Toh 600The Dhāraṇī of Uṣṇīṣājvālā

The Scripture of the Uṣṇīṣājvālā Mantra

A Vajrayāna Tantric Exposition

Background

The Scripture of the Uṣṇīṣājvālā Mantra (Dhāraṇī of Uṣṇīṣājvālā) is an important esoteric scripture in the Kangyur—the collection of translated scriptures of the Tibetan tradition. Toh 600 is an independent scripture centered on a high-ranking female deity in the tantric pantheon: Uṣṇīṣājvālā, whose name means “The Flame Arising from the Crown”—a symbol of boundlessly illuminating wisdom.

In the Vajrayāna tradition, dhāraṇīs are not arbitrary spells but sonic manifestations of the wisdom of buddhahood. They encompass the entire subtle training, sacred commitments, and spiritual power of the deity they represent. Uṣṇīṣājvālā is especially associated with radiant wisdom, the ability to dispel the darkness of ignorance (avidyā), and the spiritual protection of practitioners.

This scripture was widely transmitted in Tibet, Nepal, and other countries practicing tantric Buddhism, with detailed commentaries by great masters such as Buddhagupta and other Indian scholars.

Main Content

The Scripture of the Uṣṇīṣājvālā Mantra chiefly comprises several main sections: a request for instruction addressed to the Buddha or a bodhisattva, an assault by devas or māras, a teaching on the nature of Uṣṇīṣājvālā, and the proclamation of the corresponding mantra or esoteric practice (sādhana).

Uṣṇīṣājvālā is often portrayed as an omnipotent female bodhisattva or an emanation of the wisdom of the Tathagata Mahāvairocana, radiating from the crown (uṣṇīṣa) of the Buddhas. This flame is not the ordinary fire of greed, hatred, and delusion, but the flame of pure insight and the wisdom of equality (prajñā), which dispels every defilement and spiritual fault.

The scripture’s mantra generally includes core syllables (bīja mantra) such as Oṃ, Ā, and Ṛ, together with Sanskrit sounds describing the female deity’s actions: subjugating, protecting, and liberating.