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Hidas (2019), pp. 11–18. The fact that the mantras and vidyāmantras contained in these texts comprise, as far as this can be judged on the basis of the transliterations preserved in the Tibetan translations, forms of Middle Indic dialect, further supports the hypothesis that these spells originated in a pan-Indian cultural milieu.
Reading bram ze’i srin po (“brahmanical rākṣasas”) from H, N, and S instead of bram ze dang srin po (“brahmins and rākṣasas”). This accords with Toh 609 and 925.
Given that ske tshe and yungs nag both tend to mean “black mustard seeds” in Tibetan, we have rendered this as “yellow and black mustard seeds,” based on the assumption that the text would not be unncessarily redundant.
The translation of gnyan dgu is uncertain. The context makes clear that it should be a body of water and we have thus rendered it in a generic way.
A class of nonhuman beings believed to cause epilepsy, fits, and loss of memory. As their name suggests—the Skt. apasmāra literally means “without memory” and the Tib. brjed byed means “causing forgetfulness”—they are defined by the condition they cause in affected humans, and the term can refer to any nonhuman being that causes such conditions, whether a bhūta, a piśāca, or other.
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 term bhikṣu, often translated as “monk,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist monks and nuns—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity.
In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a monk follows 253 rules as part of his moral discipline. A nun (bhikṣuṇī; dge slong ma) follows 364 rules. A novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) or nun (śrāmaṇerikā; dge tshul ma) follows thirty-six rules of moral discipline (although in other vinaya traditions novices typically follow only ten).
The term bhikṣuṇī, often translated as “nun,” refers to the highest among the eight types of prātimokṣa vows that make one part of the Buddhist assembly. The Sanskrit term bhikṣu (to which the female grammatical ending ṇī is added) literally means “beggar” or “mendicant,” referring to the fact that Buddhist nuns and monks—like other ascetics of the time—subsisted on alms (bhikṣā) begged from the laity. In the Tibetan tradition, which follows the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, a bhikṣuṇī follows 364 rules and a bhikṣu follows 253 rules as part of their moral discipline.
For the first few years of the Buddha’s teachings in India, there was no ordination for women. It started at the persistent request and display of determination of Mahāprajāpatī, the Buddha’s stepmother and aunt, together with five hundred former wives of men of Kapilavastu, who had themselves become monks. Mahāprajāpatī is thus considered to be the founder of the nun’s order.
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.
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”).
Sons of the goddess Diti.
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.”
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.
Grahas are understood to be both evil spirits and evil influences that are contained within or connected with a particular spirit or deity. They are also closely associated with the planets and other astronomical bodies. Grahas can inflict great harm on the human body and mind. For more information, see: Gail Hinich Sutherland, The Disguises of the Demon: The Development of the Yakṣa in Hinduism and Buddhism, (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992), pp. 166–167.
A cave on Vaidehaka Mountain.
A reference or epithet of the garuḍas on account of their sharp beaks.
A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name—which means “is that human?”—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.
An ancient Indian kingdom that lay to the south of the Ganges River in what today is the state of Bihar. Magadha was the largest of the sixteen “great states” (mahājanapada) that flourished between the sixth and third centuries ʙᴄᴇ in northern India. During the life of the Buddha Śākyamuni, it was ruled by King Bimbisāra and later by Bimbisāra's son, Ajātaśatru. Its capital was initially Rājagṛha (modern-day Rajgir) but was later moved to Pāṭaliputra (modern-day Patna). Over the centuries, with the expansion of the Magadha’s might, it became the capital of the vast Mauryan empire and seat of the great King Aśoka.
This region is home to many of the most important Buddhist sites, including Bodh Gayā, where the Buddha attained awakening; Vulture Peak (Gṛdhrakūṭa), where the Buddha bestowed many well-known Mahāyāna sūtras; and the Buddhist university of Nālandā that flourished between the fifth and twelfth centuries ᴄᴇ, among many others.
A class of dangerous female spirits.
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.
An obscure Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit term. Sanskrit equivalent: avastāraka. Translated into Tibetan as “suppressor, one who presses down on someone.” Presumably from avastṛ (“to cover over, as with a blanket”).
A class of spirits causing excess bile.
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 disease-causing spirits associated with cemeteries and dead bodies. The name probably derives from the Skt. pūta, “foul-smelling,” as reflected also in the Tib. srul po. The smell is variously described in the texts as resembling that of a billy goat or a crow. The morbid condition caused by the spirit shares its name and comes in various forms, with symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, skin eruptions, and festering wounds, the latter possibly explaining the association with bad smells.
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.
A class of deities, perhaps of astrological origins, that is associated with disease.
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.
A class of supernatural beings.
A class of spirits causing imbalance of all three agents of wind, bile, and phlegm.
A class of spirits causing excess phlegm.
A renunciant who lives his life as a mendicant. More specifically, within the monastic tradition, it can also mean a novice monk who, in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic tradition, takes thirty-six vows.
Within the Buddhist tradition, it means a novice nun who, in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic tradition, takes thirty-six vows.
A class of nonhuman beings who are said to cause mental illness.
Lay male devotees who uphold the five precepts.
Lay female devotees who uphold the five precepts.
A mountain in Videha.
A class of spirits causing excess wind (the humor).
A class of nonhuman beings that deceive, harm, or otherwise obstruct humans, especially practitioners. Their name literally means “those who lead astray.”
’phags pa lcags mchu zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Āryalohatuṇḍanāmadhāraṇī). Toh 761, Degé Kangyur vol. 96 (rgyud ’bum, wa) folios 52.a–53.a.
’phags pa lcags mchu zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Āryalohatuṇḍanāmadhāraṇī). Toh 762, Degé Kangyur vol. 96 (rgyud ’bum, wa) folios 53.a–54.b. English translation The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [2] 2025.
’phags pa thams cad la mi ’jigs pa rab tu sbyin pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Āryasarvābhayapradānāmadhāraṇī). Toh 609, Degé Kangyur vol. 91 (rgyud ’bum, ba) folios 41.b–43.a. English translation The Dhāraṇī That Fully Confers Freedom From All Dangers 2025.
’phags pa thams cad la mi ’jigs pa rab tu sbyin pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs (Āryasarvābhayapradānāmadhāraṇī). Toh 925, Degé Kangyur vol. 100 (gzungs ’dus, e) folios 271.a–272.b.
’phags pa lcags mchu 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. 96, pp. 170–75.
’phags pa lcags mchu 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. 96, pp. 176–79.
’phags pa thams cad la mi ’jigs pa rab tu sbyin pa 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. 91, pp. 132–37.
’phags pa thams cad la mi ’jigs pa rab tu sbyin pa 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. 97, pp. 822–27.
’phags pa lcags mchu zhes bya ba’i gzungs. Stok Palace Manuscript Kangyur vol. 105 (rgyud, tsha), folios 198.b–200.a.
’phags pa lcags mchu zhes bya ba’i gzungs. Stok Palace Manuscript Kangyur vol. 105 (rgyud, tsha), folios 200.a–201.b.
’phags pa thams cad la mi ’jigs pa rab tu sbyin pa zhes bya ba’i gzungs. Stok Palace Manuscript Kangyur vol. 104 (rgyud, pa), folios 384.a–386.a.
84000. The Dhāraṇī That Fully Confers Freedom From All Dangers (Sarvābhayapradādhāraṇī, mi ’jigs pa rab tu sbyin pa’i gzungs, Toh 609/925). Translated by Lowell Cook. Online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025.
84000. The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [2] (Lohatuṇḍadhāraṇī, lcags mchu’i gzungs, Toh 762). Translated by Lowell Cook. Online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025.
Hidas, Gergely. A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture: Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja – Critical Edition. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110621051
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] is the third of the “five beak dhāraṇīs” (mchu sde lnga, Toh 759–763) and among the few scriptures in the Degé Kangyur concerned with weather control practices. In Indra’s Rock Cave on Vaidehaka Mountain, Śakra requests the Buddha for the wrathful means with which to protect the Buddhist teachings. The Buddha then recites the dhāraṇī of the iron beak along with a short discourse on its efficacy, ritual instructions for weather control, and an exhortation for secrecy.
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. Lowell Cook produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Torsten Gerloff edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] is the third of the “five beak dhāraṇīs” (mchu sde lnga, Toh 759–763), a cycle of texts related to the garuḍas, a race of eagle-like birds in Indian mythology. The word tuṇḍa or “beak” in the titles is a reference to the garuḍas’ sharp, owl-like beaks which they use for hunting nāgas, a class of snake-like beings associated with, among other things, weather patterns and rainfall. The dhāraṇī of the iron beak is thus a threatening spell used to coerce the nāgas into providing rainfall for favorable agriculture. The cycle of the five beak dhāraṇīs is, along with the Great Cloud sūtras (Mahāmegha, Toh 232-235), among the few scriptures in the Degé Kangyur concerned with weather control practices.
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] takes place in Indra’s Rock Cave on Vaidehaka Mountain. There, Śakra requests the Buddha for the wrathful means with which to subdue asuras—the famed adversaries of the devas—and other beings who harm the Buddhist teachings. The Buddha instructs Śakra to employ the dhāraṇī of the iron beak which has the dual purpose of averting harm to the Buddhist teachings and controlling weather. This dual interest in agrarian concerns and protecting Buddhism might suggest that the dhāraṇī was originally a pan-Indian agricultural ritual spell that was later brought into the Buddhist fold, especially when we consider how rain rituals for good harvests have been a widespread concern of Indian religions since time immemorial. Among those who harm the Buddhist teachings, the text places a particular emphasis on grahas, a class of beings who “seize,” possess, or otherwise adversely influence other beings by causing a range of physical and mental afflictions, as well as various kinds of misfortune. After the Buddha recites the dhāraṇī, he provides short ritual instructions on how to use it to incant ritual substances and create rainfall or hailstorms. The Buddha’s discourse comes to a close with him advocating for the utmost secrecy of this esoteric formula.
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] shares an identical title with another translation in the Degé Kangyur, Toh 762, which immediately follows it. These two texts furthermore share a great deal of intertextuality with The Dhāraṇī That Fully Confers Freedom From Dangers (Toh 609/925). These three works share an identical narrative structure, are set in Indra’s Rock Cave, and feature Śakra as their interlocutor. While the dhāraṇī formulas in Toh 761 and Toh 609/925 are, in most places, nearly in agreement, the much shorter formulas found in Toh 762 are altogether different. Many sections of the dhāraṇī formula were challenging to comprehend. We did not attempt to venture any conjectural emendations and, instead, presented it largely as it appears in the Tibetan.
Hidas (2019) dates The Nāga Vow of the Vajra Beak (Vajratuṇḍanāgasamaya, Toh 759/964)—the longest and most central of the five beak dhāraṇīs—to the fifth century
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] no longer survives in Sanskrit. The dhāraṇī was never translated into Chinese and, beyond its translation as a part of the Mongolian canon, it does not appear to have been translated into any other languages as far as we are aware. The text has also not been the subject of any sustained scholarly research. Our translation was based on the textual witness in the Degé Kangyur. We also consulted variant readings as attested in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) Kangyur as well as the Stok Palace Manuscript (stog pho brang bris ma) Kangyur.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was traveling through the land of Magadha when he arrived at a mango grove. At that mango grove, he took up residence in the Indra’s Rock Cave on Vaidehaka Mountain. Śakra the lord of the devas then appeared before the Blessed One. He bowed his head at the Blessed One’s feet and sat to one side.
Having sat to one side, Śakra the lord of the devas told the Blessed One, “Blessed One, there are asuras and humans who harm the Dharma. Blessed One, they are the asuras and other adversaries not included in the assembly who seek to bring the Dharma long-term harm. Since the Blessed One has not subdued them with peaceful means, I request a teaching on how to tame them with wrathful means. Please allow me to protect the vehicle’s teachings against these enemies.”
The Blessed One told Śakra the lord of the devas, “Lord of devas, uphold the dhāraṇī of the iron beak which confers freedom from all dangers. It vanquishes evildoers and accomplishes all aims. It protects the sacred Dharma and quells all dangers. It alleviates all diseases and neutralizes all poisons. It stops all weapons and protects against the enemies of the vehicle’s teachings. It paralyzes all legless, two-legged, and four-legged beings. It instills terror in all two-legged beings and defeats all adversaries. It defeats asuras, garuḍas, daityas, piśācas, apasmāras, unmādas, brahmanical rākṣasas, bhūtas, vetālas, śakuni grahas, pūtanas, revatīs, ostāraka grahas, ostārakas, apasmāra grahas, deva grahas, nāga grahas, yakṣa grahas, gandharva grahas, kinnara grahas, vināyaka grahas, and mātṛ grahas. It overcomes any disagreeable foods that have been consumed. It overcomes all infectious diseases, vātikas, paittikas, śleṣmikas, sānnipātikas, and malevolent beings. It brings peace from all conflicts, disputes, and scandals. This is the dhāraṇī of the iron beak, the wrathful dhāraṇī of the garuḍas. I will recite this dhāraṇī that instills fear in those who harm the teachings and creates fierce storms of rain and hail:
tadyathā | ete mete prametritra gole vole levosse motte padate khāratte khāraṇe gānāgāne nāgāmugane mone pratīmone kāli prakāli caṇḍe mahācaṇḍe praticaṇḍe vegosona gonāmohā pramohā mahāmoṭā pramoṭā nāśani pranāśanādhipati valgāṇi pravalgāṇi nidyaṇi pāniṭhāni krodhāni pratikrodhāni hana hana vihana vihana sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭān nāśaya sarvābhayaprade hūṃ phaṭ
“Simply reciting this mantra will make everything throughout the ten directions shake, shake violently, quake, and quake violently. All harm doers will collapse face down, unconscious.
“Mix yellow and black mustard seeds and scatter them over rivers, oceans, and mountains. From then on, there will be rainfall. Incant molasses, honey, licorice, sugar cane, and various nāga medicines in milk and sprinkle that on the rivers, oceans, springs, pools, ponds, waterfalls, and waterways. Doing so will create great hailstorms. If you recite it by performing mental recitation, gazing at a cloud, and saluting the devas, great hailstorms will fall as you wish.
“The wise should uphold, memorize, and recite the noble dhāraṇī of the iron beak. They should not share it with others. They must keep it hidden. It is not for everyone. It should be kept out of sight like a pebble in the ocean. This indomitable wrathful dhāraṇī allows one to be victorious in all situations, no matter whenever one enters a conflict, dispute, or war. Inscriptions of it should be affixed to the tips of banners. Sons and daughters of good families who follow mantra should practice it with single-pointed minds. Whether one is a bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī, a śrāmaṇera or śrāmaṇerī, or an upāsaka or upāsikā, one should uphold and memorize it in order to avert harm to the teachings.”
After the Blessed One had spoken, Śakra the lord of the devas and the world with its asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had taught.
This concludes “The Noble Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1].”
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] is the third of the “five beak dhāraṇīs” (mchu sde lnga, Toh 759–763) and among the few scriptures in the Degé Kangyur concerned with weather control practices. In Indra’s Rock Cave on Vaidehaka Mountain, Śakra requests the Buddha for the wrathful means with which to protect the Buddhist teachings. The Buddha then recites the dhāraṇī of the iron beak along with a short discourse on its efficacy, ritual instructions for weather control, and an exhortation for secrecy.
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. Lowell Cook produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Torsten Gerloff edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] is the third of the “five beak dhāraṇīs” (mchu sde lnga, Toh 759–763), a cycle of texts related to the garuḍas, a race of eagle-like birds in Indian mythology. The word tuṇḍa or “beak” in the titles is a reference to the garuḍas’ sharp, owl-like beaks which they use for hunting nāgas, a class of snake-like beings associated with, among other things, weather patterns and rainfall. The dhāraṇī of the iron beak is thus a threatening spell used to coerce the nāgas into providing rainfall for favorable agriculture. The cycle of the five beak dhāraṇīs is, along with the Great Cloud sūtras (Mahāmegha, Toh 232-235), among the few scriptures in the Degé Kangyur concerned with weather control practices.
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] takes place in Indra’s Rock Cave on Vaidehaka Mountain. There, Śakra requests the Buddha for the wrathful means with which to subdue asuras—the famed adversaries of the devas—and other beings who harm the Buddhist teachings. The Buddha instructs Śakra to employ the dhāraṇī of the iron beak which has the dual purpose of averting harm to the Buddhist teachings and controlling weather. This dual interest in agrarian concerns and protecting Buddhism might suggest that the dhāraṇī was originally a pan-Indian agricultural ritual spell that was later brought into the Buddhist fold, especially when we consider how rain rituals for good harvests have been a widespread concern of Indian religions since time immemorial. Among those who harm the Buddhist teachings, the text places a particular emphasis on grahas, a class of beings who “seize,” possess, or otherwise adversely influence other beings by causing a range of physical and mental afflictions, as well as various kinds of misfortune. After the Buddha recites the dhāraṇī, he provides short ritual instructions on how to use it to incant ritual substances and create rainfall or hailstorms. The Buddha’s discourse comes to a close with him advocating for the utmost secrecy of this esoteric formula.
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] shares an identical title with another translation in the Degé Kangyur, Toh 762, which immediately follows it. These two texts furthermore share a great deal of intertextuality with The Dhāraṇī That Fully Confers Freedom From Dangers (Toh 609/925). These three works share an identical narrative structure, are set in Indra’s Rock Cave, and feature Śakra as their interlocutor. While the dhāraṇī formulas in Toh 761 and Toh 609/925 are, in most places, nearly in agreement, the much shorter formulas found in Toh 762 are altogether different. Many sections of the dhāraṇī formula were challenging to comprehend. We did not attempt to venture any conjectural emendations and, instead, presented it largely as it appears in the Tibetan.
Hidas (2019) dates The Nāga Vow of the Vajra Beak (Vajratuṇḍanāgasamaya, Toh 759/964)—the longest and most central of the five beak dhāraṇīs—to the fifth century
The Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1] no longer survives in Sanskrit. The dhāraṇī was never translated into Chinese and, beyond its translation as a part of the Mongolian canon, it does not appear to have been translated into any other languages as far as we are aware. The text has also not been the subject of any sustained scholarly research. Our translation was based on the textual witness in the Degé Kangyur. We also consulted variant readings as attested in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) Kangyur as well as the Stok Palace Manuscript (stog pho brang bris ma) Kangyur.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was traveling through the land of Magadha when he arrived at a mango grove. At that mango grove, he took up residence in the Indra’s Rock Cave on Vaidehaka Mountain. Śakra the lord of the devas then appeared before the Blessed One. He bowed his head at the Blessed One’s feet and sat to one side.
Having sat to one side, Śakra the lord of the devas told the Blessed One, “Blessed One, there are asuras and humans who harm the Dharma. Blessed One, they are the asuras and other adversaries not included in the assembly who seek to bring the Dharma long-term harm. Since the Blessed One has not subdued them with peaceful means, I request a teaching on how to tame them with wrathful means. Please allow me to protect the vehicle’s teachings against these enemies.”
The Blessed One told Śakra the lord of the devas, “Lord of devas, uphold the dhāraṇī of the iron beak which confers freedom from all dangers. It vanquishes evildoers and accomplishes all aims. It protects the sacred Dharma and quells all dangers. It alleviates all diseases and neutralizes all poisons. It stops all weapons and protects against the enemies of the vehicle’s teachings. It paralyzes all legless, two-legged, and four-legged beings. It instills terror in all two-legged beings and defeats all adversaries. It defeats asuras, garuḍas, daityas, piśācas, apasmāras, unmādas, brahmanical rākṣasas, bhūtas, vetālas, śakuni grahas, pūtanas, revatīs, ostāraka grahas, ostārakas, apasmāra grahas, deva grahas, nāga grahas, yakṣa grahas, gandharva grahas, kinnara grahas, vināyaka grahas, and mātṛ grahas. It overcomes any disagreeable foods that have been consumed. It overcomes all infectious diseases, vātikas, paittikas, śleṣmikas, sānnipātikas, and malevolent beings. It brings peace from all conflicts, disputes, and scandals. This is the dhāraṇī of the iron beak, the wrathful dhāraṇī of the garuḍas. I will recite this dhāraṇī that instills fear in those who harm the teachings and creates fierce storms of rain and hail:
tadyathā | ete mete prametritra gole vole levosse motte padate khāratte khāraṇe gānāgāne nāgāmugane mone pratīmone kāli prakāli caṇḍe mahācaṇḍe praticaṇḍe vegosona gonāmohā pramohā mahāmoṭā pramoṭā nāśani pranāśanādhipati valgāṇi pravalgāṇi nidyaṇi pāniṭhāni krodhāni pratikrodhāni hana hana vihana vihana sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭān nāśaya sarvābhayaprade hūṃ phaṭ
“Simply reciting this mantra will make everything throughout the ten directions shake, shake violently, quake, and quake violently. All harm doers will collapse face down, unconscious.
“Mix yellow and black mustard seeds and scatter them over rivers, oceans, and mountains. From then on, there will be rainfall. Incant molasses, honey, licorice, sugar cane, and various nāga medicines in milk and sprinkle that on the rivers, oceans, springs, pools, ponds, waterfalls, and waterways. Doing so will create great hailstorms. If you recite it by performing mental recitation, gazing at a cloud, and saluting the devas, great hailstorms will fall as you wish.
“The wise should uphold, memorize, and recite the noble dhāraṇī of the iron beak. They should not share it with others. They must keep it hidden. It is not for everyone. It should be kept out of sight like a pebble in the ocean. This indomitable wrathful dhāraṇī allows one to be victorious in all situations, no matter whenever one enters a conflict, dispute, or war. Inscriptions of it should be affixed to the tips of banners. Sons and daughters of good families who follow mantra should practice it with single-pointed minds. Whether one is a bhikṣu or bhikṣuṇī, a śrāmaṇera or śrāmaṇerī, or an upāsaka or upāsikā, one should uphold and memorize it in order to avert harm to the teachings.”
After the Blessed One had spoken, Śakra the lord of the devas and the world with its asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had taught.
This concludes “The Noble Dhāraṇī of the Iron Beak [1].”