The Sarvadurgatiparisodhana Tantra: Elimination of All Evil Destinies

THE

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SARVADURGATIPARISODHANA TANTRA Elimination of All Evil Destinies

SANSKRIT AND TIBETAN TEXTS WITH INTRODUCTION, ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND NOTES

TADEUSZ SKORUPSKI

MOTILAL BANARSIDASS Delhi 0 Varanasi o Patna

First Published in 1983 by

© MOTILAL BANARSIDASS Indologicai Publishers & Booksellers Head Office : Bungalow Road, Jawabar Nagar, Delhi-110 007. Branches: 1. Chowk, Varanasi-221 001 (U.P.) 2.. Asbok Raj path, Patna-800 004 (Bihar) ISBN: 0 89581 572-9 No part Qf this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher. Printed in India By Shantilal Jain, at Shri Jainendra Press, A-45, Phase I, Naraina, New Delbi-110 028 Published by Narendra Prakash Jain, for Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi-110 007.

Dedicated to David L. Snellgrove

PREFACE

Sarvadurgatiparisodhana Tantra is a Buddhist literary work belonging to the Yoga Tantra class. The teaching of this Tantra is presented in a form of discourses and discussions between an assembly of gods and the Lord Sii.kyamuni. Amidst an enormous assembly of gods Sakra the chief of gods asks the Lord what has happened to a young god named Vimalamar;tiprabha who has fallen from the heaven ofthe Thirty-three gods. The Lord answers that the young god has fallen into the Avici hell where he is experiencing terrible suffering. The gods are terrified and pierced with anguish on hearing this . .Once more the Lord is asked what is to be done to save him and other living beings who are experiencing evil rebirths. The Lord enters into a state of concentration and the:ri begins his teaching which consists of an exposition of various initiations and consecrations, descriptions ~f the mmpjalas belonging to the Sarvadurgatiparisodhana. cycle, the Four Rites namely the rite for pacifying, pro·curing prosperity, subjugation and overcoming enemies, and a number of different rites for the dead. The whole teaching is geared towards procuring a better rebirth for the dead and . a · better life for those who are living. As a token of my gratitude I dedicate this work to Professor David L. Snellgrove, a well known scholar of Tibetan cultUre anq religion. In the course of my studies at the School of Oriental. and African Studies he helped me as friend and teacher sacrificing mtich of his time to guide me in my studies. When I was preparing the present work, which was presented for my Ph. D. degree, Professor Snellgrove made every effort to direct me and to help with translating difficult passages and to edit the Tibetan texts, especially Chapter I and III of Version A. Special words of thanks are due to Professor Dr R.E. Emmerick from Hamburg who helped enormously with the editing of the Sanskrit text, corre~ting many mistakes and introducing better readings. It was on his suggestion that I tried to preserve the peculiarities of the Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. Finally I would like to thank the School of Oriental and African Studies for the financial support which I received during rriy studies.

T. S.

CONTENTS Dedication Preface Bibliography INTRODUCTION (i) The different versions of Durgatiparifodhana (ii) Comparison of the contents ofVersions A and B (iii) "The translations and commentaries ( iv). The presentation of the Tantra

v

vii Xlll

XVII XVlll -

XXIV

xxviii

PART I TRANSLATION OF THE T ANTRA CHAPTER

I

INTRODUCTORY SCENE MANTRAS Preliminary mantras Mantras of the Buddhas Mantras of the Eight Goddesses of the Offerings Mantras qf the Four Guardians of the Gates Mantras of the Sixteen Bodhisattvas

3 6

6 7 8 9 9

MERITS ARISING FROM THE PRACTICE OF THIS TEACHING 10 THE SADHANA (EVOCATION) ll Four Obeisances 14 14 Confession of sins Twentyfold worship 14 18 Self-offering to all the Buddhas and Bodhis_qttvas 18 Participation of living creatures in the source of merit Vow for_mattiration in Perfect. Enlightenment 18 Envisaging of the mavrJala 19 THE FOUR MUDRAS 22 The samaya-mudriis 22 The dharma-mudriis 23 The karma-mudriis 23 The mahii:..mudrii 24 Efficacy of the mantra and the mudrii 25 Praises of the divinities of the mavrJala 25 Production of the marpjala 26 Rites in the mavrJala 31

X

RITES FOR THE DEAD CLOSING SCENE CHAPTER

33 34

II

MAJfl)ALA OF Sif.KrAMUNI MAJ:{J)ALA OF VAJRAPA]j'I Dhiira{lis pronounced by Vajrapii{li Description of the ma{u/ala Consecration in the ma{ufala MAJ:{l)ALA OF THE FOUR GREAT KINGS MA]fl)ALA OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE TEN DIRECTIONS MAJ:{l)ALA OF 'FHE EIGHT GREAT PLANETS MA]j'l)ALA OF THE EIGHT GREAT NAGAS MAJ:{J)ALA OF THE NINE BHAIRAVAS MA]j'l)ALA OF THE GREAT GODS MA]fl)ALA OF THE KING OF LONG LIFE Initiation of the pupils Merits of those consecrated in the mmpfala THE FOUR RITES The rite for pacifYing The rite for gaining prosperity The rite for subjugation The rite for destroying PRAISES OF THOSE WHO PROMOTE THIS KALPARAJA (ROYALWORK)

III MA]fl)ALA OF CAKRAVARTIN INITIATION AND INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO PUPILS DRAWING OF THE THAN-KA DIFFERENT RITES FOR THE DEAD A SET OF DIVINITIES BELONGING TO THE DURGATIPARISODHANA-MA]j'J)ALA. RITES IN THE MA]j'DALA Preliminary ceremony Consecration Worship of the ma{zr/.ala Mudriis and mantras of the Guardians of the Ten Directions Stanzas of praise Homa rite THE INITIATION OF PUPILS AND TAKING VOWS FINAL PRAISES VOCABULARY OF SPECIAL TERMS

35 42 42 45 46 49 51 53 56 59 61 63 65 68 68 69 70 71 71 72

CHAPTER

74 75 80 81 87 91 91

91 93 95 98 I 00 100 107 109

xi ]=>ART II SANSKRIT AND TIBETAN TEXTS OF VERSION B INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I Introductory scene kfantras The siidhana -The four mudriis Praises of the divinities of the mu(zr/ala Production of the ma(u/.ala Rites for the dead Cl