Toh 728The Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā

Summary

In this sūtra, the goddess Tārā recites a dhāraṇī before an assembly of gods,
asuras, and spirits of various types, which brings them peace and stills their speech. The
assembled beings then sing praise for Tārā in the form of one hundred and eight epithets
of the goddess. Tārā gives a pithy teaching on the importance of seeking liberation and on
the right attitude needed for this endeavor. Finally, the goddess gives encouragement and
extols the power of the dhāraṇī.

Acknowledgements

Translated by Samye Translations under the guidance of
Phakchok Rinpoche. The translation and introduction were produced and edited by Roger
Espel Llima, Stefan Mang, Lowell Cook, Ryan Conlon, and Alex Yiannopoulos.

Introduction

This sūtra opens with an homage to the goddess Tārā, to whom the text is
dedicated. Tārā immediately pronounces a dhāraṇī in front of an audience of gods,
asuras, and spirits of various types. Awed by Tārā’s presence, they all praise her
powers. In the central portion of the sūtra, the assembled beings offer homage and
praise to Tārā in the form of a list of epithets of the goddess. At the end of this
recitation, Tārā responds with some words of encouragement and gives a brief teaching on
the path to liberation as well as on the importance of applying unwavering effort to
cross over the ocean of cyclic existence. The text concludes with Tārā extolling the
power of the dhāraṇī she previously pronounced, detailing its salvific effects, and
praising those who uphold it. At the end of the sūtra, the audience is filled with joy,
and we are told that their speech has been completely stilled.

The sūtra can be divided into three sections. The first section centers on the
dhāraṇī. After a brief introduction, Tārā recites the dhāraṇī, “which had never been
seen or heard before,” and we are told of its effect on the audience. The second
section, which is the longest and constitutes the core of the text, is composed of the
list of epithets of the goddess Tārā. These epithets are given in the form of
thirty-five four-line verses, and it is not obvious how to count exactly 108 names in
them. This list of names is quite different from the most well-known list of Tārā’s
names found in One Hundred and Eight Names of the Noble Lady
Tārā (Toh 727; rje btsun ma ’phags ma sgrol
ma’i mtshan brgya rtsa brgyad pa). There is very little overlap in the
epithets, but many of them echo similar themes related to Tārā’s forms, qualities,
attributes, and activities. The third and final section takes the form of a pithy
teaching given by Tārā to her audience.

Since this sūtra lacks a colophon, it offers no contextual information besides
the original Sanskrit title. In particular, it is not known when or by whom it was
translated into Tibetan. The Sanskrit text does not appear to be extant, and there do
not appear to be any Indian or Tibetan authors who commented on it. The text was
translated into Chinese by Fa Tian in the late tenth century under the title 聖多羅菩薩一百八名陀羅尼經 (Sheng duoluo pusa yibai ba ming tuoluoni jing, Taishō 1105). This sūtra has not been previously
translated into any European language, and it has only been mentioned in passing in
scholarly works on Tārā,See Blonay (1895),
p. 25; Martin (1996), p. 94; Beyer (1978), p. 476n53. which makes it a
relatively unexplored text.

This English translation is based on the Tibetan version in the Degé Kangyur.
The Comparative Edition (dpe sdur ma)
Kangyur, the Stok Palace Kangyur, and the Phukdrak Kangyur were consulted for variant
readings.

The Translation

The Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā

At that time, the goddess Tārā uttered this supreme dhāraṇī, which had never
been seen or heard before:

oṁ trailokyavijaya | acittajaya |
aniracijataya | sujaya | vijaya | mahājaya | vijaya Against the Degé witness, we follow the Narthang and
Stok Palace Kangyurs in reading jaya instead of jāya
for the six words beginning with acittajaya. | jaya jaya | he he | smara smara | vara vara varada | mahādevi | vilasa | vilasa | vilasa | vaja amotakari vijayadevi | hī hī | kiṇi
kiṇiAgainst the Degé witness, we
follow Narthang and Stok Palace in reading kiṇi kiṇi in place of kini
kini. This is based on parallel uses of kiṇi kiṇi in other dhāraṇīs. vilambase | smara smara | mahāprajñā anipata | vajramahākāruṇikaAgainst the Degé witness, we follow Narthang and Stok Palace in reading vajramahākaruṇika in place of vajramamamahākaruṇika. | bhagini
hruṃ hruṃ | sphuṭa sphuṭa | sphoṭa sphoṭa | āveśaya āveśaya | dhuna dhuna | vidhuna
vidhuna | kampa kampa | kampaya | surabhigandha | atisita | mukhe haladavala |
saṃgarājana | vimavigi | vināśaya vināśaya | he bhagavati | santrāsayaAgainst the Degé witness, we follow Narthang
and Stok Palace in reading saṃtrāsaya in place of santrasaya. vighanān | parivalāya asmākaṃ asmākaṃ | mādani
mādani | saṃbodhaya | saṃmohaya | hara hara | hiri hiri | huru huru | vitakara |
varaja | haṃ haṃ | trotāya | haṃ haṃ | santratāya | santroya | manta manta | marda
marda | cara cara | saṃcara saṃcara | vega vega vegavati | namo namo namaḥ svāhā |This dhāraṇī has been reproduced
primarily as it appears in the Degé witness of the Tibetan translation, and the word
divisions have been arranged in a way that seems most appropriate given the
available readings. This dhāraṇī employs conventions typical of dhāraṇīs, which are
difficult to understand with precision and to translate. Moreover, it is evident
that the transmission of this dhāraṇī has suffered from various corruptions.
Therefore, it is not possible to conjecture alternative readings or offer a complete
translation. Generally, the dhāraṇī can be understood to invoke the goddess as one
who is described as victorious in various ways. She is asked to recollect her vows
(smara smara) and to manifest
beautifully (vilasa vilasa) as a
great, boon-granting goddess. Her connections with vajra-emptiness and compassion
are evoked, and she is asked to spring forth (sphuṭa sphuṭa), enter or possess (āveśa āveśa), shake (kampa kampa), and to make others shake (kampaya). Her fragrance and white color are mentioned, she
is asked to terrorize obstructive forces (santrāsaya vighanān), to “surround us” and provide protection (parivalāya asmākaṃ asmākaṃ), and spring
into action (cara cara). She is
then described as one who is rich in driving force (vegavatī). The dhāraṇī ends by paying homage to her
(namo namo namaḥ
svāhā).

Upon hearing this great mantra,

Supremely renowned in the three realms,

The assemblies of gods and asuras,

Together with the hordes of rākṣasas,

Yakṣas, kinnaras, mahoragas,

Bhūtas, gandharvas, and vināyakas,

Grew afraid and hung their heads low.

With their mighty arms trembling, they said:

“Homage to you, Tārā, the broad-eyed one,

Who turns away the speech of Kāmadeva,

So that your namesReading mtshan dag in accordance with the Narthang
and Stok Palace Kangyurs. Degé and other editions have mtha’ dag. may fill the three realms!

“Proclaimer of Avalokiteśvara’s lineage,

Light renowned for its greatness, O broad-eyed one,

You came into being to help sentient beings!”

Then, all the gods and asuras,

Such as Śiva and the others, gathered together.

The lords among vidyādharas

And the vidyādharas themselves

Draped their upper garments across their shoulders,

Performed excellent circumambulations, and,

Bending their knees to the ground,

Spoke the following words:

“O Tārā, goddess of blazing light,

To you we pay homage! Homage! Homage to you!

Your hundred and eight peerless and pristine names

We will now recite:

“Glorious, exalted one, ever victorious and propitious,

Your extrasensory powers are as swift as Prajāpati’s.

Yet you are free of carelessness and conceit.

“Your eyes, face, and navel

Are lotus-like and exude purity.

Your broad, beautiful eyes glow blue
Tib. sngo ba and sngon po (both appear in the Tibetan
verse) can refer to a range of colors from green (Skt. harita) to blue (Skt. nīla).

Like the blue of the utpala flower.

“You protect all those worthy of care,

Granting them happiness, strength, and beauty.

Protector and fierce guardian,

You enact the deeds of the Three Jewels.

“Your lips and fingernails shine red.

With bloodshot eyes you gaze.

Joyful, lotus-like force of joy,

You are the color of the lotus, in whose hues you delight!

“With your extraordinary strength and frightful attire

You tame and pacify the three worlds.

Subduer who acts to tame beings,

“Holder of the vajra of resplendent clarity that tames beings,

Utterly victorious clear light,

You are awake, beyond taint or stain,

“Your beautiful beams of light

Majestic in your battle with Varuṇa,

Supreme one, your mind is naturally expansive and pervasive.

“With your triple crown ornament, three belly folds, Three folds or lines on the belly that typify feminine
beauty in classical Indian aesthetics. and three eyes

You clear away the three defilements.

Dispeller of phenomenal existence, lady of deep virtue,

You are also renowned for your eloquence.

“You grant victory and merit

And fearlessly vanquish evil.

Lady of peace who grants wealth and luster,

Your form, belly, and bosom are most elegant!

“Lady of illusion who tames the field of illusory displays, Tib. sgyu
’phrul sgyu ’phrul ldan zhing ’dul. Tentatively reading the repeated
word sgyu ’phrul (Skt. māya, “illusion” or “illusory display”) as
first referring to Tārā herself. The Phukdrak Kangyur reads sgyu phrul rdzu ’phrul ldan zhing ’dul,
“you tame the field of illusory and miraculous displays.”

You uphold discipline and dispel all impurity.

Holding a garland, you bring elation,

“Wrathful lady who inspires splendor,

White lady of bliss who brings peace,

Sovereign lady of all living beings, noble and mighty goddess,

“Your moon-like face glows with moonlight,

Stealing away the moon’s own effulgence.

Lady who delights in robbing the radiance of the sun,

You are beautiful, exalted, and wholly at peace!

You remove all that stands in the way of good fortune.

You make wealth increase and merit ever-victorious.

You gleam like gold and silver from the Jambu River.

“Dispeller of fears and bestower of fearlessness,

You are Tārā; your face is like the moon.

You never stray far from any sentient being.

You bring joy and are worthy of worship and homage.

“Your exalted garments glimmer with blue hues;

You are beautifully adorned with red ornaments;

And, like Gaṅgā, you dress in yellow clothing.

Blazing white lady, you are all-seeing!

“Fragrant as a ball of bezoar,

You are the adamantine Varuṇa and retinue.

Fearsome lady, queen of the supreme maṇḍala,

With your white teeth you laugh and smile.

“You wear armlets, earrings, and bracelets

And are wreathed in glimmering crystal necklaces.

Lady with a face of beauty, wearing a superb sash,

You are accompanied by the one who holds a sprig of neem leaves.Reference unclear. Could also be read as “You hold [a
sprig of] neem leaves as your companion.”

“You wear a jeweled diadem, hold a jewel,

And are adorned with jeweled ornaments.

You are adorned with a band of beautiful gems,

And sparkle like precious stones.

“Vajra lady, you radiate with blazing colors,

Awakening men and women both.

You are as strong as Brahmā and as swift as the wind. Tib. rlung dang
ldan, possibly from Skt. vāyuvat, here understood as “wind-like” rather than the more literal
reading “endowed with wind.” Understood as vāyuvat, this phrase could also be read as “swift like Vāyu,” referring
to the wind god.

“You are the woman who descends from the sky

Luminous one who conquers through desire,

You have vanquished the torment of desire.

“Wrathful one with a topknot and diadem, victorious one,

You are Brahmā and have the speech of Brahmā.

Your beautiful voice rings like the call of the kalaviṅka.Tentatively reading ping ka as an abbreviation for ka la ping ka (Skt. kalaviṅka), the kalaviṅka bird.

Sovereign of the world, you are born within the supreme family!

“Fierce lady adorned with the resplendence of jewels

And holding a staff with adamantine leaves,

Your immaculate earrings sway as you move.

Such is how you dawn in the minds of those in Yama’s realm. Translation tentative.

“You are the one taking the form of a vidyādharī.

You are endowed with five strengths and bestow strength.

You cut with the blade of wisdom.

“You are crafty and full of art,

And your voice resounds mightily,

Like a bouquet of campaka flowers

Brightens a courtyard or hall from above. The reading of this verse is quite tentative. In the
Tibetan, the relationships between Tārā’s skill and voice, a courtyard or (banquet)
hall, and being illuminated by a bouquet of campaka flowers, are not made explicit. We read khyams dang khyams bza’ (“courtyard and
hall”) with the Narthang Kangyur, where Degé has the repetition khyams dang khyams bzang (“courtyard and
excellent courtyard”).

Wrathful one, you hold a bouquet in your hand

And are an excellent support for yellow-clad monastics.This reading is also highly conjectural. We read
ser mo tsan pa as ser mo btsun pa (“yellow-[clad] venerable
ones”), for lack of a better alternative, despite the high level of agreement
between the different witnesses. The Tibetan syllable tsan exists as part of the word tsan dan (“sandalwood”), so if tsan were taken to be short for tsan dan, a literal reading would be something like
“excellent support for those to do with yellow sandalwood.”

Fortunate one, you are decked in ornaments Another occurrence of the obscure word gshal ka, here tentatively translated as
“ornament.”

And experience great delight.

“Vajra fury who brings joy,

You are endowed with the signs and great strength of your lineage.

With your bliss, intelligence, and adamantine means,

“Goddess of the resplendent diadem,

Your manner is greater than all the gods.

As Nārāyaṇī, you dispel negativity,

And you delight in auspiciousness and modesty.

“Lady of gladness, you delight all who associate with you

And you delight in those who delight in wholesome conduct.

Delightful lady who exudes delight,

You are an excellent support for all qualities. “Qualities” here translates the Tibetan word chos, Skt. dharma, which has a wide range of meanings.

“Lady who emanates buddha emanations,

And who works to dispel pride,

You destroy karma and afflictions,

And conquer all forms of desire.

“You are a buddha with the ten knowledges,

And you uphold the ten perfections.

You have reached the ten grounds,

And shine bright with the light of the ten strengths.

“You wear a vajra diadem and wield a vajra.

With your subtle vajra you clear away asuras.

With the vajra of time Reference
unclear. you bring elation,

And you wield the vajra hook of bliss and glory.

“Charming lady who holds a vajra in her hand

And wields a vajra lasso, an excellent lasso,

You are captivating; you bring satisfaction to the mind,

And you dispel all opponents and obstacle makers.

“You bring about contentment and great happiness,

And reveal the way of play and dance.

Rich in Dharma, you have the radiance of halāhala.

Giver of the Dharma, your gaze is vast.

“You are a vajra emanation,

And are said to be vajra nectar.

Great goddess, powerful with a blazing vajra,

To you we pay homage!

“With this praise of ours,

We recite your hundred and eight sublime names.

Amazing! The supreme Blessed One herself Could also be understood as the Blessed One himself, meaning that the Buddha has
recited the dhāraṇī at one point as well.

Has spoken the most sublime of utterances.”Referring to the dhāraṇī that opens this text.

Then, the magnificent goddess Tārā,

Who is like the light of the moon

And blazes with radiance,

Revealed a smile and spoke:

“Maheśvara and the rest of you,

Listen now to my words.

Always be agreeable with everyone

As you strive to attain the ten strengths.

At all times, protect the great way

Of the thus-gone ones.

Keeping your minds on the path of peace,

You must cross over the unbearable ocean of cyclic existence,

Which is the source of great terrors

And is so difficult to ford.

Setting your mind upon the city of nirvāṇa,

You must strive for it and enter it.”

Then Tārā, whose face is as beautiful

As a garland of the sun’s blazing rays,

Spoke the following words

Like the rumbling thunder of the Thus-Gone One:

“O wonder! This excellent vidyāmantra of Tārā

Clears away all darkness,

Creates immense power and strength,

And cuts through all obscurations.

“This dhāraṇī, which brings so much joy,

Will not be heard by the masses

Who have not purified themselves

By cultivating inner confidence.

“This great samaya, the samaya of this vidyāmantra,

Will arise for those

Who have developed stable confidence,

From their prior efforts toward buddhahood.

“Whoever upholds this sublime, indestructible dhāraṇī-mantra,

Which quells all afflictions,

Eliminates all negativity,

Whoever, in meditative equipoise,

Hears it, reads it, or keeps it in mind—

Will accomplish all their aims

As was stated by the Self-Arisen One.

“They will be liberated from all affliction,

Become the most excellent of sentient beings,

And will be equal to the thus-gone ones

Who are immersed in knowledge of every world’s phenomena.

“Whoever chants these hundred and eight names

And praises Tārā’s moon-like face in this way

Will reach buddhahood itself.

They will accomplish all their aims

And gain control over kings, powerful people,

And any number of other beings.

“This praise, known as The Hundred and Eight Names of the
Goddess Tārā with a Lovely Face,

Fills the many worlds

And dispels all afflictions and everything untoward!

“Her body, which is like the supreme mountain of thus-gone ones,

Shakes the mountain ascended by the clans of māras.

She is the light that fully awakens gods and humans.

“This eminent one is renowned for her profound dedication

To the great collection of well-spoken teachings

Ceaselessly transmitted by the most eminent of the Victor’s heirs

Through their stability in the uniqueReading khyad par stobs, following
the Lhasa, Narthang, Phukdrak, and Stok Palace Kangyurs. Degé reads khyab par stobs (“pervading
power”). powers.

Appearing for the benefit of all, she condenses this Dharma,

And thus expertly soothes the fevers of the mind.”

After these words that dispel unbearable afflictions,

And which produce a tranquil mind,

Were spoken by the supreme Victor,

Tārā remained still and did not speak further.

Astonished and enraptured by the sublime goddess Tārā,

The entire assembly of devas and asuras was filled with joy and wonder

Upon hearing these instructive words that evoke deep joy and grant happiness and long
life.

Overjoyed, they joined their hands above their heads as their speech was stilled.

This completes the dhāraṇī named “Supreme Tārā, the
Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā.”

Notes

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

asura
lha ma yin
ལྷ་མ་ཡིན།
asura
One of the six classes of sentient beings. The asuras are
dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility, and they are incessantly embroiled in
disputes with the gods. They are frequently portrayed in Brahmanical and Buddhist
mythology as having a disruptive effect on cosmological and social harmony.

yakṣa
gnod sbyin
གནོད་སྦྱིན།
yakṣa
A class of nonhuman beings that haunt or protect natural
places and cities. They can be malevolent or benevolent, and they are known for bestowing
wealth and worldly boons, or, alternatively, for creating obstacles and causing
harm. They are often represented as the attendants of the god of wealth.

vidyādhara
rig sngags ’chang
རིག་སྔགས་འཆང་།
vidyādhara
A class of semidivine being that is famous for wielding
(dhara) spells (vidyā). Loosely understood as “sorcerers,”
these magical beings are frequently petitioned through dhāraṇī and Kriyātantra
ritual to grant magical powers to the supplicant. The later Buddhist tradition,
playing on the dual valences of vidyā as “spell” and “knowledge,” began to apply
this term to realized figures in the Buddhist pantheon. The term is often applied to
practitioners of Buddhist ritual magic.

extrasensory powers
mngon shes
མངོན་ཤེས།
abhijñā
Supernatural powers of perception gained through spiritual
practice. Their number and type can vary, but they are traditionally given as a set
of five: ⁽¹⁾ miraculous abilities, ⁽²⁾ clairvoyance, ⁽³⁾ clairaudience, ⁽⁴⁾
knowledge of others’ minds, and ⁽⁵⁾ recollection of past lives.

Azadirachta
indica.

dhāraṇī
gzungs
གཟུངས།
dhāraṇī
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and as
such can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall
detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings—an
incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula that distills and “holds” essential points
of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals.
The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulae.

māra
bdud
བདུད།
māra
A class of beings related to the demon Māra or a term for the
demon Māra himself. Māra and the māras are portrayed as the primary adversaries and
tempters of people who vow to take up the religious life. They can be understood as
a class of demonic beings responsible for perpetuating the illusion that keeps
beings bound to the world and worldly attachments and the mental states those beings
elicit.

kalaviṅka
ka la ping ka
ཀ་ལ་པིང་ཀ
kalaviṅka
In Buddhist literature refers to a mythical bird with the head
of a human and the body of a bird. The kalaviṅka’s call is said to be far more
beautiful than that of all other birds—so compelling that it can be heard even
before the bird has hatched. The call of the kalaviṅka is also used as an analogy to
describe the voice of the Buddha.

ten strengths
stobs bcu
སྟོབས་བཅུ།
daśabala
A set of powers or qualities specifically possessed by a
tathāgata: ⁽¹⁾ the knowledge of what is possible and not possible; ⁽²⁾ the knowledge
of the ripening of karma; ⁽³⁾ the knowledge of the variety of aspirations; ⁽⁴⁾ the
knowledge of the variety of natures; ⁽⁵⁾ the knowledge of the different levels of
capabilities; ⁽⁶⁾ the knowledge of the destinations of all paths; ⁽⁷⁾ the knowledge
of various states of meditation (dhyāna, liberation, samādhi, samāpatti, and so on);
⁽⁸⁾ the knowledge of remembering previous lives; ⁽⁹⁾ the knowledge of deaths and
rebirths; and ⁽¹⁰⁾ the knowledge of the cessation of defilements.

ten knowledges
shes pa bcu
ཤེས་པ་བཅུ།
daśajñāna
The ten knowledges, as given in the Abhidharmakośa, are ⁽¹⁾ worldly knowledge, ⁽²⁾ the knowledge of phenomena
(dharma), ⁽³⁾ inferential
knowledge, ⁽⁴⁾ knowledge of suffering, ⁽⁵⁾ knowledge of the origin of suffering, ⁽⁶⁾
knowledge of the cessation of suffering, ⁽⁷⁾ knowledge of the path, ⁽⁸⁾ knowledge of
others’ minds, ⁽⁹⁾ knowledge of exhaustion, and ⁽¹⁰⁾ knowledge of non-arising.