Toh 590The Noble Invincible Great Queen of Spells for Averting Called “Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of All Tathāgatas”

Summary

This text presents a spell (vidyā) featuring the female deity Sitātapatrā (White Umbrella
Goddess), which issues from the uṣṇīṣa of the Buddha Śākyamuni as he rests in
samādhi among the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. The text details a
litany of dangers, illness, and threats and provides spell formulas that can be
recited to avert them. Sitātapatrā and her spell have enjoyed a long history and
sustained popularity as a source of security against illness and misfortune, and
her spell is widely used in contemporary Buddhist communities to this day.

Acknowledgements

Translated by Samye Translations under the guidance of Phakchok Rinpoche.
The translation and was produced by Stefan Mang, Roger Espel Llima, Ryan Conlon,
and Paul Thomas. It was revised and finalized by the 84000 editorial team.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

Introduction

The Noble Invincible Great Queen of Spells for
Averting Called “Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of All
Tathāgatas” (Toh 590) is one of four texts preserved in the Degé
Kangyur (Toh 590–93) dedicated to the female deity Sitātapatrā (gdugs dkar po can), the White Umbrella
Goddess. Though these four texts differ somewhat in length and arrangement,
they all share the same core material and thus represent four unique
variations of a single work. At the heart of each of these texts is a series
of spell formulas that can be recited to avert a wide array of threats to
health, well-being, and prosperity. The spell of Sitātapatrā has enjoyed
sustained popularity as a source of security and protection in numerous
Buddhist communities, as evidenced by its long and complex textual history
and the numerous languages into which it has been translated. The four texts
translated into Tibetan and preserved in Kangyur reflect distinct stages of
the spell’s evolution, stages that mirror its development in the broader
Buddhist community. Toh 590 is the longest of the four canonical
translations and appears to represent a later stage in the spell’s evolution
in the Indic Buddhist tradition. The popularity of this version of the spell
is particularly evident in the substantial number of extant Sanskrit
manuscripts that reflect this stage of its development.

Three of the four canonical translations of the Sitātapatrā texts,
including Toh 590, include a scriptural introduction (nidāna; gleng gzhi) that sets the stage
for Śākyamuni’s revelation of the deity and her spell. The text begins in the
Heaven of the Thirty-Three, where Śākyamuni is resting in samādhi among an
assembly of monks, bodhisattvas, and the gods of the realm. While he is deep
in samādhi, the spell issues from his uṣṇīṣa, resounding in full throughout
the assembly. It begins with a long series of homages to the Three Jewels,
an array of buddhas and other realized beings, and a number of gods and
other figures from the brahmanical pantheon, including Brahmā, Indra, Śiva,
and Viṣṇu. This opening homage is followed by verses invoking Sitātapatrā in
the form of various female deities, including Tārā, Bhṛkuṭī, and
Pāṇḍaravāsinī, thereby equating her with many renowned female deities of the
Buddhist tradition. Most of the text is dedicated to a series of spells and
other recitation formulas that enjoin Sitātapatrā to intervene on the
practitioner’s behalf to avert an exhaustive list of diseases, afflictions,
rival spells, and the adverse influences of supernatural beings. The text
concludes with a description of the effectiveness of the spell and the
benefits of relying on Sitātapatrā.

Sitātapatrā and Her Spell

Sitātapatrā is at once the name of a spell and the deity it invokes.
In the title of Toh 590 and throughout all four texts, Sitātapatrā is called
a vidyā, a term that refers
to both a class of deities and a type of magical formula, thus indicating
their inseparability. To recite Sitātapatrā’s spell—or to wear it, inscribe
it on a talisman, insert it into a caitya, and so forth—is to summon the
powerful deity to intercede on one’s behalf. The primary name of the spell
in Sanskrit is sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatrā, which is somewhat ambiguous given that
the precise relationship between the compound sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa (“uṣṇīṣa[s] of all
tathāgatas”) and sitātapatrā can be read in a number of plausible ways. The
Tibetan translators settled on a specific interpretation by inserting the
phrase nas byung ba (“born
from”) in all versions of the title so that it reads, in Tibetan
translation, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all
tathāgatas. As this aligns well with the
setting of the sūtra, in which the spell emerges from Śākyamuni’s uṣṇīṣa, we
have followed this interpretation here.

As a magical formula, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of
all tathagatas is alternatively referred to as a vidyā (“spell”), a mahāvidyārajñī (“great queen of
spells”), a dhāraṇī, and a
mantra. These terms are
used interchangeably to refer to the magical formulas that are used to avert
the threats of disease, misfortune, aggression, and the influence of
supernatural beings. Because the spell is held to be specifically effective
for averting these threats before they strike, the spell is designated a
pratyaṅgirā, an
“averting” or “counter” spell. And, because it is regarded as highly potent
for this purpose, it is further referred to as aparājitā (“invincible”).

The dangers Sitātapatrā can capably avert are enumerated in great
detail and include a litany of physical illness and mental disorders, a vast
demonology of supernatural forces that cause illness and distress, threats
from kings, poisons, and animals, and even a detailed list of rival magical
traditions whose spells pose a potential threat. Given this exhaustive
treatment of the benefits of the spell, it is noteworthy that the path to
liberation and the attainment of buddhahood are never mentioned. While it
can be implicitly understood that averting disease, calamity, and
supernatural dangers are requisites for the pursuit of awakening, spiritual
goals are clearly subordinated in these texts to the goal of alleviating the
worldly anxieties shared by all beings, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.

The texts on Sitātapatrā preserved in the Kangyur do not provide a
detailed iconography of the goddess, saying only that she has a thousand
heads, a thousand arms, a thousand legs, and a trillion eyes. This form of
Sitātapatrā is still popular in the contemporary Buddhist tradition, but she
is also depicted in a number of other forms in the various practice manuals
associated with the canonical texts. This includes forms of the goddess with
one face and two arms (Toh 3084), three faces and six arms (Toh 3114), and five faces and eight arms (Toh
2689).

The circulation of texts on Sitātapatrā can be traced back to at
least the eighth century, which is the proposed date of the earliest textual
witnesses available. Given that the earliest versions of the spell
were discovered in Central Asia, it is clear the spell was popular well
before this time. Sitātapatrā continues to be relevant
in the contemporary Vajrayāna traditions of Buddhism, especially in Nepal
and Tibet, as demonstrated by the numerous copies of her spell that
circulate. In Tibet, the Sitātapatrā spell was widely popular from an early
period, as indicated by the large number of Sitātapatrā texts discovered at
Dunhuang. A version of
the Sitātapatrā spell is also said to have been specifically translated for
Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde’u btsan,
r. 756–800), as we find it included among the “ten royal sūtras” (rgyal po’i mdo bcu) translated for the king
at Padmasambhava’s recommendation.
Numerous practice manuals and ritual texts for Sitātapatrā have been
composed in Tibet into recent times, many of which draw explicitly from the
canonical sources.

The Canonical Texts

The four Sitātapatrā texts preserved in the Degé Kangyur are
classified as kriyātantras, and they are further categorized among texts
associated with the tathāgata family and listed alongside texts associated
with other uṣṇīṣa deities such as Uṣṇīṣavijayā. As
is often the case with spells and dhāraṇīs, the Sitātapatrā spell is also
included in the Dhāraṇī Collection (gzungs
’dus) of the Degé Kangyur as Toh 985 and 986, which correspond
to Toh 590 and 592. The four canonical texts (Toh 590–593) represent four distinct
versions of the same spell that are largely equivalent in terms of content,
translation style, and terminology. Two of the four lack a colophon
describing the context of their translation, but it is nonetheless apparent
that the later versions of the text are in fact revisions of earlier Tibetan
translations based on newly-available Sanskrit sources rather than distinct
translations. Though many ambiguities remain, the four works offer us an
important view into the long textual history of both the Indic source
material and its Tibetan translations.

Since the Tibetan translation of Toh 590 lacks a translator’s
colophon, it is impossible to determine its date, but its length and its
similarity to the later Sanskrit manuscripts suggests that it is the most
recent of the versions in the Kangyur. A unique, alternative translation of
the text corresponding to Toh 590 is preserved in the Phukdrak (phug brag) Kangyur. This translation, which
was made by the eleventh-century Indian paṇḍita Vibhūticandra and the
Tibetan translator Sherap Rinchen (shes rab rin
chen), is a revision of Toh 590 based on additional Sanskrit
manuscripts not available to the anonymous translator of Toh 590. Toh 590 was also revised or
retranslated in the fifteenth century by Sönam Nampar Gyalwa (bsod nams rnam par rgyal ba, 1401–75) of
Jampa Ling monastery (byams pa gling)
in Central Tibet. His translation, which is available only in his collected
writings, was based on his own study of Indic manuscripts and consultation
with the Burmese Buddhist paṇḍita Alaṅkāraśrī of Haṃsāvati (Pegu).

Toh
591, titled The Noble Dhāraṇī “The Supreme
Accomplishment of Invincible Averting, Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa
of the Tathāgata” (Āryatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatrāparājitamahāpratyaṅgiraparamasiddhanāmadhāraṇī;
’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i gtsug tor nas
byung ba’i gdugs dkar po can gzhan gyis mi thub pa phyir zlog pa chen mo
mchog tu grub pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs), is shorter than Toh 590
and in this regard is perhaps closer in content to Toh 592 and 593 in
lacking many of the lines in the opening homage found in Toh 590. It
nonetheless represents a distinct arrangement of the material in dividing
the verse section listing the names and epithets of the goddess into two
sections interspersed with one of the spell formulas. It is also unique for
designating two of the spell formulas as “essence mantra” (snying po) and “subsidiary essence mantra”
(nye ba’i snying po), designations
that are not found in any of the Sanskrit sources consulted. Toh 591
identifies itself not as a translation but as a revision of a prior Tibetan
translation. The colophon does not use the verb “translated” (bsgyur), but instead tells us
that this version, prepared by the Kashmiri master Parahitabhadra (ca.
eleventh century) and the Tibetan translator Zu Gawé Dorjé (gzu dga’ ba’i rdo rje), is based on a
comparison of a prior translation with an “old” manuscript discovered at the
Amṛtabhavana monastery in Kashmir. Though the prior translation that served
as the basis for the revisions of Toh 591 cannot be definitively identified,
it seems probable that the version was either Toh 592, Toh 593, or a version
similar to those translations.

Toh
592 and 593, both
of which are titled The Noble Dhāraṇī “The Invincible
Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata” (Āryatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatrānāmaparājitānāmadhāraṇī; ’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa’i gtsug tor nas byung
ba’i gdugs dkar po can gzhan gyis mi thub pa zhes bya ba’i
gzungs), are nearly identical versions of the Sitātapatrā spell.
Toh 592 lacks the scriptural introduction and conclusion found in Toh 593
but otherwise varies only slightly and in a manner more consistent with
scribal errors and editorial interventions than differences in the source
material. Toh 592 lacks a translator’s colophon, making it difficult to
determine its origin, but a text with nearly the same title is recorded in
the Denkarma (ldan dkar ma)
imperial-period register of Tibetan translations. Toh 593,
which does include the introductory and concluding passages absent in Toh
592, has a colophon reporting it to be a translation by the eleventh-century
Kashmiri master Mahājana made without the assistance of a Tibetan
translator. It is therefore possible that Mahājana’s contribution to the
collection was to add the introductory and concluding material known from
other Sitātapatrā sources. Mahājana’s colophon identifies the text as a
“version of the Uṣṇīṣa” that is “the
shorter of those of the heavenly realm.” This ambiguous statement is made somewhat
clearer in the catalog of the Urga Kangyur, which says that Toh 593 (Urga
no. 594) “is renowned as the shorter Uṣṇīṣa
of the heavenly realm” (lha yul ma
chung bar grags pa). Sönam Nampar Gyalwa (see

A comparison of the four canonical translations of Sitātapatrā’s
spell suggests that they represent three distinct branch recensions of the
same source material and thus reflect the evolution of the text in the Indic
tradition. Toh 590 and 591 constitute two of those branches, while Toh 592
and 593 together represent the third. This was the view of Sönam Nampar
Gyalwa, who offered this statement about the relationship between the texts
in the colophon to his own revision of Toh 590:

There are three versions of this dhāraṇī rite. The most extensive
is this text, The Great Queen of Vidyās
[Toh 590], for which the previous translator is unidentified. The
middle-length version is the one known as The
Supreme Accomplishment [Toh 591], which was translated by Zu
Gawé Dorjé. The concise version is [called] “the one known as the lesser
of the heavenly realm” [Toh 593] and was translated by the Kashmiri
paṇḍita Mahājana. There is another, shorter version of “the one known as
the lesser of the heavenly realm” (Toh 592) that is distinct only for
lacking the scriptural introduction. It need not be counted
[separately].

This brief survey of the four canonical translations allows for a
tentative argument to be made about the translation and propagation of this
series of Sitātapatrā spells in Tibet. The spell was likely first translated
during Tibet’s imperial period, as indicated by the two imperial-period
catalogs, the Denkarma and Phangthangma (phang
thang ma). Whereas the title of the text in the Denkarma,
’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa gtsug tor nas
byung ba’i gdugs dkar mo can gzhan gyis mi thub pa, aligns
closely with that of Toh 592/3, the title in the Phangthangma, ’phags pa gtsug tor gdugs dkar po, is
generic and thus could refer to any of the four canonical texts, or to a
different, unknown version. It is possible that the earliest version of the
four canonical texts is Toh 592, which lacks a colophon indicating its provenance. If
this is the text recorded in the Denkarma it would have been translated no
later than 843, the year the Tibetan empire collapsed and record of its
translation efforts ceased. Toh 593, which does include a colophon dating it
to the eleventh century, represents the same branch recension but, as noted
above, differs in its inclusion of the introductory and concluding
statements—perhaps Mahājana’s specific contribution to the corpus. Toh 591,
which is described in its colophon as a revision rather than a new
translation, was also prepared in the eleventh century. It differs only
slightly from Toh 592/3, primarily in its unique arrangement of the
material. Thus it appears that Toh 591 and 593 comprise a second period of
translation of the Sitātapatrā spell in the eleventh century, one in which
the earlier translation represented by Toh 592 served as a primary point of
reference. It is especially noteworthy that this second wave primarily
involved Indian masters and manuscript witnesses from Kashmir. Thus,
Toh 590 is likely the last of the translations to be produced, and then was
revised two additional times as described above.

Other Sources

As noted above, the widespread popularity of Sitātapatrā is attested
by the broad circulation of the Sitātapatrā spell. Numerous versions are
preserved in Sanskrit, Khotanese, Chinese, Old Uyghur, and Tibetan, thus
demarcating its circulation throughout South Asia, the Himalayan region,
Central Asia, and China. What is perhaps the oldest documented Sanskrit
witness of the spell, tentatively dated to the eight century, was discovered
at Dunhuang and written in a Gupta script unique to Central Asia. This version, published in 1963 by H. W. Bailey, was consulted for
this translation. The popularity of Sitātapatrā in the Newar Buddhist
tradition is evident in the large number of extant Sanskrit manuscript
witnesses of the spell scribed in Nepal. Many of these versions are found in
the numerous dhāraṇī collections (dhāraṇīsaṅgraha) popular in the Newar tradition. Most of the
available manuscripts are relatively recent, dating no earlier than the
eighteenth century. A representative collection of Nepalese manuscripts was
consulted for this translation, the most noteworthy version of the spell
being found in Cambridge Ms. Add 1326, a dhāraṇīsaṅgraha compiled in 1719. This version, like most Nepalese
versions consulted, most closely aligns with Toh 590.

Also noteworthy are the versions of the spell composed in Old
Uyghur, which were translated from an unknown source language in likely the
thirteenth or fourteenth century. The manuscripts were discovered in Turfan in the early
twentieth century and are now dispersed among various European and Russian
manuscript archives.

There are two Chinese translations of works that are similar in
title and content to Toh 590, but a close comparison of the Tibetan and
Chinese translations is needed to determine precisely how the two Chinese
translations and four Tibetan translations align. Taishō 976, Fo ding dabai sangai tuoluoni jing (佛頂大白傘蓋陀羅尼經), was translated by the Tangut monk
Shaluoba (1279–1314), and Taishō 977, Fo shuo dabai
sangai zong chi tuoluoni jing (佛說大白傘蓋總持陀羅尼經), was translated by Zhen Zhi sometime during the
Yuan period (1271–1368). Based on these dates it would appear that both
Chinese translations significantly postdate the Tibetan translations
preserved in the Kangyur.

Finally, there were a number of Tibetan versions of the Sitātapatrā
spell discovered among the Dunhuang manuscripts. These versions are
revealing in that they are shorter and otherwise distinct from the canonical
versions, indicating one or more additional branch recensions. Some of the
Dunhuang manuscripts do align with Toh 592, the canonical version proposed
as the earliest, but none appear to correlate directly with Toh 590 and 591,
which are believed to have been translated in or after the eleventh century,
long after the Dunhuang caves had been sealed.

The Translation

The present translation is based on the Tibetan version in the Degé
Kangyur, in consultation with the Stok Palace and Phukdrak versions as well
as the variant readings recorded in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) Kangyur. Extensive use was
made of Sanskrit witnesses, including the Khotanese version and four
representatives from the numerous Nepalese manuscript witnesses. Among
those, Cambridge Ms. Add. 1326 and its edition prepared by Gergely Hidas
proved especially useful for resolving ambiguities in the Tibetan
translation and correcting minor but consequential orthographic errors in
the Tibetan transliterations of Sanskrit spell formulas. Apart from those
necessary corrections, the spell formulas follow the transliterations
presented in the Degé version. Even with the wealth of resources available,
a number of enigmatic passages remain imperfectly resolved, particularly in
the verse section recounting the names and epithets of the deity. Tentative
translations of these difficult passages have been offered, but they are not
intended to represent a definitive interpretation.

The Translation

The Noble Invincible Great Queen of Spells for

Averting

Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of All

Tathāgatas

Homage to the Three Jewels!Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in
Excellent Dharma, the assembly hall of the gods in the Heaven of the
Thirty-Three, together with a great assembly of monks, a great assembly of
bodhisattvas, and Śakra, the lord of the gods. The Blessed One sat down on a
seat arranged for him and entered the samādhi called uṣṇīṣa
gaze. As soon as he entered this samādhi, the words of this
mantra formula issued from the center of the Blessed One’s uṣṇīṣa:

“namo bhagavate uṣṇīṣāya
śuddhe viraje vimale svāhā.

“Homage to the blessed, unimpeded Uṣṇīṣa.

Homage to the Buddha.

Homage to the Dharma.

Homage to the Saṅgha.

Homage to the seventy million completely perfect buddhas.

Homage to the buddhas and bodhisattvas, headed by Maitreya, and the
assembly of śrāvakas.

“Homage to the arhats of this world.

Homage to the stream enterers.

Homage to the once-returners.

Homage to the non-returners.

Homage to those who have gone rightly in this world.

Homage to those who have acted rightly.

“Homage to the divine ṛṣis.

Homage to the ṛṣis who have become vidyādharas.

Homage to the ṛṣis who have attained the state of a vidyādhara, wield the
weapon of curses, and have the ability to benefit
through curses.

“Homage to the divine Brahmā.

Homage to Indra.

Homage to the blessed Rudra together with Umāpati.

Homage to Varuṇa.

Homage to the blessed Nārāyaṇa, worshiped by the five great mudrās.

Homage to the blessed Nandikeśvara Mahākāla, destroyer of Tripura, who
prefers to reside in the great charnel ground of Kashmir and is worshiped by hordes of mātṛs.

“Homage to the Blessed One of the tathāgata family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the lotus family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the vajra family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the jewel family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the kingly family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the action family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the gem family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the youthful family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the elephant family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the ignorance family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the desire family.

“Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Dṛḍhaśūraraṇasenapraharaṇarāja.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Amitābha.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Akṣobhya.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Vajradharasāgaragarjin.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy completely perfect Buddha
Amoghasiddhi.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Supuṣpitaśālendrarāja.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Padmottararāja.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Vipaśyin.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Śikhin.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Viśvabhū.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Krakucchanda.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Kanakamuni.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Kāśyapa.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Śākyamuni.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Ratnacandra.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Ratnaketurāja.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Samantabhadra.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Vairocana.

Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha
Vikasitakamalotpalagandhaketurāja.

“Having paid homage to these blessed ones, I will teach the
invincible queen of vidyās for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the
uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas. It pacifies strife, discord,
quarrels, and disputes; repels all bhūtas and grahas; disrupts all opposing
spells; protects from untimely death; frees beings from all bondage; ends
all malice and nightmares; destroys grahas who are yakṣas and rākṣasas;
destroys the eighty-four thousand types of grahas; appeases the twenty-eight lunar
mansions; repels all enemies; destroys the eight great celestial bodies;
ends all violence, malice, and nightmares; protects from poisons, weapons,
fire, and water; liberates from all fear of the bad rebirths; and protects
from the eight types of untimely death.

“She is invincible and greatly terrifying,

Immensely powerful and rich in splendor.

Intensely fierce and bright white,

Powerfully bright and immensely powerful,

Possessing a great garland and blazing intensely,

She is the great Pāṇḍaravāsinī.

“She is noble Tārā and Bhṛkuṭī.

Renowned as the victorious Vajramālā,

She appears as a lotus and is marked with a vajra.

She is Aparājitā and Mālā.

“She is the alluring
Vajratuṇḍī.

Worshiped by the peaceful gods,

Of gentle appearance and bright white,

She is the blazing Pāṇḍaravāsinī.

“She is noble Tārā, greatly powerful.

Deathless,
she is Vajraśṛṅkhalā.

She is Vajrakaumārī, scion of her family,

And the vajra-vidyā Kāñcanamālikā with vajra in hand.

“She is Kusumbharatnā,

The light of Vairocana’s family.

She is the uṣṇīṣa of the tathāgata family,

Vijṛmbhamānikā, and Vajrā.

“She is Locanā, who shines like gold.

She is Vajratuṇḍī,

Śvetā and Kamalākṣī,

And the glorious Buddhalocanā.

“Likewise she is Vajraprabhā and Candrā,

And so too is she Vajradharā,

Vajramālā, the goddess Mahāmāyā,

And Kanakaprabhā.

“She is Sulocanā, Śvetā,

And The One with Lotus Eyes.

She is tamed, her mind at peace.

She knows the innate qualities and shines like the moon.

“May this host of great mudrās with their hordes of mātṛs please protect me,
my community, and all beings!

oṁ ṛṣigaṇapraśaste
sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | jambhani hūṁ drūṃ
hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | stambhani hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | mohanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ
ṣṭoṃ | parividyāsambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ |
sarvavidyācchedanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvaduṣṭānāṃ stambhanakarī
hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇām vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ
hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | caturāśītīnāṃ grahasahasrāṇām vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ
ṣṭoṃ | aṣṭāviṃsatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | aṣṭānāṃ
mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | rakṣa rakṣa māṃ
sarvasattvāṃś ca |

“Blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas,
Vajroṣṇīṣā, great averting goddess, great goddess with a thousand arms,
great goddess with a thousand heads, great goddess with a trillion eyes and
indestructible blazing features, great exalted vajra goddess who rules over the maṇḍala of the
three realms of existence!

“Oṁ! Grant
auspiciousness to me and all beings in the face of danger from rulers, thieves, fire, water,
poison, weapons, enemies, opposing armies, famines, foes, thunderbolts,
untimely death, earthquakes, falling meteors, legal punishments, ferocious
beasts, nāgas, lightning, scorching sand, suparṇas, and all epidemics,
calamities, infectious diseases, and mental disturbances.

“Grant auspiciousness in the face of danger from grahas and from grahas who are devas, nāgas, yakṣas,
rākṣasas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, maruts, kinnaras, mahoragas, human
and nonhuman beings, bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, kumbhāṇḍas,
pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, unmādas, chāyās, apasmāras,
ostārakas, ḍākinīs, kaṭavāsinīs, revatīs, kaṇṭakamālinīs, kaṭakamālinīs, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, lambikās,
ḍākinīs, kaṭaḍākinīs, and kaṭaṅkaṭamālinīs, as well as all kinds of grahas.

“Grant auspiciousness in the face of danger from grahas who steal
vitality, consume fetuses, drink blood, and consume fat, flesh, grease, and
marrow; who consume newborns and steal life; who consume oblations,
garlands, fragrances, flowers, incense, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings;
who consume pus, feces, urine, saliva, snot, mucus, vomit,
chewed food, and filth; who drink sewage; and who steal possessions and
capture people’s minds.

“I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra all these dangers and
all the spells of grahas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
mendicants!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of ḍākas
and ḍākinīs!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Brahmā!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of Śakra!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Nārāyaṇa!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Mahāpaśupati and Rudra!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Mahākāla!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the
hordes of mātṛs!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
kāpālikas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the
śabaras!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the
pukkasas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the
ulkāmukhas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Vajrakaumārī!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Yamāri!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of Yama’s
henchmen!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of cruel
nāgas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of fire
rites!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
vināyakas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Kumāra!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the Four
Great Kings!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the Four
Bhaginīs!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the true
garuḍa!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Jayakara, Madhukara, and Siddhikarasarvārthasādhana!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Bhṛṅgiriṭi, Nandikeśvara, Kārttikeya, Candra, and Sūrya, along with
Gaṇapati!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of naked
ascetics!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
arhats!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Avalokiteśvara!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of those
devoid of passion!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
Vajrapāṇi, lord of the guhyakas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells used in
various contexts!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells used by the
one who made it!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of
shaven-headed ascetics!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of dūtas,
dūtīs, ceṭas, and ceṭīs!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of all
sublime ṛṣis!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of the
hosts of devas!

I split with the sword and pin down with the vajra the spells of those
who wish to do harm!

“We pay homage to you, Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas and
honored by all buddhas and bodhisattvas. Shining like fire and the sun, you
are white and broad.

oṁ jvala jvala | dhaka
dhaka | khāda khāda | dara dara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda
bhinda | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | sarvaduṣṭān hūṁ drūṃ |
sarvadurlaṅghitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaduśchāyebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvadurlikhitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadigbhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadurbhuktebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvadūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāvadhūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaduṣkṛtebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvaduḥprekṣitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvajvarebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvāpasmārebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvostārekebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaḍākinībhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvarevatībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṭavāsinībhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvajāmakebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvaśakunībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamātṛnandikebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvagarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaviṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayogebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvālaṃbakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhayebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvopadravebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvopasargopāyasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvottrāsebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarva vyādhibhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvaśramaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagrahebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvatīrthikebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapratyarthikebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapātakebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvonmādebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvacchayebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvavidyādharebhyaḥ phaṭ |
jayakaramadhukarasiddhikarasarvārthasādhakebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvavidyācāryebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvavidyārājebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvasādhakebhyo
vidyācāryebhyaḥ phaṭ | caturbhyo bhaginībhyaḥ phaṭ | vajrakaumārīye
vidyārājñīye phaṭ | sarvavighnavināyakānāṃ phaṭ | varadāya
phaṭ | paravidrāvaṇakarāya phaṭ | sarvāsurebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagaruḍebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvamahoragebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamanuṣyāmanuṣyebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvamarutebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapisācebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya mahāpratyaṅgirābhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvopasargebhyaḥ phaṭ | mahāpratyaṅgirebhyaḥ phaṭ | chinda chinda
phaṭ | bhinda bhinda phaṭ | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā | he he phaṭ | ho ho
phaṭ | amoghāya phaṭ | apratihatāya phaṭ | varapradāya phaṭ |
asuravidrāvaṇakarāya phaṭ | sarvadevebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvanāgebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvayakṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvarākṣasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagandharvebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvakinnarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapretebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhūtebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvakaṭapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaskandebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvonmādabhyaḥ
phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya mahāpratyaṅgirārājāya phaṭ | kālāya phaṭ |
mahākālāya phaṭ | mātṛgaṇāya phaṭ | mahāmātṛgaṇanamaskṛtāya phaṭ |
vaiṣṇavīye phaṭ | māheśvarīye phaṭ | brahmaṇīye phaṭ | agnīye phaṭ |
mahākālīye phaṭ | kāladaṇḍiye phaṭ | aindrīye phaṭ | raudrīye phaṭ |
cāmuṇḍīye phaṭ | vārāhīye phaṭ | mahāvārāhīye phaṭ | rātrīye phaṭ |
kālarātrīye phaṭ | yamadaṇḍīye phaṭ | kāpālīye phaṭ | mahākāpālīye
phaṭ | kaumārīye phaṭ | yāmīye phaṭ | vāyave phaṭ | kauberāye phaṭ |
nairṛtīye phaṭ | vāruṇīye phaṭ | mārutīye phaṭ | mahāmārutīye phaṭ |
saumyāye phaṭ | aiśānīye phaṭ | pukkasīye phaṭ | atharvaṇīye phaṭ |
śabarīye phaṭ | kṛṣṇaśabarīye phaṭ | yamadūtīye phaṭ | niśīdivācarebhyaḥ
phaṭ | trisandhyācarebhyaḥ phaṭ | dharaṇiye phaṭ |
adhimuktikakāśmīramahāśmaśānavāsinīye phaṭ | itibhyaḥ |
sarvabhayebhyaḥ | sarvadoṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | oṁ hūṁ sṭoṃ bhandha bhandha
sarvaduṣṭān rakṣa rakṣa māṃ sarvasatvāṃśca svāhā |

“Please protect me, my community, and all beings from all those who
are wicked and harbor wicked intentions, who are dangerous and harbor
dangerous intentions, who are evil and harbor evil intentions, who are angry
or harbor angry intentions, and who are aggressive or harbor
aggressive intentions! May we live a hundred years! May we see a hundred
autumns!

“For me, my community, and all beings please dispel all grahas and
those who would cause harm, including
grahas who are yakṣas and those who steal vitality, consume fetuses, and
drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal
life; who consume oblations, garlands, fragrances, flowers, incense, fruits,
grains, and burnt offerings; who steal possessions and capture people’s
minds; who consume pus, feces, urine, saliva, snot, mucus, vomit, chewed
food, and filth and drink sewage; and who harbor evil minds, hostile minds,
and vicious intentions!

“Dispel grahas who are devas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas,
asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans,
maruts, pretas, piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas,
skandas, unmādas, chāyās, apasmāras, ostārakas, ḍākinīs,
revatīs, samikās, kaṇṭakamālinīs, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, pot-like beings,
lambikās, kaṭaḍākinīs, and kaṭaṅkaṭamālinīs, as well as all kinds of
grahas!

“For me, my community, and all sentient beings please dispel all
fevers that last one day, two days, three days, four days, seven days, half
a month, or a month; those that occur daily or twice daily or that are momentary,
chronic, or irregular; those that are caused by bhūtas, pretas, piśācas,
humans, or nonhuman beings; and those that are continuous or that arise from
disturbances of wind, bile, phlegm, or their combination. Dispel all
illnesses of the brain!

“For me, my community, and all sentient beings please dispel
splitting headaches; loss of appetite; illnesses of the eyes, nose, mouth,
throat, or heart; laryngitis; and pain in the ears, teeth, chest, heart,
joints, sides, back, stomach, hips, pelvis, anus, vagina, vulva,
thigh, calves, hands, feet, and all the major and minor appendages!

“For me, my community, and all sentient beings please dispel all
bhūtas, pretas, vetālas, ḍākinīs; fevers, skin disease, jaundice, itching,
pruritus, leprosy, boils, skin irritations, spleen diseases, fistulas, cutaneous infections,
scabies, erysipelas, blood boils, emaciation, labored breathing, anxiety,
coughs, and fainting; poisonous brews, mineral poisons, poisonous compounds,
venoms, and kākhordas; fire, water, pestilence, māras,
quarrels, disputes, adversities, and untimely death; and tryambuka flies,
tralāṭa flies, scorpions, snakes, mongooses, lions, tigers, bears, jackals,
wild yaks, makaras, wolves, thieves, and all other dangers to life!

“With the power of the great averting spell of the vajra uṣṇīṣa
Sitātapatrā I bind spells within twelve yojanas or within five hundred
yojanas. I bind their energy. I bind all spells. I bind all
opposing spells. I demarcate the boundary. I bind the
earth. I bind the ten directions. I bind the sky. I paralyze opposing
armies.

tadyathā | oṁ anale anale |
acale acale | khakhame khakhame  | viṣade viṣade  | vīre vīre | vaira vaira | saumye saumye |
śānte śānte | dānte dānte | vajradhara bandha bandhani vajrapāṇi phaṭ |
oṁ hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | oṁ vajrapāṇi bandha bandhe
vajrapāśena sarvaduṣṭavighnavināyakān hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ | hūṁ drūṃ
bandha phaṭ | rakṣa rakṣa māṃ sarvasatvāṃśca svāhā |

“Whoever writes this invincible queen of spells for averting named
Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas
on birch bark, cloth, or tree bark and wears it on their body or around
their neck or reads it will not be harmed by poison, weapons, fevers,
disease, punishments, fire, water, kṛtyā rites, poisonous brews, poisonous
compounds, or kākhordas for as long as they live, nor will they meet an
untimely death. They will become dear to and delight all grahas, vighnas,
and vināyakas. They will recall their rebirths of the past eight trillion
four hundred million eons. Eighty-four billion vidyā deities of the vajra
family will always and perpetually guard, protect, and defend them. The
eighty-four vajra dūtīs and kiṅkaras will always defend them, hold them to
be dear, and delight in them. They will never become yakṣas, rākṣasas,
bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, pūtanas, or kaṭapūtanas, nor will they ever be
poor. They will gain a quantity of merit equal to that of the blessed
buddhas, who are as innumerable and limitless as grains of sand in the river
Ganges.

“If one keeps this invincible queen of spells for averting named
Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas,
one will become chaste if one was not chaste. Those who did
not observe silence will observe silence. The impure
will become pure. Those who did not practice abstinence will practice
abstinence. Even those who committed the five acts with immediate
retribution will see their evil entirely purified. All the obscurations
resulting from their past actions will be exhausted without exception.

“If a woman who wishes to have a child keeps this invincible queen
of spells for averting named Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of
all tathāgatas, she will gain a child. The child will have a
long life and possess merit and strength. After they pass away, they will
take birth in Sukhāvatī, where they will be free of desire, aversion,
delusion, pride, and vanity.

“Those who are threatened by diseases that affect humans, cattle, or livestock or
by epidemics, calamities, infectious diseases, mental disturbances, and the
approach of opposing armies should affix this invincible queen of spells for
averting named the blessed, undefeated, perfectly awakened
Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas
to the top of a banner and worship it
extensively with great offerings. The banner should then be
planted at the gateway to any city or at a monastery, village, city, realm, market town, charnel ground, mountain, or wilderness
residence. As soon as this invincible queen of spells for averting has been
worshiped and planted, war will be pacified, as will calamities, violence,
harm, epidemics, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies.
Ananta, Śaṅkhapāla, Mahākṛṣṇa, Nanda and Upananda, and all
the other nāga kings will send timely rain, lightning, and peals of thunder.
All illness and calamities will be completely pacified.

oṁ hūṁ ṣṭoṃ bandha bandha
sarvaduṣṭān rakṣa mama saparivārasya sarvasattvāṃśca svāhā | oṁ hūṁ ṣṭoṃ
bandha bandha sarvaduṣṭān rakṣa rakṣa mama saparivārasya sarvasattvāṃśca
vajrapāṇe hūṁ
phaṭ svāhā | oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇiṣa avalokite mūrdhani tejorāśi | oṁ
jvala jvala | khāda khāda | dhaka dhaka | dara dara | vidara vidara |
chinda chinda | bhindi bhinda | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ rakṣa rakṣa mama
saparivārasya sarvasattvāṃśca svāhā | oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre
hūṁ phaṭ svāhā | hūṁ hūṁ rakṣa rakṣa mama saparivārasya sarvasattvāṃśca
hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | acale acale | khasame
khasame | vīre vīre | vaira vaira | saumye saumye |
sarvabuddhādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre
sarvaduṣṭacittān hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||

“When facing any calamity this
should be recited three times in connection with the Buddha.”

After the Blessed One spoke these words, all buddhas and the
bodhisattvas, together with the world of devas humans, asuras, garuḍas,
kinnaras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed
One.

Thus concludes the noble invincible great queen of spells for
averting called “Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of
All Tathāgatas.”

Notes

Sanskrit Sigla

CL1326

Cambridge Library Ms. Add. 1326

Dh33

Samten and Pandey, ed., Dhīḥ vol. 33

KT728

Bailey, ed., Khotanese
Texts vol. 5, no. 728

RASH
77

Royal Asiatic Society Hodgson Ms.
77

UTM
441-01

University of Tokyo Library Ms. 441-01

Tibetan Sigla

Bibliography

Sanskrit Sources

Tibetan Sources

Secondary Sources

pot-like beings

bum pa lta bu
བུམ་པ་ལྟ་བུ།

eight types of untimely death

three realms of existence

sa gsum
ས་གསུམ།

Tri Songdetsen

Vajraprabhā
vajraprabhā

Candrā
candrā

The One with Lotus Eyes

Zu Gawé Dorjé

gzu dga’ rdor
གཟུ་དགའ་རྡོར།

Amṛtabhavana Monastery

ten royal sūtras