Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text is a sādhana, a liturgical manual for the ritual practice of the deity Hevajra in his solitary hero form. The work provides a structured sequence of meditative and ritual actions designed to transform the practitioner's perception and state of being. It begins with devotional homages and specific mantra-based praises to the deity's physical attributes, such as his twenty-four eyes and sixteen arms. The text then guides the practitioner through the visualization of the deity's wrathful form, the dissolution of consort goddesses into the heart center, and the offering of tormas. Furthermore, it details a complex visualization of the subterranean realms, where the practitioner offers nectar to red-colored beings to satisfy them. The process concludes with the ritual blessing of a jewel and the use of specific seed syllables to initiate a state of joy, committing the reader to a precise discipline of visualization, mantra recitation, and adherence to the guru's pith instructions.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual manual for the practice of the deity Hevajra in his solitary hero form, the Śrīhevajraikavīrasādhana originates from the Indian tradition and is attributed to Kṛṣṇa Paṇḍita. The work entered the Tibetan tradition through the efforts of Kṛṣṇa Paṇḍita and bod kyi lo tsa ba ’gos lhas btsas, and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཉ, where it comprises five pages. Within the canonical organization, it is situated in the Non-dual Tantra collection. The work enacts a sequence of ritual devotion and visualization, beginning with homages to the Noble Avalokiteśvara and the Heruka. It guides the practitioner through the recitation of mantra-based praises and the visualization of the deity's wrathful form, characterized by sixteen arms, twenty-four eyes, and a dancing posture upon the four Māras. A scholar or serious reader consults this classical Tibetan text to examine the specific iconographic details and liturgical structures associated with the solitary hero aspect of Hevajra, including the precise arrangement of ritual offerings and the symbolic attributes held within the deity's skull-cups.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana of the Solitary Hero Form of Glorious Hevajra” (Toh 1252), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1252
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as it represents the 'solitary hero' tradition of Hevajra practice, which emphasizes individual attainment over the consort-based approach. For the modern reader, it illustrates the technical complexity of Vajrayāna deity yoga and the integration of cosmology with somatic ritual practice.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-2
Preliminary Homages and Praises
Initial salutations to Avalokiteśvara and a series of eight-line mantra praises focusing on the deity's physical characteristics.
3-4
Visualization of the Deity
Detailed description of Hevajra's wrathful form and instructions for the dissolution of goddesses and the offering of tormas.
5
Subterranean Offerings
Instructions for visualizing and satisfying beings beneath the earth through the offering of nectar.
6
Ritual Conclusion
The blessing of a jewel and the use of mantras to induce joy under the guidance of a guru.
Themes
Deity Yoga and Visualization (3-5)
Mantra and Ritual Speech (2, 4, 6)
Cosmological Offerings (5)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Sādhana of the Solitary Hero Form of Glorious Hevajra·
In the language of India: Śrī Hevajra-ekavīra-sādhana. In the language of Tibet: dPal dgyes pa rdo rje dpa’ bo gcig pa’i sgrub pa’i thabs (The Sadhana of the Glorious Hevajra, the Solitary Hero). Homage to the Noble Avalokiteśvara, the Lord of Great Compassion.
I bow to the Heruka who, by the mere taste of his flavor through familiarization, summons the qualities that utterly sever these bonds of cyclic existence.
In the morning, having risen from bed, one should visualize a sun maṇḍala arising from the syllable RAṂ at the heart. Purifying oneself with its light, one recites three times: OṂ RAKṢA RAKṢA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ. Thus, one protects oneself, the place, and the yoga.
Entering the meditation chamber, one places the hand upon the maṇḍala while reciting OṂ VAJRA REKHE HŪṂ. One consecrates it with: OṂ VAJRA MEDINI VAJRĪBHAVA BANDHA HŪṂ. Reciting OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ, one scatters flowers in the center. In the east, one scatters flowers with GAṂ GAURĪ NAMAḤ. In the south, CAṂ CAURĪ NAMAḤ. In the west, VAṂ VETĀLĪ NAMAḤ. In the north, GHAṂ GHASMARĪ NAMAḤ. In the northeast, PAṂ PUKKASĪ NAMAḤ. In the southeast, ŚAṂ ŚAVARĪ NAMAḤ. In the southwest, LAṂ CAṆḌĀLĪ NAMAḤ. In the northwest, ḌAṂ ḌOMBINĪ NAMAḤ. With these, one scatters flowers.
Then, one makes offerings to the Blessed One with: OṂ DEVA PICU VAJRA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ. One makes offerings to the Blessed One with: OṂ A Ā I Ī U Ū Ṛ Ṝ Ḷ Ḹ E AI O AU AṂ AḤ SVĀHĀ.
Then, one should also make offerings with the eight-line [praise]: Oṃ aṣṭānanāya namaḥ | oṃ viṃśatibhujāya namaḥ | oṃ caturviṃśatinetrāya namaḥ | oṃ ṣoḍaśabhujāya namaḥ | oṃ kṛṣṇajīmūtavapuṣe namaḥ | oṃ kapālamālādhāriṇe namaḥ | oṃ adbhutakrūracittāya namaḥ | oṃ ardhendudaṃṣṭrāya namaḥ. Then again: Oṃ vajrapuṣpe āḥ hūṃ | oṃ vajradhūpe āḥ hūṃ | oṃ vajradīpe āḥ hūṃ | oṃ vajragandhe āḥ hūṃ | oṃ vajranairvitye āḥ hūṃ. Having thus perfectly made offerings with flowers and so forth consecrated by these mantras, one should recite the seven-limb prayer, beginning with the taking of refuge in the Three Jewels, three times. Then, having prostrated and presented the torma offering, one should request the deities to depart with Oṃ vajra muḥ.
Then, having meditated briefly on the four immeasurables, such as loving-kindness (maitrī), and having mentally observed all phenomena, one should analyze them and meditate on them as being without intrinsic nature and as luminosity (prabhāsvara). One should then consecrate [the field] with: Oṃ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’ham. At the end of that, upon a sun mandala arising from raṃ, one visualizes the two syllables a and hūṃ. Through their light, one establishes all sentient beings dwelling throughout the infinite reaches of the world-systems in awakening. Having merged and summoned them, one dissolves them into the two seed syllables and meditates in an instant upon the Blessed One together with the Blessed Lady. [He has] eight faces and sixteen arms.
He stands with four legs in a dancing posture, half-lotus upon the four Māras, adorned with the five mudrās and a garland of human heads. His body blazes like the fire at the end of an aeon, wrathful in expression, with tawny hair bristling upward and twenty-four eyes. He has sixteen arms; in the eight right skull-cups are an elephant, a horse, a donkey, an ox, a camel, a lion, a human, and a cat. In the eight left skull-cups are earth, water, fire, wind, the moon, the sun, Yama, and Vaiśravaṇa. He holds a crossed vajra at his crown and is embraced by the goddess Nairātmyā, who holds a curved knife and a skull-cup and who removes the sufferings of saṃsāra. One should meditate on this.
Below that, one should visualize a HŪṂ on a sun disk at one’s own heart. One should visualize an AṂ on a moon disk at Nairātmyā’s heart. Furthermore, one should place an OṂ at the head, an ĀḤ at the throat, and a HŪṂ at the heart. One should then place Mohavajrā in the eyes, Dveṣavajrā in the ears, Mātsaryavajrā in the nose, Rāgavajrā in the mouth, Īrṣyāvajrā in the body, and Nairātmyayoginī in the mind. With the light rays from the seed-syllable at the heart, one invites the Buddhas and makes the request for empowerment with the words: abhiṣiñcatu māṃ sarvatathāgata. One should meditate that the Buddhas then rain down flowers and summon them, and that the eight goddesses offer praise and make offerings. If one becomes weary from meditation, one should perform the recitation of the mantra.
Oṃ devapicu vajra hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā. When rising, one should dissolve the goddesses into the seed syllable at one’s own heart and move about in the form of the deity. At the time of meditation, one should offer the torma at the beginning and the end. In that regard, having meditated on a wind maṇḍala arising from Yaṃ, upon which is a fire maṇḍala arising from Raṃ, one should meditate on a skull cup arising from A. Within it, the substances arising from the seed syllables of the ga, ku, da, ha, na, vi, mu, ma, ra, and śu should be blessed with Oṃ. Above that, one should meditate on a vajra arising from Hūṃ. Meditating on the blazing fire of the union of the vajra and the lotus, one should look upon all the tathāgatas with its light. Summoning the nectar from the seed syllables at the hearts of all the tathāgatas and dissolving it there, this blessing with Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ is the ritual for purifying the torma, food, and so forth.
Then, in an instant, one should visualize the maṇḍala of the Blessed One at the center of an eight-petaled lotus situated within a dharmodaya in the sky. Visualizing the solitary hero, one should meditate that on the petals are the directional guardians, blue in color, holding vajras and bells, embraced by their respective consorts, and seated in the posture with the right leg extended, crowned by Akṣobhya. Likewise, above them, one should visualize the gods such as Brahmā, white in color, crowned by Vairocana.
Below, one should meditate on the beings who move beneath the earth as being red in color and adorned with the crown of Amitābha. Visualize a white HŪṂ on the tongue of each of them, and satisfy them by offering nectar through the goddesses such as Gaurī, who emerge from the seed-syllable at one’s own heart. The mantra is as follows:
OṂ INDA JAMA JALA JAKṢA BHŪTA VAHNI VĀYU RAKṢA CANDRA SŪRYA MĀDA PĀNAPATA LĀPĀTA LAṢṬA SAPTA SVĀHĀ. IDAṂ BALIṂ BHŪJA JĪṄGHA PHULLA DHŪPA MĀṂSA PIṄGHA AMBA SAPTA KAJJA SATVA KHANTI KHUṆI PHEṬA GĀDA. OṂ ĀKĀRO MUKHAṂ SARVA DHARMĀṆĀṂ ĀDYA NUTPANNATVĀT OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ. Recite this three times and offer the water for rinsing the mouth. The mantra is: OṂ HRĪḤ VIŚUDDHAYA SARVA VIKALPĀNAYA HŪṂ.
Then, one should make offerings with mentally emanated offerings and request them to depart with OṂ VAJRA MUḤ. At the time of eating, purify the food as before, visualize a white vajra on one’s own tongue, and dissolve all the Tathāgatas into the heart of the Blessed One. One should then ignite the fire with the seed-syllable of the wisdom-being (jñānasattva).
At the time of engaging in passion, meditate on the consort as Nairātmyā. Visualize OṂ at her head, ĀḤ at her throat, and HŪṂ at her heart. Visualize the letter A on the filaments of her lotus. Consecrate the lotus with: OṂ PADMA SUKHADHARA MAHĀRĀGA SUKHAṂ DATTA CATURĀNANDA BHAGA VIŚVA HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ KARYAṂ KURUṢVA ME. Then, generate the vajra with the syllable HŪṂ.
Having blessed the jewel with Oṃ, one should perform the blessing with: Oṃ vajra mahā dveṣa caturānanda dayaka khagamukha ekarasanātha hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ kuryaṃ kuruṣva me. With siṃ siṃ siṃ ha ha ha, one should initiate the joy. By means of the guru’s pith instructions, one should identify its moments and, having drawn in that nectar, satisfy oneself. At the time of sleep, one should sleep while contemplating all phenomena as being of the nature of the coemergent.
The Sādhana of the Glorious Hevajra, the Solitary Hero, composed by the great master Kṛṣṇācārya, is hereby complete. It was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian abbot Kṛṣṇa and the Tibetan translator ’Gos Lhas btsas.