Text 15.23 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 15.23]

... So saying, the queens of the elemental spirits were excited with extreme desire. They contracted and expanded the lotus maṇḍalas (of their vaginas), and then. Just as iron unites with a magnet, the great ogress Manurākṣasī, Piṅgalā, Ratī, Mahāmāraṇā, Mahākālī, Yellow-red Mahāchāgalā, Dark-blue Mahākumbhakarṇī, and Dark-yellow Lambodarā embraced the body of the transcendent lord, or Great Joyous One, the great glorious Vajra Blood-Drinker. Brahmāṇī, Raudrī, Indrāṇī, Vaiṣṇavī, and Kaumārī embraced the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious Tathāgata (=Buddha) Blood-Drinker. Amṛtā, Śāntī, Daṇḍī, Bhakṣasī, and Rākṣasī embraced the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious Ratna Blood-Drinker. Rudhiramadī, Ekacāriṇī, Manohārikā, Siddhikarī, and Vāyudevī embraced the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious Padma Blood-Drinker. And Agnāyī, Vārāhī, Cāmuṇḍī, Bhujanā, and Varuṇānī embraced the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious and universal Karma Blood-drinker. [23] ...

[Tibetan]

—zhes brjod-pas / 'byung-mo'i rgyal-mo-rnams shin-tu chags-pa'i yid gYos-nas / padma'i dkyil-'khor sdud-cing rgyas-par gyur-nas / dper-na khab-len-la lcags 'du-ba'i tshul-du / bcom-ldan-'das dgyes-pa chen-po dpal khrag-'thung chen-po rdo-rje'i sku-la / srin-mo chen-mo mi'i srin-mo-dang / dmar-mo-dang / dga'-ba-mo-dang / gsod-byed-mo-dang / nag-mo chen-mo-dang / dmar-ser chen-mo-dang / sngo-nag chen-mo-dang / ser-nag chen-mo-rnams 'khril-lo / bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po de-bzhin gshegs-pa'i sku-la / tshangs-ma-dang / 'khrug-mo-dang / dbang-mo-dang / 'jug-sred-mo-dang / gzhon-nu-mo-rnams 'khril-lo / bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po rin-po-che'i sku-la / bdud-rtsi-mo-dang / zhi-ba-mo-dang / be-con-mo-dang / za-ba-mo-dang / srin-mo-rnams 'khril-lo / bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po padma'i sku-la / khrag-gis myos-ma-dang / gcig-pur spyod-ma-dang / yid-'phrog-ma-dang / grub-mo-dang / rlung-mo-rnams 'khril-lo / bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po kun-tu las-kyi sku-la / me-mo-dang / phag-mo-dang / rgan-byed-mo-dang / sna-chen-mo-dang / chu-lha-mo-rnams 'khril-lo / [23]

Commentary:

[The third aspect concerns the result or their non-dual union, (commenting on Ch. 15.23):]

So saying (zhes brjod-pas), the queens of the elemental spirits ('byung-po'i rgyal-mo rnams) were excited with extreme desire (shin-tu chags-pa'i yid-gYos-nas) for the host of Herukas. They contracted (sdud) or closed, and expanded (cing rgyas-par gyur) or opened the lotus-maṇḍalas (padma'i dkyil-'khor) of their (vaginas), and then (nas), just as iron is attracted to a magnet (dper-na khab-len-la lcags 'du-ba'i tshul-du), eight (queens), namely, Mahārākṣasī Manurākṣasī, Piṅgalā, Ratī, Mahāmāraṇā, Mahākālī, Yellow-red Chāgalā, Dark-blue Mahākumbhakarṇī, and Dark-yellow Lambodarā (srin-mo chen-mo mi'i srin-mo-dang dmar-mo-dang dga'-ba-mo-dang gsod-byed-mo-dang nag-mo chan-mo-dang dmar-ser chen-mo-dang sngo-nag chen-mo-dang ser-nag chen-mo-rnams) embraced ('khril-lo) the body of the transcendent lord, or the Great Joyous One, the treat glorious Vajra Blood-Drinker (bcom-ldan-'das dgyes-pa chen-po deal khrag-'thung chen-po rdo-rje'i sku-la).

Five (queens) of the eastern direction, namely, Brahmāṇī, Raudrī, Indrāṇī, Vaiṣṇavī, and Kaumārī (tshang-ma-dang 'khrug-mo-dang dbang-mo-dang 'jug-sred-mo-dang, gzhon-nu-mo-rnams) embraced ('khril-lo) the body of (sku-la) the transcendent lord, the great glorious Tathāgata Blood-Drinker (bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po de-bzhin gshegs-pa'i) or Che-mchog.^[1]

Five (queens) of the southern direction, namely, Amṛtā, Śāntī, Daṇḍī, Bhakṣasī, and Rākṣasī (bdud-rtsi-mo-dang zhi-ba-mo-dang be-con-mo-dang, za-ba-mo-dang, srin-mo-rnams) embraced ('khril-lo) the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious Ratna Blood-Drinker (bcom-ldan-'das khrag-'thung chen-po rin-po-che'i sku-la)

Five (queens) of the western direction, namely, Rudhiramadī, Ekacāriṇī, Manohārikā, Siddhikarī, and Vāyudevī (khrag-gi smyos-ma-dang gcig-pur spyod-ma-dang yid 'phrog-mo-dang grub-mo-dang, rlung-mo-rnams) embraced ('khril-lo) the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious Padma Blood-Drinker (bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po padma'i sku-la).

And five (queens) of the northern direction, namely, Agnāyī, Vārāhī, Cāmuṇḍī, Bhujanā, and Varuṇānī (me-mo-dang phag-mo-dang rgan-byed-mo-dang sna-chen-mo-dang chu-lha-mo-rnams) embraced ('khril-lo) the body of the transcendent lord, the great glorious universal Karma Blood-Drinker (bcom-ldan-'das dpal khrag-'thung chen-po kun-tu las-kyi sku-la).

[iv. The fourth subdivision (of the eradication of the proud spirits through the enlightened activity of wrath) concerns the emanation of the maṇḍala of the retinue (of these wrathful deities).]

It has five parts.

[The first concerns the sexual union with these emanations (i.e. Īśvarīs; it comments on Ch. 15.24):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

One would expect kLong-chen Rab-'byams-pa consistently to place the Tathāgata or Buddha Heruka at the centre. Here, however, he clearly indicates the central position of the Vajra Heruka, with Buddha Heruka or Che-mchog in the east. Lo-chen, op. cit.. p. 381, has Vajra Heruka in the centre and Tathāgata Heruka in the east.