Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This sādhanā, attributed to the master Durjayacandra and translated by Śākya Yeshe, provides a ritualized framework for the practice of the Six Limbs centered on the deity Hevajra. The text guides the practitioner through a sequence of mental and ritual operations designed to transform ordinary perception into the realization of suchness. It begins with the cultivation of the four concentrations—loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity—and the mapping of five wisdoms onto specific visual symbols. The ritual involves the visualization of the deity's form, the emanation of a wheel of ḍākinīs, and the generation of the Yoginī Nairātmyā from seed-syllables. By integrating mantra recitation, offerings, and the visualization of the deity's attributes, the text commits the reader to a path of tantric transformation where the physical body and its ailments are recontextualized as forms of the deity. The ultimate goal is the liberation of all wandering beings through the attainment of the vajra-nature.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual manual for the practice of the six limbs centered on the deity Hevajra, the Ṣaḍaṅganāmasādhana originates from the Indian tradition and is attributed to the author Durjayacandra. The work entered the Tibetan corpus through the efforts of the translators Ratnaśrījñānapāda and dge slong shakya ye shes. It is preserved in the Tengyur, specifically within volume ཉ, where it comprises eight pages and is categorized under the Non-dual Tantra collection of the classical Tibetan period. The work enacts a sequence of meditative and ritual operations, beginning with the cultivation of the four concentrations—loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity—and the meditation on the awakening of emptiness. It further guides the practitioner in mapping the five wisdoms onto specific visual symbols, such as the moon and the seven-horsed sun, and provides instructions for the meditation on the āli. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the specific ritualized framework used to transform ordinary perception into the realization of suchness through the integration of mantra, visualization, and the cultivation of the four immeasurables.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana called “The Six Branches”” (Toh 1239), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1239
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as a representative example of Hevajra tantra practice, demonstrating the integration of Buddhist ethics (the four concentrations) with complex deity yoga. For the modern reader, it illustrates the technical precision of Indo-Tibetan ritual manuals and the conceptualization of the body as a site of spiritual alchemy.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
2-3
Preliminary Meditations
Instructions on practicing the four concentrations and the visualization of the five wisdoms.
4-7
Deity Generation and Visualization
The process of emanating the wheel of ḍākinīs, the manifestation of Hevajra, and the visualization of Yoginī Nairātmyā.
8
Ritual Offerings and Praise
Offerings to the nature of the wheel and the recitation of praises to the Lord of the Wheel.
9-10
Advanced Concentration and Healing
Techniques for those unable to practice standard concentration and the application of the practice to pacify physical and mental diseases.
11
Colophon
Dedication of merit and attribution of authorship to Durjayacandra and translation to Śākya Yeshe.
Themes
Deity Yoga and Visualization (1, 4, 5, 6, 7)
The Four Immeasurables (2, 9)
Wisdom and Epistemology (3)
Ritual Healing (10)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Ṣaḍaṅgasādhana-nāma. In the language of Tibet: The Sādhana Called the Six Limbs. Homage to Hevajra!
He who dwells in the illusory maṇḍala, equal to the moon in water, the lord of the eight goddesses; Hevajra, who manifests the faces, feet, and hands of suchness, the liberations, and the means of attraction; who delights in performing the welfare of sentient beings in the delightful abode of the heart of Māra; who, like a dancer or the sky, acts with pride and protects wandering beings; who is like the nirmāṇakāya of the primordial Buddha; the sole vehicle for crossing the river of birth—to the Guru, I pay homage with devotion.
Having obtained the stages from the presence of Ḍombī, from the great ocean-like tantra of Hevajra, I shall compose this probe, which is like a lamp, to dispel the darkness of the veil of ignorance, the sādhana of the glorious Hevajra.
With a mind intent on accomplishment, at night, in one’s own home, in a charnel ground, or by a riverbank, one should practice concentration without fear. At the heart, upon a lotus and sun, one should meditate on the specific reflection from the syllable HŪṂ. Having made offerings to the Guru and the Vajra, one should completely purify the seven branches. One should fully emanate the offerings to the eight goddesses, Gaurī and the rest. One should confess committed misdeeds, vow to refrain from future ones, rejoice in merit, and dedicate it all. One should take refuge in the Three Jewels, generate the supreme mind of awakening, abide on the path, and likewise—
For the sake of others, one should practice the four concentrations of giving, receiving permission, and the abodes of Brahmā. First, one should meditate on loving-kindness; second, meditate on the varieties of compassion; third, meditate on joy; and finally, on equanimity. Furthermore, one should meditate on the awakening of emptiness and recite this: Oṃ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ.
From the syllable raṃ arising in emptiness, one should meditate on a viśvavajra (crossed vajra). From the syllable hūṃ, one should clearly emanate that which dispels the Māras of wandering beings. Recite these syllables: Oṃ rakṣa rakṣa hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā. From this, one should meditate on a vajra-enclosure and a canopy. Upon the vajra ground is the expanse of space, the maṇḍala arising from yaṃ, raṃ, vaṃ, and laṃ. From bhrūṃ, upon a wheel, one should meditate on the self as the intermediate being. These are the four maṇḍalas of the elements; this wheel is the fifth. From their unification, the celestial palace of the Buddha is formed: four-sided with four doors, adorned with four archways, complete with lattices and half-lattices, and beautifully decorated with eight pillars. The light of the eight goddesses forms the frieze. One should draw an eight-petaled lotus with a single garland. Situated upon a sun maṇḍala, it is adorned by the four Māras. Oṃ sarvatathāgatālaṃkāravajrasvabhāvātmako ’haḥ. Thus, the specific palace of the Buddha is perfected.
The meditation on the five aspects is as follows: the moon is the mirror-like wisdom; the seven-horsed [sun] is the wisdom of equality; the seed-syllable and hand-symbol of the deity are said to be the wisdom of discernment; the unification of all is the all-accomplishing wisdom; and the perfection of the reflected image is the wisdom of the expanse of phenomena.
The meditation on the āli is the moon, and the kāli is the seven-horsed [sun]. Between the two are oṃ and hūṃ; these two become a vajra and a curved knife. The moon, sun, seed-syllable, and hand-symbol—all these become one, like water and milk without distinction. Such a vajra concentration is the eight-faced, sixteen-armed Bhairava with four legs, a hero adorned with a garland of skulls, embraced from the shoulders by Nairātmyā, a deity who holds the five mudrās, with the luster of a moon-gem. The color of the root body is [blue]; the left faces are red, white, and the other [green]. [The heads in the right skull-cups are] an elephant, horse, donkey, ox, camel, human, lion, and cat. The eight skull-cups in the right are to be known in order, starting with the elephant: the earth, the water-dweller, wind, the fire-god Agni, then the illuminator, Yama, and finally Kubera in the eight left skull-cups. The goddess has one face and two arms, is dark [blue], with yellow hair standing erect. She holds a curved knife, a skull-cup, and a khaṭvāṅga, and wears a tiger-skin lower garment.
oṃ padma sukha dhara mahā rāga sukhaṃ dada catur ānanda bhaga viśva hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ kuryāṃ kuruṣva me | oṃ vajra mahā dveṣa catur ānandāyaka khagamukhai kara soṇātha hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ kuryāṃ kuruṣva me
OṂ SARVA-TATHĀGATA-ANURĀGAṆA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. First, the person should contemplate; then, the wheel of the ḍākinīs is emanated. By means of the vajra’s passion, the seminal fluid of the Victors is transformed into the eight seed-syllables. Those drops of the Tathāgatas are GAṂ, CAṂ, VAṂ, GHAṂ, PAṂ, SAṂ, LAṂ, and ḌAṂ; these are the seed-syllables of the goddesses. Gaurī, Caurī, Vetālī, and Ghasmarī; Śmaśānī resides in the direction of Varuṇa; Pukkasī is in the northeast; Śavarī is in the southeast; Caṇḍālī resides in the southwest; and Ḍombī is in the northwest. Thus, the wheel of goddesses is complete. The two syllables HOḤ situated in the center are the letters of Body, Speech, and Mind; this is the name of the intermediate sentient being. One should perform concentration upon the lotus of the goddess. The intermediate state enters into equipoise; one should recollect it in the nature of seminal fluid. The goddesses of the intermediate directions then exhort, and thereafter one should be exhorted by the vowels: "Arise in the unsurpassed state with a mind of compassion! Pukkasī, protect me! Abandoning the nature of emptiness, unite me with the great bliss of desire! If you do not remain, I shall die; therefore, abandon the very nature of emptiness! Śavarī, grant me the attainment of the fruit! O Hevajra, please arise! For the sake of the world, O Lord of Desire, why do you remain in the state of emptiness? If you do not remain, the directions will not be subdued. Caṇḍālī, I make this supplication! Ḍombī, my mind is deluded; do not let the stream of compassion be severed!"
"I understand your intention; arise like a magical illusion!" This is the song of exhortation. Through this exhortation, one recalls the former aspiration for awakening. Arising from the form of the seminal essence are the two great vajras, OṂ and HŪṂ. He has eight faces and four legs, adorned with sixteen arms. He tramples the four Māras equally, performing a dance with a half-step. He wears a necklace of skulls and holds a crossed vajra upon his crown. His central face is great and black; the right is like a white water lily; the left is a great red, terrifying face; and the faces behind are like bees. He is endowed with twenty-four eyes and bestows bliss upon Nairātmyā.
In the eight skull-cups of his right hands are: first, an elephant; then, in order, a horse, a donkey, an ox, a camel, a human, a lion, and a cat. In the eight skull-cups of his left hands are: the earth, the water-dweller, the wind, the fire, the moon, then the sun, Yama, and finally Kubera.
Gaurī is black in color; Caurī is like madder; Vetālī is the color of refined gold; Ghasmarī is like marakata stone; Pukkasī is sapphire blue; Śavarī has the luster of a moonstone; Caṇḍālī is the deep blue of the sky; and Ḍombī is held to be multicolored.
In her right hand, Gaurī holds a curved knife, and in her left, a fish. In Caurī’s right hand is a hand-drum, and in her left, a pig. In Vetālī’s right hand is a tortoise, and in her left hand, a skull-cup. In Ghasmarī’s right hand is a snake.
The left hand holds a skull-cup. Pukkasī has a lion in her right hand and holds a battle-axe in her left. Śavarī has a monk in her right hand and is known to hold a mendicant’s staff in her left. Caṇḍālī has a wheel in her right hand and likewise a skull-cup in her left. Ḍombī has a vajra in her right hand and likewise a threatening gesture in her left. They abide in the dance posture of the half-lotus. Gaurī and the others are known to have two arms. They have three eyes and hair that stands upright. They are exquisitely adorned with the five mudrās. Brahmā, Indra, Upendra, Rudra, Yama, Vaiśravaṇa, Nairṛti, and Vemacitrin are the seats of Gaurī and the others. All of them, by means of this vajra, are completed by their own mantra syllables. From the transformation of the mudrās and hand-symbols, one should perform the concentration of wisdom at the heart. At one’s own heart, upon a lotus and sun, is a HŪṂ and a vajra. At the heart of the seated wisdom-being is a HŪṂ and a vajra upon a lotus and sun; this is the visualization of the wisdom HŪṂ. They dissolve equally into the samaya wheel, and the great wisdom wheel blazes. Having accomplished the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and many others as well, by this command—JAḤ HŪṂ BAṂ HOḤ—these four, Gaurī and the others, perform the summoning, the entering, the binding, and the subsequent pleasing. At the eyes and so forth, one should visualize the three vajras at the three places, beginning with delusion. At the two eyes is Vajramohā; at the two ears is Vajradveṣā; the nose is called Vajramātsaryā; at the mouth is Vajrarāgā; and at the body is Vajrīrṣyā.
In the mind, visualize the Yoginī Nairātmyā, generated from the first letter of her name. She has one face and two arms, holding a curved knife and a skull-cup. She is multicolored and stands upon a corpse seat. At the locations of her body, speech, and mind are the mantras OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ. From these, visualize the Sky-farer and Earth-farer goddesses beneath her feet. The Vajra Body, Speech, and Mind are the actual three families of Yoginīs. From the seed syllable in one’s own heart, specifically radiate light rays in the form of hooks. With these, invite the Buddhas and present perfect offerings. Then, receive the empowerment: "O Protectors, all Tathāgatas, please confer empowerment upon me!" Then, these Tathāgatas take the form of Heruka and, holding vases filled with the water of the five nectars in their hands, pour it and confer the empowerment. At the conclusion, this is the root mudrā of Akṣobhya. Alternatively, this is the mudrā of Gaurī and Pukkasī. For the six subsequent [families], there are two for each. OṂ SARVA TATHĀGATA ABHIṢEKATA VAJRA SVABHĀVA ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. Regarding the tasting of the nectar, which has become the five seed syllables within the blowing, blazing, skull-cup, and five hooks: visualize a vajra the size of a grain of barley. This is the examination of the glorious Hevajra. OṂ SARVA TATHĀGATA AMṚTA SVADANA VAJRA SVABHĀVA ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. The various offerings of wisdom and so forth—these offerings of the eight goddesses are emanated, and the Lord of the Mandala...
Having first made offerings to the nature of the wheel, [one recites]: Oṃ sarvatathāgata pūja vajrasvabhāva ātmako ’ham. Then, those yoginīs praise the Lord of the Wheel:
"You are surrounded by the yoginīs;
By your own mind, you have accomplished the realization.
You accomplish all that is moving and non-moving in saṃsāra;
With a compassionate heart, you lead sentient beings to awakening.
With a mind that accomplishes awakening through conventional illusion,
I praise the joyful Śrī Heruka Vajra."
Oṃ sarvatathāgata stuti vajrasvabhāva ātmako ’ham.
The six branches are: the vajra of passion,
The meditation on the specific immeasurable buddhas,
The empowerment, the tasting of amṛta,
The offering, and the praise.
Any yogi who meditates on these six branches
Will swiftly attain the accomplishments (siddhis).
The palace is Vairocana,
The empowerment is the Tathāgata Akṣobhya,
The tasting of amṛta is Amitābha,
The praise is the glorious Ratnasambhava,
The offering is the perfect offering of Amoghasiddhi,
And the passion is Vajrasattva.
This accomplishment is brought near
By the generation of the six branches.
First, one sees what is like a cloud;
Second, it is like smoke;
Third, it is the form of lightning;
Fourth, it is a blazing lamp;
Fifth, it is the appearance of all things,
Like a cloudless sky.
Afterwards, it is similar to the form of an illusion,
A dream-appearance for a moment.
By the blazing of the inner heat (caṇḍālī) at the navel,
The five Tathāgatas are incinerated,
And Locanā and the others are also incinerated.
By burning, from the syllable Haṃ, the rabbit [the moon] emerges. For any yogi unable to practice concentration, they should recollect the pure meaning. The red eyes are compassion; the black limbs are the mind of loving-kindness. The fourth [of the four] means of gathering is said to be the four legs. The eight faces are the liberations; the sixteen arms are emptiness. The five mudrās are the Buddhas. The wrathful one is the subduer of the wicked. The three eyes are the three bodies. The bones are the four truths. Form is Vajrā; feeling is Guhyagaurī. Likewise, the aggregate of perception is Vārī; the aggregate of formations is Vajraḍākinī. This consciousness is Nairātmyā. In the ultimate sense, there are no aggregates. That becomes the six limbs. The six sense bases are the purities: Hatred-Vajrī is Vajrā; the mountain where the Vajra-Tongue flows is [the mountain of] Envy-Vajrī. Likewise, Delusion-Vajrī is also Vajraḍākinī. Avarice is Guhyagaurī; the mind is the Yoginī Nairātmyā. Earth is said to be Pukkasī; the waters are called Śavarī. Heat should be known as Caṇḍālī; wind is thoroughly described as Ḍombī. Form is correctly explained as Gaurī; sound is explained as Caurī. Individual smell is Vetālī; the manner of taste is Ghasmarī. Touch is called Bhūcarī; the dharma-element is Khacarī. From the first earth to the end of the Wealth-Giver, all riches are accomplished on the earth. The grasping of the elephant and so forth—
Diseases are pacified. Cough, asthma, insanity, vomiting blood, leprosy, virjikā, and diseases of the spleen and liver—these are the forms [of the deity]. The elephant and so forth are fully described. From the Nirāṃśu or from another [source], one should perform the meditative concentration and the recitation of the mantra:
Oṃ aṣṭānanāya viṃśatikeśavartmane | caturviṃśatinetrāya ṣoḍaśabhujāya | kṛṣṇajīmūtavapuṣe | kapālamālānekadhāriṇe | ātmatakruścitāya ardhendu-daṃṣṭriṇe | māraya māraya | kāraya kāraya | garjaya garjaya | tarjaya tarjaya | śoṣaya śoṣaya | saptasāgarān bandha bandha | nāgāṣṭakān gṛhṇa gṛhṇa sarvaśatrūn | ha hā hi hī hu hū he hai ho hau haṃ haḥ phaṭ svāhā |
For the sake of pacifying all obstacles, one should constantly offer the torma. Oṃ inda jama jala jakka bhūta vahni vāyu rākka canda sūjja ma da va ppa ta la pātāle aṣṭasappa svāhā | idaṃ baliṃ bhuñja jiṅgha phulla dhūpa māṃsa piṅga ambha sappa kañja sāda | khaṇṭi khuṇi | pheṭa gāda | Oṃ akāro mukhaṃ sarvadharmāṇām ādyanutpannatvāt oṃ āḥ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā |
The many lotuses of the Goddess’s Tantra were opened by the peaceful Guru with the light of the sun. Having drunk the honey-base, Ajitacandra vomited forth the honey of the sādhana. Through the power of the glorious Compassion, this sādhana was composed. Whatever merit has been gained from this, may it deliver [beings] from the ocean of births.
May this vehicle become the cause for liberating wandering beings! This concludes the Sādhana of the Six Limbs, composed by the master Durjayacandra.
The holy guru commanded: "The monk Śākya Yeshe has translated this Sādhana of the Six Limbs for Śākya Dkon-mchog bdag-med, for the sake of all yoginīs. May whatever has been translated through his ability lead to the swift attainment of Hevajra."
This was translated by the Indian abbot Ratnaśrījñāna and the monk Śākya Yeshe.