Toh 592The Noble Dhāraṇī “The Invincible Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata”

Summary

This text presents a dhāraṇī featuring the female deity Sitātapatrā (White Umbrella Goddess) that provides a magical means
to avert a litany of dangers, illness, and threats. 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 Dhāraṇī “The Invincible Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata” (Toh
592) 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 592 is the shortest of the four canonical
translations and may be the earliest of the four versions translated into Tibetan, thus representing a relatively early stage
in the spell’s evolution in the Indic Buddhist tradition.

Toh 592 is unique among the four canonical translations of the Sitātapatrā texts for omitting the scriptural
introduction (nidāna; gleng
gzhi) that sets the stage for Śākyamuni’s revelation of the deity and her spell. In the three other
versions, 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, Buddhists and non-Buddhists 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 derived from 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.
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), 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

above) also refers to this translation as the “condensed version” (bsdus pa) of the Sitātapatrā spell.

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 Invincible Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata

“Homage to the Three Jewels!

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

“Homage to the Buddha.

Homage to the Dharma.

Homage to the Saṅgha.

Homage to the seventy million completely perfect buddhas 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 who have the power to cast curses and 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 lotus family.

Homage to the vajra family.

Homage to the jewel family.

Homage to the elephant family.

Homage to the youthful family.

Homage to 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 spell for averting named the invincible
blessed Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata annihilates all bhūtas who are grahas; disrupts all
opposing spells; averts untimely death; frees beings from all that binds them; averts all malice, nightmares, and bad omens;
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; and frees beings from poison, weapons, fire, and water.

“She is invincible and greatly terrifying,

Intensely fierce and greatly powerful.

She blazes brightly, is rich in splendor,

And is bright white and greatly powerful.

She is 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 destroyer who bears a vajra staff,

Worshiped by the peaceful gods,

And of gentle appearance and rich in splendor.

She is noble Tārā, greatly powerful.

“She is Vajraśṛṅkhalā and Aparā

And Vajrakaumārī, scion of her family.

She is the vidyā Kāñcanamālikā with vajra in hand,

Kusumbharatnā, and Vairocanā, and she is renowned as Vajroṣṇīṣā.

“She is Vijṛmbhamānikā and Vajrā

And Locanā, whose eyes shine like gold.

She is Vajratuṇḍī and Śvetā,

Kamalākṣī, and Śaśiprabhā.

“May this entire host of mudrās protect me, please protect
me!

oṁ ṛṣigaṇapraśastāya sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṁ | jambhanakarī
hūṁ drūṁ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | mahāvidyāsambhakṣanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | paravidyāsambhakṣanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | sarvaduṣṭān stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ |
sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | caturaśitīnāṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ |
aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | aṣṭānāṃ mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | rakṣa rakṣa mām |

“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 realms of existence, protect me completely! Please protect
me!

“Oṁ, grant me 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,
devas, nāgas, lightning, suparṇas, and ferocious beasts.

“Grant me auspiciousness in the face of grahas who are devas, nāgas, asuras, maruts, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas,
piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, apasmāras, unmādas, chāyās, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, and revatīs! Grant me auspiciousness in the face of all
these grahas!

“Grant me auspiciousness in the face of those who steal vitality and consume fetuses; who drink blood; who consume
fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, filth, and urine; who drink sewage and consume
leftovers; who drink saliva and consume snot, mucus, pus, oblations, 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 and all 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 Mahāpaśupati!

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 and 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 arhats!

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

I cut and pin down the spells of Vajrapāṇi, lord of the guhyakas!

“Homage to you, blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata! Protect me, please protect me!

oṁ asitānalārkaprabhāsphuṭavikasitasitātapatre  | jvala jvala | khāda khāda | dara dara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda |
hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | he he phaṭ | ho ho phaṭ | amoghe phaṭ | apratihatāya phaṭ | varapradāya phaṭ | pratyaṅgiritāya phaṭ | asuravidrāvakarāya phaṭ | sarvadevebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvanāgebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāsurebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamarutebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagaruḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagandharvebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvakinnarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamahoragebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayakṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvarākṣasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapretebhyaḥ
phaṭ | sarvapiśācebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvakaṭapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaskandebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvonmādebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvachāyebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāpasmārebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvostārakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadurlaṅghitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarva duḥprekṣitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvajvarebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvakṛtyakarmaṇakākhordebhyaḥ phaṭ | kiraṇavaitāḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | cichapreṣakaduścharditebhyaḥ phaṭ | durbhuktebhyaḥ phaṭ |
sarvatīrthakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśramaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvavidyādharebhyaḥ phaṭ | jayakaramadhukarasarvārthasādhakebhyo
vidyācārebhyaḥ phaṭ | caturbhyo bhaginībhyaḥ phaṭ | vajrakaumārīyebho phaṭ | vidyārajñīyebhyaḥ phaṭ | mahāpratyaṅgirebhyaḥ phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya pratyaṅgirarājāya
phaṭ | mahākālāya mātṛgaṇanamaskṛtāya phaṭ | viṣṇāvīye phaṭ | brahmaṇīye phaṭ | agnīye phaṭ | mahākālīye phaṭ |
kāladaṇḍīye phaṭ | indrīye phaṭ | raudrīye phaṭ | kaumārīye phaṭ | vārāhīye phaṭ | cāmuṇḍīye phaṭ | rātrīye phaṭ |
kālarātrīye phaṭ | yamadaṇḍīye phaṭ | kapālīye phaṭ | adhimuktiśmaśānavāsinīye phaṭ |

“Dispel all beings who harbor malicious and dangerous intentions toward me; who steal vitality; who consume fetuses;
who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, filth, and urine;
who drink sewage and consume leftovers; who drink saliva; who consume snot, mucus, pus, oblations, garlands, fragrances, and
incense; who capture people’s minds; who consume flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings; and who harbor evil, malicious,
or dangerous intentions.

“Dispel all fevers that last one day, two days, three days, four days, or seven days; those that are chronic,
irregular, or intermittent; and those that are caused by bhūtas or arise from
disturbances in the wind, bile, phlegm, or their combination. Dispel all infectious diseases and 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, brain, neck, ribs, back, stomach, hips,
pelvis, thighs, calves, hands, feet, and all the major and minor appendages!

“May this great averting spell of the vajra uṣṇīṣa Sitātapatrā bind the spells of everything within twelve yojanas, including all bhūtas, vetālas, ḍākinīs, fevers, skin disease,
itching, pruritus, leprosy, boils, skin irritations,
erysipelas, scabies, blood boils, emaciation,
anxiety, poisonous brews, poisonous compounds, kākhordas, fire, water, pestilence, enemies, harm, untimely death, tryambuka
flies, tralāṭa flies, scorpions, snakes, mongooses, lions, tigers, bears, jackals, makaras, and other life-threatening creatures such as bees. May it bind their energy!
May it bind all opposing spells!

tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | viṣade viṣade  | vaire vaire | vajradhari | bandha bandhani |
vajrapāṇi phaṭ | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | hūṁ drūṁ bandha phaṭ mama rakṣa rakṣa svāhā ||

“Whoever writes this great, invincible spell 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 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 members of the vajra family will
guard, protect, and defend them, hold them dear, and delight in them. They will recall their rebirths of the past eighty-four
thousand great eons. They will never become yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, 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.

“If one keeps this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the
Tathāgata, one will become chaste, even 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. Those who did not fast will observe fasts. Even those who have committed the five acts with
immediate retribution will see their evil 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 great, invincible spell, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa
of the Tathāgata, 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 the realm of Sukhāvatī.

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

tadyathā | oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha mama rāḳsa rāḳsa svāhā || oṁ hūṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha
bandha vajra mama rāḳsa rāḳsa vajrapāṇi hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣānavalokite mūrdhani tejorāśi || oṁ hūṁ
jvala jvala | dhaka dhaka | dara dara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā  || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa hūṁ phaṭ svāhā ||
tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | khasame khasame | vaire vaire | saumye saumye | sarvabuddhādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ phaṭ | hūṁ
mama hūṁ ni svāhā ||

“This should be done in connection with the Buddha. The nāga kings will send timely rain.”

Thus concludes the noble dhāraṇī “The Invincible Sitātapatrā Born from the Uṣṇīṣa of the
Tathāgata.”

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

D
Degé Kangyur

S
Stok Palace Kangyur

Bibliography

Sanskrit Sources

Tibetan Sources

Secondary Sources

three realms of existence

sa gsum
ས་གསུམ།

Tri Songdetsen

khri srong lde btsan
ཁྲི་སྲོང་ལྡེ་བཙན།

Zu Gawé Dorjé

gzu dga’ ba’i rdo rje
གཟུ་དགའ་བའི་རྡོ་རྗེ།

Amṛtabhavana Monastery

bdud rtsi ’byung gnas kyi gtsug lag khang
བདུད་རྩི་འབྱུང་གནས་ཀྱི་གཙུག་ལག་ཁང་།

ten royal sūtras

rgyal po mdo bcu
རྒྱལ་པོ་མདོ་བཅུ།