Toh 2283Virūpa’s Verses on the Eight-Four Mahāsiddhas

An Explanation of Virūpa’s Verses on the Eighty-Four Great Adepts

Background

Virūpa was a renowned mahāsiddha (great accomplished adept) in the Northern Tibetan Buddhist tradition who lived in the tenth century. He was a disciple of Naropa and the founder of the Lamdré (Lam ’bras)—“Path and Fruit”—tradition, a comprehensive system of practice combining foundational teachings and tantra.

These verses are preserved in the Tengyur (Bstan ’gyur), the treasury of treatises and commentaries by Indian Buddhist masters in which precious tantric instructions are preserved. Virūpa composed these verses to honor the eighty-four mahāsiddhas—uniquely accomplished beings in the history of Indian Buddhism. These mahāsiddhas represent holy beings who realized buddhahood through the practice of various tantric methods, from singularly illustrious figures such as Tilopa and Naropa to ordinary practitioners who became extraordinary.

The number “eighty-four” is not arbitrary but symbolizes diversity and completeness—each mahāsiddha represents a different path or method of practice leading to liberation.

Main Content

Virūpa’s verses are not detailed biographies, but brief and lucid hymns of praise concerning the qualities, attainments, and lessons drawn from the life of each mahāsiddha. Through these lines of verse, Virūpa conveys that the path to liberation is not restricted by caste, religion, or circumstances of birth.

Some mahāsiddhas were born as kings, while others were slaves, artisans, or commoners. Some practiced the Paramitāyāna (the path of the perfections), while others practiced tantra. The tradition of the eighty-four mahāsiddhas demonstrates that buddha-nature is inherently present and can be realized by anyone possessing determination and proper guidance.

Each verse generally contains a “secret”