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The title in F reads in (reconstructed and revised) Sanskrit, *guhyaguhyakṛṣṇayamārinamatantrarāja (gu hya gu hya kri rna ya ma a ri na ma tan tra rA dza) and in Tibetan, gsang ba bas kyang ches gsang ba gshin rje’i dgra nag po zhes bya ba rgyud kyi rgyal po. This title could be translated as “The King of Tantras: The Black Yamāri, the Secret of Secrets.”
For general description and short summary of the content of these cycles, see Cuevas 2021, pp. 14–27. The Black Yamāri cycle will be discussed below. For an overview of the Vajrabhairava cycle, see The Tantra of Vajrabhairava the Great, and for Red Yamāri see The Tantra of Red Yamāri. According to Tāranātha, however, the tantras of Red Yamāri, Black Yamāri, and Vajrabhairava are all independent tantras belonging to different tathāgata-families. See Sparham 2009, p. 45.
Vajrabhairava and other forms of Yamāntaka feature in many Tibetan lineages, even if the Geluk tradition has placed the greatest emphasis on them. For an overview of the lineages of Vajrabhairava in particular, see Cuevas 2021, pp. 33–83, and the introduction to The Tantra of Vajrabhairava the Great.
On the relationship between the maṇḍalas of The Tantra of Black Yamāri and the Guhyasamāja Tantra, See Tanaka 2018, pp. 189–93. On the parallels between the two texts, see Kuranishi 2023, passim.
The Guhyasamāja Tantra if approximately dated to the mid-eighth century, and commentary composed by Dīpaṅkarabhadra (fl. late eighth/early ninth century) also suggests The Tantra of Black Yamāri was in circulation at that time (Kuranishi 2023, p. 1, notes 1 and 2).
For list of the Indic texts featuring Black Yamāri, see Samdhong Rinpoche and V. Dwivedi 1992, pp. 12–16. Kenichi Kuranishi (2009, p. 267) counts nearly two hundred texts related to Black Yamāri in the Kangyur and Tengyur.
For discussion of Śrīdhara’s commentary and an edition of the Skt. fragments, see Kuranishi 2023.
This commentary has been published along with the root text in Samdhong Rinpoche and V. Dwivedi, 1992.
This commentary is not least interesting for the fact that it was translated Rongzom Chökyi Sangpo (rong zom chos kyi bzang po). His exact dates are not known, but he was a contemporary of Atiśa who lived 982–1054
On Ra Lotsāwa, see Ra Yeshé Sengé 2015 and Cuevas 2021, pp. 55–64; on his potentially conflicted relationship with Darma Drak, see Cuevas 2021, p. 47, n. 91, and Ra Yeshé Sengé 2015, pp.187–88 and 249–51.
See Herrmann-Pfandt 2008, p. 227. This is likely The Dhāraṇī of Vajrabhairava (Toh 605, Vajrabhairavadhāraṇī), which was translated by the same Indian master and Tibetan translator and preserved in the Kangyur under a slightly different title. See i.1 to the translation of The Dhāraṇī of Vajrabhairava for more on that text and its translators.
See Kawagoe 2005, p. 43. These are the ’jam dpal gshin rje gshed kyi rtog pa phyi ma’i yang phyi ma spyir le’u bcu bdun, de’i brjed byang, and khro bo’i rgyal po zhal drug pa’i rtog pa.
Tib. gshin rje’i gshed. While this Tibetan term is also used to translate the Sanskrit yamāntaka, comparison with the extant Sanskrit witnesses suggests it was used consistently here to translate yamāri. The homage in F reads, “Homage to the glorious one who is terrifying and wrathful” (dpal khro bo ’jigs pa can la phyag ’tshal lo).
Skt. and F take bhagavat as an epithet of Vajrapāṇi (bhagavān vajrapāṇir; bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje).
This reading follows Skt. and F in including “vajra being” (vajrasattvam). D and S read only “vajra” (rdo rje).
D] ’od ser lnga yis ’khrigs pa yis rdo rje; F] ’od zer lnga dang ni ldan pa’i rdo rje; S] ’od ser lnga yis ’khrigs pa yi rdo rje; Skt.] vajram pañcaraśmisamākulam. This translation follows the Skt., F, and S.
Skt. and F read “the meditative absorption called the vajra that eliminates all māras (sarvamāravidhvaṃsanavajraṃ nāma samādhim; bdud med pa’i rdo rje zhes bya ba’i ting nge ’dzin).
This translation follows F, H, N, S, and Skt. in reading this in the ablative case. D is in the locative (’di nyid kyi sku gsung thugs rdo rje rnams la).
D] yats+tsha; F] ya tsa; S] ya ts+tsha; Skt.] ya ca. This translation follows the Skt. and F.
Skt. mahādveṣatanu. Kumāracandra indicates this to be “the body of Dveṣa Yamāri” (dveṣayamārikāya).
This translation follows Skt. and F in supplying the syntactical subject adept (budhaḥ; mkhas pa).
According to Kumāracandra, this is held in the first of his right hands. Yamāri holds a sword and knife in his remaining right hands, and a wheel, red lotus, and skull cup in his three left hands.
According to Kumāracandra, this is held in the first of his right hands. Mohavajra holds a sword and knife in his remaining right hands, and a jewel, lotus, and skull cup in his three left hands.
According to Kumāracandra, this is held in the first of his right hands. Piśunavajra holds a sword and knife in his remaining right hands, and a wheel, lotus, and skull cup in his three left hands.
According to Kumāracandra, this is held in the first of his right hands. Rāgavajra holds a sword and knife in his remaining right hands, and a wheel, jewel, and skull cup in his three left hands.
Kumāracandra glosses sarvam (“universal”) with sārvakarmikam, “appropriate for all actions.” Whereas the preceding deities are all linked to a single ritual action (wrathful, pacifying, enriching, and enthralling, respectively), Īrṣyāvajra is associated with all ritual applications.
According to Kumāracandra, this is held in the first of his right hands. Īrṣyavajra holds a vajra and knife in his remaining right hands, and a wheel, lotus, and skull cup in his three left hands.
Skt. and F read “the most eminent of all sounds” (sarvaghoṣavarāgrāgrya; dbyangs kun gyi ni mchog gi mchog).
Skt. and F read “Who resembles the vajra body” (kāyavajrapratīkāśa; sku’i rdo rje rab snang ba).
Here and elsewhere in D and S, the Sanskrit term samaya is translated with cho ga, which typically means “rite” or “procedure.” F reports the more expected dam tshig. While we take cho ga to be equivalent to the Skt. samaya and not a variant reading, we follow the Tibetan to translate the valence of the term in this context. This is followed throughout the text without further notation.
According to Kumāracandra, this refers to the various ritual activities of pacifying and so on (śāntikādi). As he indicates in his commentary on the next verse, this refers to the set of four ritual categories that also includes enriching (pauṣṭika; rgyas pa), enthralling (vaśya, dbang byed) and hostile rites (abhicāra; mngon spyod).
This translation follows Skt. F, K, N, S, and Y in including prajña / shes pa as the syntactical subject.
Skt. and F read “the maṇḍala of Yama’s Slayer” (yamaghnasya maṇḍala; gshin rje sgrol pa’i dkyil ’khor).
Here again Kumāracandra identifies as including the fourfold set of ritual activities: pacifying, enriching, enthralling, and hostile rites (śāntikapauṣṭikavaśyābhicārādikarmakāraika).
Kumāracandra glosses karmavajra with viśvavajra (sna tshogs rdo rje) “a crossed vajra,” and states that “on each end” (samantatas) refers to the prongs in the cardinal directions (catasṛṣv api dikṣu).
Kumāracandra states that this refers to “light rays in the form of vajras” (vajrākāraraśmi).
Skt. and F omit the first line and begin this verse with, “On the eastern prong one should draw a wheel / That is engulfed in wheel-shaped light” (pūrvaśūle likec cakraṃ cakraraśmisamākulam; ’khor lo ’od kyi kun ’khrigs pa’i / ’khor lo shar kyi rtsibs la khri).
Following this line Skt. reads, “One should draw a sword in the north / That is engulfed in a multi-colored blaze” (uttareṇālikhet khaḍgam viśvajvālāsamākulam). F reads, “One should draw a sword in the north / That is engulfed in the gleam of the sword” (ral gri ’od ’bar snang ba yi / ral gri byang du bri bar bya).
Skt. pūrvakoṇe; Tib. shar gyi mtshams. Kumāracandra identifies this as “the direction of Agni” (āgneya), the southeast.
Skt. dakṣine; Tib. lho ru. We follow Kumāracandra in reading understanding “south” as “the direction of Nirṛti” (nairṛtya), the southwest.
Skt. paścime; Tib. nub tu. We follow Kumāracandra in understanding the term “west” as “the direction of Vāyu” (vāyavye), the northwest.
The Skt. specifically identifies this as a “yellow” (pīta) water lily (utpala). F reads “A vajra sword blazes in the north” (byang du ro rje ral gri ’bar).
Skt. and F read “fearlessly worship the buddhas” (buddhān pūjayed abhiśaṅkitaḥ; mi ’jigs sangs rgyas kun la mchod).
F adds “to the Bhagavat, lord of all blessed tathāgatas” (bcom ldan ’das de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi bdag po la). We understand the Tibetan bstod pa’i rgyal po ’dis bstod nas as equivalent to anena stotrarājena.
Skt. and F read “his own vajra body, speech, and mind” (svakāyavākcittavajraº;’di nyid kyi sku dang gsung dang thugs rdo rje).
Kumāracandra states that this refers to the deities in Yamāri’s maṇḍala (maṇḍaleśvaramaṇḍāleya).
The translation of this line ambiguous line is informed by Kumāracandra, who states that the nectar samaya, in the form of the mantra, enters the deities’ tongues, which are shaped like single-pronged vajras.
Kumāracandra states that Muḍgara’s mantra is jaḥ, Daṇḍa’s is hūṁ, Padma’s is vaṃ, and Kaḍga’s is hoḥ, thus yielding the standard mantra for this visualization sequence jaḥ hūṁ vaṃ hoḥ.
Though not stated here explicitly, in similar rites one lights the wick to burn away the fat, thus producing the soot inside the skull. This whole procedure takes place within a charnel ground.
Here and in the next three verses we follow Kumāracandra in reading karma as Karmavajra/Īrṣyāyamāri.
Kumāracandra interprets this ambiguous phrase to refer to “the collyrium that is smeared on one’s index finger” (tatkajjalamrakṣitatarjanyām), perhaps referring to applying the collyrium around the eyes.
This translation follows Skt. (pādalepanam tu sādhayet). The reading in D is unclear, but could be interpreted as “One perfects the perfected salve…”
For a general overview of the yantras presented in this and other chapters of The Tantra of Black Yamāri, see Kuranishi 2009. Some of the descriptions in this chapter bear a striking resemblance with some of those in chapter ten of The Tantra of the Arising of Śaṃvara. About this see Tsuda 1970, pp. 106–13 (Sanskrit) and pp. 191–7 (Tibetan).
F reads “to the blessed lord of all tathāgatas, the great vajra beater” (bcom ldan ’das de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi bdag po rdo rje ’dzin pa chen po la). As above, we understand the Tibetan bstod pa’i rgyal po ’dis bstod nas as equivalent to the Sanskrit anena stotrarājena.
Skt. and F read “May the oceans of wisdom listen” (śṛṇvantu jñānasāgarāḥ; ye shes rgya mtsho gnyan par ’tshal. Kumāracandra states that this refers to bodhisattvas (jñānena sāgarā bodhisattvāḥ).
We follow Kumāracandra in understanding the direct speech of the Bhagavat to begin with the next line.
Skt. reads, tentatively, “The yantras supreme to Yamāri” (yamāryantāni yantrāṇi). Here and below the Tibetan translation at times uses the word “circle” (’khor lo) as a synonym for yantra, and other times to the lines used to draw the yantra. The Sanskrit text sporadically does the same, but not in this instance.
Kumāracandra explains that both enthralling and protecting are ultimately aimed at the pacification of the targets, thus both activities fall under the category or the rite of pacifying.
D and S read ro tsa nas, F has gi wang, and Skt. rocanā. We take rocanā to be synonymous with gorocanā, as indicated by F.
Kumāracandra comments that, after imagining oneself as Yamāri appearing like candrakānta—indicating a translucent white color—one places Mohayamāri before themselves and imagines the previously drawn yantra in the form of a moon disk and the target of the rite on it.
Skt. reads oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | oṁ namo devdattāya śāntiṃ kuru namaḥ svāha.
“Saffron” is tentatively inserted. The source texts read only “Kashmiri” (kāśmira; kha che yi).
In the Skt., “facing north” is most clearly read with the previous line, so that one is facing north while scattering flowers on the conjoined bowls.
The Skt. reads, “In order to enrich, one should radiate light while reciting” (puṣṭiṃ kartuṃ sphuran japet).
Skt. reads oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā [|] oṁ laṃ devadattasyapuṣṭiṃ kuru kuru svāhā. The Skt. also adds vauṣaṭ vā at the end of this mantra, meaning the mantra can end in vauṣaṭ instead of svāhā.
Skt.reads oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā [|] oṁ vauṣaṭ devadattasya puṣṭiṃ kuru vauṣaṭ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā.
According to Kumāracandra, this should specifically be a cotton cloth stained with menstrual blood.
Kumāracandra explains that the syllable hoḥ is appended (vidarbhaṇa) to the syllable vauṣaṭ from the mantra.
Skt. reads oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ ho devadattasya yajñadattaṃ vaśīkuru hoḥ.
Skt. reads oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā vauṣaṭ devadattasya yajñadattaṃ vaśamānaya vauṣaṭ.
Kumāracandra identifies these five as urine, feces, blood, semen, and flesh (pañcadravyeṇeti mūviraśumena).
Skt. reads oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | oṁ hrīḥ amukīm ākarṣaya hrīm hrīṃ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā hrīḥ.
Kumāracandra explains that the syllable hūṁ should be drawn to the left of Mount Meru and the syllable vaṁ to the right, from the perspective of the practitioner (meror adau hūṁkāro draṣṭavyaḥ | bhāvakaśarīrāpekṣayā vāmabhage | parabhāge tu vaṃkāraḥ | bhāvakaśarīrāpekṣayā dakṣiṇabhāge).
According to Kumāracandra this is the earth maṇḍala, which is a yellow square with three-pronged vajras in the corners (pṛthvīmaṇḍalaṃ caturasraṃ pītavarṇaṃ koneṣu triśukavajrāṅkam).
Presumably the conjoined bowls, but the referent is not entirely clear. Kumāracandra states only that the crossed vajra is “below the ground/base” (bhūmer adhastāt).
Skt. reads “Imagine the target being crushed by a crossed vajra, / Beneath Indra’s maṇḍala, / By Mandara and other fearsome mountains / That resemble unmoving ice, / And then recite the mantra.” (viśvavajrasamākrāntam māhendramaṇḍalād adhaḥ | mandarādinagair ghoraiḥ prāleyācalasannibhaiḥ | ākrāṇtam bhāvayet sādhyaṃ japam tatraiva kārayet).
Acacia catechu.
Lit. a “heap” or “pile.” The five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. On the individual level the five aggregates refer to the basis upon which the mistaken idea of a self is projected.
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see \1\2The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.
Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see \1\2The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.
One of the principal nāga kings.
A haunt of the ancestor spirits and a place where rites can be performed to them. A cemetery or charnel ground.
Identification uncertain. In other contexts, this refers to Śākymuini’s cousin who was counted as one of the ten great śrāvaka disciples, famed for his meditative prowess and superknowledges.
“Subsequent yoga,” the second of four stages in the practice of Black Yamāri.
A class of celestial female beings known for their great beauty.
In this text, referring to the tree saraca indica.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
Ficus religiosa, the “bodhi tree.”
“Highest yoga,” the third of four stages in the practice of Black Yamāri.
The most severe among the eight hot hell realms. It is characterized as endless not only in terms of the torment undergone there, but also because of the ceaseless chain of actions and effects experienced, the long lifespan of its denizens, and their being so intensely crowded together that there is no physical space between them.
An offering of various types of food, drink, and other substances that one presents to a specific deity or class of deities.
An epithet of Kāmadeva or Vajrānaṅga.
Tentatively, the line that demarcates the outer circumference of the maṇḍala palace.
In this text, it mostly refers to the female sexual and reproductive organs. However, this term encompasses several meanings, including “good fortune,” “happiness,” and “majesty.” It forms the root of the word bhagavat (Blessed One). A number of Buddhist esoteric scriptures are set within the bhaga of a female deity from the Buddhist pantheon.
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).
A deity in the maṇḍala of Jāṅgulī.
Aegle marmelos, commonly known as bel fruit.
A substance used for the preparation of ink in tantric rituals.
The principal deity of this tantra.
In Mahāyāna doctrine, bodhicitta refers to the aspiration for awakening, in both its relative and absolute aspects. In tantric literature, it frequently refers to semen.
A deity in Vajraḍākinī’s maṇḍala.
Toponym of an unidentified place.
The name of one of the lowest castes in India’s caste system.
A mythical precious stone which is made up of the rays of the moon that shines only in moonlight and then exudes a cool liquid.
A deity in the maṇḍala of Black Yamāri.
A cremation ground or place for discarded corpses. Also becomes synonymous in tantra with a type of power place where yogins and yoginīs congregate.
A type of convex molding. The term kapola literally means “cheek,” and is used in this technical sense in classical Indian architecture.
A term for bodhisattvas.
A deity in Ekajaṭā’s maṇḍala.
An ornament of the maṇḍala palace.
One of the eight siddhis.
Used as an adjective, the term sampuṭa indicates two bowls, skull cups, etc. that are joined at the mouth to form an enclosed interior space. As a noun, sampuṭa can refer to an earthenware bowl or to the sphere created by conjoined bowls.
In classical Indian architecture, this refers to the crest or crest ornaments that decorate doors, gates, thrones, and so forth.
Aa ritual implement that looks like two crossed vajras with a common sphere in the center. This implement is also known as a viśvavajra in Sanskrit and sna tshogs rdo rje in Tibetan.
In the Tantra of Back Yamāri, the first in a series of four initiations.
A deity in Mañjuvajra’s maṇḍala.
A class of powerful nonhuman female beings who play a variety of roles in Indic literature in general and Buddhist literature specifically. Essentially synonymous with yoginīs, ḍākinīs are liminal and often dangerous beings who can be propitiated to acquire both mundane and transcendent spiritual accomplishments. In the higher Buddhist tantras, ḍākinīs are often considered embodiments of awakening and feature prominently in tantric maṇḍalas.
One sixtieth of a sidereal day, which roughly corresponds to a period of twenty four hours (ahorātra).
“Cudgel Yamāri,” A deity in the maṇḍala of Black Yamāri.
Another name for Daṇḍa Yamāri.
A tooth-stick, a small piece of wood which is chewed for cleaning one’s teeth. In the Tantra of Black Yamāri this represents the syllable da.
A Tibetan monk and translator; identified as an editor / reviser of The Tantra of Black Yamāri.
Epithet of Kāmadeva or Vajrānaṅga.
Datura metel.
“Intense seeds,” a term for the seeds of Datura metel.
Name of a yakṣiṇī in the maṇḍala of Ekajaṭā.
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Kawagoe, Eishin, ed. dKar chag ’Phang thang ma. Tōhoku Indo Chibetto Kenkyū Sōsho 3. Sendai: Tohoku Society for Indo-Tibetan Studies, 2005.
Kuranishi, Kenichi (Kenryo). “Yantras in the Buddhist Tantras—Yamāritantras and Related Literature.” In Puṣpikā. Tracing Ancient India, through Texts and Traditions. Contributions to Current Research in Indology. Edited by Nina Mirnig, Péter-Dániel Szántó, and Michael Williams, 265–81. Volume 1. Oxford: Oxbow Books, September 2009.
Kuranishi, Kenichi (Kenryo). “Fragments of the Sahajālokapañjikā. A Critical Edition of the IASWR Manuscript.” In 豊山学報 (Journal of Buzan studies. Buzan gakuhō), no. 66, 550–527. Taisho University Toyoyama Society, 2023.
Mills, Elizabeth. Temple Design in Six Early Śaiva Scriptures: Critical Edition and Translation of the Prāsādalakṣaṇa Portions of the Bṛhatkālottara, Devyāmata, Kiraṇa, Mohacūrottara, Mayasaṃgraha, and Piṅgalāmata. Pondicherry: Institut Français de Pondichéry, 2019.
Ra Yeshé Sengé, Bryan Cuevas, trans. The All-Pervading Melodious Drumbeat: The Life of Ra Lotsawa. Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Bryan J. Cuevas. New York: Penguin Classics, 2015.
Szántó, Péter Dániel. “Tantric Buddhism in the 9-11th Centuries.” MA Thesis, ELTE-BTK Indoeurópai nyelvtudományi tanszék, 2006.
Tanaka, Kimiaki. An Illustrated History of the Maṇḍala: From its Genesis to the Kālacakratantra. Somerville, MA: Shambhala Publications, 2018.
Tsuda Shin’ichi. “The Saṁvarodaya-Tantra : Selected Chapters.” PhD diss., Australian National University, 1970.
Wenta, Aleksandra Bozena. Vajramahābhairavatantra: Its Origins, Intertextuality, and Transmission. Wisdom Publications, 2024 (Forthcoming).
C Choné co ne
D Degé sde dge bka’ ’gyur
F Phukdrak phug brag
H Lhasa lha sa / zhol
J Lithang li thang
K Kangxi kang shi
N Narthang snar thang
S Stok Palace stog pho ’brang
Skt. 1992 Sanskrit edition published by the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies.
Tib. All Tibetan Sources
Y Yongle g.yong lo
The Tantra of Black Yamāri features the three-faced, six-armed black form of the tantric deity Yamāri, as well as the maṇḍalas of several ancillary maṇḍala deities associated with him, all of which can be employed for a diverse array pacifying, enriching, enthralling, and hostile rites. The tantra describes the stages of initiation and practice for these deities and provides extensive details on the preparation of their maṇḍalas, associated ritual implements, and specific magical diagrams (yantra) that can be employed for various ritual goals.
This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. Bruno Galasek-Hul produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. The support of the generous sponsor, who prefers to stay anonymous, is sincerely appreciated for making this translation work possible.
The support of the generous sponsor, who prefers to stay anonymous, is sincerely appreciated for making this translation work possible.
The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of all Tathāgatas belongs to a corpus of related tantras that came to be known in Tibet as the dmar nag ’jigs gsum—the cycles of the Red (dmar) Yamāri, Black (nag) Yamāri, and Vajrabhairava (’jigs).” These three cycles featuring different aspects of the tantric deity Yamāntaka enjoyed great popularity in Indian and Tibetan tantric Buddhist circles. While Black Yamāri seems to have been favored in India, Vajrabhairava was practiced more widely in Nepal and Tibet. The popularity of Vajrabhairava in contemporary Tibet is reflected in the Geluk (dge lugs) school, which counts him as one of the three main deities of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra class, together with Guhyasamāja and Cakrasaṃvara.
It has been noted elsewhere that the primary maṇḍala featured in The Tantra of Black Yamāri shows considerable similarities with the maṇḍala of the Guhyasamāja Tantra and the text itself demonstrates a number of parallels with the Guhyasamāja Tantra. Based on these correspondences, it is likely that The Tantra of Black Yamāri was in circulation in India by the mid-ninth century
The translators’ colophon of The Tantra of Black Yamāri reports that it was translated into Tibetan by the Indian master Atiśa Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna (982–1054
As indicated by the translators’ colophon, The Tantra of Black Yamāri was translated during the later dissemination of the teachings in Tibet, which began in the tenth century
Chapter 1 begins with the standard Buddhist introductory formula “Thus did I hear at one time,” and sets the stage for the transmission of the tantra by telling us that the Bhagavat, in this case Mañjuśrī, “was dwelling in the bhagas of all vajra women, who are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas…” Mañjuśrī’s main interlocutor in this tantra is Vajrapāṇi, who initiates the transmission of the tantra by asking Mañjuśrī to reveal the maṇḍala of Black Yamāri, the “enemy of the Lord of Death.” Mañjuśrī assents by first entering different meditative absorptions, and then gradually revealing the entire maṇḍala of Black Yamāri and teaching the seed syllables and mantras for the individual maṇḍala deities.
Chapter 2 opens with verses of praise to the five main deities of the maṇḍala: Mohavajra, Piśunavajra, Rāgavajra, Īrṣyavajra, and Yamāri himself as “lord of the maṇḍala.” The rest of the chapter features instructions on how to arrange the primary maṇḍala for this tantra.
Chapter 3 describes the summoning of the wisdom deities (jñānasattva; ye shes pa) and their merging with the five main male deities of a maṇḍala that features Mohavajra at its center. Following this, the text associates the maṇḍala deities with the primary ritual activities, and briefly describes the production of collyrium siddhi, swift-feet, pill, and sword siddhis.
Chapter 4 describes the production of yantras and how to employ them in a range of different ritual actions, including pacifying, enriching, enthralling, summoning, paralyzing, and killing. This chapter on yantras is among the most extensive treatment of yantras in the Buddhist tantras.
Chapter 5 continues from the previous chapter in presenting instructions on the use of yantras in the performance of various rites, with a specific emphasis on the yantras, mantras, and visualizations for the hostile rites of sowing discord, expelling, and killing.
Chapter 6 is primarily concerned with the arrangement of the mantra syllables within the cells of the yantra. This chapter is also noteworthy for briefly describing the fourfold initiation of Black Yamāri, which consists of the crown initiation, sword initiation, vajra and bell initiation, and a fourth which is called “eating the moon.”
The first part of chapter 7 offers instructions on how to perform the extraction of different substances from the world by meditating on the four goddesses in Yamāri’s maṇḍala, Carcikā, Sarasvatī, Vārāhī, and Gaurī. The chapter ends with a sequence of verses associated with the four initiations listed in the previous chapter.
Chapter 8 begins with the preparatory rites for an initiation, including expelling obstructive forces and establishing the protection circle, bringing the disciple into the maṇḍala, making offerings and praises, and the mantras for demonstrating emptiness. Following this, the chapter offers instruction on the fire offering, and specifically the shape and dimensions of the fire pit used in different rites.
Chapter 9 describes rites for the achievement of various worldly goals, such as making rain, healing snake bites, and so forth.
Chapter 10 begins with a brief description of a ritual to locate, prepare, and resuscitate a corpse as a vetāla, presumably to be used in rites that are not explicitly mentioned. Following this, the chapter next details the creation of an effigy of Yamāri using various meats and other ingredients for the purpose of attracting a woman. The chapter then closes with a visualization of the different Yamāris and their respective association with the afflictive emotions.
An eclectic chapter, chapter 11 initially continues from the preceding chapter by describing how each of the five aspects or forms of Yamāri manifest for the purpose of overcoming the corresponding afflictive emotions. It then proceeds to describe the practice of a number of different forms of Yamāri, sometimes quite briefly. This includes Vajra Yamāri, a hundred-armed form, a buffalo-faced form, Daṇḍa Yamāri, and a ten-million-armed form. The chapter then concludes with a description of potent ointments and beverages.
Chapter 12 begins with songs sung in Apabhraṃśa to Yamāri by the four ḍākinīs Carcikā, Vārāhī, Sarasvātī, and Gaurī. A long passage on the characteristics of mantra recitation follows this, which includes a discussion of how mantras should be recited, what kinds of beads should be used for a recitation mālā, and the effect of different numbers of recitations. The chapter concludes with brief instructions on bali offerings and the appropriate gifts for one’s master.
Chapter 13 presents the practices and mantras for Vajraḍākinī, Vajrapātāla, and Paramāśva, and describes the siddhis—remote, moving underground, and flight, respectively—resulting from their successful cultivation.
Chapter 14 covers a range of topics associated with the maṇḍala used for the initiation. This includes the properties of the cord used to demarcate the maṇḍala, the dimensions of its various features, the colors of its cells, and the symbols that are to be drawn within them. This is followed by a description of the design and measurements of the ritual ladle and spoon used in the fire offering rite. After a statement about the efficacy of the maṇḍala, the ”vajra entry,” and the request made by the disciples, instructions are given on the creation of a physical representation of the deity. The chapter then concludes with instructions on the practices of Ekajaṭā, Pukkasī, and Mañjuvajra.
Chapter 15 teaches the maṇḍalas and practices of Kurukullā, Jāṅgulī, and Vajrānaṅga. The latter is the Buddhist form of Kāmadeva, the god of love/desire.
Chapter 16 focuses on the maṇḍala of the great Heruka, a wrathful deity associated with the charnel ground. Many of the primary deities in the Yoginī Tantras are considered herukas.
Chapter 17 begins with the Apabhraṃśa songs of the four ḍākinīs, Cārcikā, Vārāhī, Sarasvatī, and Gaurī. They encourage Yamāri to arise from the nascent state of emptiness into his fully manifest form. This is followed by a succinct enumeration and description of the four stages of practice in this tantra: yoga, anuyoga, atiyoga, and mahāyoga. The chapter then lists the general samaya observed by the practitioner upon their initiation, and concludes with a series of praises to the realization of the ultimate state.
The short final chapter, chapter 18, relates the origin of The Tantra of Black Yamāri.
This English translation is based on the Tibetan text as preserved in the Degé Kangyur, in close consultation with the Sanskrit edition of the Kṛṣṇayamāritantra published together with Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalī commentary. In the case of variant readings between the Sanskrit and Tibetan witnesses, the Tibetan reading was followed unless the Sanskrit clarified or improved the Tibetan. All other substantive variants have been noted. Our translation is also informed by the available commentarial literature, and specifically the commentaries extant in Sanskrit: Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalīpañjikā and the fragments of Śrīdhara’s Sahajālokapañjikā.
In addition to the Degé version of the Tibetan translation we also consulted the versions preserved in the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, as well as the apparatus from the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Degé Kangyur. The version found in the Phukdrak Kangyur was especially significant for preserving Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna’s and Tsültrim Gyalwa’s original translation without the later revisions of Darma Drak and Ra Lotsāwa Dorjé Drak. Substantive differences between these two versions have also been noted. In the case of mantras, dhāraṇīs, and other passages rendered in transliterated Sanskrit in the Tibetan text, we have generally followed the text reported in the Degé Kangyur while allowing for minor revisions to clarify and improve the rendering, based on Sanskrit sources. Substantive variants have been noted here as well.
Homage to Mañjuśrī-Yamāri!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was dwelling in the bhagas of all vajra women, who are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas. He was there with Yamāri’s large assembly, which included Yamāri Mohavajra, Yamāri Piśunavajra, Yamāri Rāgavajra, Yamāri Īrṣyāvajra, Yamāri Dveṣavajra, Mudgara Yamāri, Daṇḍa Yamāri, Padma Yamāri, Khaḍga Yamāri, and, standing in the four intermediate directions, Vajracarcikā, Vajravārāhī, Vajrasarasvatī, and Vajragaurī. Then, Vajrapāṇi supplicated the Bhagavat, the vajra-being, the lord of all tathāgatas, prompting the Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, to emerge from the meditative absorption called the vajra that conquers all māras, the state of his own vajra body, speech, and mind.
Then the Bhagavat, the father of tathāgatas, entered the meditative absorption known as the tamer of māras and emitted the seed-syllables of all the deities beginning with Yamāri Mohavajra from his own vajra body, speech, and mind. In the center is ya, and then kṣe, ma, me, da, ya, ca, ni, rā, jā, sa, do, ru, ṇa, yo, ni, and ra.
Then, the Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, entered the meditative absorption called yamāri vajra and pronounced the mantra of the family of great hatred:
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of the great Mohavajra:
oṁ jinajīk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Piśunavajra:
oṁ ratnadhṛk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Rāgavajra:
oṁ ārolīk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Īrṣyāvajra:
oṁ prajñādhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Mudgaravajra:
oṁ muḍgaradhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of the Daṇḍavajra:
oṁ daṇḍadhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Padmavajra:
oṁ padmadhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Khaḍgavajra:
oṁ khaḍgadhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajracarcikā:
oṁ moharati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajravārāhī:
oṁ dveṣarati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajrasarasvatī:
oṁ rāgarati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajragaurī:
oṁ vajrarati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra that empowers body, speech, and mind:
oṁ sarvatathāgatakāyavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ | oṁ sarvatathāgatavākvajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ | oṁ sarvatathāgatacittavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ |
Then, the Bhagavat, the Lord of all Tathāgatas, described the body of great wrath:
This was the first chapter, “The Practice Sequence,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.
Then, all the blessed tathāgatas praised the blessed great vajra being:
The Bhagavat then said, “Vajra eyes, vajra ears, vajra nose, vajra tongue, vajra body, and vajra mind.” This is the rite for empowering the eyes and the other senses.
This was the second chapter, “The Great Maṇḍala,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.
Then, all the blessed tathāgatas made a request using this king of praises:
The great vajra bearer then issued the rite with the taste of nectar from his own body, speech, and mind:
oṁ āḥ hūṁ |
This was the third chapter, “Ritual Activities,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.
Then, all the blessed tathāgatas made a request to the blessed great vajra bearer using this king of praises:
The blessed tathāgatas, through the power of their vajra minds, bowed to, worshiped, made offerings to, and circled the Bhagavat three times. They bowed to him, again and again, and listened to what the Bhagavat said.
oṁ namaḥ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ devadattāya śāntiṃ kuru namaḥ svāhā |
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | devadatta puṣṭiṃ kuru svāhā | oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ vauṣaṭ devadattasya puṣṭiṃ kuru vauṣaṭ svāhā |
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | ho devadatta vaśaṃ kuru hoḥ |
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | vauṣaṭ devadattasya vaśamānaya vauṣaṭ |
The Tantra of Black Yamāri features the three-faced, six-armed black form of the tantric deity Yamāri, as well as the maṇḍalas of several ancillary maṇḍala deities associated with him, all of which can be employed for a diverse array pacifying, enriching, enthralling, and hostile rites. The tantra describes the stages of initiation and practice for these deities and provides extensive details on the preparation of their maṇḍalas, associated ritual implements, and specific magical diagrams (yantra) that can be employed for various ritual goals.
This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. Bruno Galasek-Hul produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. The support of the generous sponsor, who prefers to stay anonymous, is sincerely appreciated for making this translation work possible.
The support of the generous sponsor, who prefers to stay anonymous, is sincerely appreciated for making this translation work possible.
The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of all Tathāgatas belongs to a corpus of related tantras that came to be known in Tibet as the dmar nag ’jigs gsum—the cycles of the Red (dmar) Yamāri, Black (nag) Yamāri, and Vajrabhairava (’jigs).” These three cycles featuring different aspects of the tantric deity Yamāntaka enjoyed great popularity in Indian and Tibetan tantric Buddhist circles. While Black Yamāri seems to have been favored in India, Vajrabhairava was practiced more widely in Nepal and Tibet. The popularity of Vajrabhairava in contemporary Tibet is reflected in the Geluk (dge lugs) school, which counts him as one of the three main deities of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra class, together with Guhyasamāja and Cakrasaṃvara.
It has been noted elsewhere that the primary maṇḍala featured in The Tantra of Black Yamāri shows considerable similarities with the maṇḍala of the Guhyasamāja Tantra and the text itself demonstrates a number of parallels with the Guhyasamāja Tantra. Based on these correspondences, it is likely that The Tantra of Black Yamāri was in circulation in India by the mid-ninth century
The translators’ colophon of The Tantra of Black Yamāri reports that it was translated into Tibetan by the Indian master Atiśa Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna (982–1054
As indicated by the translators’ colophon, The Tantra of Black Yamāri was translated during the later dissemination of the teachings in Tibet, which began in the tenth century
Chapter 1 begins with the standard Buddhist introductory formula “Thus did I hear at one time,” and sets the stage for the transmission of the tantra by telling us that the Bhagavat, in this case Mañjuśrī, “was dwelling in the bhagas of all vajra women, who are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas…” Mañjuśrī’s main interlocutor in this tantra is Vajrapāṇi, who initiates the transmission of the tantra by asking Mañjuśrī to reveal the maṇḍala of Black Yamāri, the “enemy of the Lord of Death.” Mañjuśrī assents by first entering different meditative absorptions, and then gradually revealing the entire maṇḍala of Black Yamāri and teaching the seed syllables and mantras for the individual maṇḍala deities.
Chapter 2 opens with verses of praise to the five main deities of the maṇḍala: Mohavajra, Piśunavajra, Rāgavajra, Īrṣyavajra, and Yamāri himself as “lord of the maṇḍala.” The rest of the chapter features instructions on how to arrange the primary maṇḍala for this tantra.
Chapter 3 describes the summoning of the wisdom deities (jñānasattva; ye shes pa) and their merging with the five main male deities of a maṇḍala that features Mohavajra at its center. Following this, the text associates the maṇḍala deities with the primary ritual activities, and briefly describes the production of collyrium siddhi, swift-feet, pill, and sword siddhis.
Chapter 4 describes the production of yantras and how to employ them in a range of different ritual actions, including pacifying, enriching, enthralling, summoning, paralyzing, and killing. This chapter on yantras is among the most extensive treatment of yantras in the Buddhist tantras.
Chapter 5 continues from the previous chapter in presenting instructions on the use of yantras in the performance of various rites, with a specific emphasis on the yantras, mantras, and visualizations for the hostile rites of sowing discord, expelling, and killing.
Chapter 6 is primarily concerned with the arrangement of the mantra syllables within the cells of the yantra. This chapter is also noteworthy for briefly describing the fourfold initiation of Black Yamāri, which consists of the crown initiation, sword initiation, vajra and bell initiation, and a fourth which is called “eating the moon.”
The first part of chapter 7 offers instructions on how to perform the extraction of different substances from the world by meditating on the four goddesses in Yamāri’s maṇḍala, Carcikā, Sarasvatī, Vārāhī, and Gaurī. The chapter ends with a sequence of verses associated with the four initiations listed in the previous chapter.
Chapter 8 begins with the preparatory rites for an initiation, including expelling obstructive forces and establishing the protection circle, bringing the disciple into the maṇḍala, making offerings and praises, and the mantras for demonstrating emptiness. Following this, the chapter offers instruction on the fire offering, and specifically the shape and dimensions of the fire pit used in different rites.
Chapter 9 describes rites for the achievement of various worldly goals, such as making rain, healing snake bites, and so forth.
Chapter 10 begins with a brief description of a ritual to locate, prepare, and resuscitate a corpse as a vetāla, presumably to be used in rites that are not explicitly mentioned. Following this, the chapter next details the creation of an effigy of Yamāri using various meats and other ingredients for the purpose of attracting a woman. The chapter then closes with a visualization of the different Yamāris and their respective association with the afflictive emotions.
An eclectic chapter, chapter 11 initially continues from the preceding chapter by describing how each of the five aspects or forms of Yamāri manifest for the purpose of overcoming the corresponding afflictive emotions. It then proceeds to describe the practice of a number of different forms of Yamāri, sometimes quite briefly. This includes Vajra Yamāri, a hundred-armed form, a buffalo-faced form, Daṇḍa Yamāri, and a ten-million-armed form. The chapter then concludes with a description of potent ointments and beverages.
Chapter 12 begins with songs sung in Apabhraṃśa to Yamāri by the four ḍākinīs Carcikā, Vārāhī, Sarasvātī, and Gaurī. A long passage on the characteristics of mantra recitation follows this, which includes a discussion of how mantras should be recited, what kinds of beads should be used for a recitation mālā, and the effect of different numbers of recitations. The chapter concludes with brief instructions on bali offerings and the appropriate gifts for one’s master.
Chapter 13 presents the practices and mantras for Vajraḍākinī, Vajrapātāla, and Paramāśva, and describes the siddhis—remote, moving underground, and flight, respectively—resulting from their successful cultivation.
Chapter 14 covers a range of topics associated with the maṇḍala used for the initiation. This includes the properties of the cord used to demarcate the maṇḍala, the dimensions of its various features, the colors of its cells, and the symbols that are to be drawn within them. This is followed by a description of the design and measurements of the ritual ladle and spoon used in the fire offering rite. After a statement about the efficacy of the maṇḍala, the ”vajra entry,” and the request made by the disciples, instructions are given on the creation of a physical representation of the deity. The chapter then concludes with instructions on the practices of Ekajaṭā, Pukkasī, and Mañjuvajra.
Chapter 15 teaches the maṇḍalas and practices of Kurukullā, Jāṅgulī, and Vajrānaṅga. The latter is the Buddhist form of Kāmadeva, the god of love/desire.
Chapter 16 focuses on the maṇḍala of the great Heruka, a wrathful deity associated with the charnel ground. Many of the primary deities in the Yoginī Tantras are considered herukas.
Chapter 17 begins with the Apabhraṃśa songs of the four ḍākinīs, Cārcikā, Vārāhī, Sarasvatī, and Gaurī. They encourage Yamāri to arise from the nascent state of emptiness into his fully manifest form. This is followed by a succinct enumeration and description of the four stages of practice in this tantra: yoga, anuyoga, atiyoga, and mahāyoga. The chapter then lists the general samaya observed by the practitioner upon their initiation, and concludes with a series of praises to the realization of the ultimate state.
The short final chapter, chapter 18, relates the origin of The Tantra of Black Yamāri.
This English translation is based on the Tibetan text as preserved in the Degé Kangyur, in close consultation with the Sanskrit edition of the Kṛṣṇayamāritantra published together with Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalī commentary. In the case of variant readings between the Sanskrit and Tibetan witnesses, the Tibetan reading was followed unless the Sanskrit clarified or improved the Tibetan. All other substantive variants have been noted. Our translation is also informed by the available commentarial literature, and specifically the commentaries extant in Sanskrit: Kumāracandra’s Ratnāvalīpañjikā and the fragments of Śrīdhara’s Sahajālokapañjikā.
In addition to the Degé version of the Tibetan translation we also consulted the versions preserved in the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, as well as the apparatus from the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Degé Kangyur. The version found in the Phukdrak Kangyur was especially significant for preserving Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna’s and Tsültrim Gyalwa’s original translation without the later revisions of Darma Drak and Ra Lotsāwa Dorjé Drak. Substantive differences between these two versions have also been noted. In the case of mantras, dhāraṇīs, and other passages rendered in transliterated Sanskrit in the Tibetan text, we have generally followed the text reported in the Degé Kangyur while allowing for minor revisions to clarify and improve the rendering, based on Sanskrit sources. Substantive variants have been noted here as well.
Homage to Mañjuśrī-Yamāri!
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavat was dwelling in the bhagas of all vajra women, who are the essence of the body, speech, and mind of all tathāgatas. He was there with Yamāri’s large assembly, which included Yamāri Mohavajra, Yamāri Piśunavajra, Yamāri Rāgavajra, Yamāri Īrṣyāvajra, Yamāri Dveṣavajra, Mudgara Yamāri, Daṇḍa Yamāri, Padma Yamāri, Khaḍga Yamāri, and, standing in the four intermediate directions, Vajracarcikā, Vajravārāhī, Vajrasarasvatī, and Vajragaurī. Then, Vajrapāṇi supplicated the Bhagavat, the vajra-being, the lord of all tathāgatas, prompting the Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, to emerge from the meditative absorption called the vajra that conquers all māras, the state of his own vajra body, speech, and mind.
Then the Bhagavat, the father of tathāgatas, entered the meditative absorption known as the tamer of māras and emitted the seed-syllables of all the deities beginning with Yamāri Mohavajra from his own vajra body, speech, and mind. In the center is ya, and then kṣe, ma, me, da, ya, ca, ni, rā, jā, sa, do, ru, ṇa, yo, ni, and ra.
Then, the Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, entered the meditative absorption called yamāri vajra and pronounced the mantra of the family of great hatred:
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of the great Mohavajra:
oṁ jinajīk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Piśunavajra:
oṁ ratnadhṛk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Rāgavajra:
oṁ ārolīk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Īrṣyāvajra:
oṁ prajñādhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Mudgaravajra:
oṁ muḍgaradhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of the Daṇḍavajra:
oṁ daṇḍadhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Padmavajra:
oṁ padmadhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Khaḍgavajra:
oṁ khaḍgadhṝk |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajracarcikā:
oṁ moharati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajravārāhī:
oṁ dveṣarati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajrasarasvatī:
oṁ rāgarati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra of Vajragaurī:
oṁ vajrarati |
The Bhagavat, the lord of all tathāgatas, next pronounced the mantra that empowers body, speech, and mind:
oṁ sarvatathāgatakāyavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ | oṁ sarvatathāgatavākvajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ | oṁ sarvatathāgatacittavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ |
Then, the Bhagavat, the Lord of all Tathāgatas, described the body of great wrath:
This was the first chapter, “The Practice Sequence,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.
Then, all the blessed tathāgatas praised the blessed great vajra being:
The Bhagavat then said, “Vajra eyes, vajra ears, vajra nose, vajra tongue, vajra body, and vajra mind.” This is the rite for empowering the eyes and the other senses.
This was the second chapter, “The Great Maṇḍala,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.
Then, all the blessed tathāgatas made a request using this king of praises:
The great vajra bearer then issued the rite with the taste of nectar from his own body, speech, and mind:
oṁ āḥ hūṁ |
This was the third chapter, “Ritual Activities,” from The Tantra of Black Yamāri, the Body, Speech, and Mind of All Tathāgatas.
Then, all the blessed tathāgatas made a request to the blessed great vajra bearer using this king of praises:
The blessed tathāgatas, through the power of their vajra minds, bowed to, worshiped, made offerings to, and circled the Bhagavat three times. They bowed to him, again and again, and listened to what the Bhagavat said.
oṁ namaḥ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ devadattāya śāntiṃ kuru namaḥ svāhā |
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | devadatta puṣṭiṃ kuru svāhā | oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ vauṣaṭ devadattasya puṣṭiṃ kuru vauṣaṭ svāhā |
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | ho devadatta vaśaṃ kuru hoḥ |
oṁ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | vauṣaṭ devadattasya vaśamānaya vauṣaṭ |