Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This ritual manual, attributed to the master Sahajavilāsa and translated by Balendraruci and Ma-ban Chos-’bar, provides a concise sādhanā for the practice of Hevajra in the form of one face and two arms. The text guides the practitioner through a sequence of meditative visualizations designed to transform ordinary perception into a divine state. It begins with an invocation of the Guru and Vajraḍākinī, followed by the visualization of a hūṃ syllable within a sun maṇḍala to benefit all sentient beings. The practitioner is then instructed to establish a central channel of syllables—Haṃ, Aṃ, and Hūṃ—positioned on lotuses at the crown, throat, and heart. The ritual concludes with the symbolic transformation of samaya substances through fire into the nature of the tathāgatas. By following these instructions, the reader commits to a rigorous process of internal alchemy and deity yoga aimed at achieving the state of a Vajra-holder.
Provenance
About this text
A concise ritual for the peaceful sādhana of the deity Heruka, the Śrīherukasādhana provides instructions for the practitioner to visualize the Hero as having one face and two arms, embraced by Nairātmyā. Attributed to the Indian author Sahajavilāsa, the work was translated into the classical Tibetan language by Varendraruci and bod kyi lo tsa ba rma ban chos ’bar. It is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཏ, where it comprises four pages and is situated within the Non-dual Tantra collection. The work enacts a meditative process beginning with homage to the Guru and the glorious Vajraḍākinī, followed by the visualization of a hūṃ syllable upon a sun maṇḍala to accomplish the welfare of all wandering beings. It further guides the practitioner in establishing a series of syllables—Haṃ, Aṃ, and Hūṃ—upon lotuses located at the crown, throat, heart, and navel. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the specific visualization techniques and the internal arrangement of syllables used in this particular ritual tradition.
The text is significant as a representative example of the Hevajra tantra tradition, illustrating the specific intersection of Indian composition and early Tibetan translation. It demonstrates the technical application of syllable visualization and the transformation of material offerings into spiritual essence within the Anuttarayoga Tantra framework.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction
Titles in Sanskrit and Tibetan and preliminary homages to the Guru and Vajraḍākinī.
2
External Visualization
Visualization of the hūṃ syllable on a sun maṇḍala for the benefit of all beings.
3
Internal Visualization
Placement of the syllables Haṃ, Aṃ, and Hūṃ on lotuses at the crown, throat, and heart.
4
Ritual Offering
The symbolic burning and melting of samaya substances into the nature of the tathāgatas.
5
Colophon
Closing aspiration and attribution of authorship to Sahajavilāsa and translation to Balendraruci and Ma-ban Chos-’bar.
Themes
Deity Yoga and Visualization (2-3)
Transformation of Matter (4)
Lineage and Transmission (1, 5)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Śrī Herukasādhana. In the language of Tibet: He ru ka’i sgrub thabs (The Sādhana of Heruka). Homage to the glorious Vajraḍākinī.
Having bowed my head to the glorious Guru, the Blood-Drinker who moves the three worlds, I shall provide a concise ritual for the peaceful sādhana of that [deity].
The Hero has one face and two arms, embraced around the neck by Nairātmyā. Adorned with the wheel and other ornaments, he has three eyes and wears a tiger-skin loincloth.
The yogi who is authorized to meditate on this tantra should rise at dawn, sit upon a comfortable seat, and visualize a HŪṂ situated upon a sun disk at his own heart. With its rays of light, he should bring the glorious Heruka to presence and make perfect offerings with the five offerings, such as flowers and so forth.
In his presence, he should perform the confession of misdeeds, the rejoicing in merit, and the taking of refuge in the Three Jewels, and then generate the mind of great awakening.
He should meditate on emptiness, which is of one nature with non-dual primordial wisdom—unstained by the impurities of conceptualization such as the afflictions, secondary afflictions, and the duality of subject and object—like the center of an autumn sky free from clouds. He should consecrate this with the mantra: OṂ ŚŪNYATĀ-JÑĀNA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ.
Then, having arisen, one should visualize a hūṃ situated upon a sun maṇḍala in the direction of the sky. From the complete transformation of that, one should contemplate a hūṃ upon a sun disk at the hub of a vajra. Its light emerges from the mouth and, having accomplished the welfare of all wandering beings without exception in the form of glorious Heruka, re-enters that very [light]. From the complete transformation of that, one arises as glorious Heruka, seated upon a sun maṇḍala atop a corpse on a multicolored-petaled lotus. He has one face, two arms, and three eyes. In his right hand he holds a vajra; in his left, he holds a skull-cup marked with a vajra. He possesses the postures of dance and wears a tiger-skin loincloth. On his crown, he holds a wheel made from a human head, the nature of Akṣobhya; on his ears, he wears earrings of human bone, the nature of Amitābha; on his neck, he wears a necklace, the nature of Ratnasambhava; on his wrists, he wears bracelets, the nature of Vairocana; and at his waist, he is adorned with a belt, the nature of Amoghasiddhi. He is adorned with a hair-turban, armlets, and anklets. His yellow hair is swept upward. He embraces from the neck Nairātmyā, who has one face and two arms and holds a curved knife and a skull-cup. Having visualized oneself as having become such, one should contemplate: Nairātmyā is in the ears; Vajrī is in the eyes; Guhyagaurī is in the nose; Vāriyoginī is in the tongue; Vajraḍākinī is in the body; and the mind is blessed by Nairātmyā.
Then, at the crown of the head, upon the center of a thirty-two-petaled lotus, is the syllable Haṃ, facing downward. At the throat, upon a sixteen-petaled lotus, is the syllable Aṃ, facing upward. At the heart, upon the center of an eight-petaled lotus, is the syllable Hūṃ, facing downward. At the navel, upon a sixty-four-petaled lotus, one should visualize the syllable Aṃ, facing upward.
Then, having summoned the wisdom-being (jñānasattva) who is like the commitment-being (samayasattva), one should summon, enter, bind, and subjugate it with the mantra Jaḥ Hūṃ Baṃ Hoḥ. They should be made of one taste, like water mixed with milk.
Following that, at one’s own heart, upon a sun disk, is a vajra. From the light of the Hūṃ at its center, one summons the glorious Heruka, the embodiment of all the Tathāgatas, and makes offerings. One should then make this supplication: "May all the Tathāgatas confer empowerment upon me!"
By their conferring of empowerment with precious vases filled with the five nectars (amṛta), one should visualize oneself as Akṣobhya, the Protector, together with his crown ornament. Then, one should imagine all the hosts of yoginīs making offerings with their respective substances of bodhicitta.
Then, one should offer praise with these words:
"Baring fangs and most terrifying,
Adorned with garlands of mantra-flowers,
Consuming the great flesh—
Homage and praise to Heruka!"
Then, from the complete transformation of the Hūṃ at the heart, a vajra is generated. Below that, from the complete transformation of the Oṃ, a lotus vessel is generated, marked in its center with an Oṃ.
One should visualize the samaya substances, such as go, ku, da, ha, na, ma, ra, mu, su, bi, and la. Then, through the union of the vajra and the padma, the blazing fire burns the substances, boiling them until they are melted. One should view them as the nature of all the tathāgatas. The blazing sun of wisdom and the light of its wisdom seed syllable summon the amṛta of all the tathāgatas, which is then merged with those substances. One should consecrate them with the syllables oṃ āḥ hūṃ. Then, having purified the tongue with the nature of a white hūṃ, one should satisfy oneself with it.
Next, one should mentally inscribe a garland of twelve-syllable mantras—oṃ trailokyākṣepa hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā—surrounding the hūṃ situated upon a sun disk at the heart. This garland should be visualized as blazing and clear like a row of lamps. One should then recite it without wavering, following the sequence of reading. At the times of midday and evening, one should also instantaneously generate oneself in the nature of Heruka. Then, having performed the purification of the eyes and so forth, the meditation on the wheel, the offerings, the praise, the tasting of the amṛta, and the recitation, one should remain as is and request the deities to depart. One should then offer the torma and so forth. Finally, having dissolved the maṇḍala, one should remain at ease, emanating as the deity in an instant.
Through whatever merit has been accumulated from composing this unsurpassed sādhana of the Hero who Shakes the Three Worlds, may [all beings] attain [enlightenment].
May the world become a Vajra-holder! This concludes the Sādhana of Hevajra with one face and two arms, composed by the great master Sahajavilāsa. It was translated by the Indian abbot Balendraruci and the Tibetan translator Ma-ban Chos-’bar.