Text 8.21 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 8.21]

The limbs (of the central deity)
Are endowed with the forty-two (deities). [21] ...

[Tibetan]

yan-lag bzhi-bcu rtsa-gnyis ldan / [21]

Commentary:

[ii. The second (the detailed exegesis of the seals which provisionally appear) has four sections, the first of which concerns the emanation of the maṇḍala of the forty-two buddhas. (It comments on Ch. 8.21):]

The energy of this (maṇḍala) is Increasingly acquired by experiencing the contemplation in which the hand-emblems are emanated in the above manner. in this way, the limbs (yan-lag) of the body (of the central deity) are endowed (ldan) with the forty-two (bzhi-bcu rtsa-gnyis) deities and the benefit of realisation then emerges.^[1]

Now, when oneself is visualised as the male & female Vairocana, the five male consorts—Akṣobhya, Amitābha, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi, are located respectively in the crown, throat, heart, navel and secret centres of the male consort. The four spiritual warriors of buddha-mind—Kṣitigarbha, Vajrapāṇi, Ākāśagarbha, and Avalokiteśvara, are respectively the right eye, ear, nostril and side of the tongue; and similarly the four corresponding organs on the left side are the four spiritual warriors of buddha-speech—Maitreya, Nivāraṇayiṣkambhin, Samantabhadra, and Mañjuśrī. His right hand is (Yamāntaka) the liberator of Yama; and his left hand is (Mahābala) the liberator of discriminative awareness. His left foot is (Hayagrīva) the liberator of the lotus, and his right foot is (Amṛtakuṇḍalin) the liberator of impediments. These are the four male gatekeepers. The six sages are respectively the crown, throat, heart, navel, secret centres and the soles of the feet. Thus, there are twenty-three deities (within the body of Vairocana).

Meanwhile, the five female consorts—Buddhalocanā, Paṇḍaravāsinī, Dhātvīśvarī, Māmakī, and Samayatārā—are located respectively in the crown, throat, heart, navel and secret centre of the female consort (Dhātvīśvarī). The four female deities of the sense-objects—Lāsyā, Mālyā, Gītā, and Nartī—are respectively her left eye, ear, nostril, and side of the tongue; and similarly the four corresponding organs of the right side are the four female deities of time, namely Dhūpā, Puṣpā, Ālokā, and Gandhā. Her left hand is Aṅkuśā, and her right hand is Pāśā; while her right foot is Sphoṭā and her left Gaṇṭhā. These are the four female gatekeepers. Thus, there are seventeen deities within the female consort (Dhātvīśvarī).

Combined together, these forty are the so-called deities of skillful means because they coarsely and outwardly abide. With the addition of the two basic deities, the male & female (Vairocana), there are altogether forty-two deities refined (on this path). The number of male and female consorts is inequal because the sages have no female consorts; and the male & female Samantabhadra are (in this context) subsumed within the nature of the basic deities.

[Once this excellent visualisation has become radiant, there follows the second section concerning the emanation of the maṇḍala of the thousand buddhas (which comments on Ch. 8.22):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf. Lo-chen Dharmaśrī, gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan, p. 237, who interprets this passage with the words: yan-lag-gi lha bzhi-bcu tham-pa rtsa-lha gnyis-la bkod-pa'i thabs-lha bzhi-bcu. This straightforward reading enables him to avoid kLong-chen-pa’s explanation, p. 739. that the two basic deities are subsequently excluded from the calculation.