Text 20.4 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 20.4]

In the supreme maṇḍala of feast offerings
In the shape of the syllable E
(The Yogins) are bound together in a chain.
Then, sealed, (their bodies) shake and move
Throughout the ten directions.
Whereupon (the victim) becomes insane.
Bursts asunder, and is Incinerated. [4]

[Tibetan]

E-yi tshogs-kyi dkyil-'khor-du /
lu-gu rgyud-du sbrel-bsdams-nas /
bcings-'gyur bskyod-na phyogs-bcur gYo /
myos-nas gas-te 'tshig-par 'gyur / [4]

Commentary:

[The third is the rite of the dance-steps of oppression (which comments on Ch. 20.4):]

At the circumference of the hearth or the maṇḍala (dkyil-'khor-du) of feast-offerings (tshogs-kyi) associated with the wrathful rite, which is in the (triangular) shape of the syllable E (E-yi), the Yogins are bound together in a chain (lu-gu-rgyud-du sbrel-bsdams) by their little fingers, with their thumbs pressing down on the middle and ring fingers and the Index fingers outstretched.

Then (nas), once this seal has been sealed (bcings-gyur), their bodies shake (bskyod-nas) and, with dancesteps of indestructible reality, they move (gYo) their bodies and hand-seals throughout the ten directions (phyogs-bcur gYo), saying:

HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ!
By indestructible hatred and its concomitants
All the myriad world-systems
Are Instantly destroyed.
There is nothing at all that is not destroyed.
MĀRAYA PHAṬ!

Thus it is visualised that the feet dance upon the effigy, whereupon the victim is reduced to atomic particles. The victim to whom this refers becomes insane (myos-nas), his heart bursts asunder (gas-te) and his body is incinerated (tshig-par-'gyur) and becomes insubstantial.

There are some who say that once the previous rite of the burnt-offering has been concluded, the site (of the maṇḍala) is erazed clean, and upon it the male and female Yogins form a triangle. They visualise the form of Karma Heruka in the midst of the flames, and joining all their ring fingers, they place the effigy in the middle and dance around it. Now, although rites are Indeed accomplished by any of these three Individual steps—burnt offering, oppression and dance, the supreme accomplishment occurs when all three are complete.^[1]

[ii. The rite of subjugation also has three sections. Among them the first is the rite of the burning fire (which comments on Ch. 20.5):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

kLong-chen Rab-'byams-pa's view is that all three steps occur in conjunction. Lo-chen, op. cit.. p. 429, considers these rites to have five steps—the preparation of the effigy, the visualisation of the maṇḍala deities, the actual rites which are to be attained, the offerings to be made and their attributes, and the rite of dancing in a chain with its attributes.