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While Pelliot 428 is not wholly unrelated to the later translation by Amoghavajra and Bari Lotsāwa, there are enough differences between this early version of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī to assume that the Imperial era translation and the later translation by Amoghavajra and Bari Lotsāwa were derived from different source texts.
Multiple Sanskrit witnesses are preserved among the Sanskrit manuscript collections at the University of Tokyo, Cambridge University, and the Kathmandu National Archive.
NE 1480/9 reads yāddṛstāpustakaṃ dṛstāstādṛsatvā [sic for yathādṛṣṭaṃ pustakaṃ tathā likhitaṃ?] mayā | yadi suddham asuddham vā mama dokho [sic for doṣo] na dīyate | śrī 3 śrī 3 vajrāccāryyaravṛndrabhadrare [sic for ravīndrabhadreṇa?] lekhyāko yo postakaḥ śubham. This fragment of the scribal colophon might be tentatively translated, “I have copied this down exactly as it appeared in the book. If it is pure or corrupted, the fault should not be placed on me. This was copied down by Śrī (3) srī (3) Vajrācārya Ravīndrabhadra. May there be prosperity and good fortune.” The identification of Ravīndrabhadra as the scribe for this text is traced to the NGMCP catalog card. Given the high honorific prefixes that precede this name in the scribal colophon, it is possible that the text was transcribed for (and not by) the Vajrācārya Ravīndrabhadra.
This text, Toh 988, and all those contained in this same volume (gzungs ’dus, waM), are listed as being located in volume 101 of the Degé Kangyur by the Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC). However, several other Kangyur databases—including the eKangyur that supplies the digital input version displayed by the 84000 Reading Room—list this work as being located in volume 102. This discrepancy is partly due to the fact that the two volumes of the gzungs ’dus section are an added supplement not mentioned in the original catalog, and also hinges on the fact that the compilers of the Tōhoku catalog placed another text—which forms a whole, very large volume—the Vimalaprabhānāmakālacakratantraṭīkā (dus ’khor ’grel bshad dri med ’od, Toh 845), before the volume 100 of the Degé Kangyur, numbering it as vol. 100, although it is almost certainly intended to come right at the end of the Degé Kangyur texts as volume 102; indeed its final fifth chapter is often carried over and wrapped in the same volume as the Kangyur dkar chags (catalog). Please note this discrepancy when using the eKangyur viewer in this translation.
The Tohoku catalog locates this text in vol. 90, folios 156.b–158.b. The Rockhill Kangyur held at the Library of Congress, however, contains a blank folio on 156.a and a blank folio on 157.b. The folio enumeration here follows the Degé Kangyur acquired by Rockhill and held at the Library of Congress. Compare A Catalogue-Index of the Tibetan Buddhist Canons: Bkaḥ-ḥgyur and Bstan-ḥgyur (Sendai, Japan: Tōhoku Imperial University, 1934), p. 99; and ’phags ma ’od zer can zhes bya ba’i gzungs, in sde dge bka’ ’gyur vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pha), edited by chos kyi ’byung gnas (Sde dge: Sde dge par khang chen mo, eighteenth century), folios 156.b–158.b.
Skt. reads oṃ namo bhagavatyai āryamārīcīdevatāyai. The alternate homage in the Sanskrit witnesses translates “Oṃ Homage to the blessed noble goddess Mārīcī.”
Following S pa dA kra ma si, which is supported by Skt. padākramasi. Toh 564 and 988 read pa tā kra ma si.
The version of this text in the Collection of Tantras section in the Degé Kangyur contains a blank folio on 157.b.
Following S aM ta ra d+hA na ma si, which is supported by Skt. antaradhānamasi. Toh 564 reads an tara d+hvaM na ma si, and Toh 988 reads an+tara d+hvaM na ma si. The Pedurma Kangyur also confirms this reading in the Yongle, Lithang, Peking, and Choné witnesses that correspond to Toh 988.
Toh 564 and 988: ’khrugs pa dang / ma ’khrugs pa dang / nyams pa dang ma nyams pa thams cad du bdag seng ge las srungs zhig. S: ’khrugs pa dang / ma ’khrugs pa dang / nyams pa dang / ma nyams pa thams cad du’ang seng ge las srungs shig. Dhiḥ42: ākuleṣu māṃ gopaya | anākuleṣu māṃ gopaya | mūrcchiteṣu māṃ gopaya | amūrcchiteṣu māṃ gopaya | [– – – – – – |] nāgato me rakṣa. NE 1480/9: akṣuleṣu nākṣuleṣu mucchiteṣu siṃhato me rakṣa. This translation is tentative. The command “protect me” (māṃ gopaya) in the first sentence does not occur in the Tibetan and is supplied from the Sanskrit witnesses. The section marked with a series of six dashes in Dhiḥ42 notes an omission in the Sanskrit edition. Aside from this amended reading, the English translation follows the Tibetan witnesses.
Following Toh 564, Toh 988, and S sbrul pa las srungs shig. Dhiḥ42 reads caṇḍamṛgatas, and NE 1480/9 omits. Dhiḥ42 preserves an alternate reading that translates “Protect me from wild animals.”
Following Dhiḥ42 sattvamudrati. Toh 564 and 988 read sa ma pa mU ra d+hi Ti, S reads sa ma pa mUr+d+ha, and NE 1480/9 omits. The reading in Dhiḥ42, where we see Mārīcī referred to in the feminine locative singular as “she who delights beings” (sattvamudrati), is the only option that makes any clear sense.
Following NE 1480/9 and Dhiḥ42 varāhamukhī. Toh 564 and 988 read bA rA ha mu khi, and S reads ba rA ha mu khi.
Following Skt. sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānāṃ. Toh 564 and 988 read sarba duSh+TA/ praduSh+TA nAM, and S reads sarba du Sh+Ta/ pra duSh+Ta naM.
Following S ba rA ha mu khi. Toh 564 and 988 read bA rA ha mu khi, Dhiḥ42 reads varāhamukhī, and NE 1480/9 omits.
Following Toh 564 sarba duSh+TA nAM/ pra duSh+TA nAM and Toh 988 sarba duSh+TA nAM pra duSh+TA nAM. Dhiḥ42 reads sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānam, and NE 1480/9 omits.
Amoghavajra was an eleventh-century Indian paṇḍita and an abbot of the Vajrāsana, the monastic complex at Bodh Gayā in India. He was one of the primary teachers of Bari Rinchen Drakpa, and the two collaborated on a number of translations. Not to be confused with the eighth-century translator Amoghavajra (Ch. Bukong) who translated texts into Chinese.
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).
1040–1112, a prominent teacher, translator, and early throne-holder of Sa skya monastery in Tibet.
Amoghavajra, known in Chinese as Bukong (705–74) was a prolific eighth-century translator particularly renowned for his translations of Indian Buddhist esoteric works into Chinese. He is known to have sailed from South India to China via Sri Lanka between 741 and 746. Not to be confused with the eleventh-century paṇḍita of the same name who translated texts into Tibetan.
The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it 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 formulas.
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”
See “Mārīcī.”
A term for an essential mantra related to a particular deity.
Lit. “With Light Rays” or “Radiant One.” The name of a goddess, often associated with sunrise and moonrise.
A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.
See “Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park.”
One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.
Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.
Derived from the Sanskrit verb √sādh, “to accomplish,” the term sādhana most generically refers to any method that brings about the accomplishment of a desired goal. In Buddhist literature, the term is often specifically applied to tantric practices that involve ritual engagement with deities, mantra recitation, the visualized creation and dissolution of deity maṇḍalas, etc. Sādhanas are aimed at both actualizing spiritual attainments (siddhi) and reaching liberation. The Tibetan translation sgrub thabs means “method of accomplishment.”
During the life of the Buddha, Śrāvastī was the capital city of the powerful kingdom of Kośala, ruled by King Prasenajit, who became a follower and patron of the Buddha. It was also the hometown of Anāthapiṇḍada, the wealthy patron who first invited the Buddha there, and then offered him a park known as Jetavana, Prince Jeta’s Grove, which became one of the first Buddhist monasteries. The Buddha is said to have spent about twenty-five rainy seasons with his disciples in Śrāvastī, thus it is named as the setting of numerous events and teachings. It is located in present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
’od zer can zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Mārīcīnāmadhāraṇī). Toh 564, Degé Kangyur vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pha), folios 157.a–158.b.
’od zer can zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Mārīcīnāmadhāraṇī). Toh 988, Degé Kangyur vol. 101 (gzungs ’dus, waM), folios 142.a–143.a.
’od zer can zhes bya ba’i gzungs. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House) 2006–9, vol. 90, pp. 477–81.
’od zer can zhes bya ba’i gzungs. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House) 2006–9, vol. 98, pp. 446–50.
’od zer can zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Mārīcīnāmadhāraṇī). Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 104 (rgyud, pha), folios 131.b–132.b.
sgyu ma’i ’od zer can ’byung ba’i rgyud las phyung ba’i rtog pa’i rgyal po (Māyāmārīcījātatantrād uddhṛtakalparāja) [The King of Ritual Manuals from the Tantra of Māyā Mārīcī’s Arising]. Toh 565, Degé Kangyur vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pha), folios 158.b–165.b. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2024a.
’phags ma ’od zer can gyi dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga (Āryamārīcīmaṇḍalavidhi) [The Maṇḍala Rites of Noble Mārīcī]. Toh 566, Degé Kangyur vol. 90 (rgyud ’bum, pha), folios 165.b–186.a. English translation in Dharmachakra Translation Committee 2024b.
Pelliot tibétain 428. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.
Abhayākaragupta. Niṣpannayogāvalī. Edited and translated by Lokesh Chandra and Nirmala Sharma. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture and Aditya Prakashan, 2015.
“Āryamārīcī-nāma-dhāraṇī.” Dhiḥ 42 (2006): 155–58.
Mārīcīkalpa. Nepalese-German Manuscript Cataloguing Project (NGMCP) no. E 1480/9. Kathmandu: Nepal National Archive.
Mārīcīkalpatantra. Institute for the Advanced Study of World Religions (IASWR) no. MBB II 112.
Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh, ed. Sādhanamālā. Vol. 1. Baroda: Oriental Institute, 1968.
Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). The Collected Works of Bu-Ston. Edited by Lokesh Candra. 28 vols. Śata-piṭaka Series 41–68. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71.
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Edgerton, Franklin. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. 2 vols. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2004.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Lancaster, Lewis R. The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue. Accessed January 31, 2019.
Monier-Williams, Monier. A Sanskrit–English Dictionary Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2005.
Negi, J. S. Tibetan–Sanskrit Dictionary (bod skad dang legs sbyar gyi tshig mdzod chen mo). 16 vols. Sarnath: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1993–2005.
Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.
Resources for Kanjur and Tanjur Studies. University of Vienna. Accessed November 9, 2018.
Bhattacharyya, Dipakchandra. “An Interesting Image of the Godess [sic] Marici.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 26, part 1 (1964): 91–94.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. (2024a). The King of Ritual Manuals from the Tantra of Māyā Mārīcī’s Arising (Māyāmārīcījātatantrād uddhṛtakalparāja, Toh 565). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024.
Dharmachakra Translation Committee, trans. (2024b). The Maṇḍala Rites of Noble Mārīcī (Āryamārīcīmaṇḍalavidhi mārīcījātadvādaśasahasrād uddhṛtakalpahṛdayasaptaśatanāma, Toh 566). 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024.
Donaldson, Thomas Eugene. “Orissan Images of Vārāhī, Oḍḍiyāna Mārīcī, and Related Sow-Faced Goddesses.” Artibus Asiae 55, no. 1/2 (1995): 155–82.
Hall, David A. The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten: A Study of the Evolution and Impact of Her Cult on the Japanese Warrior. Boston: Global Oriental, 2014.
Hummel, Siegbert. “Notizen zur Ikonographie der Mārīcī.” Monumenta Serica 37 (1986–87): 227–32.
Dhiḥ42 “Āryamārīcī-nāma-dhāraṇī.” Dhiḥ 42 (2006): 155–58.
NE 1480/9 Mārīcīkalpa (NGMCP E 1480/9, Nepal National Archive, Kathmandu). This witness is identical to Mārīcīkalpatantra (IASWR MBB-1973-112 [MBB II 112]).
S Stok Palace Kangyur
Skt. All Sanskrit witnesses
The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī opens at Prince Jeta’s Grove in Śrāvastī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni introduces a saṅgha of monks and bodhisattvas to the goddess Mārīcī by listing her unique qualities and powers. The Buddha then teaches the saṅgha six dhāraṇī mantras related to the goddess Mārīcī.
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The text was translated, checked against the Sanskrit and Tibetan, and edited by Adam C. Krug.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text. Sameer Dhingra was in charge of the digital publication process.
The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī opens in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, where the Buddha Śākyamuni is residing with a saṅgha of monks and bodhisattvas. The Buddha introduces his saṅgha to the goddess Mārīcī by describing her unique qualities and powers. He notes that whoever knows and recites her dhāraṇī heart mantra will have the same powers as Mārīcī, and he then pronounces six separate dhāraṇī mantras.
The colophon to this version of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī indicates that the text was translated into Tibetan in the eleventh century by the Indian paṇḍita Amoghavajra and the Tibetan translator Bari Rinchen Drakpa (1040–1112). However, the Denkarma royal Tibetan catalog of translated works also contains a dhāraṇī titled simply Noble Mārīcī (Skt. Āryamārīcī; Tib. ’phags pa ’od zer can), which suggests that some version of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī was translated into Tibetan at some time before the early ninth century. In the Phangthangma royal Tibetan catalog of translated works we also find the text listed under its full title, The Noble Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī (Skt. Āryamārīcīnāmadhāraṇī; Tib. ’phags pa ’od zer can gyi gzungs). One witness of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī survives among the Dunhuang manuscript collection, which supports the existence of some version of the text either during the Imperial period or shortly after the end of the Tibetan Empire. It is likely, however, that this early translation of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī belonged to a different textual tradition than The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī translated in the eleventh century by Amoghavajra and Bari Rinchen Drakpa.
The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī is included in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) and the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus) sections of the Degé Kangyur. There are also thirty-seven sādhanas for the goddess Mārīcī in the Tengyur, seven of which were, like this text, translated by Amoghavajra and Bari Rinchen Drakpa. The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī itself, along with ritual manuals, sādhana practices, and even terma related to the goddess, has appeared in the collected works of numerous Tibetan authors since at least the thirteenth century, and Mārīcī has remained an important deity in Tibetan Buddhist traditions to this day.
The earliest Chinese translation of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī was completed by an unknown translator in the sixth century during the Liang dynasty (Taishō 1256). Later, Bukong translated two works titled Mārīcīdhāraṇī in the late eighth century (Taishō 1254 and Taishō 1255). While Taishō 1254 differs significantly from the present text in content and length, Taishō 1255 has some parallels with it. The final canonical Chinese translation, which also has parallels with the current work, was completed by Tian Xizai during the late tenth century (Taishō 1257).
We are fortunate that a relatively large number of Sanskrit witnesses of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī have survived. In 2006, a diplomatic edition of a Sanskrit witness for The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī from one of the many dhāraṇī collections (dhāraṇīsaṅgraha) in the National Archives in Kathmandu, titled A Compendium of Dhāraṇī and Other Works (Dhāraṇyādisaṅgraha), was published by the Rare Buddhist Texts Project at the Central University for Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India.
There is also one unpublished manuscript from Nepal titled Mārīcīkalpatantra, or simply Mārīcīkalpa, that contains Sanskrit versions of all three works in the cycle of texts in the Kangyur on the goddess Mārīcī. The fact that this witness contains all three texts in the exact order in which they appear in the Degé Kangyur suggests it is related to the textual tradition from which the translations of Toh 564, The King of Ritual Manuals from the Tantra of Māyā Mārīcī’s Arising (Toh 565), and The Maṇḍala Rites of Noble Mārīcī (Toh 566) were produced. The Sanskrit manuscript unfortunately cuts off at the material corresponding to the middle of Toh 566. The fragment of scribal colophon that survives notes that the text was copied by one Vajrācārya Ravṛndrabhadra (perhaps a misspelling of Ravīndrabhadra), but it does not note when or where the text was copied. The Sanskrit manuscript comes from the private collection of Manavajra Vajrācārya and was microfilmed and cataloged by both the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project (NGMPP) and the International Association for the Study of World Religions (IASWR). The readings in this Sanskrit witness reflect a relatively close relationship to these texts as they are received in the Tibetan Kangyur recensions, and it has proved a valuable resource for this translation.
This translation was produced in consultation with both versions of The Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī preserved in the Degé Kangyur (Toh 564 and 988), the Tibetan translation preserved in the Stok Palace Kangyur, the Sanskrit edition published by the Rare Buddhist Texts Project at CUTS in Sarnath, India, and the Sanskrit manuscript witness cataloged in the NGMCP microfilm collection under the title Mārīcīkalpa (NGMCP E 1480/9) and the IASWR microfilm collection under the title Mārīcīkalpatantra (MBB II 112). All instances in which the English translation deviates from the reading in the Degé Kangyur in favor of a reading in the Sanskrit witness or another Tibetan witness are noted in the translation.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park, with a large saṅgha of 1,250 monks and a great number of bodhisattva great beings.
“Monks,” said the Blessed One, “there is a certain goddess named Mārīcī who arrives just before the sun and moon. She cannot be seen, cannot be seized, cannot be bound, cannot be stopped, cannot be opposed, cannot be enchanted, cannot be cut by a blade, cannot be decapitated, cannot be injured, cannot be burned, and cannot be brought under an enemy’s control.
“Monks, whoever knows the goddess Mārīcī’s name also cannot be seized, cannot be bound, cannot be stopped, cannot be opposed, cannot be enchanted, cannot be cut by a blade, cannot be decapitated, cannot be injured, cannot be burned, and cannot be brought under an enemy’s control.
“Since I know the name of the goddess Mārīcī, may I, too not be seen, not be seized, not be bound, not be stopped, not be opposed, not be enchanted, not be cut, not be decapitated, not be injured, not be beaten, not be burned, and not be brought under an enemy’s control. These are the mantra verses:
“tadyathā oṃ padākramasi parākramasi udayamasi nairamasi arkamasi markamasi urmamasi vanamasi gulmamasi cīvaramasi mahācīvaramasi antardhānamasi svāhā.
“Oṃ goddess Mārīcī, protect me on the path. Protect me from the wrong path. Protect me from perils related to people. Protect me from perils related to kings. Protect me from perils related to elephants. Protect me from perils related to robbers. Protect me from perils related to nāgas. Protect me from perils related to lions. Protect me from perils related to tigers. Protect me from perils related to fire. Protect me from perils related to water. Protect me from perils related to serpents. Protect me from perils related to poison. Protect me from all adversaries and enemies. Protect me when there is conflict and calm and when there is disorder and order. Protect me from lions. Protect me from tigers. Protect me from nāgas. Protect me from serpents, svāhā. Protect me from all perils and from all manner of harm, infectious disease, and conflict. Protect me!
“namo ratnatrayāya tadyathā oṃ ālo tālo kālo sacchalo sattvamudrati rakṣa rakṣa māṃ. Protect me and all beings and from all manner of injury, peril, and illness, svāhā.
“Homage to the Three Jewels. I will recite the heart mantra of the goddess Mārīcī:
“tadyathā oṃ vattāli vadāli varāli varāhamukhī sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānāṃ cakṣurmukhaṃ bandha bandha bandha mukhaṃ jaṃbhaya staṃbhaya mohaya svāhā.
“oṃ mārīcyai svāhā.
“oṃ varāli vadāli vattāli varāhamukhi sarvaduṣṭānāṃ praduṣṭānāṃ cakṣurmukhaṃ bandha bandha svāhā.”
When the Blessed One said this, the entire retinue of monks and bodhisattvas and the entire world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This concludes “The Noble Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī.”
This work was translated by the paṇḍita Amoghavajra and the lotsāwa-monk Bari Rinchen Drakpa.
The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī opens at Prince Jeta’s Grove in Śrāvastī, where the Buddha Śākyamuni introduces a saṅgha of monks and bodhisattvas to the goddess Mārīcī by listing her unique qualities and powers. The Buddha then teaches the saṅgha six dhāraṇī mantras related to the goddess Mārīcī.
This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The text was translated, checked against the Sanskrit and Tibetan, and edited by Adam C. Krug.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Laura Goetz copyedited the text. Sameer Dhingra was in charge of the digital publication process.
The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī opens in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, where the Buddha Śākyamuni is residing with a saṅgha of monks and bodhisattvas. The Buddha introduces his saṅgha to the goddess Mārīcī by describing her unique qualities and powers. He notes that whoever knows and recites her dhāraṇī heart mantra will have the same powers as Mārīcī, and he then pronounces six separate dhāraṇī mantras.
The colophon to this version of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī indicates that the text was translated into Tibetan in the eleventh century by the Indian paṇḍita Amoghavajra and the Tibetan translator Bari Rinchen Drakpa (1040–1112). However, the Denkarma royal Tibetan catalog of translated works also contains a dhāraṇī titled simply Noble Mārīcī (Skt. Āryamārīcī; Tib. ’phags pa ’od zer can), which suggests that some version of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī was translated into Tibetan at some time before the early ninth century. In the Phangthangma royal Tibetan catalog of translated works we also find the text listed under its full title, The Noble Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī (Skt. Āryamārīcīnāmadhāraṇī; Tib. ’phags pa ’od zer can gyi gzungs). One witness of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī survives among the Dunhuang manuscript collection, which supports the existence of some version of the text either during the Imperial period or shortly after the end of the Tibetan Empire. It is likely, however, that this early translation of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī belonged to a different textual tradition than The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī translated in the eleventh century by Amoghavajra and Bari Rinchen Drakpa.
The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī is included in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) and the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs (gzungs ’dus) sections of the Degé Kangyur. There are also thirty-seven sādhanas for the goddess Mārīcī in the Tengyur, seven of which were, like this text, translated by Amoghavajra and Bari Rinchen Drakpa. The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī itself, along with ritual manuals, sādhana practices, and even terma related to the goddess, has appeared in the collected works of numerous Tibetan authors since at least the thirteenth century, and Mārīcī has remained an important deity in Tibetan Buddhist traditions to this day.
The earliest Chinese translation of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī was completed by an unknown translator in the sixth century during the Liang dynasty (Taishō 1256). Later, Bukong translated two works titled Mārīcīdhāraṇī in the late eighth century (Taishō 1254 and Taishō 1255). While Taishō 1254 differs significantly from the present text in content and length, Taishō 1255 has some parallels with it. The final canonical Chinese translation, which also has parallels with the current work, was completed by Tian Xizai during the late tenth century (Taishō 1257).
We are fortunate that a relatively large number of Sanskrit witnesses of The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī have survived. In 2006, a diplomatic edition of a Sanskrit witness for The Mārīcī Dhāraṇī from one of the many dhāraṇī collections (dhāraṇīsaṅgraha) in the National Archives in Kathmandu, titled A Compendium of Dhāraṇī and Other Works (Dhāraṇyādisaṅgraha), was published by the Rare Buddhist Texts Project at the Central University for Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India.
There is also one unpublished manuscript from Nepal titled Mārīcīkalpatantra, or simply Mārīcīkalpa, that contains Sanskrit versions of all three works in the cycle of texts in the Kangyur on the goddess Mārīcī. The fact that this witness contains all three texts in the exact order in which they appear in the Degé Kangyur suggests it is related to the textual tradition from which the translations of Toh 564, The King of Ritual Manuals from the Tantra of Māyā Mārīcī’s Arising (Toh 565), and The Maṇḍala Rites of Noble Mārīcī (Toh 566) were produced. The Sanskrit manuscript unfortunately cuts off at the material corresponding to the middle of Toh 566. The fragment of scribal colophon that survives notes that the text was copied by one Vajrācārya Ravṛndrabhadra (perhaps a misspelling of Ravīndrabhadra), but it does not note when or where the text was copied. The Sanskrit manuscript comes from the private collection of Manavajra Vajrācārya and was microfilmed and cataloged by both the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project (NGMPP) and the International Association for the Study of World Religions (IASWR). The readings in this Sanskrit witness reflect a relatively close relationship to these texts as they are received in the Tibetan Kangyur recensions, and it has proved a valuable resource for this translation.
This translation was produced in consultation with both versions of The Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī preserved in the Degé Kangyur (Toh 564 and 988), the Tibetan translation preserved in the Stok Palace Kangyur, the Sanskrit edition published by the Rare Buddhist Texts Project at CUTS in Sarnath, India, and the Sanskrit manuscript witness cataloged in the NGMCP microfilm collection under the title Mārīcīkalpa (NGMCP E 1480/9) and the IASWR microfilm collection under the title Mārīcīkalpatantra (MBB II 112). All instances in which the English translation deviates from the reading in the Degé Kangyur in favor of a reading in the Sanskrit witness or another Tibetan witness are noted in the translation.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in Śrāvastī in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park, with a large saṅgha of 1,250 monks and a great number of bodhisattva great beings.
“Monks,” said the Blessed One, “there is a certain goddess named Mārīcī who arrives just before the sun and moon. She cannot be seen, cannot be seized, cannot be bound, cannot be stopped, cannot be opposed, cannot be enchanted, cannot be cut by a blade, cannot be decapitated, cannot be injured, cannot be burned, and cannot be brought under an enemy’s control.
“Monks, whoever knows the goddess Mārīcī’s name also cannot be seized, cannot be bound, cannot be stopped, cannot be opposed, cannot be enchanted, cannot be cut by a blade, cannot be decapitated, cannot be injured, cannot be burned, and cannot be brought under an enemy’s control.
“Since I know the name of the goddess Mārīcī, may I, too not be seen, not be seized, not be bound, not be stopped, not be opposed, not be enchanted, not be cut, not be decapitated, not be injured, not be beaten, not be burned, and not be brought under an enemy’s control. These are the mantra verses:
“tadyathā oṃ padākramasi parākramasi udayamasi nairamasi arkamasi markamasi urmamasi vanamasi gulmamasi cīvaramasi mahācīvaramasi antardhānamasi svāhā.
“Oṃ goddess Mārīcī, protect me on the path. Protect me from the wrong path. Protect me from perils related to people. Protect me from perils related to kings. Protect me from perils related to elephants. Protect me from perils related to robbers. Protect me from perils related to nāgas. Protect me from perils related to lions. Protect me from perils related to tigers. Protect me from perils related to fire. Protect me from perils related to water. Protect me from perils related to serpents. Protect me from perils related to poison. Protect me from all adversaries and enemies. Protect me when there is conflict and calm and when there is disorder and order. Protect me from lions. Protect me from tigers. Protect me from nāgas. Protect me from serpents, svāhā. Protect me from all perils and from all manner of harm, infectious disease, and conflict. Protect me!
“namo ratnatrayāya tadyathā oṃ ālo tālo kālo sacchalo sattvamudrati rakṣa rakṣa māṃ. Protect me and all beings and from all manner of injury, peril, and illness, svāhā.
“Homage to the Three Jewels. I will recite the heart mantra of the goddess Mārīcī:
“tadyathā oṃ vattāli vadāli varāli varāhamukhī sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭānāṃ cakṣurmukhaṃ bandha bandha bandha mukhaṃ jaṃbhaya staṃbhaya mohaya svāhā.
“oṃ mārīcyai svāhā.
“oṃ varāli vadāli vattāli varāhamukhi sarvaduṣṭānāṃ praduṣṭānāṃ cakṣurmukhaṃ bandha bandha svāhā.”
When the Blessed One said this, the entire retinue of monks and bodhisattvas and the entire world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.
This concludes “The Noble Dhāraṇī of Mārīcī.”
This work was translated by the paṇḍita Amoghavajra and the lotsāwa-monk Bari Rinchen Drakpa.