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D, S: shrI de bI kA li pra ma rA dza tan+tra kA li; F: ShrI de wa ka pra sraM ra ca tan tra ka li. There is no known attestation of the Sanskrit title for this text. In the Tibetan transliteration of the Sanskrit title, we have tentatively emended pra ma to praśaṁsā to reflect a common Sanskrit correlate to the Tibetan term bstod pa. The Tibetan transliteration also includes the term kA li (kāli) at the end of the Sanskrit title, but as this appears to be an error it has been removed.
For a presentation of Śrīdevī Kālī and the relationship between the texts in the Kangyur that focus on this protector, see the introduction in Praising the Lady Who Rules Disease (nad kyi bdag mo la bstod pa, Toh 1090/1777).
For another discussion of this textual relationship, see the introduction in Praising the Lady Who Rules Disease (nad kyi bdag mo la bstod pa, Toh 1090/Toh 1777).
D, S: gzhan gyi lan chags gnod pa’i rkyen dang ldan; F: gzhan gyi lan chags gnod pa’i rkyen dang bral. This translation is tentative and follows F, which is also supported by the reading in the Nyingma Gyübum.
D: ma byin len spangs tshul la; F, H, N, S: ma byin len pa’i tshul la. This translation follows the reading in F, H, N, and S.
D, S: dang po’i sa las; F: dang po’i las la. The English translation follows D and S. This line refers to the first stage of the path of accumulation, not the first bodhisattva ground (sa, bhūmi), which is the result of completing the path of seeing (mthong lam, darśanamārga), not the basis for the path of accumulation.
D, S: spros dang spros med don dam dbyings kyis bsdus; F: spros dang spros med don dam gnyis kyis bsdus. This translation, which follows D and S, is tentative.
Here we understand dbyings to be short for chos kyi dbyings and in this context to refer to the appearance of the various phenomena of conventional reality.
D, S: rtags kyi sku mdog dkar mo shin tu dngas; F: rtags kyi sku mdog dkar zhing rab tu dngas This translation is tentative.
D: ’di ltar ’dzin nyid cir yang snang ba ni; F, H: ’di ltar mtshan nyid cir yang snang ba ni; S: ji ltar ’dzin nyid cir yang snang ba ni. This translation follows F and H.
D: rdzon gi dka’ zlog ma. This epithet clearly evokes Kālī’s appearance in the form of Durgā (dka’ zlog ma), but it also appears to refer to the story mentioned below in this text where Kālī is said to have provided a fortress for the gods when the gods and asuras were at war.
D: dpal lha mo nag mo; C, F, H J, K, N, S, Y: dpal lha mo. This translation follows C, F, H, J, K, N, S, and Y in omitting nag mo (kālī).
D: rgyal ba’i don yang thugs chud khyod nyid la; C, J, K, Y: rgyal ba’i don spangs thugs chud khyod nyid la; F: rgyal ba’i dgongs pa thugs chud khyod nyid la N, S: rgyal ba’i don yangs thugs chud khyod nyid la. This translation follows D, but the wide variation across sources suggests that other interpretations may be viable.
D, F: gdod nas gnyis med bde chen ma rtogs par; H, N, S: gdod nas gnyis med bde chen ma gtogs par. This translation follows D.
D, F: khyod la brten nas thams cad ltung bar ’gyur; H, N, S: khyod la brten nas thams cad ltung bar ’gyur. This translation follows D.
D: rgyal po mang po; C, F, H, J, N, K, S, Y: rgyal ba mang po. This translation follows C, F, H, J, N, K, S, and Y.
This passage spoken by Yama makes up the entirety of Praising the Lady Who Rules Disease (Toh 1090/1777). Though there is some variation between Toh 1090 and this text, likely due to separate histories of editorial revision, the content is largely the same. Whereas Toh 1090/1777 is presented in consistently metrical lines of verse, a metrical structure is only hinted at here in Toh 671. Therefore, in this English translation we have opted to render this passage in prose rather than alternate between verse and prose in the uneven manner suggested by the text.
We have emended khyod la ni to khyod nyid ni as suggested by the version of the text preserved in the Nyingma Gyübum. This line is not reported in Toh 1090/1777.
D: lha rnams dang ni ’gro ba ma lus ’jug brtul bas na; F: lha rnams dang ni ’gro ba ma lus ’jug sdug bsngal gnas nas; C, J, K, Y: lha rnams dang ni ’gro ba ma lus mjug brtul bas; H, N: lha rnams dang ni ’gro ba ma lus pa rnams ’jug phyir rab rtul bas; S: lha rnams dang ni ’gro ba ma lus pa rnams ’jug phyir rab brtul bas. This translation follows C, J, K, and Y.
D, S: spyan mig mthong na mi sdug kun du sdang; F: spyan mig ’thong na kun tu sngag; Y: spyan mig mi sdug kun du sdang / dad cing tshogs pa’i mi rnams sdud. Because the reading in D and S is hypermetrical, this tentative translation follows the reading in Y.
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).
The real nature, true quality, or condition of things. Throughout Buddhist discourse this term is used in two distinct ways. In one, it designates the relative nature that is either the essential characteristic of a specific phenomenon, such as the heat of fire and the moisture of water, or the defining feature of a specific term or category. The other very important and widespread way it is used is to designate the ultimate nature of all phenomena, which cannot be conveyed in conceptual, dualistic terms and is often synonymous with emptiness or the absence of intrinsic existence.
This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.
Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290–1364), a great scholar at the monastery of Zhalu (zha lu) whose compiling of lists of translated works contributed to the emergence of the Kangyur and Tengyur collections.
The name of a goddess who is equated with Remati, the speech emanation of Mahākālī in Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī.
This term denotes the presence of discursive or conceptual thought processes. Their absence or deconstruction is characteristic of the realization of emptiness or ultimate reality.
In Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī (Toh 671), this appears to be a pattern on the strap of Mahākālī’s saddle that represents punishing beings who violate their vows (samayas).
A synonym for the phenomenal realm (dharmadhātu; chos dbyings).
Interpreted variously—given the many connotations of both dharma and dhātu—as the realm, element, or nature of phenomena, reality, or truth. Generally taken to denote the entirety of phenomena and particularly their nature as a synonym of other terms designating the ultimate. In Tibetan, instances of the Sanskrit dharmadhātu with this range of meanings (rendered chos kyi dbyings) are distinguished from instances of the same Sanskrit term with its rather different meaning related to mental perception in the context of the twelve sense sources and eighteen elements (rendered chos kyi khams).
The kinnara king Druma is a well-known figure in canonical Buddhist literature, where he frequently appears, mostly in minor roles. For example, King Druma appears in \1\2The White Lotus of the Good Dharma (Toh 113), where he is one of the four kinnara kings attending the Buddha’s teaching. He is also included in \1\2The King of Samādhis Sūtra (Toh 127), where he arrives with his queens to make an offering of his music to the Buddha. He is also a bodhisattva who teaches and displays a profound understanding of the doctrine of emptiness in \1\2The Questions of the Kinnara King Druma (Toh 157), where his future awakening is also prophesied by the Buddha.
(His name has been translated into Tibetan both as “sdong po” and “ljon pa.”)
A form of Mahākālī in Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī. She is also a popular goddess within the Brahmanical and Hindu traditions, where she is identified as Pārvatī, the wife of Śiva.
The eight classes of divine and demonic beings can vary across sources. It would appear that this set of eight beings is a Tibetan convention as there is no known Sanskrit equivalent for the term for this set as a whole, or an established Indic taxonomy based on eight types of such beings.
One of the four primary categories of ritual activities. It involves summoning and controlling a desired target.
“Vast ocean” translates the Tibetan rgya mtsho’i klong, which in turn is attested as a translation of the Sanskrit vaḍabāmukha, “the mare’s mouth.” In Indic mythology, this is the name for an underwater cavity at the bottom of the sea that contains a fire known as vaḍabāgni (“the mare’s fire”). At some point, this fire will erupt and consume the entire world.
A Buddhist framework for the path to awakening. It consists of (1) the path of accumulation (sambhāramārga; tshogs lam), (2) the path of preparation (prayogamārga; sbyor lam), (3) the path of seeing (darśanamārga; mthong lam), (4) the path of cultivation (bhāvanāmārga; sgom lam), and (5) the path of no further learning (aśaikṣamārga; mi slob lam).
In the most general sense the devas—the term is cognate with the English divine—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.
Literally the “grounds” in which qualities grow, and also meaning “levels.” Here it refers specifically to levels of enlightenment, especially the ten levels of the enlightened bodhisattvas.
One of the heavens of Buddhist cosmology. Counted among the six heavens of the desire realm, it is traditionally located atop Mount Meru, just above the terrace of the abodes of the Four Great Kings. It is reigned over by Śakra and thirty-two other gods.
In general, this is the mental factor of discerning the specific qualities of a given object and whether it should be accepted or rejected. As the sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena—the realization of ultimate reality.
A fearsome, wrathful goddess venerated in both non-Buddhist and Buddhist traditions. Here an epithet for Śrīdevī Mahākālī.
A great ṛṣi.
A staff with a single tip or one with three points and a freshly decapitated head, a rotting head, and a skull skewered on its shaft.
The name of a city and its surrounding territory. Traditionally identified as the land of the rākṣasas (srin yul).
An epithet of Yama.
Another name for Yama, the lord of death.
The lord of death.
An epithet for the deity Śiva.
A formula of words or syllables that are recited aloud or mentally in order to bring about a magical or soteriological effect or result. The term has been interpretively etymologized to mean “that which protects (trā) the mind (man)”.
A class of potentially demonic spirit being.
A Tibetan class of female nonhuman beings that are perhaps related to medicine (sman) and medical rites. There are numerous subcategories and specific groupings of menmo in Tibetan literature.
One of Mahākālī’s hand implements, said to symbolize her treasure of merit. Symbolically, mongooses are associated with wealth, are often described as spitting jewels, and are depicted with a jewel in their mouth.
The name of a nāga king.
The name of a king of the kumbhāṇḍas.
Those of other religious or philosophical orders, contemporary with the early Buddhist order, including Jains, Jaṭilas, Ājīvikas, and Cārvākas. Tīrthika (“forder”) literally translates as “one belonging to or associated with (possessive suffix –ika) stairs for landing or for descent into a river,” or “a bathing place,” or “a place of pilgrimage on the banks of sacred streams” (Monier-Williams). The term may have originally referred to temple priests at river crossings or fords where travelers propitiated a deity before crossing. The Sanskrit term seems to have undergone metonymic transfer in referring to those able to ford the turbulent river of saṃsāra (as in the Jain tīrthaṅkaras, “ford makers”), and it came to be used in Buddhist sources to refer to teachers of rival religious traditions. The Sanskrit term is closely rendered by the Tibetan mu stegs pa: “those on the steps (stegs pa) at the edge (mu).”
The name of a gandharva king.
The immense wish-fulling tree that stands in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.
The name of one of the groves of the deities of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. In Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī , Pāruṣyaka is identified as a vast grove (tshal chen po) on the summit of Mount Sumeru.
A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.
A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.
The name of a goddess who is said to be Mahākālī’s body emanation.
The name of a goddess who accompanies Mahākālī. At times, the two goddesses appear to be conflated into one, but at other times they are clearly two distinct goddesses. In this text Remati is also said to be Mahākālī’s speech emanation.
A term that denotes a range of ritual activities that fall under the four broad categories of pacification (śānti; zhi ba), enriching (pauṣṭika; rgyas pa), enthralling (vaśya; dbang byed), and assault (abhicāra; mngon spyod).
An ancient Indian spiritual title, often translated as “sage” or “seer.” The title is particularly used for divinely inspired individuals credited with creating the foundations of Indian culture. The term is also applied to Śākyamuni and other realized Buddhist figures.
A wrathful form of Śiva.
The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings.
The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.
The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.
In a general sense, samādhi can describe a number of different meditative states. In the Mahāyāna literature, in particular in the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, we find extensive lists of different samādhis, numbering over one hundred.
In a more restricted sense, and when understood as a mental state, samādhi is defined as the one-pointedness of the mind (cittaikāgratā), the ability to remain on the same object over long periods of time. The Drajor Bamponyipa (sgra sbyor bam po gnyis pa) commentary on the Mahāvyutpatti explains the term samādhi as referring to the instrument through which mind and mental states “get collected,” i.e., it is by the force of samādhi that the continuum of mind and mental states becomes collected on a single point of reference without getting distracted.
Literally, in Sanskrit, “coming together.” Samaya refers to precepts given by the teacher, the corresponding commitment by the pupil, and the bond that results, which can also be the bond between the practitioner and the deity or a spirit. It can also mean a special juncture or circumstance, or an ordinary time or season.
The name of a goddess who is said to be an emanation of Mahākālī’s body, speech, and mind.
A handbag that holds the seeds of various diseases carried by nonhuman beings associated with causing disease.
An epithet for Śrīdevī Mahākālī. According to The Tantra of the Flaming Ḍākinī (Toh 842), Śrīdevī Mahākālī prays that in her next life she may meet the Buddha and become the sovereign goddess of the desire realm. When this becomes reality, she becomes known as “Sovereign Goddess of the Desire Realm.”
A fearsome, wrathful goddess who in the Buddhist tradition is a protector of the teachings. In Tibet, she is widely propitiated and takes on many forms, many of which are known through the Tibetan name Palden Lhamo (dpal ldan lha mo), which translates the Sanskrit śrīdevī. She is most often portrayed riding on a donkey and adorned with various wrathful ornaments and hand implements.
dpal lha mo nag mo’i bstod pa rgyal po’i rgyud (Śrīdevīkālipramarājatantrakāli). Toh 671, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba), folios 202.b–209.b.
dpal lha mo nag mo’i bstod pa rgyal po’i rgyud (Śrīdevīkālipramarājatantrakāli). 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. 91, pp. 745–65.
dpal lha mo nag mo’i bstod pa rgyal po’i rgyud (Śrīdevīkālipramarājatantrakali). Phukdrak Kangyur vol. 119 (rgyud, na), folios 1.b–10.b
dpal lha mo nag mo’i bstod pa rgyal po’i rgyud (Śrīdevīkālipramarājatantrakali). Stok Palace Kangyur vol.105 (rgyud, pha), folios 179.b–188.a.
dpal lha mo nag mo’i bstod pa’i rgyal po’i rgyud. Nyingma Gyübum (mtshams brag dgon pa’i bris ma) vol. 42 (ni), folios 475.a–487.a.
84000. Praising the Lady Who Rules Disease (nad kyi bdag mo la bstod pa, Toh 1090/1777). Translated by Catherine Dalton and Andreas Doctor. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2023.
Tulku, Tarthang. The Nyingma Edition of the sDe-dge bKa’-’gyur/bsTan-’gyur Research Catalogue and Bibliography, vol. 2. Oakland, CA: Dharma Press, 1982.
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)
Y Yongle (g.yong lo)
The Sovereign Tantra “Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī” opens in the Pāruṣyaka grove on the summit of Mount Sumeru, where the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi has assembled with a large retinue of divine and demonic beings. Vajrapāṇi introduces the goddess Śrīdevī Kālī and implores the members of his retinue to make offerings to her and praise her. Twelve members of the assembly then praise Śrīdevī Kālī in turn, with each praise providing a fresh perspective on how the goddess’s physical features and virtuous qualities reflect her status as a distinctively Buddhist deity.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Adam Krug and edited by Ryan Conlon.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Dakki, with special dedication to the long life and good health of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, and for the benefit of all beings.
The Sovereign Tantra “Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī” (Śrīdevīkālīpraśaṃsārājatantra) opens in the Pāruṣyaka grove on the summit of Mount Sumeru, where the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi has assembled with a large retinue of divine and demonic beings. Vajrapāṇi introduces the goddess Śrīdevī Kālī and implores the members of his retinue to praise and make offerings to her, prompting twelve members of the retinue to praise the goddess in turn.
Each praise to the goddess provides a distinct perspective on how her physical features and virtuous qualities reflect her status as a distinctly Buddhist deity and protector of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s teachings. Śakra, the lord of the gods, begins by praising Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of the ten virtuous actions, noting how the goddess’s practice of the ten virtuous actions led her to abandon all forms of nonvirtuous action. The yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa then praises Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of her progression on the fivefold path, indicating that she is understood in this tantra to be a highly advanced bodhisattva. We next hear from the kinnara king Druma, the gandharva king Pañcaśikha, the nāga king Nanda, and so forth, representing the various leaders of “eight classes of divine and demonic beings” in Vajrapāṇi’s retinue. Each figure’s praise of Kālī draws out numerous connections between the goddess’s various qualities and the Buddhist teachings on nonduality, the performance of ritual actions, ultimate truth, and the bodhisattva path, providing an entirely Buddhist interpretive framework for understanding and visualizing the goddess. At times, the beings praising Kālī explicitly acknowledge her association with other, non-Buddhist traditions, offering their explanations of why that is the case.
Among the numerous figures praising Mahākālī is Yama, the Lord of Death. His praise is noteworthy for the fact that it also appears, in a slightly modified standalone form, as Praising the Lady Who Rules Disease, a text found in both the Kangyur (Toh 1090) and the Tengyur (Toh 1777). Both versions are attributed to “the brahmin Vararuci,” who, here in Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī, speaks the praise immediately following the praise spoken by Yama. Thus it would appear that Toh 1090/1777 is an extract from Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī, and the compilers of Toh 1090/1777 mistook the line introducing the praise of Vararuci in Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī as an attribution of authorship for the preceding praise spoken by Yama. The fact that Toh 1090/1777 is attributed to the human Vararuci perhaps explains why the same text was also included in the Tengyur.
There is currently no known Sanskrit witness to this text, and the text does not include a translator’s colophon. It also does not appear in either of the ninth-century royal Tibetan catalogs of translated works and is not found in the Chinese canon. All of these factors make it difficult to determine the provenance of the text, and it is perhaps partly for these reasons that Butön Rinchen Drup and others have called into question the authenticity of this work as an Indian text.
This English translation is based on the version of Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī in the Degé Kangyur in consultation with the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, and the Comparative Edition of the Degé Kangyur (dpe bsdur ma). The version of the text preserved in the Nyingma Gyübum also informed this translation.
Homage to glorious Vajrapāṇi, lord of vidyās and mantras.
Thus did I hear at one time. In the vast Pāruṣyaka grove on the summit of Mount Sumeru, the blessed and glorious great fierce one Vajrapāṇi—whose body blazes like the fire that consumes the world at the end of an eon, who is victorious over the threefold world, and who burns with the fire of a thousand suns—sat surrounded by a retinue including Śakra and a horde of piśācas, rākṣasas, and mātṛkās numbering in the billions. Seated on a lotus, glorious Vajrapāṇi proclaimed, “Eight classes of divine and demonic beings in my retinue, listen to me! There is a great regent in this desire realm known as the mother of the demon and Yama’s sister. She upholds the teachings of all the buddhas, so you should make offerings to her and praise her. I give you my blessing!”
Śakra, the lord of the gods, rose from his seat in the assembly and spoke the following verses praising Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of the ten virtuous actions:
Next, the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa praised Śrīdevī Mahākālī according to the system of the fivefold path:
Next, the horse-headed kinnara king Druma praised Śrīdevī Mahākālī in terms of nonduality:
At that point, the gandharva king Pañcaśikha praised Śrīdevī in terms of her ritual activity:
Next, the nāga king Nanda praised Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of her physical features:
Next, the kumbhāṇḍa king Nine-Headed Snake praised Śrīdevī in terms of body, speech, and mind:
Next, the asura king Vemacitra praised Śrīdevī in terms of the ultimate:
Next, the king of garuḍas Vajra Golden Eyes praised Śrīdevī:
Next, the attendants of the sky god praised Śrīdevī:
The Sovereign Tantra “Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī” opens in the Pāruṣyaka grove on the summit of Mount Sumeru, where the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi has assembled with a large retinue of divine and demonic beings. Vajrapāṇi introduces the goddess Śrīdevī Kālī and implores the members of his retinue to make offerings to her and praise her. Twelve members of the assembly then praise Śrīdevī Kālī in turn, with each praise providing a fresh perspective on how the goddess’s physical features and virtuous qualities reflect her status as a distinctively Buddhist deity.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Adam Krug and edited by Ryan Conlon.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Ryan Damron edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Dakki, with special dedication to the long life and good health of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, and for the benefit of all beings.
The Sovereign Tantra “Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī” (Śrīdevīkālīpraśaṃsārājatantra) opens in the Pāruṣyaka grove on the summit of Mount Sumeru, where the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi has assembled with a large retinue of divine and demonic beings. Vajrapāṇi introduces the goddess Śrīdevī Kālī and implores the members of his retinue to praise and make offerings to her, prompting twelve members of the retinue to praise the goddess in turn.
Each praise to the goddess provides a distinct perspective on how her physical features and virtuous qualities reflect her status as a distinctly Buddhist deity and protector of the Buddha Śākyamuni’s teachings. Śakra, the lord of the gods, begins by praising Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of the ten virtuous actions, noting how the goddess’s practice of the ten virtuous actions led her to abandon all forms of nonvirtuous action. The yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa then praises Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of her progression on the fivefold path, indicating that she is understood in this tantra to be a highly advanced bodhisattva. We next hear from the kinnara king Druma, the gandharva king Pañcaśikha, the nāga king Nanda, and so forth, representing the various leaders of “eight classes of divine and demonic beings” in Vajrapāṇi’s retinue. Each figure’s praise of Kālī draws out numerous connections between the goddess’s various qualities and the Buddhist teachings on nonduality, the performance of ritual actions, ultimate truth, and the bodhisattva path, providing an entirely Buddhist interpretive framework for understanding and visualizing the goddess. At times, the beings praising Kālī explicitly acknowledge her association with other, non-Buddhist traditions, offering their explanations of why that is the case.
Among the numerous figures praising Mahākālī is Yama, the Lord of Death. His praise is noteworthy for the fact that it also appears, in a slightly modified standalone form, as Praising the Lady Who Rules Disease, a text found in both the Kangyur (Toh 1090) and the Tengyur (Toh 1777). Both versions are attributed to “the brahmin Vararuci,” who, here in Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī, speaks the praise immediately following the praise spoken by Yama. Thus it would appear that Toh 1090/1777 is an extract from Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī, and the compilers of Toh 1090/1777 mistook the line introducing the praise of Vararuci in Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī as an attribution of authorship for the preceding praise spoken by Yama. The fact that Toh 1090/1777 is attributed to the human Vararuci perhaps explains why the same text was also included in the Tengyur.
There is currently no known Sanskrit witness to this text, and the text does not include a translator’s colophon. It also does not appear in either of the ninth-century royal Tibetan catalogs of translated works and is not found in the Chinese canon. All of these factors make it difficult to determine the provenance of the text, and it is perhaps partly for these reasons that Butön Rinchen Drup and others have called into question the authenticity of this work as an Indian text.
This English translation is based on the version of Praises to Śrīdevī Kālī in the Degé Kangyur in consultation with the Stok Palace Kangyur, Phukdrak Kangyur, and the Comparative Edition of the Degé Kangyur (dpe bsdur ma). The version of the text preserved in the Nyingma Gyübum also informed this translation.
Homage to glorious Vajrapāṇi, lord of vidyās and mantras.
Thus did I hear at one time. In the vast Pāruṣyaka grove on the summit of Mount Sumeru, the blessed and glorious great fierce one Vajrapāṇi—whose body blazes like the fire that consumes the world at the end of an eon, who is victorious over the threefold world, and who burns with the fire of a thousand suns—sat surrounded by a retinue including Śakra and a horde of piśācas, rākṣasas, and mātṛkās numbering in the billions. Seated on a lotus, glorious Vajrapāṇi proclaimed, “Eight classes of divine and demonic beings in my retinue, listen to me! There is a great regent in this desire realm known as the mother of the demon and Yama’s sister. She upholds the teachings of all the buddhas, so you should make offerings to her and praise her. I give you my blessing!”
Śakra, the lord of the gods, rose from his seat in the assembly and spoke the following verses praising Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of the ten virtuous actions:
Next, the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa praised Śrīdevī Mahākālī according to the system of the fivefold path:
Next, the horse-headed kinnara king Druma praised Śrīdevī Mahākālī in terms of nonduality:
At that point, the gandharva king Pañcaśikha praised Śrīdevī in terms of her ritual activity:
Next, the nāga king Nanda praised Śrīdevī Kālī in terms of her physical features:
Next, the kumbhāṇḍa king Nine-Headed Snake praised Śrīdevī in terms of body, speech, and mind:
Next, the asura king Vemacitra praised Śrīdevī in terms of the ultimate:
Next, the king of garuḍas Vajra Golden Eyes praised Śrīdevī:
Next, the attendants of the sky god praised Śrīdevī: