The Sarvadurgatiparisodhana Tantra: Elimination of All Evil Destinies

415 Pages·1983·18.735 MB·English

by  Tadeusz Skorupski

THE
,
.
SARVADURGATIPARISODHANA
TANTRA
Elimination of All Evil Destinies
SANSKRIT AND TIBETAN TEXTS WITH INTRODUCTION,
ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND NOTES
TADEUSZ SKORUPSKI
MOTILAL BANARSIDASS
o
Delhi 0 Varanasi 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 dis
courses 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 .
.O nce 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 over
coming 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 v
Preface vii
Bibliography Xlll
INTRODUCTION
(i) The different versions of Durgatiparifodhana XVII
(ii) Comparison of the contents ofVersions A and B XVlll -
(iii) "The translations and commentaries XXIV
( iv). The presentation of the Tantra xxviii
PART I
TRANSLATION OF THE T ANTRA
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY SCENE 3
MANTRAS 6
Preliminary mantras 6
Mantras of the Buddhas 7
Mantras of the Eight Goddesses of the Offerings 8
Mantras qf the Four Guardians of the Gates 9
Mantras of the Sixteen Bodhisattvas 9
MERITS ARISING FROM THE PRACTICE OF THIS TEACHING 10
THE SADHANA (EVOCATION) ll
Four Obeisances 14
Confession of sins 14
Twentyfold worship 14
Self-offering to all the Buddhas and Bodhis_qttvas 18
Participation of living creatures in the source of merit 18
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 33
CLOSING SCENE 34
CHAPTER II
MAJfl)ALA OF Sif.KrA MUNI 35
MAJ:{J)ALA OF VAJRAPA ]j'I 42
Dhiira{lis pronounced by Va jrapii{li 42
Description of the ma{u/ala 45
Consecration in the ma{ufala 46
MAJ:{l)ALA OF THE FOUR GREAT KINGS 49
MA]fl)ALA OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE TEN
DIRECTIONS 51
MAJ:{l)ALA OF 'FHE EIGHT GREAT PLANETS 53
MA]j'l)ALA OF THE EIGHT GREAT NAGAS 56
MAJ:{J)ALA OF THE NINE BHAIRAVAS 59
MA]j'l)ALA OF THE GREAT GODS 61
MA]fl)ALA OF THE KING OF LONG LIFE 63
Initiation of the pupils 65
Merits of those consecrated in the mmpfala 68
THE FOUR RITES 68
The rite for pacifYing 69
The rite for gaining prosperity 70
The rite for subjugation 71
The rite for destroying 71
PRAISES OF THOSE WHO PROMOTE THIS KALPARAJA
(ROYALWORK) 72
CHAPTER III
MA]fl)ALA OF CAKRAVARTIN 74
INITIATION AND INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO PUPILS 75
DRAWING OF THE THAN-KA 80
DIFFERENT RITES FOR THE DEAD 81
A SET OF DIVINITIES BELONGING TO THE DURGATI-
PARISODHANA-MA]j'J)ALA. 87
RITES IN THE MA]j'DALA 91
Preliminary ceremony 91
Consecration 91
Worship of the ma{zr/.ala 93
Mudriis and mantras of the Guardians of the Ten Directions 95
Stanzas of praise 98
Homa rite I 00
THE INITIATION OF PUPILS AND TAKING VOWS 100
FINAL PRAISES 107
VOCABULARY OF SPECIAL TERMS 109