Toh 591The Noble Dhāraṇī “The Supreme Accomplishment of Invincible Averting, Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata”

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 a spell formula 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 Supreme Accomplishment of Invincible
Averting, Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata (Toh
591) 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
591 presents a unique arrangement of the core material that is not attested
the other Sanskrit and Tibetan sources consulted.

Three of the four canonical translations of the Sitātapatrā texts,
including Toh 591, 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 of the most renowned female
deities of the Buddhist tradition. Most of the teaching 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.

Toh
590, The Noble Invincible Great Queen of
Spells for Averting Called “Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of All
Tathāgatas” (Āryasarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatrānāmāparājitapratyaṅgirāmahāvidyārājñī;
’phags pa de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi
gtsug tor nas byung ba gdugs dkar po can zhes bya ba gzhan gyis mi thub
ma phyir zlog pa’i rig sngags kyi rgyal mo chen mo), the longest
of the four and most closely aligned with the more recent Sanskrit
witnesses, lacks a translator’s colophon, so 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, but 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. Its 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), the
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 Dhāraṇī

The Supreme Accomplishment of Invincible Averting,

Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata

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:

“Homage to the Buddha.

Homage to the Dharma.

Homage to the Saṅgha.

Homage to the seventy million completely perfect buddhas.

Homage to the assembly of bodhisattvas and the assembly of śrāvakas.

Homage to Maitreya and all the other bodhisattva great beings.

“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 who cast curses.

Homage to ṛṣis who have attained the state of a vidyādhara and have the
power to benefit.

Homage to the accomplished vidyādharas.

“Homage to Brahmā.

Homage to Indra.

Homage to the blessed Rudra along
with Umāpati.

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

Homage to the blessed Mahākāla, destroyer of Tripura, who prefers to
reside in a charnel ground 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 elephant family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the youthful family.

Homage to the Blessed One of the nāga 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
Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja.

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

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

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
Vikasitanetrotpalagandhaketurāja.

“After paying homage to these blessed ones, this
great invincible spell for averting, the blessed Sitātapatrā born
from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, annihilates all bhūtas who
are grahas; disrupts all opposing spells; averts all forms of untimely
death; frees beings from all that would kill or bind them; averts all
malice, nightmares, and bad omens; destroys all yakṣas and rākṣasas who are
grahas; destroys the eighty-four thousand types of grahas; appeases the
twenty-eight lunar mansions; destroys the eight great celestial bodies;
averts all enemies; destroys all violence, malice, and nightmares; averts
poison, weapons, fire, and water; and liberates from all fear of the lower
realms.

“She is invincible and greatly terrifying,

Intensely fierce and greatly powerful.

She blazes brightly and is rich in splendor;

She is bright white Pāṇḍaravāsinī, wreathed in flame.

“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.

She is the peaceful Kāñcanamālikā,

And the bright white and blazing Pāṇḍaravāsinī.

“She is noble Tārā, greatly powerful,

Vajraśṛṅkhalā and Aparā,

Vajrakaumārī, scion of her family,

And the vidyā Kāñcanamālikā with vajra in hand.

“She is Kusumbharatnā and Vairocanā

And the one renowned as Vajroṣṇīṣā.

“May this entire host of mudrās and mantra deities protect me, my community, and all beings!

oṁ
sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | jambhanakarī hūṁ
drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | mohanakarī hūṁ drūṃ
hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | bandhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ
hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | paraviṣabhakṣakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭān
stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ
vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvaparavidyācchedanakarī hūṁ drūṃ
hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | caturaśītināṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ
ṣṭoṃ | aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ 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 the Tathāgata,
Vajroṣṇīṣā, great averting goddess, great goddess with a thousand arms,
great goddess with a thousand heads, great goddess with a trillion eyes,
indestructible goddess with blazing features, great exalted vajra goddess,
grant auspiciousness for me and all beings within the maṇḍala of the three
realms of existence!

“She is Vijṛmbhamānikā and Vajrā,

Vajratuṇḍī and Locanā, whose eyes shine like gold.

She is Śvetā, Kamalākṣī, and Śaśiprabhā.

Likewise she is the glorious Buddhalocanā,

Vajrā and Sūryaprabhā,

And so too Candrā and Vajradharā.

“May this entire host vidyās, mudrās, and mantra deities completely
protect me and all beings!

oṁ ṛṣigaṇapraśaste sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ
drūṃ | jambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ |
mahāvidyāstambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ | paravidyāsambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ |
sarvaduṣṭānāṃ stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ
vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | caturaśitīnāṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī
hūṁ drūṃ | aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṃ |
aṣṭānām mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ rakṣa
rakṣa māṃ svāhā |

“Blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata,
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 planes of existence, please protect us all!

“Grant auspiciousness in the face of dangers from rulers, thieves, fire, water,
poison, weapons, opposing armies, famines, enemies, thunderbolts, untimely
death, earthquakes, falling meteors, royal punishment, rituals, nāgas, lightning, suparṇas, and ferocious beasts.

“Grant auspiciousness in the face of the influence of grahas who
devas, nāgas, asuras, maruts,
garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas,
bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, apasmāras, unmādas,
chāyās, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, revatīs, yāmakas, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, and kaṇṭakamālinīs!

“Protect me from those who consume vitality and fetuses; who drink
blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life;
who consume vomit, feces, and urine; who drink sewage and devour leftovers;
who drink saliva and consume snot, mucus, filth, oblations, flower garlands,
fragrances, and incense; who capture people’s minds; and who consume
flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings!

“I cut and pin down the spells of all these grahas!

I cut and pin down the spells of mendicants!

I cut and pin down the spells of ḍākas and ḍākinīs!

I cut and pin down the spells of Brahmā!

I cut and pin down the spells of Maheśvara!

I cut and pin down the spells of Nārāyaṇa!

I cut and pin down the spells cast together with the true garuḍa!

I cut and pin down the spells of Mahākāla!

I cut and pin down the spells of the hordes of mātṛs!

I cut and pin down the spells of kāpālikas!

I cut and pin down the spells of Jayakara, Madhukara, and
Sarvārthasiddhi!

I cut and pin down the spells of the Four Bhaginīs!

I cut and pin down the spells of Bhṛṅgiriṭi and Nandikeśvara along with
Gaṇapati!

I cut and pin down the spells of naked ascetics!

I cut and pin down the spells of shaven-headed ascetics!

I cut and pin down the spells of arhats!

I cut and pin down the spells of those devoid of passion!

I cut and pin down the spells of Lokeśvara and his retinue!

I cut and pin down the spells of Vajrapāṇi and his retinue!

I cut and pin down the spells of dūtas, dūtīs, ceṭas, and ceṭīs!

I cut and pin down the spells of all the hosts of ṛṣis!

I cut and pin down the spells of the hosts of devas!

I cut and pin down the spells of the hordes of those who wish to do
harm!

“Homage to the blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the
Tathāgata, who is worshiped by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas! Protect me,
please protect me!

oṁ
asitānalārkaprabhāsphuṭavikasitasitātapatre  | oṁ
jvala jvala khāda khāda hana hana dara dara vidara vidara chinda chinda
bhinda bhinda bandha bandha hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

“This is the essence mantra.

he he phaṭ | ho ho phaṭ |
amoghāya phaṭ | apratihatāya phaṭ | varadāya phaṭ | varapradāya phaṭ |
pratyaṅgiritāya phaṭ | asuravidrāvaṇakarāya phaṭ | paravidrāvaṇakarāya
phaṭ | sarvadevebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvanāgebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayakṣebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvarākṣasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapretebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvapiśācebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṭapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaskandebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvonmādebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvachāyebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāpasmārebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvostārakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaḍākinībhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvarevatībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayāmakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśakunibhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvamātṛgaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakambukāminībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvālaṃbakebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvakaṭaṭanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṇḍebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvagandharvebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāsurebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvakinnarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagaruḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamahoragebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvadurlaṅghitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarva duḥprekṣitebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvajvarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhayebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvopadravebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvopasargebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakṛtyakarmaṇakākhordebhyaḥ phaṭ |
kiraṇavaitāḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | cichapreṣakasarvaduścharditebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvadurbhuktebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvatīrthakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśramaṇebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvapātakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvavidyādharebhyaḥ phaṭ |
jayakaramadhukarasiddhikarasarvārthasādhakebhyo vidyācāryebhyaḥ phaṭ |
caturbhyo bhaginībhyaḥ phaṭ | vajrakaumārīye kulandharividyācaryebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvamahāpratyaṅgirebhyaḥ phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya
pratyaṅgirarājāya phaṭ | mahākālāya mātṛgaṇanamaskṛtīye phaṭ |
brahmāṇīye phaṭ | vaiṣṇāvīye phaṭ | maheśvarīye phaṭ | raudrīye phaṭ |
mahākālīye phaṭ | cāmuṇḍīye phaṭ | kaumārīye phaṭ | vārāhīye phaṭ |
indrāye phaṭ | agniye phaṭ | yamāye phaṭ | nairṛitīye phaṭ | varuṇāye
phaṭ | mārutīye phaṭ | somaye phaṭ | aiśānīye phaṭ | kāladaṇḍīye phaṭ |
kālarātriye phaṭ | yamadaṇḍīye phaṭ | yamarātrīye phaṭ | kapālīye phaṭ |
adhimuktiśmaśānavāsinīye phaṭ | oṁ ṣṭoṃ bandha bandha rakṣa rakṣa māṃ
svāhā |

“Please protect me and all beings so that all those who are harmful
and harbor harmful intentions toward me, who are dangerous and harbor
dangerous intentions, who are evil and harbor evil intentions, who are angry
and harbor angry intentions, and who are malicious and harbor malicious
intentions develop a loving mindset. May we live a hundred years! May we see a
hundred autumns!

“Protect me from yakṣas and grahas who steal vitality, energy, and
fetuses; who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and
newborns; who steal life; who consume leftovers, oblations, garlands,
fragrances, incense, flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings; who
consume pus and feces; who drink urine and saliva; who consume vomit, snot,
mucus, and filth; and who drink sewage; and from beings who harbor evil,
harmful, dangerous, angry, or malicious intentions.

“Protect us from grahas who are devas, nāgas, asuras, yakṣas,
rākṣasas, bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas,
skandas, unmādas, chāyās, apasmāras, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, revatīs,
yāmakas, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, kaṭakamālinīs, and
kaṇṭakamālinīs! May we live a hundred years! May we see a hundred
autumns!

“Dispel all fevers that last one day, two days, three days, four
days, or seven days; those that are chronic or irregular; those that are caused
by bhūtas; and those that arise from disturbances in the wind, bile, phlegm,
or their combination. Dispel all illnesses of the brain!

“Dispel splitting headaches;
loss of appetite; illnesses of the eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and heart;
laryngitis; and pain in the ears, teeth, heart, joints, sides, back,
stomach, hips, pelvis,
thighs, calves, hands, feet, and all the major and minor appendages!

“May the great averting spell of the vajra uṣṇīṣa Sitātapatrā dispel
everything within twelve yojanas, including all bhūtas, vetālas, ḍākinīs,
yakṣas, rākṣasas, fevers, skin disease, itching, pruritus, fistulas,
leprosy, boils, skin irritations, erysipelas, scabies, blood boils,
emaciation, anxiety, coughs, labored breathing, memory loss, poisonous
brews, poisonous compounds, kākhordas, fire, water, pestilence,
māras, imprisonment, enemies, the wilderness, untimely
death, tryambuka flies, tralāṭa flies, scorpions, snakes, mongooses, lions,
tigers, bears, jackals, wild yaks, makaras, and other creatures.

“I bind all their spells. I bind their energy. I bind the spells of
all opponents. I demarcate the boundary.

tadyathā | oṁ anale anale |
khasame khasame  | vīre vīre | saumye saumye | śānte śānte |
dānte dānte | viṣade viṣade  | vaire vaire | devi vajradhari | bandha
bandhani | vajrapāṇi phaṭ | oṁ hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ phaṭ svāhā | oṁ
vajrapāṇi bandha bandha
vajrapāśena sarvaduṣṭavighnān vinyāyakān hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

“This is the subsidiary essence mantra.

“Whoever writes this invincible queen of spells for averting,
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, fire, water,
poisonous brews, poisonous compounds, or kākhordas for as long as they live,
nor will they meet an untimely death. They will become dear to all grahas,
vighnas, and vināyakas. The eighty-four billion goddesses of the vajra
family and the accomplished goddesses will always and perpetually guard,
protect, and defend them. They will become dear to and delight those
goddesses. They will recall their rebirths of the past eighty-four thousand
great eons. The sixty-four vajra dūtīs will also always constantly follow
and defend them. They will never become yakṣas, rākṣasas,
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 as
innumerable and limitless as the grains of sand in the river Ganges. Blessed
buddhas and bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in the river
Ganges will always guard, protect, and defend them, and they will please and
gladden those buddhas and bodhisattvas.

“If one keeps this queen of spells for averting called the
invincible 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 be purified. All the obscurations resulting from their past
actions will be exhausted without exception.

“If a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to have a child
keeps or recites this queen of spells for averting, Sitātapatrā
born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, they 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 the realm of Sukhāvatī.

“Those who are threatened by diseases that affect
humans or livestock or by calamities, violence, harm, epidemics, mental
disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies should affix this
invincible queen of spells for averting called Sitātapatrā born
from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas to the top of a banner and
worship it with great offerings. The banner should then be planted at the
gateway to any city or in a town, city, market town,
country, or monastery. This noble, invincible, great queen of
spells for averting should be worshiped and planted. As soon as it has been
planted, war will be pacified, as will calamities, violence, harm,
epidemics, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies.

tadyathā | oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha
bandha mama rakṣa rakṣa svāhā || oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha vajra mama rakṣa
rakṣa vajrapāṇi hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣānale avalokite
curṇa tejorāśi || oṁ jvala jvala | dhaka dhaka | dhara dhara  | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda hūṁ
hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
tadyathā | oṃ anale anale | khasame khasame | vaire vaire | saumye
saumye | sarvabuddhādiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ
phaṭ | hūṁ mama hūṁ ni hūṁ svāhā ||

“The nāga kings Ananta, Śaṅkhapāla, and Mahākṛṣṇa will send timely
rain, clouds, and peals of thunder. When facing any calamity, this should be
recited three times in connection with the Buddha.”

The buddhas and bodhisattvas, together with the whole world of
devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the
Blessed One.

Colophon

This translation was finalized after consulting an old manuscript
from the Amṛtabhavana monastery in Kashmir by the paṇḍita Parahitabhadra and
the lotsāwa Zu Gador.

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

Other Sources

three realms of existence

sa gsum
ས་གསུམ།

Tri Songdetsen

Zu Gador
Zu Gawé Dorjé

gzu dga’ rdor
གཟུ་དགའ་རྡོར།

Amṛtabhavana Monastery

ten royal sūtras