Text 16.2 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 16.2]

OṂ TATHĀGATA MAHĀŚRĪHERUKA MAHĀCAṆḌA SARVADUṢṬĀNTAKA HANA DAHA PACA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ VAJRA MAHĀŚRĪHERUKA MAHĀCAṆḌA SARVADUṢṬĀNTAKA HANA DAHA PACA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ RATNA MAHĀŚRĪHERUKA MAHĀCAṆḌA SARVADUṢṬĀNTAKA HANA DAHA PACA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ PADMA MAHĀŚRĪHERUKA MAHĀCAṆḌA SARVADUṢṬĀNTAKA HANA DAHA PACA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ KARMA MAHĀŚRĪHERUKA MAHĀCAṆḌA SARVADUṢṬĀNTAKA HANA DAHA PACA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ SARVATATHĀGATA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ SARVADUṢṬĀN HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ MAHĀVAJRADHARA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ JVĀLANĪ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ MAHĀSŪRYARATNA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ VIDAMĀ HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ HREṢITASAMANTAPADMA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ KHĀHI HŪṂ PHAṬ
OṂ SARVĀMOGHA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ VIŚVĀ HŪṂ PHAṬ [2]

Commentary:

The second part (the detailed exegesis) has five subdivisions, comprising the mantras which respectively: create the deities; invite the beings of pristine cognition; visualise them for the sake of accomplishment; scatter the flowers of awareness; and offer torma-cakes for the sake of enlightened activity.

[i. This group of mantras is also fivefold, and its first section comprises the mantras which create the male and female central deities. (It comments on Ch. 16.2):]

Among the mantras of the male consorts, (the first) is interpreted as follows: OṂ is the auspicious syllable which consecrates the mantra; TATHĀGATA means "one who has passed away (to nirvāṇa)"; MAHĀ means "great"; ŚRĪ means "glorious"; HERUKA means "Blood Drinker"; MAHĀCAṆḌA means "great fierce one"; SARVADUṢṬA means "all inimical forces"; and ANTAKA means "ending". These syllables comprise the root mantra, which summons the transcendent lord. HANA means "strike" DAHA means "burn!" PACA means "cook!" HŪṂ HUṂ HŪṂ means "subdue the body, speech and mind of venomous spirits"; and PHAṬ means "tear into pieces". These mantra-syllables comprise the appropriate enlightened activity.

Those of the other (Herukas) are similar to the above except that they replace (TATHĀGATA) respectively with VAJRA which means "indestructible reality"; RATNA which means "gemstone"; PADMA which, in the original (Sanskrit), means "lotus"; and KARMA which means "activity".

Among the mantras of their female consorts, (the first is interpreted as follows): OṂ SARVATATHĀGATA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ indicates "the Tathāgata or Buddha Krodhīśvarī”; SARVADUṢṬĀN HŪṂ PHAṬ means "subdue and shatter all inimical forces". As for the second, OṂ MAHĀVAJRADHARA MAHĀKRODHĪSVARĪ JVALANĪ HŪṂ PHAṬ means "holder of the vajra, great blazing mistresss of wrathful deities, subdue and tear apart the venomous spirits". As for the third, OṂ MAHĀSŪRYARATNA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ VIDAMĀ means "sun among gemstones, great subduing mistress of wrathful deities!".^[1] As for the fourth, OṂ HREṢITASAMANTAPADMA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ KHĀHI means "all-neighing lotus, great mistress of wrathful deities, eat!".^[2]

[Here the root text Interpolates: There seems to be some doubt as to whether this word hreṣita corresponds to current Sanskrit usage. However, since the Sanskrit version of the Tantra is not ascertainable, in accordance with the advice of Rong-zom-pa, it has been reconstructed and rendered in translation as rgod-ma or mare].^[3]

As for the fifth, OṂ SARVĀMOGHA MAHĀKRODHĪŚVARĪ VIŚVA means "diversified mistress of wrathful deities who accomplishes everything!".

[The second section comprises the mantras of the eight Mātarīs. (It comments on Ch. 16.3):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

kLong-chen-pa reads VIDAMĀ (rnam-par 'joms-ma), i.e. "sub-duing". For an alternative reading, see Lo-chen Dharmaśrī. op. cit., p. 395, where rig-ma is suggested.

[2]:

Both kLong-chen-pa and Lo-chen, op. cit.. p. 395, read "all-neighing" (kun-tu rgod-pa). For an explanation of this mantra, see following paragraph.

[3]:

This section is derived from version A of the root-text. Tibetan attempts to reconstruct the Sanskrit are unclear here as on many other occasions. Lo-chen, for example, reads hrīśruta.