possess a body of blazing flame. They should be understood to possess indestructible armor. They should be understood as one who vanquishes all foes. They should be understood as one who overcomes all obscurations and misdeeds. They should be understood as one who purifies migration to the hells.

“Why? This can be understood from a previous event. Great brahmin, in another land there was a monk

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who lacked faith, had lapsed in his training in the family of the Thus-Gone One, and had become a thief. He stole from the communal supplies⁵⁹ and consumed the articles amassed by the saṅgha from the four directions, taking them all as his own.⁶⁰ Later, he was afflicted with a severe illness and experienced intense pain.

“Distressed, and with no recourse or protection, he wailed loudly. Then, great brahmin,⁶¹ a man with lay vows who lived in the area heard his wailing. He approached the monk, wrote down the queen of incantations, the great amulet, and fastened it around the monk’s neck. As soon as he attached the queen of incantations, the great amulet, around the monk’s neck, the monk’s painful sensations were completely soothed, and he was released from every illness. He spent that night restored to health, and then he died in a state of mindfulness. When he discarded his body, he was born in the great Avīci Hell. The other monks placed his corpse on the funeral pyre, with the queen of incantations, the great amulet, still fastened to his neck. As soon as the monk was born in the Avīci Hell, all the painful sensations of the beings there were completely quelled, and they were satiated with every comfort. All the roaring fires in the Avīci Hell went out completely. Yama’s minions were all surprised and reported in detail to Yama, king of the law:⁶²

“ ‘The unbearable suffering of beings,
Caused by their karmic actions, has been totally quelled.
It is completely amazing, Your Majesty,
What is being witnessed in the narrow confines of hell!

“ ‘The burning coals,
Ever present on the bodies of beings, have gone out.
The saws no longer work.
The razorblades do not cut.

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“ ‘The iron-trunked śālmali trees have split.
All the iron cauldrons have cooled.
In the forest of sword leaves,
The leaves born from karma do no harm.

“ ‘Yama, King of the Law,
You govern people with justice.
It is right for you to tell us—
The reason for this is no trifling thing!’

“When the embodiment of the Law,
The King of the Law, resolute in justice,
Heard such words
From those bereft of compassion,
He said, ‘Tell me immediately what happened!
Tell me what it is like!’

“Then Yama’s cruel minions,
Wicked in their disposition,
Said to Yama,
King of the Law:

“ ‘A great being, Your Majesty,
Was born in the narrow confine of this Avīci Hell.
Avīci is its name,
And so it is called a narrow confine.

“ ‘This person, who made beings happy—
We see he has diverse karma.
Being happy everywhere,
He is now going to a divine realm.’

“When Yama perceived this,
The King of the Law was amazed and said:

“ ‘In a previous lifetime,
The body of this miraculous person
Was beautified by the amulet
Fastened around his neck,
Just as the caitya of the Teacher was beautified
By many hundreds of physical remains.’

“Then the yakṣa guardians of hell said to Yama, King of the Law: ‘Your Majesty, why is this called an amulet?’

“The King of the Law replied:

“ ‘One who recollects it, word for word,
Will not go to the lower realms.
The insightful who meditate on the amulet
Go to pleasant realms.

“ ‘You guardians of hell—
Go to Puṣḳalāvatī!
Look at the tall pyre there,
Surrounded by gods!
After seeing it,
You will feel love for all beings!’

“Yama’s minions went that very night to Puṣḳalāvatī.

“There and then,

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Close to the king’s palace,
They saw a pyre engulfed
In a single blazing light.

“They also saw a human corpse
With the amulet fastened around its neck.
Gods, nāgas, gandharvas,
Yakṣas, rākṣasas, and kinnaras

“Were all around it,
Performing unexcelled worship.
The yakṣas then named it
The Amulet Pyre.

“Then, when they understood what Yama, King of the Law, had recognized, the yakṣas returned and reported everything in detail, saying, ‘Your Majesty, it is exactly as you said.’

“As soon as the yakṣas spoke their final word, the great being discarded his hell-realm body and was born among the gods of the Thirty-Three. For that reason he was called the god Pratisarāpūrvin.

“Great brahmin, such was fully understood in the past. Consequently, this great amulet should definitely be memorized. It should be written down. It should be recited aloud. It should always be attached to the body as prescribed and be worn. It continuously frees one from all suffering and misfortune. It delivers from all the terrors of the lower realms. One can no longer be struck down by lightning. How is it that one cannot be struck by lightning? Great brahmin, this is understood from the past.

“In the prominent city of Hiṅgumardana lived a prominent merchant named Vimalaśaṅkha. He was very wealthy with much gold, and his treasury and granary were abundantly full. He was also renowned as a trader. At one time this great trader procured a large ship and set out on the ocean, where sea monsters seized his vessel. Nāgas, wishing to destroy the vessel, became agitated, bellowed roars of thunder, hurled bolts of lightning and meteors, and began to cast down thunderbolts. The merchants were plunged into distress. Seeing the violently agitated nāgas, the bolts of lightning

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and meteors, and the rain of thunderbolts, and seeing their vessel seized by sea monsters, they began to wail. They prayed to their respective deities, but none came to their aid. They then approached their stable-minded captain and woefully said, ‘O great being, please protect and deliver us from this great danger.’ The stable-minded and intelligent captain then said to the distraught merchants:

“ ‘Fear not! Fear not, O merchants!
Come to your senses!
I will deliver you
From the sea of great suffering!’

“Then, having regained their composure,
The merchants said:

“ ‘O great being, please promptly tell us
What will free us from the obstructors!
Keen one, it is on your power
That our lives depend.
Tell us about your deep insight
And what you will do next.’

“Then, the leader of the traders
Said these words to them:
“ ‘I have a great incantation
That is renowned as an amulet.

“ ‘Powerful and mighty,
It dispels all harm doers.
With it, I will deliver us
From the great danger of intense suffering.’

“Then the great trader wrote down this great queen of incantations and fastened it to the tip of a flag. As soon as he fastened the great amulet, the great queen of incantations, to the tip of the flag, the sea monsters all saw the vessel become a single flame. The nāgas, adopting a loving attitude, approached them and began to offer worship. The sea monsters were burned by the power of the great amulet, queen of incantations, and they dispersed and disappeared. The great nāgas even transported the group of travelers to an island of jewels.

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“Thus, the great amulet, a great queen of incantations replete with wisdom, is blessed by all thus-gone ones. Great brahmin, this is why it is called a great incantation. It should surely be fastened to the tip of a flag and carried. It pacifies all wind, cold, unseasonable clouds, lightning, and thunderbolts. It helps one escape from conflicts and disputes with gods, humans, and asuras. All biting flies, mosquitoes, locusts, rats, and other types of creatures, in their various forms, that are injurious to crops will be rendered powerless and be pacified. All hostile beasts, birds, and predators will vanish. All flowers, fruits, leaves, trees, medicinal plants, grain, and so forth will increase and become juicy, delicious, and tender. They will all ripen to perfection. Disasters from excess or inadequate rain will not occur. It will rain seasonably, not unseasonably. The great nāgas who live in the area will pour down torrents of rain perfectly, season after season. In any land the great amulet, queen of incantations, circulates, beings will come to know it, worship and revere it with various perfumes, incenses, and flowers, wrap it in various fabrics, fasten it to the tips of flags, and circumambulate it while singing and playing instruments and cymbals. These great people will then have their expectations fulfilled by the gods, such as Śakra and Brahmā, precisely in accordance with their wishes. The more accurately it is done as prescribed, the more effective it will be.

“A person who wants a son gets a son.
The pregnant woman⁶³ will be well.

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The fetus will develop nicely,
And the child will be born easily.
The fetus will develop according to the proper stages
And be born at the proper time.

“How can I be sure? Listen as before, great brahmin! Right here, in the land of Magadha, there was a king named Prasāritapāṇi who did not have a son. Why was he called Prasāritapāṇi?⁶⁴ As soon as the king was born, he extended his hands, grabbed his mother’s breasts, and suckled to his satisfaction. Once he touched the two breasts, they turned a golden color, and their milk consistently increased.⁶⁵ The king was thus named Prasāritapāṇi. Moreover, when beggars came to the king, the king would extend his right hand into the sky. Because the king was a bodhisattva, the gods with strong devotion for the Buddha would fill his hand with gold, gems, and special divine jewels. The king thus gave liberally to all the beggars who approached him. With a mere thought, the king gave every comfort and wealth to all beggars in accordance with their wishes.

“Because he wanted a son, the king performed extensive worship and paid great homage to the gods, but no son was granted to him. He began to pay homage before the reliquaries of the previous thus-gone ones. There he worshiped and paid homage, presented gifts, maintained temporary vows, and performed great meritorious deeds. The gifts he offered were inexhaustible. Why was that?

“Previously, great brahmin, in the prominent market town⁶⁶ of Kuśinagara in the Malla region, right here in the land of Magadha, there lived a prominent merchant named Dharmamati. He was a great being whose mind was set on the Dharma and who followed the doctrine of the Blessed One Prabhūtaratna. Driven by deep compassion for all beings, he taught the Dharma, beginning with the queen of incantations, the great amulet.

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Once, a pauper heard those teachings and told the wealthy merchant, ‘I will work in your lordship’s house as a servant and listen to the Dharma. When I earn something, I will honor the Dharma with it!’ He thus worked in the merchant’s house and listened to the Dharma. Later, the wealthy merchant gave him a gold coin.⁶⁷ The pauper formed the motivation to awaken in order to protect all beings, regarded all beings as equal, offered a handful of jewels to the great amulet,⁶⁸ and made the aspiration, ‘Through the great fruition of this generosity, may my poverty and the poverty of all beings be totally eradicated!’ That is why Prasāritapāṇi’s generosity is inexhaustible.

“Prasāritapāṇi thus performed many diverse meritorious deeds. He worshiped everyone from gods up to the blessed buddhas. When he did, the gods of the pure abodes appeared to him in a dream and declared, ‘O great king! There is a great dhāraṇī, a queen of incantations called the great amulet. It is a wish-fulfilling gem, glittering all around with a pristine garland of flames, whose seal and essence are invincible. If you write it as prescribed, as it is taught in the ritual manual, and fasten it as prescribed to the body of the principal queen who has been observing a fast, you will then have a son.’

“When the king awoke and the night passed, he assembled all the brahmin diviners versed in calculations, writing, lunar mansions, and celestial bodies. Then, on the day of Puṣya, the king of constellations, they meticulously washed the body of the principal queen, precisely in accordance with the ritual manual. She observed a fast, after which this amulet, a great queen of incantations, was written as prescribed and fastened around her neck. The king then performed extensive worship to the caityas of the buddhas and gifted many spectacular gems to beings.

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When nine months had passed, a handsome, good-looking, and attractive boy was born, replete with a fine complexion and a perfect figure. Knowing this, great brahmin, this great queen of incantations, revered by all thus-gone ones, is renowned as a wish-fulfilling and invincible great jewel amulet.

“It is the perpetual crown jewel of Śakra. When Śakra, lord of the gods, wishes to wage war on the asuras, he uses it as armor and fastens it to the crown of his head and then defeats them all. Having defeated the enemy, he successfully, easily, and happily enters the city of the gods. He remains undefeated by all the asuras.

“Thus, great brahmin, a bodhisattva who wears the great amulet, great queen of incantations, is unaffected by all māras from the moment he first engenders the intent to awaken. A person who fastens it to their body or neck will be blessed by all thus-gone ones. They will be fully protected by all bodhisattvas, and they will always and continually be venerated, worshiped, and honored by all gods, humans, kings, ministers, brahmins, and householders. They will be respected and worshiped by all gods, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas. Even the Blessed One, the vanquisher of demonic hordes, will call them a great being. They will be free of all illness, and all infectious diseases, disasters, and epidemics will be quelled. This great being will be free of all anguish and will be forever guarded, protected, and concealed by all the gods.

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