Text 11.17 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 11.17]

One should meditate on the form
Of the deities of the five clusters.
Arrayed five in union with five.
And on the ten wrathful male deities.
And the ten wrathful female deities.
In the manner of a circle. [17]

[Tibetan]

lnga-dang lnga-yi sbyor-ba-yis /
tshom-bu lnga-yi lha-bkod-la /
khro-bo bcu-dang khro-mo bcu /
'khor-lo'i tshul-du rnam-par bsgom / [17]

Commentary:

[The second part (of the interlinear commentary concerning the maṇḍala of the displayed feast-offerings) is the detailed exegesis of the nature of the (feast-offerings) according to different kinds of maṇḍala.]

It has two sections, namely, the nature of the supporting maṇḍala and the sequence of attainment which accords with it.

[i. The former comprises both the maṇḍala of the peaceful deities and the maṇḍala of wrathful deities. The first is threefold, namely, the maṇḍalas of five clusters, three clusters and a single cluster (of deities).]

[Amons them, the first (comments on Ch. 11.17):]

One should meditate on the form (rnam-par-bsgom) of the deities of the five dusters (tshom-bu lnga-yi lha), which are derived from the [conquerors of the] five (lnga-dang) enlightened families in indivisible union (sbyor-ba-yis) with the five (lnga-yi) female consorts or objective fields of the five enlightened families. These are arrayed (bkod) fifty in number, i.e., the ten male and female consorts forming five basic (or central pairs) of male and female consorts, and the ten in each of the other four (peripheral) enlightened families. And also (one should meditate) on (la) the ten wrathful male deities (khro-bo bcu) such as Hūṃkara and the ten wrathful female deities (dang khro-mo bcu) such as Vajranāditā (rdo-rje sgra 'byin-ma), who are situated outside those (deities) on the ten radial points of a protective circle, hollow inside, i.e., in the eight cardinal directions along with the zenith and nadir. They are in the manner of a circle ('khor-lo'i tshul-du) which protects (the maṇḍala) from obstacles.^[1]

Now, in the middle there are the male and female central deities (Vairocana) who are natural expressions of Samantabhadra, and around them are Sattvavajra, Ratnavajra, Dharmavajra, and Karmavajra with their four respective female consorts Sthiravajrā, Jvalavajrā, Valivajrā, and Kṣobhyavajrā; making ten male and female consorts altogether.

In the east are the male and female consorts Akṣobhya, and around them are Vajrasattva, Vajrarāja, Vajrarāga, and Vajrasādhu with their four respective female consorts Lāsyā, Dhūpā, Aṅkuśā, and Vajratārā.

In the south are the male and female consorts Ratnasambhava, and around them are the four (male consorts) Vajraratna, Vajrasūrya, Vajradhvaja, and Vajrapāśa, with their respective female consorts Mālyā, Puṣpā, Pāśā, and Vajrasukhī.

In the west are the male and female consorts Amitābha, and around them are the four (male consorts) Vajradharma, Vajratīkṣṇa, Vajracakra, and Vajravāk with their respective female consorts Gītā, Ālokā, Sphoṭā, and Vajradyuticitrā (rdo-rje gsal-bkra-ma).

In the north are the male and female consorts Amoghasiddhi, and around them are the four (male consorts) Vajrakarma, Vajrarakṣita, Vajrayakṣa, and Vajramuṣṭi, with their respective female consorts Nartī, Gandhā, Kiṅkinī, and Vajrapraveśā.

Outside these fifty (deities) there are the ten wrathful male deities with their consorts, so that the five clusters altogether comprise seventy deities.^[2]

In general it is held that the clusters represent the central deities and retinues when the form of the celestial palace with its gates, tiered pediments and so forth is absent, whereas the maṇḍala proper does include the celestial palace. However in this (tradition), it indicates that these deities are present as an encircling cluster.

[Secondly there is the maṇḍala of the three clusters (which comments on Ch. 11.18):]

[Read next page]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The deities of the five clusters (tshom-bu lnga'i lha-tshogs) correspond to those appearing in the fifth empowerment of ability, the rdo-rje rgyal-po'i dbang. See above. Ch. 9. pp. 800-801; also below, 942-943

[2]:

For the enumeration of khro-bo bcu, see Ch. 9. note 11; and on the khro-mo bcu including Vajranāditā, see the Vajrakīlayamūla-tantrakaṇḍa. P. 78. Vol. 3. pp. 154.4.8-155-3-8.