The Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī

Translation of འཕགས་པ་ལྷ་མ་ཆན་མ་དཔལ་ལང་བསྟན་པ (འཕགས་པ་ལྷ་མོ་ཆེན་མོ་དཔལ་ལུང་བསྟན་པ)

Language: English
Translators: Jamyang Choesang, Kunsang Choepel, Boyce Teoh, Solvej Nielsen
Extent: 58 passages, 3,527 words
Text: complete digital text
Source: 84000 · Translated by the Sakya Pandita Translation Group (International Buddhist Academy Division) under the… · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha). Shown whole and unaltered, with its notes, on a…

intro 84000's introduction — 5 parts
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notes Notes — 43 parts

Text

84000's introduction

intro.1

This sūtra recounts an event that took place in the buddha realm of Sukhāvatī. The discourse commences with the Buddha Śākyamuni relating to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara the benefits of reciting the various names of Śrī Mahādevī. The Buddha describes how Śrī Mahādevī acquired virtue and other spiritual accomplishments through the practice of venerating numerous tathāgatas and gives an account of the prophecy in which her future enlightenment was foretold by all the buddhas she venerated. The Buddha then lists the one hundred and eight blessed names of Śrī Mahādevī to be recited by the faithful. The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni giving a dhāraṇī and a brief explanation on the benefits of reciting the names of Śrī Mahādevī, namely the eradication of all negative circumstances and the accumulation of merit and happiness.

intro.2

This text extols the virtues and benefits of devotional practices, such as the recitation of sacred names and formulae or mantras. It can thus be said to be related to the bhakti or devotional movement in the religious life of the Indian subcontinent, a form of religious expression found in all major religions of the world. Faith (śraddhā; dad pa) is an essential factor of the path to awakening. It is listed among the five spiritual faculties (indriya; dbang po) and the eleven wholesome mental states.¹

intro.3

In this sūtra, Śrī Mahādevī cultivated her faith by venerating and chanting names of the enlightened ones, thus accomplishing the roots of virtue that become the cause of her future awakening. The narrative takes place in the buddha realm Sukhāvatī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni explains to the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara the benefits of reciting Śrī Mahādevī’s names. He further explains how Śrī Mahādevī herself gained the roots of virtue by venerating numerous tathāgatas, whom the Buddha lists. He then relates the prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī’s future enlightenment, bestowed upon her by those buddhas, and lists her one hundred and eight names. The sūtra ends with the Buddha Śākyamuni giving a dhāraṇī and a brief explanation on how to practice the recitation of Śrī Mahādevī’s names.

intro.4

Most Kangyurs include two copies of the text, one (Toh 193) in the General Sūtra (mdo sde) section and one (Toh 739) among the Collected Tantras (rgyud ’bum), classified under Kriyātantra.² As neither copy of the Tibetan version has a colophon, there is no information regarding the translators. However, it must have been translated in the early period, since it is listed in the early ninth century Denkarma (ldan dkar ma) catalog of texts translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit. Versions of this sūtra in Sanskrit and Chinese are still extant today. The present translation appears to be the first into a Western language.

intro.5

The Degé edition of this sūtra was compared with various editions of the Tibetan canon, namely, the Narthang, Kangxi, and Lhasa editions, as well as with the Sanskrit of the Gilgit manuscript as edited by Nalinaksha Dutt. The English translation has been made on the basis of the Tibetan, with a few exceptions as indicated in the notes. The great many proper names contained in the sūtra are here given in Sanskrit, but translations have been added in parentheses in the case of the “one hundred and eight names”—which are, rather, epithets describing Mahādevī.

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Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

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Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Sukhāvatī together with the great saṅgha of bodhisattvas, among them the following bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the excellent eon:³ Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkaṃbhin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Kṣitigarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ākāśagarbha, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Vajrapāṇi, and Bodhisattva Sarvabhayahara, and similarly Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvamaṅgaladhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvapuṇyalakṣaṇadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Candrasūryatrailokyadhārin, Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Sarvatīrthamaṅgaladhārin, and Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta.

Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara went to the place where the Bhagavān was, paid homage at the Bhagavān’s feet, and remained at one side. Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān, paid homage at his feet, and circumambulated him three times. Then she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas who were dwelling in Sukhāvati and remained at one side.⁴

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The Bhagavān was adorned with many hundreds of thousands of merits and surrounded by as many as ten million tathāgatas. As Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world all offered their praises and acclaim, the Bhagavān, having gazed at Śrī Mahādevī, addressed Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara as follows in his Great Brahmā voice:

“Avalokiteśvara, if any one of the kings, ministers, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, or śūdras retains this praise, “The One Hundred and Eight Names⁵ of Śrī Mahādevī Which Are Renowned as Stainless,” then the kṣatriya king’s kingdom, the fears of those beings there, as well as the epidemics and harmful influences will all be pacified,⁶ and no one at all will fear robbers, rogues, humans, or nonhumans. Wealth, grains, treasuries, and stores will all increase, and the Glorious Mahādevī will no doubt abide in the home of this kṣatriya king.”

Then those bodhisattva mahāsattvas said, “Bhagavāṇ, these words are well said. Excellent! Excellent! Those people who will retain the names of Śrī Mahādevī and who will put them into practice once they have heard them⁷ will have those aforementioned qualities and benefits.”

Then Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Ārya Avalokiteśvara asked the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, where did Śrī Mahādevī generate her roots of virtue?”

The Bhagavān replied, “Śrī Mahādevī

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generated roots of virtue in the presence of tathāgatas as numerous as the grains of sand of the river Ganges. O Avalokiteśvara, in the past, in a world system called Ratnasaṃbhavā, the tathāgata called Ratnakusumaguṇasāgaravaiḍūryakanakagirisuvarṇakāṃcanaprabhāsaśrī came forth into the world. Śrī Mahādevī generated roots of virtue in his presence and in the presence of many other tathāgatas, too. Now, the names of the tathāgatas make Śrī Mahādevī’s roots of virtue flourish and come to fulfillment. They stay with her always, these names that here in this world Śrī Mahādevī recites precisely and that dispel all sins, eliminate all offenses, make all effects⁸ stainless, gather and increase wealth and grains, eradicate poverty, attract and catch the attention of all gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, pacifying all epidemics, natural misfortunes,⁹ disputes, conflicts, dissensions, and arguments, and that will bring the six perfections to fulfilment. They are as follows:¹⁰

“Homage to Tathāgata Śrīghana.
Homage to Tathāgata Ratnakusumaguṇasāgaravaiḍūryakanakagirisuvarṇakāṃcanaprabhāsaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Gaṅgāsarvatīrthamukhamaṅgalaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Candanakusumatejonakṣatraprabhāsaśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Samantāvabhāsavijitasaṃgrāmaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Guṇasamudrāvabhāsamaṇḍalaśrī.

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Homage to Tathāgata Dhārmavikurvaṇadhvajavegaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Jyotiḥsaumyagandhāvabhāsaśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Sattvāśayaśamanaśarīraśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Praṇidhānasāgarāvabhāsaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Suparikīrtitanāmadheyaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Asaṃkhyeyavīryasusaṃprasthitaśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Aprameyasuvarṇottaprabhāsaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Sarvasvarāṅgarutanirghoṣaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Prajñāpradīpāsaṃkhyeyaprabhāketuśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Nārāyaṇavratasannāhasumeruśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Brahmaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Maheśvaraśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Candrasūryaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Gambhīradharmaprabhārājaśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Gaganapradīpābhirāmaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Sūryaprabhāketuśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Gandhapradīpaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Sāgaragarbhasaṃbhavaśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Nirmitameghagarjanayaśaḥśrī.

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Homage to Tathāgata Sarvadharmaprabhāsavyūhaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Drumarājavivardhitaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Ratnārciḥparvataśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Jñānārciḥsāgaraśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Mahāpraṇidhivegaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Mahāmeghaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Smṛtiketurājaśrī.

Homage to Tathāgata Indraketudhvajarājaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Sarvadhanadhānyākarṣaṇaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Saumyākarṣaṇaśrī.
Homage to Tathāgata Lakṣmyākarṣaṇaśrī.

“Having treated these names of tathāgatas with veneration, one should retain and recite them, and in this way the merit of a son or daughter of a noble family will increase immensely.

“Now, all the tathāgatas made the following prophecies concerning Śrī Mahādevī: ‘Śrī Mahādevī, in the future you will become the tathāgata, the arhat, the truly complete buddha called Śrīmaṇiratnasambhava in the world system called Śrīmahāratnapratimaṇḍitā. And that world system will be adorned with various sorts of divine jewels. This very tathāgata will spread light in that world system, and those bodhisattvas dwelling there in that world will spontaneously become radiant and have immeasurable life spans. The word buddhadharmasaṅgha will also come down from the sky, and the bodhisattvas who will be born in that buddha field will all be born from the centers of lotuses.’

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“What is the twelve-line praise with one hundred and eight names that is renowned as being stainless?¹¹

“O fearless Avalokiteśvara, please hearken to the names of Śrī Mahādevī. They are as follows:¹²

“Sarvatathāgatābhiṣiktā (She Who Was Empowered by All Tathāgatas),
Sarvadevatābhiṣiktā (She Who Was Empowered by All Gods),
Sarvatathāgatamātṛ (Mother of All Tathāgatas),
Sarvadevatāmātṛ (Mother of All Gods),

Sarvatathāgataśrī (Glory of All Tathāgatas),
Sarvabodhisattvaśrī (Glory of All Bodhisattvas),
Sarvāryaśrāvakapratyekabuddhaśrī (Glory of All Ārya Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas),
Brahmaviṣṇumaheśvaraśrī (Glory of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara),

Mahāsthānagataśrī (Glory Present in Great Places),¹³
Sarvadevatābhimukhaśrī (Glory in the Presence of All Gods),¹⁴
Sarvadevanāgayakṣagandharvāsuragaruḍakinnaramahoragaśrī (Glory of All the Gods, Nāgas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garuḍas, Kinnaras, and Mahoragas),
Sarvavidyādharavajrapāṇivajradharaśrī (Glory of All the Vidyādharas, Vajrapāṇi, and the Vajradharas),

Catuḥpañcalokapālaśrī (Glory of the Four and the Five Guardians of the World),
Aṣṭagrahāṣṭāviṃśatinakṣatraśrī (Glory of the Eight Planets¹⁵ and Twenty-Eight Constellations¹⁶),
Oṃ Sāvitrī (Daughter of Savitra¹⁷),
Dhātrī (Nurse),

Mātṛ (Mother),
Caturvedaśrī (Glory of the Four Vedas),
Lakṣmī (Goddess of Prosperity),
Bhūtamātṛ (Mother of Sentient Beings),

Jayā (She Who Is Victorious),
Vijayā (She Who Conquers),
Gaṅgā (She Who Is the Ganges),
Sarvatīrthā (She of All Holy Places),

Sarvamaṅgalyā (She Who Confers All Auspiciousness),¹⁸
Vimalanirmalakaraśrī (Glory That Makes One Stainless and Pure),
Sarvapāpahantrī (She Who Slays All Sins),
Nirmadakarā (She Who Humbles),

Candraśrī (Glory of the Moon),
Sūryaśrī (Glory of the Sun),
Sarvagrahaśrī (Glory of All the Planets),
Siṃhavāhinī (She Who Rides upon a Lion),

Śatasahasrakoṭipadmavivarasaṃcchannā (She Who Is Enveloped by a Display of One Hundred Thousand Crore Lotuses),¹⁹
Padmā (She Who Has Lotuses),
Padmasambhavā (She Who Was Born from a Lotus),
Padmālayā (She Whose Abode Is a Lotus),

Padmadharā (She Who Holds a Lotus),
Padmāvatī (She Who Is Endowed with Lotuses),
Anekaratnāṃśumālā (She Who Has a Garland of Many Light Rays That Are Like Jewels),
Dhanadā (She Who Brings Wealth),

Śvetā (Fair One),
Mahāśvetā (Great Fair One),
Śvetabhujā (She Who Has Fair Arms),
Sarvamaṅgaladhāriṇī (She Who Possesses All Auspiciousness),

Sarvapuṇyopacitāṅgī (She Whose Body Consists of All Collections of Merit),
Dākṣāyaṇī (Daughter of Dakṣa²⁰),

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Śatasahasrabhujā (She Who Has One Hundred Thousand Arms),
Śatasahasranayanā (She Who Has One Hundred Thousand Eyes),

Śatasahasraśirā (She Who Has One Hundred Thousand Heads),
Vividhavicitramaṇimaulidharā (She Who Bears a Diadem of Many Sorts of Multicolored Jewels),
Surūpā (She Who Has a Beautiful Form),
Viśvarūpā (She Who Has All Different Forms),

Yaśā (Renowned One),
Mahāyaśā (Highly Renowned One),
Saumyā (Benign One),
Bahujīmūtā (She of the Many Clouds),

Pavitrakeśā (She Whose Hair Is Purity),
Candrakāntā (She Who Is Lovely Like the Moon),
Sūryakāntā (She Who Is Lovely Like the Sun),²¹
Śubhā (Virtuous One),

Śubhakartrī (She Who Brings About Virtue),
Sarvasattvābhimukhī (She Who Is Disposed toward All Sentient Beings),
Āryā (Noble One),
Kusumaśrī (Glory of the Flowers),

Kusumeśvarā (She Who Is the Sovereign of the Flowers),²²
Sarvasumeruparvatarājaśrī (Glory of the Entire King of Mountains, Mount Sumeru),
Sarvanadīsaricchrī (Glory of All Rivers and Streams),²³
Sarvatoyasamudraśrī (Glory of the Ocean of All Waters),

Sarvatīrthābhimukhaśrī (Glory of Turning toward All the Holy Places),
Sarvauṣadhitṛṇavanaspatidhanadhānyaśrī (Glory of All Medicinal Herbs, Grasses, Trees, Wealth, and Grains),
Hiraṇyadā (She Who Gives Gold),
Annapānadā (She Who Gives Food and Drink),²⁴

Prabhāsvarā (She of the Clear Light),
Ālokakarā (She Who Illuminates),
Pavitrāṅgā (She of the Pure Body),
Sarvatathāgatavaśavartinī (She Who Has Power over All Tathāgatas),

Sarvadevagaṇamukhaśrī (Glory When in the Presence of the Entire Assembly of the Gods),
Yamavaruṇakuberavāsavaśrī (Glory of Yama, Varuṇa, Kubera, and Vāsava),²⁵
Dātrī (She Who Gives),
Bhoktrī (She Who Takes Pleasure),

Tejā (She Who Is Brilliance),
Tejovatī (Bright One),
Vibhūtī (Abundance),
Samṛddhi (Great Prosperity),²⁶

Vivṛddhi (Growth),
Unnati (Advancement),²⁷
Dharmaśrī (Glory of the Dharma),
Mādhavāśrayā (She Who Relies on Viṣṇu),

Kusumanilayā (She Whose Abode Is the Flowers),²⁸
Anasūyā (She Who Is Not Spiteful),²⁹
Puruṣakārāśrayā (She Who Relies on Virile Action),³⁰
Sarvapavitragātrā (She Whose Body Is Entirely Pure),³¹

Maṅgalahastā (She Whose Hands Are Auspicious),³²
Sarvālakṣmīnāśayitrī (She Who Destroys All Inauspiciousness),
Sarvapuṇyākarṣaṇaśrī (Glory That Collects All Merits),
Sarvapṛthivīśrī (Glory of the Entire Earth),

Sarvarājaśrī (Glory of All Kings),³³
Sarvavidyādhararājaśrī (Glory of the King of All Vidyādharas),
Sarvabhūtayakṣarākṣasapretapiśācakuṃbhāṇḍamahoragaśrī (Glory of All Bhūtas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Pretas, Piśācas, Kumbhāṇḍas, and Mahoragas),
Dyuti (Splendor),³⁴

Pramodabhāgyalolā (She Who Longs for Delight and Happiness),
Sarvarṣipavitraśrī (Glory That Is the Purity of All Seers),
Sarvaśrī (Glory of All),
Bhavajyeṣṭhottamaśrī (Glory That Is the First and the Foremost in Existence),³⁵

Sarvakinnarasarvāsuryottamaśrī (Glory That Is the First of All Kinnaras and of All Asuras),³⁶

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Niravadyasthānavāsinī (She Who Stays Irreproachable),
Rūpavatī (Beautiful One),
Sukhakarī (She Who Causes Happiness),

Kuberakāntā (Beloved of Kubera), and
Dharmarājaśrī (Glory of the Dharma King):

“Oṃ! Look at us, save us, and emancipate us from all sufferings. Make us turn in the direction of all collections of merits, svāhā.³⁷ Oṃ gaṅgādisarvatīrthānām abhimukhī kuru ³⁸ svāhā | oṃ sāvitryai svāhā | sarvamaṅgaladhāriṇyai svāhā | caturvedanakṣatragrahagaṇādimūrtyai svāhā | brahmaṇe svāhā | viṣṇave svāhā | rudrāya svāhā | viśvamukhāya svāhā | oṃ nigrigrini sarvakāryasādhani sini sini āvāhayāmi devi śrīvaiśravaṇāya svāhā | suvarṇadhanadhānyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapuṇyākarṣaṇyai svāhā | śrīdevatākarṣaṇyai svāhā | sarvapāpanāśanyai svāhā | sarvālakṣmīpraśamanyai svāhā | sarvatathāgatābhiṣiktāyai svāhā | sarvadevatābhimukhaśriye svāhā | āyurbalavarṇakarāyai svāhā | sarvapavitramaṅgalahastāyai svāhā | siṃhavāhinyai svāhā | padmasaṃbhūtāyai svāhā | sarvakṛtyakākhordavināśanyai svāhā. ³⁹

“Fearless Avalokiteśvara, anyone who is going to retain and recite these names of Śrī Mahādevī—which eliminate all offenses, overcome all sins, accumulate all merits, eliminate⁴⁰ all inauspiciousness, and accumulate all glories, happiness, and good fortune—and who is going to retain and recite⁴¹ these names of the tathāgatas, should rise in the morning, clean up, and, having offered flowers and incense to all the buddhas, also offer sandalwood incense to Śrī Mahādevī. Then, when they recite these names, all glory, all happiness and joys, will be obtained. The gods will all guard, protect, and preserve⁴² them, and all of their purposes will be fulfilled.”

When the Bhagavān had thus spoken, the fearless bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara,

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Śrī Mahādevī⁴³, the entire retinue, and the world, including gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and [678] praised the words of the Bhagavān.

Notes

notes.1

1. The Abhidharmakośa gives eleven wholesome mental factors and lists faith as the first among them.

notes.2

2. The Tibetan copy in the tantra section of the Kangyur (Toh 739) is followed by two short related texts, both also set in in Sukhāvatī and structured as expositions by the Buddha Śākyamuni to Avalokiteśvara: ’phags pa dpal chen mo’i mdo, “The Sūtra of the Gorious Great [Goddess]” (Toh 740)—the goddess concerned being identified as Lakṣmī in the Sanskrit title of the Degé version but not in all versions—and dpal gyi lha mo’i mtshan bcu gnyis pa, “The Twelve Names of the Glorious Goddess” (Toh 741). In both, the knowing, reciting, reading, and writing of the goddess’s twelve names (almost but not exactly the same in both cases) and of short dhāraṇīs (different) are recommended as effective means of dispelling obstacles and achieving goals. The colophons of both short texts state that they were translated by Jinamitra and Yeshé Dé.

notes.3

3. “Of the excellent eon” (bskal pa bzang po’i = bhadrakalpika) is missing in the Skt.

notes.4

4. Skt.: “Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān. Having circumambulated one hundred thousand times at the Bhagavān’s feet she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.”

notes.5

5. “Names” is omitted in the Skt.

notes.6

6. Translated on the basis of the Tibetan. Skt. has tasya rājñaḥ kṣatriyasya viṣaye teṣāṃ sattvānāṃ sarvabhayety upadravā praśamiṣyanti: “In the country of the kṣatriya king, these beings’ misfortunes, that is to say ‘all fears,’ will be pacified.”

notes.7

7. Skt. does not have “and who put them into practice once they have heard them.”

notes.8

8. Skt. sarvakārya, “all effects”; Tib. lus thams cad, “all bodies.”

notes.9

9. Skt. upasarga, “natural misfortune”; Tib. gnod pa, “harms.”

notes.10

10. The Skt. list has been followed. The Tibetan (F.248.a–b) has some minor differences from the Sanskrit.

notes.11

11. Skt. dvādaśadaṇdakaṃ… stotram, but the Tib. has the puzzling stod pa brgyad cu gnyis pa, “eighty-two praises.”

notes.12

12. The Tibetan and Sanskrit lists of names differ somewhat. We have followed the Sanskrit and indicated differences from the Tibetan in notes.

notes.13

13. Tib. lha la sogs pa thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Gods, And So Forth.”

notes.14

14. Tib. gnas thams cad na yod pa’i dpal, “Glory Present in All Places.”

notes.15

15. The eight planets: (1) Sun, (2) Earth’s moon, (3) Mars, (4) Mercury, (5) Jupiter, (6) Venus, (7) Saturn, and (8) Eclipse-Maker (Rāhula).

notes.16

16. According to the ancient Indian traditions, twenty-eight constellations lie on the path of the moon during its complete circuit through the plane of the ecliptic. For a list of the twenty-eight, see Monier Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, s.v. nakṣatra.

notes.17

17. Savitra is a Vedic solar deity, an Āditya or descendant of the mother of the gods, Aditi.

notes.18

18. The Tibetan (see glossary under “Sarvatīrthā”) treats these two epithets as one, i.e., “She Who Confers the Happiness of All the Holy Places.”

notes.19

19. The Tibetan (see glossary entry) has “She Who is Enveloped by a Hundred Thousand Supreme Lotuses.”

notes.20

20. A Hindu creator god. His daughter is the consort of Śiva.

notes.21

21. The terms candrakānta and sūryakānta also regularly refer to gems, i.e. moonstone and sunstone respectively.

notes.22

22. Tib. “She Who Abides in Flowers.”

notes.23

23. Tib. “Glory of All Rivers and Lakes.”

notes.24

24. Tib. “She Who Gives Food and Clothing.”

notes.25

25. Skt. reads °varuṇā°. Yama is the lord of death, Varuṇa is the Vedic god presiding over night, Kubera is the god of riches, and Vāsava is Indra.

notes.26

26. Omitted in the Tib.

notes.27

27. Tib. mthong ma, “She Who Has Vision.”

notes.28

28. Tib. “She Who Abides in the Kumuda Flower.” Kumuda is a white flower that grows in or near water and blossoms at night. It is usually thought to be the datura plant, a member of the lily family with a very large, white, trumpet-like flower that opens at night, especially in the moonlight.

notes.29

29. Tib. “She Who Is Patient.”

notes.30

30. Omitted in the Tib.

notes.31

31. Tib. mthu rtsal gyi gnas, “She Who Is the Source of Power.”

notes.32

32. Tib. dag byed dang bkra shis thams cad kyi lag pa dang ldan ma, “She Who Has Hands That Purify and [Bring] All Auspiciousness.”

notes.33

33. The Tibetan (see glossary entry for “Sarvapṛthivīśrī”) takes these two as one: “Glory of the Entire Earth and All Kings.”

notes.34

34. Omitted in the Tibetan, which here has lha’i gnas dang lha thams cad kyi dpal / bzlas brjod dang / bzlas brjod du bya ba / sbyin sreg dang / sbyin sreg tu bya ba dang / bkra shis thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Abodes of the Gods and All Gods, Glory of All Incantations and What Is Incanted, All Fire Offerings, and What Is Offered and All Auspiciousness.”

notes.35

35. The Tibetan here is bud med kyi gnas thams cad kyi gtso ma dang dpal gyi mchog, “Supreme Glory and Foremost of All That Is Feminine.”

notes.36

36. The Skt. edition has sarvakinnarasarvasūryottamaśrī, “Glory That Is the First of All Kinnaras and All the Sun,” but in the Tib. (see glossary entry) lha ma yin mo suggests that the spelling °sarvāsurya° here is more likely to be correct in the context.

The Prophecy of Śrī Mahādevī

Contents

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84000's introduction

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