Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Saṃvarodaya is a technical manual providing a running commentary on Lūipāda’s Clear Realization, focusing on the ritual implementation of the Cakrasaṃvara tantra. The text functions as a prescriptive guide for the practitioner, detailing the precise visualization of deities, the mapping of the subtle body, and the execution of complex mudrās and mantras. It commits the reader to a rigorous process of internal alchemy and external ritual, where the practitioner transforms the physical body into a divine maṇḍala. By integrating the five elements, the subtle channels, and the visualization of fierce deities and their retinues, the text aims to collapse the distinction between the practitioner and the deity. The work concludes by outlining the specific ritual offerings and the absorption of the deity hosts into the self, thereby facilitating the attainment of omniscience and great bliss through the union of method and wisdom.
Provenance
About this text
A commentary titled Lūyipādābhisamayavṛttisaṃvarodayanāma, this work belongs to the tradition of the Śaṃvara and Related Tantras. Attributed to the Indian author Tathāgatavajra, the text was translated into classical Tibetan by Vibhūticandra. It is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཞ, where it extends over twenty pages. The work enacts a ritual process centered on the visualization of deities and the elements within the body; specifically, it directs the practitioner to visualize Māraṇī, Ākarṣaṇī, Nṛtyeśvarī, and Padmajvālā at the navel, heart, throat, forehead, and secret place. It further prescribes the use of mudrās, such as the snapping of the left thumb and forefinger, and the recitation of mantras to expel obstructors and establish fences of vajra, lotus, and wheel. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine its technical instructions on internal alchemy and the precise execution of ritual visualizations, such as the melting of the wheel of great bliss through the winds of vārā and agni, and the subsequent transformation of the practitioner's experience into the one taste of suchness.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Running Commentary on Lūipāda’s “Clear Realization” called “The Arising of Saṃvara”” (Toh 1509), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1509
Summary & commentary
Significance
This work is significant as it preserves the specific ritual technology of the Lūipāda lineage of the Cakrasaṃvara tradition. For the modern scholar, it provides primary evidence of how Indo-Tibetan tantra synthesized somatic practices, such as the manipulation of winds and drops, with complex iconographic visualizations.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-3
Preliminary Visualizations and Purifications
Identification of the elements with specific goddesses and the use of kīla-mantras to remove obstructors.
4-10
Maṇḍala Construction and Deity Visualization
Detailed descriptions of the wind maṇḍala, the central deity's form, the directional goddesses, and the lords of the directions.
11-13
Somatic Mapping and Subtle Body
The assignment of syllables to the ten grounds and the visualization of the internal cakras and Mount Meru within the spine.
14-20
Ritual Performance and Mudrās
Instructions on the instantaneous transformation of the self, specific hand mudrās, and the donning of ritual armor through mantras.
21-26
Advanced Yoga and Offering Rituals
Practices involving the melting of bliss, the manipulation of the nāda, and the offering of nectar to the deities.
27-29
Final Integration and Conclusion
Final visualizations of Vārāhī and the ritual absorption of the deities into the practitioner, followed by the colophon.
Themes
Somatic Transformation (2, 11, 13, 21)
Deity Visualization and Iconography (5, 6, 8, 9, 27)
Mantra and Mudrā Application (3, 15, 17, 18, 24)
Ritual Offerings and Absorption (16, 22, 23, 28)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Running Commentary on Lūipāda’s “Clear Realization” called “The Arising of Saṃvara”·
In the language of India: Lūyipādābhisamayavṛttisaṃvarodaya-nāma. In the language of Tibet: Lūyipā’i mngon par rtogs pa’i ’grel pa sdom pa ’byung ba zhes bya ba. Homage to the glorious Lūyipā!
By the winds of vārā and agni, the haṃ of the wheel of great bliss is melted. To that vārāhī who causes it to melt, I bow, for she is the abode of saṃsāra.
This Teacher, who is non-dual with all beings, is the self of great bliss endowed with the element of the Wisdom Consort. He is the self of space where insight and compassion are inseparable. I shall explain that very sādhana and the method of meditating upon it.
First, in a mountain hut or similar place, the yogin, facing south with hair loosened, sits upon a corpse. Having placed the five amṛtas in the mouth, he contemplates the meaning of the syllables of Śrī Heruka and transforms them into the manner of the saṃvara.
With the light rays of the āli and kāli, he burns away obstructors and meditates on the four brahmā abodes. He meditates on the Victorious Vairocana upon form, Vajrasūrya upon feeling, Padmanarteśvara upon perception, and Vajrarāja upon formations. The aggregate of consciousness is the Vajra-holder; all are Heruka, the emptiness of all.
Respectively, these are at the forehead, navel, throat, feet, heart, and crown. Mohavajrā is in the eyes; Dveṣaviśodhanī is in the two ears; Mātsaryamāriṇī is in the nose; Rāgavajrā is in the mouth; and Īrṣyāvajrā is in the body and forehead. The Bodhisattvas bestow mastery in the sense bases and their own hearts. The earth element is Pātālanī.
The water element is Māraṇī; the fire element is Ākarṣaṇī; the wind element is Nṛtyeśvarī; and the nature of space is Padmajvālā. These should be visualized in sequence at the navel, heart, throat, forehead, and secret place, or alternatively, as forms and so forth, like reflections and the like.
Then, preceded by the snapping of the left thumb and forefinger, one should recite the four mantras, such as Sumbha, with one-pointed yoga. Black, green, red, and yellow, they are placed in the directions starting with the east. From the subterranean realm up to the abode of Brahmā, visualize the great, blazing bodies that pervade [the space]. Likewise, visualize the four fences of light rays from the Sumbha mantras and so forth.
From the syllable Hūṃ arises the nature of the earth as a crossed-vajra (viśvavajra). Below, the vajra rays pervade, becoming a fence of five-pronged vajras, with a lattice of arrows above. Below that is a vajra tent, and beneath that, a vajra canopy; these should be visualized with their respective mantras.
The four, such as Kākāsyā, arise from the four secret mantras, and the four, such as Yamadāḍhī, arise from the light of the two pairs of directions. These eight have one face and two arms. From the navel downward, they have the form of kīla-stakes. In their left hands, they hold kīlas of their respective natures; in their right hands, they hold great vajra hammers. Having emanated and gone forth, they summon the obstructors (vighna) dwelling in the ten directions. Then, by uttering the long Hūṃ, [they are placed] in the eight directions.
Having cast them into the pit, one should strike them with the kīla-mantra of piercing. They should be struck with the mantra of hammering; through this piercing and hammering, they become of one taste in suchness. Having expelled the remaining obstructors (vighna), the goddesses dissolve into the fence, like water flowing into water. One should also visualize the fences of vajra, lotus, and wheel, which have emerged for the purpose of binding the boundaries. The secret mantras are as follows:
OṂ SUMBHANI SUMBHA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ.
OṂ GṚHṆA GṚHṆA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ.
OṂ GṚHṆĀPAYA GṚHṆĀPAYA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ.
OṂ ĀNAYA HOḤ BHAGAVĀN VAJRA RĀJA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ.
OṂ GHA GHA GHĀTAYA GHĀTAYA SARVA DUṢṬĀN HŪṂ PHAṬ.
KĪLAYA KĪLAYA SARVA PĀPAṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ.
HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ VAJRA KĪLA VAJRA DHARA ĀJÑĀPAYATI SARVA VIGHNĀṂ KĀYA VĀKA CITTA VAJRA KĪLAYA HŪṂ PHAṬ.
OṂ VAJRA MUDGARA VAJRA KĪLAYA ĀKOṬAYA HŪṂ PHAṬ.
Then, from the syllable A at the heart, a moon maṇḍala arises. Upon it, one should visualize a syllable HŪṂ endowed with light rays. Having summoned [the deities] with that light, one should offer homage and so forth, the sevenfold offering, and dedicate oneself to the maṇḍala in front. Looking sequentially at the crown, throat, and heart, one should meditate on emptiness and recite the secret mantra:
OṂ SVABHĀVA ŚUDDHAḤ SARVA DHARMĀḤ SVABHĀVA ŚUDDHO ’HAṂ.
By the power of previous aspirations, one’s own mind becomes OṂ and so forth. One should visualize light and the emanation and reabsorption of the wheel from that. Then, that mind of one’s own is also merely a vivid appearance.
Furthermore, recite the mantra and meditate on emptiness: oṃ śūnyatājñānavajrasvabhāvātmako ’haṃ. Arising from the state of emptiness, from the syllable yaṃ, one should visualize the wind maṇḍala: pale blue, bow-shaped, and marked at its perimeter by banners. Above that, from the syllable raṃ, arises the fire maṇḍala: red, triangular, with seven flames, and marked by raṃ. Above that, from the syllable vaṃ, arises the water maṇḍala: white, perfectly circular, and marked by a vase. Above that, from the syllable laṃ, arises the earth maṇḍala: yellow, square, and marked by a vajra. Above that, from the syllable suṃ, arises Mount Meru, possessing eight peaks and surrounded by the continents and so forth; its four corners and four sides are of the nature of the four jewels. Above that, upon a lotus, from hūṃ arises the crossed vajra. Above that, from the syllable paṃ, arises a variegated lotus with eight petals, a filament, and a center. Above that, from the āli and kāli, arise the sun and moon. This is the yoga.
In that regard, the syllable hūṃ is of the nature of the Vajra Holder. Through the radiation of its own light rays, the five wheels [of the elements] are transformed into the nature of the wheels of transmigrating beings. Then, together with the yoginīs, the wheel is once again withdrawn and meditated upon. This is the subsequent yoga. Residing upon the sun maṇḍala generated from hūṃ and the others, the glorious Heruka is without intrinsic nature, like space. To the eternal Īśvara and Umādevī, who are subject to annihilation...
With legs extended and tucked, right and left, his faces are each endowed with three eyes. Within a celestial mansion adorned with wheels and charnel grounds, he is dark blue, green, red, and yellow in color. With four faces and a vajra garland upon his head, he has twelve arms. With two hands holding a vajra and bell, he embraces the consort. To purify delusion, he holds an elephant hide with two hands. In his right hands, he successively holds a ḍamaru, a battle-axe, a curved knife, and a trident. In his left hands, he holds a khaṭvāṅga, a skull-cup, a lasso, and the head of Brahmā. Upon his head is a crescent moon, a garland of skulls, and a crossed vajra. His fangs are bared, his face is contorted, and he possesses a topknot of matted hair. The wise one, through the application of meditative concentration, is endowed with all the [nine] moods. To purify the stains of the afflictions, he wears a tiger skin. Through the complete purity of the fifty vowels and consonants, he wears a necklace of fifty fresh human heads. He is adorned with necklaces, earrings, bracelets, a crest jewel, and a sacred thread, smeared with ashes and the color of smoke. In front of the Protector is Vārāhī, like the sun, red in color, wearing a necklace of a garland of dry skulls. She has one face, three eyes, and two hands. Naked, in a state of bliss, with hair loose and exceedingly joyful, she wears a belt made of skull fragments. Her left hand holds a skull-cup filled with the blood of the Māras, while her right hand, with a vajra and the threatening gesture, subdues the malevolent ones of the ten directions. Her majesty is like the fire at the end of an eon; she delights in blood and drips with blood.
Embracing the two thighs,
They are the nature of great bliss and compassion.
The Ḍākinī, Lāmā, Khaṇḍarohā, and Rūpiṇī
Are arranged upon the petals of the lotus directions.
They accomplish all siddhis.
Black, green, red, and yellow,
Each with one face and four arms.
In the left hands, skull-cups and khaṭvāṅgas;
In the right, ḍamarus and curved knives.
With three eyes and loose hair,
They stand naked in the extended and bent postures.
In the cardinal and intermediate directions, upon vases,
Are the vessels of bodhicitta and so forth.
First is the mind wheel with eight spokes,
Dark blue and encircled by a garland of vajras.
To the east, in Pullīramalaya,
Is Pracaṇḍa and Khaṇḍakapāla.
To the north, in Jālandhara,
Is Mahākaṅka and Caṇḍākṣī.
To the west, in Oḍḍiyāna,
Is Kaṅkāla and Prabhāvatī.
To the south, in Arbuda,
Is Mahānāsa and Vikaṭadaṃṣṭrī.
In the southeast, in Godāvarī,
Is Surāvairī and Śauṇḍinī.
In the southwest, in Rāmeśvara,
Is Amitābha and Cakravarmiṇī.
In the northwest, in Devīkoṭa,
Is Laṅkeśvara and Vajraprabhā.
In the northeast, in Mālava,
Is Vajradeha and Kāṅkālinī.
The speech wheel is red,
Encircled by a garland of red lotuses.
On the eastern spoke, in Kāmarūpa,
Are Aṅkurika and Airāvatī.
To the north, in Oḍra,
Are Mahābhairava and Vajraśṛṅkhalā.
To the west, in Triśakuni,
Are Mahāvīra and Vāyuvegā.
To the south, in Kośala,
Are Vajrahūṃkāra and Surābhakṣī.
In Kāliṅga at the southeast corner is Śyāmadevī, the Excellent One. In Lampāka at the southwest corner is Vajrabhadra and Subhadrā. In Kāñcī at the northwest corner is Mahābhairava and Hayakarṇī. Likewise, in Himālaya at the northeast corner is Virūpākṣa and Kākāsyā. The Body Cakra is white, encircled by a white garland of wheels.
On the eastern spoke in Pretapuri are Mahābala and Cakravegā. In the north, at Gṛhadevatā, are Ratnavajra and Khaṇḍarohā. On the western spoke in Saurāṣṭra are Hayagrīva and Śauṇḍinī. In the south, at Varuṇadvīpa, are Cakravarman and Ākāśagarbha. In Nagara at the southeast corner are Śrī Heruka and Subhadrā. In the southwest, at Sindhu, are Padmanarteśvara and Īśvarī. In Maru at the northwest corner are Vairocana and Cakravartinī. In Kulutā at the northeast corner are Vajrasattva and Mahāvīryā.
These heroes have one face and four arms; with one leg extended and one drawn in, they embrace their consorts while holding a vajra and bell. In their right and left hands, they hold a ḍamaru and a khaṭvāṅga. The heroes wear topknots of matted hair and possess three eyes. The goddesses, such as Pracaṇḍā and the rest, have one face and two arms; they embrace with hands holding skull-cups, and hold threatening curved knives. In non-dual union, they enter into meditative equipoise. Like the heroes and heroines of the four cakras, there are those with the faces of crows, owls, dogs, and pigs. In the four directions are the ḍākinīs and others, and in the intermediate directions are Yamadāḍhī and the rest.
The eight goddesses possessing two forms:
Each has one face and four arms, standing in the posture of one leg extended and one drawn in upon a corpse seat. In their left hands are skull-cups and khaṭvāṅgas; in their right hands are ḍamarus and curved knives. All are fierce with three eyes, their hair loose and their bodies naked. They are adorned with necklaces, bracelets, armlets, earrings, and the sacred thread; all possess the five mudrās. Their foreheads are encircled by vajra garlands, their throats are adorned with garlands of skulls, and their girdles resound with a tinkling sound.
Beginning with the east and the northeast, one should arrange the yoginīs of the charnel grounds in all the cardinal and intermediate directions, circling to the left and right. In the eastern charnel ground, Caṇḍogra, is a great śirīṣa tree. There, Śakra, mounted upon Airāvaṇa, is golden in color and holds a vajra and a skull-cup. Also present is the nāga king Vāsuki, white in color and marked with a blue utpala lotus; with palms joined, he stands bowing before the Protector.
In the north, in the dense forest of Aśvattha, is Kubera, mounted upon a man. He is yellow in color, holding a mongoose that vomits jewels and a skull-cup. The nāga lord Takṣaka is like a bandhūka flower, his hood marked with the śrīvatsa; he stands with his head bowed and palms joined.
In the west, in the place pervaded by flames, is a great aśoka tree. There is the white Varuṇa with seven hoods, dwelling upon a makara and holding a skull and a noose. The nāga lord Karkoṭaka is the color of a blue dūrvā grass, with three lines situated upon his neck.
Bowing with palms joined at the crown of the head: in the south, at the fearsome mango tree, is Yama, mounted upon a buffalo. He is black, with red eyes and a stout body, fierce, holding a club and a skull-cup. The powerful one known as Padma, the attendant of the Teacher, is white, with palms joined, and his head marked with many drops. In the northeast, at a great nyagrodha tree, is Īśvara, holding a trident and a skull-cup. He is white, mounted on a bull, and wears a tiger-skin skirt. The great nāga king Mahāpadma is the color of moonlight; his hood is marked with a trident, and he stands with palms joined at his head. In the southeast, at the glorious forest of Karanja, is Agni, short of stature and mounted on a goat. His body is red, and he holds a skull-cup, a rosary, and a water-pot. The nāga king Ananta is like the throat of a peacock; his head is marked with a lotus, and he stands with palms joined at the crown, bowing at the feet of the Protector. In the southwest, in unbearable darkness, is a rākṣasa, naked and blue in color, dwelling in a corpse and holding a sword and a skull-cup. He wears a crown of human heads. The nāga king Śaṅkhapāla is the color of a conch and belongs to the Kulika family; his hood is marked with a crescent moon. With palms joined at the crown, he dwells at the Laṭājāḍa tree. In the northwest, at the arjuna tree, is Vāyu, the color of smoke, mounted on a deer. He holds a yellow banner and a skull-cup, and dwells amidst a clamor of sound. The yellow nāga king Śaṅkhapāla is marked with drops; with palms joined, he is full of devotion. These eight nāga kings dwell in the clouds, white and adorned with ornaments.
Śakra and the others, the eight lords of the directions, together with their consorts, have four arms. Two hands are joined in prayer, while the remaining hands hold ritual implements. The clouds are Subhadra, Śrīghana, Varṣa, Atighana, Tvaritadhvani, Caṇḍa, Jīrṇa, and Kṣubhita. These eight clouds, which dwell in the eight charnel grounds, are terrifying, resound with lightning and thunder, and let fall a continuous rain. The rākṣasas, whose faces are directed toward the destruction of their respective lords of the directions, are naturally agitated; they eat the flesh of humans and drink their blood, dwelling there. On all sides of the eight great trees, there are excellent trees abounding in flowers and fruit. There are the sounds of lions, jackals, and dogs, as well as tigers, foxes, pigs, cats, wild asses, vṛka dogs, snakes, crows, owls, and other birds. There are those impaled on stakes and pierced by spears, skeletons, half-heads, and bones, some burnt in the hearth and some half-burnt. There are flesh-eaters and those who prepare corpses, siddhas offering bali cakes, and assemblies of yoginīs making offerings. There are curved knives, skull-cups, khaṭvāṅgas, small drums, and vessels of immeasurable food. These dwell upon the mountain of the white caitya, adorned by the eight great siddhas. These charnel grounds of the Teacher also represent the purity of the eight consciousnesses. Next, the directions of the wheel of the body and the factors of awakening will be explained. Through the application of the sequence of the pīṭhas and so forth...
The ten grounds are completely pure. They are designated as: pūjā, o, a, go, rā, de, ma, kā, o, tri, ko, ka, la, ke, hi, prai, gri, sau, su, na, si, ma, and ku.
In the heart is the recollection of the body, the Ḍākinī. In the head is the recollection of feeling, Lāmā. In the throat is the recollection of phenomena, Khaṇḍarohā. In the navel is the recollection of the mind, Rūpiṇī.
At the head is Pullīramalaya; the miraculous power of aspiration is Caṇḍākṣī. At the crown of the head is the city of Jālandhara; the miraculous power of diligence is Caṇḍanāyikā. At the right ear of the crown is Prabhāvatī; the miraculous power of discernment is Prabhāvatī. At the back of the head is Arbuda; the miraculous power of the mind is Mahānāsā. These are the sites, the ground of Perfect Joy.
At the left ear is Godāvarī; the faculty of faith is Śūradattā. At the brow is Rāmeśvarī; the faculty of diligence is Laghucandā. At the eyes is Devīkoṭa; the faculty of mindfulness is Aṭṭahāsā. At Mālava is the faculty of concentration, Vimalā. These are the secondary sites, the Sky-Farers of the Mind Wheel.
At the two armpits is Airāvatī; the faculty of insight is Cakravarmiṇī. At the two breasts is the power of faith, Mahābhairavā. At Oḍra is the field and the third ground, Prabhākarī. The power of diligence is Vāyuvegā. At the navel is Triśakuni; the power of mindfulness is Surābhakṣī. At the tip of the nose in Kośala is the ground of Radiant Light, the secondary field. At the mouth is the power of concentration, Śyāmādevī. At Kaliṅga is Subhadrā; at Lampāka is the power of insight at the throat.
The ground Difficult to Conquer is Caṇḍohā; the awakening factor of absorption is Hayakarṇī, residing at the heart. Himālaya is at the genitals; the awakening factor of diligence is Khaṇḍarohā. These are the manifest secondary Caṇḍohās, the enjoyment of the speech wheel. Joy is Pretapurī at the male organ; Cakravegā is at the anus. Gṛhadevatā is at the thighs; the ground Far Gone is Khaṇḍarohā. The gathering place is the ground of Accumulation; the awakening factor of discernment of phenomena is Saurāṣṭra and Śauṇḍinī. The two calves are Cakravarmiṇī; the ground Immovable is Svarṇadvīpa, the gathering place. The awakening factor of equanimity is Aṅgulīśvarī at the toes; Sindhū is at the tops of the feet. Right view is Mahābalā; the ground Good Intelligence is the charnel ground. Right resolve is Cakravartinī; the ground of the Great Cloud is Mahāvīryā at the big toes. The gathering place is Kulutā at the knees; the secondary charnel ground is the Dharma Cloud. This is the conduct of the ground of the Body, residing beneath the feet.
The end of action is Khaḍgāsyā at the mouth; livelihood is Ulūkāsyā in the left ear. Effort is Śvānāsyā in the right ear; mindfulness is Sūkarāsyā at the anus. The absorption of Śrī Heruka is Yamadāḍhī in the right ear, which produces virtuous dharmas. She who guards the virtues already produced is Yamadūtī in the left ear, which abandons all non-virtues. The right eye is Yamadaṃṣṭriṇī, which prevents non-virtues not yet produced from arising. The left eye is Yamamathani, the wind wheel residing beneath the feet. Bhairavī is the shape of a bow.
In the region of the triple junction,
The triangular fire is likewise situated.
The water cakra, in the form of a circle,
Resides as the third.
The earth cakra resides at the heart;
It is square in all directions.
In the manner of a staff-like spine,
Is likewise Mount Meru, the king of mountains.
In the center of its crown,
Is a thirty-two-petaled lotus.
Perfectly filled with the vowels and consonants,
It is the thirty-two factors of awakening.
That which is in the center of the lotus
Is called the moon maṇḍala.
That which is in the center of the head
Is called the brain.
In its center is the syllable Haṃ,
The thirty-seven factors of awakening.
In the form of a drop, it resounds with its own sound.
It is the root of all worlds,
By way of the nature of the stable and the moving.
It abides in the manner of a seed-syllable,
By way of being manifest and unmanifest,
And by way of the dripping of nectar.
It abides as the very night.
In brief, the state of Buddhahood
Arises from the wisdom of meditative concentration.
If the yoga of the Buddha does not exist,
The yogi will not become a Buddha.
Therefore, whether true or untrue,
Whatever one becomes thoroughly habituated to,
When the power of that habituation is perfected,
Its result is a mind that is clear and non-conceptual.
By whatever intention
The minds of people are perfectly applied,
They become the essence of that very thing,
Just like a multifaceted jewel.
Through the divisions of body, speech, and mind,
From the essence of the three syllables...
In a single instant, the higher realms, the human world, and the subterranean become a single body. In a mere instant, the yogi becomes the self; in an instant, possessing the form of the mudrā; in an instant, together with the maṇḍala and its wheel; in an instant, the secret mantra and the grahas; in an instant, the empowerment and the sealing of body, speech, and mind. OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ SARVA VĪRAYOGINĪ KĀYA VĀK CITTA VAJRA SVABHĀVA ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. OṂ VAJRA ŚUDDHAḤ SARVA DHARMĀ VAJRA ŚUDDHO ’HAṂ. Then, having understood the two armors, one should meditate on the wisdom wheel. Knowing the application of mantra and mudrā, one should swiftly enter the samaya wheel. OṂ HA: white Vajrasattva; the two armors are also at the heart. NA MA HI: visualize yellow Vairocana on the head. SVĀ HĀ HU: red Padmanarteśvara; visualize him at the crown of the head. VAUṢAṬ HA: two black Śrī Herukas on the shoulders. VAJRA ĀDITYA HŪṂ HŪṂ HO: visualize red [Vajrasūrya] on the two eyes. Green on all the joints: PHAṬ HAṂ: the sign is Hayagrīva. For the heroes, one should fully meditate on these six limbs alone. OṂ BAṂ: Vajravārāhī; visualize her red at the navel. At the heart: HAṂ OṂ YĀMINĪ. HRĪṂ MOṂ: Mohanī at the mouth. HREṂ HREṂ: Saṃjananī at the forehead. HŪṂ HŪṂ: Trāsanī at the crown. PHAṬ PHAṬ: on all the joints of the body. These weapons and Caṇḍālīs are blue, white, yellow, and green. For the heroines as well, by the ritual of hand offerings, [one should meditate].
Offer this very wheel into the hand. Pressing down with the right and left feet, with the left eye slightly lowered and gazing upward, the tips of the thumbs of both hands are turned downward and pressed firmly together. The two index fingers are bound together in a chain. The two middle fingers are joined, and the remaining fingers are extended, circling above the head to the left and right. With this mudrā called the "Net," while reciting the syllable PHEṂ, the wisdom wheel—the lute player and the rest—is summoned by the light rays of the HŪṂ syllable, the samādhi-sattva residing in the sun at the heart. Having made offerings, they are to be absorbed into oneself.
OṂ YOGA ŚUDDHAḤ SARVA DHARMĀ YOGA ŚUDDHO ’HAṂ.
Reciting this secret mantra, one should please [the deities] with the lotus-circling gesture and the embrace. Simultaneously with the arrival of the wisdom [beings], Locanā and the others, holding damarus and skull-cups of nectar, perform the ablution: "Just as all the Tathāgatas were bathed at the very moment of their birth, so too shall I bathe [the deities] with the pure water of the gods."
OṂ SARVA TATHĀGATA ABHIṢEKATA SAMAYA ŚRIYE HŪṂ.
Reciting this, one should imagine that they are delighted by the conferral of the empowerment while holding the vessel of nectar. From the remainder of the nectar, the Victors then perform the sealing. At the crown of Cakrasaṃvara is Akṣobhya; for Vārāhī, it is Vairocana. For the ḍākinīs and the rest, it is Ratnasambhava. Akṣobhya resides in the mind wheel; Amitābha in the speech wheel; Vairocana in the body wheel; and Amoghasiddhi is the samaya [seal].
Having offered the nectar drawn up by the rasanā, one praises with the eight-line verse of supreme joy. One should cultivate intense devotion toward the five wisdoms and the very body, speech, and mind as if they were reflected images. Then, one should make offerings to one’s own Teacher. The secret mantra for this is as follows:
OṂ ŚRĪ VAJRA HE HE RU RU KAṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | ḌĀKINĪ JĀLASAṂVARAM SVĀHĀ.
This is the heart mantra.
OṂ HRĪḤ HA HA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ.
This is the near-heart mantra.
OṂ VAJRA VAIROCANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ.
This is the heart mantra of the Goddess.
OṂ SARVA BUDDHA ḌĀKINĪYE VAJRA VARṆANĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ.
This is the near-heart mantra of the Goddess.
OṂ KARA KARA KHAṆḌAKĀPĀLA PRACAṆḌE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ KURU KURU MAHĀKAṄKĀLA CAṆḌĀKṢĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ BANDHA BANDHA KAṄKĀLA PRABHAVATĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ TRĀSA YA TRĀSA YA VIKATA DAṂṢṬRIṆĪ MAHĀNĀSE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ KṢOBHAYA KṢOBHAYA SURĀVĪRIṆĪ VĪRAMATĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ HRĀUṂ HRĀUṂ AMITĀBHA KARBURĀYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ HRAḤ HRAḤ VAJRAPRABHAVALKEŚVARĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ PHEṂ PHEṂ VAJRAKĀYADRUMACCHĀYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ AṄKURIKAIṚĀVATĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ DAHA DAHA VAJRAJĀṬILĀ MAHĀBHAIṚAVĪYE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ PACA PACA MAHĀVĪRE VĀYUVEGE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ BHAKṢA BHAKṢA VASARUDHIRĀNTRAMĀLĀVALAMBINĪ VAJRAHŪṂKĀRA SURABHAKṢĪYE HŪ�
OṂ JĀṬĀMUKUTOṬKAṬĀYA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ DAṂṢṬRĀKARĀLOGRABHIṢAṆAMUKHĀYA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ SAHASRABHŪJABHĀSURĀYA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ PARASUPĀŚODYATAŚŪLAKHAṬVĀṄGADHĀRIṆE HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ VYĀGHRACARMĀMBARADHĀRĀYA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | OṂ MAHĀDHŪMRANDHAKARAVAPUṢĀYA HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ | These are the mantras of offering.
Khaṇḍakapāla is in the nails; Mahākaṅkāla is in the hair and body hair; Kaṅkāla is in the skin and dirt; Vikaṭadaṃṣṭrin is in the flesh; Surāvairin is in the sinews; Amitābha is in the bones. Vajraprabha is in the liver; Vajrakāya resides in the heart; Aṅkuri is in the eyes. Vajraketu is in the bile; Mahāvīra resides in the lungs; Vajrahuṃkāra is in the intestines. Subhadrā is in the spleen; Vajrabhadra resides in the stomach. Mahābhairava is in the feces; Virūpākṣa is in the brow; Mahābala is in the phlegm. Ratnavajra is in the pus; Hayagrīva is in the blood. Ākāśagarbha resides in the sweat; Śrīheruka is in the fat. Padmanarteśvara is in the tears; Vairocana is in the saliva. Vajrasattva is in the mucus. In this way, the heroes reside in the body.
The heroes of the garland mantra and so forth are to be identified with the sacred thread and so on. By means of the twenty-four heroes, the elements of the body are thoroughly examined. Furthermore, by means of the six armor heroes, the body is adorned with the six mudrās.
By the mantra of the Vajravārāhī garland, the purity of the necklace and mudrā is established. By the heart mantra of the Protector as well, the head garland of fifty [skulls] is purified. By the seven-syllable secret mantra, the earrings beautify the ears. By the mantra of Sarvabuddha and so forth, the skin lower garment is purified. By the six goddesses of the armor, the purity of the belt ornament is established. By the mantras of the goddesses residing in the five cakras, the skull-cup for drinking is purified. By the mantra of Vairocana, the head is adorned with a skull. The khaṭvāṅga is the body of the deity, the very nature of Cakrasaṃvara. Because it is the nature of the dharmadhātu, the sound of the wisdom ḍamaru is the nature of non-apprehension. Because it is the nature of non-apprehension, the Vajradhara is described as the day. Because it is the nature of non-substantiality, the Yoginī is explained as the night. Just as the mind of the intermediate state arises, that mere cognition is like space. Possessing the five superknowledges, in that same manner, the Vajradhara is adorned with the marks and signs. The emanation of the dharma of emptiness is clearly taught as the one called Vārāhī. The syllable Śrī is non-dual wisdom; He is the emptiness of causes and so forth; Ru is free from the collection of conceptual thoughts; Ka is not abiding anywhere. The sound of Vā is not an object of speech; Rā is the abandonment of all forms; Hī is the non-apprehension of a cause—this is renowned as the sound of Vārāhī. Through the application of the factors of awakening, the knowledge of all things is clearly shown. Through the application of the stages and the abodes, the knowledge of the path is the Guru of Beings.
Through the purity of the armor and so forth, even omniscience itself is attained. Having thus donned the armor through the application of the two armors, and having protected oneself with the sumbha mantra and others, the practitioner endowed with yoga should engage in conduct. One should always regard all sentient beings as the vow itself. Having offered supreme praise with the eight-line verse and completely abandoned all fears, the yogi of great intelligence should conduct himself. Since the three realms and the self are indivisible, one should engage in the conduct of the five families; this is because they are of a single taste. With a non-conceptual mind, one enjoys the five sensory qualities. Having completely abandoned all hesitation, the yogi conducts himself like a lion. This is the third, the atiyoga.
The āli and kāli endowed with five-colored light rays are perfectly arranged, and the three wheels are emanated. Emerging together with the wind from the right nostril, they become the three wheels of the entire world. Then, through the force of the wind from the left nostril, they enter and become a moon maṇḍala at the navel. Above that, one should visualize the syllable HŪṂ for an instant. These completely transform into the Lord of Existence (Bhagavān), white in color, with one face and two hands holding a vajra and bell. One should view him as supportless, like a rainbow pattern. Together with Vajravārāhī, who is red in color, the sound of that illusory joy summons all beings without exception. Existence, the charnel grounds, the protection, and the body, speech, and mind—
The Great Bliss Father and Mother abide at the navel; through the melting of bliss, the white and red khyung [semen and blood] become HŪṂ ĀḤ HAḤ. These dissolve into the head, the crescent moon, the bindu, and the nāda. Having abandoned even the mere nāda, one should also abandon conceptual thought that is beyond the reach of the intellect. From that, the dhāraṇī of the Great Seal (mahāmudrā) is attained through the stages. This is the fourth, the Great Yoga.
Then, quickly visualizing the maṇḍala with the mind, meditate on the white and red nāda at one's own navel. Then, while correctly reciting the three syllables, the nāda emerges and performs the benefit of beings. Then, the deities of the wheel, together with the winds, enter again from the outside into the inside. Through the instructions of the sublime guru, this is done again and again. If weariness arises, perform the vajra recitation. Through the emanation and reabsorption of the nāda and the assembly of deities of the wheel—the heart mantra and the near-heart mantra—the wise one performs the samaya recitation. With the pride of the equality of all phenomena, the rosary mantra enters one's own mouth, enters the bhaga through the vajra path, enters the central channel and emerges from the mouth, and enters the mouth of the goddess. This is the aḍala recitation of circling and joining.
Having clearly visualized one's own body as the nature of the wheel, and having offered the torma blessed with the three syllables, one should purify the food to be consumed through the blazing [of the fire] and so forth. Possessing the pride of the equality of phenomena, one recites the mantra: OṂ SAMAYA ŚUDDHAḤ SARVA DHARMĀḤ SAMAYA ŚUDDHO ’HAṂ.
With oṃ amṛtodaka hūṃ hūṃ ṭha ṭha traṃ aṃ khaṃ hūṃ hūṃ, the tongue is made of the nature of a white vajra. The three syllables cause the nāda to be pleased and partake [of the offering]. At midday, in an instant, visualize the maṇḍala. Having performed the ritual as before, partake. At midnight, do likewise. Realize one's own speech as āli and kāli. "Come, come, O great hero! You who teach the words of purity, this is the wisdom of emptiness alone; it is the arising, the ceasing, and the abiding." From āli up to kāli, perfectly joined with hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ. Reciting the mantras beginning with oṃ svā, and facing toward the ābhāsvara, one should sleep during all the intervals between sessions. Finally, recite the hundred-syllable mantra. Just as going from one house to another, it is merely a rest for the weary mind; death itself does not exist, because the world is conceptual construction. At the time of passing away, that yogi is led to the state of ābhāsvara by the heroes and yoginīs, who hold various offerings in their hands. This is the benefit. Visualize wind and fire arising from yaṃ and raṃ. In the three-headed hearth, within a lotus vessel arising from a, the food and so forth are blessed by the mantra. Visualize the five lamps and the five amṛtas; the wind stirs and the fire melts them into a red color. Oṃ trāṃ aṃ khaṃ hūṃ laṃ āṃ paṃ tāṃ baṃ. From hūṃ, the nature of amṛta is pointed downward by the khaṭvāṅga. By stirring, imagine that it also melts into something like snow. From āli and kāli, the three syllables emerge.
Having performed the benefit of beings as before with the three wheels, the nectar is summoned from the ocean and other abodes. Through entering into union, it melts, and the deities of the three wheels sequentially dissolve into the three syllables. The syllables OṂ and so forth dissolve in succession, and the three syllables perform the consecration. With the blazing mudrā and the mantra PHEṂ, the wheel is invited in front. Having made offerings with ARGHAṂ and so forth, the Āli and Kāli completely transform, and the two hands, left and right, become the nature of the moon and sun. Within them, the syllable HŪṂ is to be meditated upon while reciting this mantra: OṂ ANYONYĀNUGATĀḤ SARVADHARMĀḤ PRAVIBHAKTĀNUGATĀḤ SARVADHARMĀḤ ATYANTĀNUGATĀḤ SARVADHARMĀḤ HŪṂ. Through the complete transformation of the moon and so forth, the two hands become the vajra-palms, and the skull-cup of nectar is placed [therein], or else one meditates upon it in the hands. The goddesses are the valid authority, the commitments are the valid authority, and the words of their speech are also the supreme valid authority. By these truths, may these goddesses become the cause for taking me under their care. Having spoken thus, one should perform the offerings and so forth. Visualizing them as inseparable, the vessel of nectar is placed to the left in the east and so forth, and in the intermediate directions, it is rotated to the right. Reciting the mantra OṂ KARĀ and so forth, the yogi endowed with yoga should offer the torma to the deities of the three wheels, whose tongues are formed from white HŪṂs. OṂ KARĀ KARĀ, KURU KURU, BANDHA BANDHA, TRĀSAYA TRĀSAYA.
KṢOBHAYA KṢOBHAYA | HRŪṂ HRŪṂ | HRAḤ HRAḤ | PHEṂ PHEṂ | PHAṬ PHAṬ | DAHA DAHA | PACA PACA | BHAKṢA BHAKṢA | VASARUDHIRĀNTA MĀLĀVALAMBINE | GṚHṆA GṚHṆA | SAPTAPĀTĀLAGATA BHUJAṄGAṂ SARVAM | TARJAYA TARJAYA | ĀKARṢAYA ĀKARṢAYA | HRĪṂ HRĪṂ | JÑAUṂ JÑAUṂ | KṢMĀṂ KṢMĀṂ | HĀṂ HĀṂ | HĪṂ HĪṂ | HŪṂ HŪṂ | KILI KILI | SILI SILI | HILI HILI | DHILI DHILI | HŪṂ HŪṂ | PHAṬ PHAṬ | VAJRA ARALLI, and so forth. Having thus arranged it in various ways: OṂ VAJRA ARALLI HOḤ | JAḤ HŪṂ BAṂ HOḤ | VAJRA ḌĀKINĪ SAMAYA STVAṂ DṚŚYA HOḤ. Having offered the lute and other instruments, and having performed the rinsing of the mouth and so forth:
"O you who have unified existence and peace, who have crushed the waves of conceptual thought, who perceive the nature of space and all phenomena as that very reality, the protector of the river of mind with the overflowing waters of supreme compassion—O goddesses, please bestow your great affection upon me!"
Thus, having offered praise, one should pray for the desired aims. Likewise, for the lords of the directions and others, one should recite the mantra beginning with "OṂ KHA" and so forth, and offer the torma twice or thrice:
OṂ KHA KHA KHĀHI KHĀHI SARVA YAKṢA RĀKṢASA BHŪTA PRETA PIŚĀCA UNMĀDA APASMĀRA ḌĀKA ḌĀKINYĀDAYA IMAṂ BALIṂ GṚHṆANTU | SAMAYA RAKṢANTU | MAMA SARVA SIDDHIṂ PRAYACCHANTU | YATHĀIVAṂ YATHEṢṬAṂ BHUÑJATHA PIVATHA JIGHRATHA MĀTIKRAMATHA | MAMA SARVA KĀRTAYA SAT SUKHAṂ VIVṚDDHAYE SAHĀYIKĀ BHAVANTU | HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ.
Having partaken of the torma, they—
Visualize them as possessing great bliss. Offer with the lute goddess and the others. Present the gola and so forth, and praise with the eight-line mantra. Then, make a request for your desired aims. With the cchoma hand, snap the fingers to compensate for any omissions or additions; recite the hundred-syllable secret mantra. Preceded by ringing the bell, please [the deities] with the lotus-circling mudrā. Reciting the mantra oṃ yoga and so forth, [realize] the very nature of things as being like space. Having performed the gesture of embracing, snap the ring finger and thumb. Saying oṃ vajra muḥ, dissolve the maṇḍala into yourself. This is the suchness of the torma.
Rising early in the morning, in a clean location, the yogi should recite the sumbha mantra and so forth. Having smeared the maṇḍala with the five nectars and so forth, recite pūja and so forth for the locations and so on in sequence: oṃ pīṭhopapīṭha kṣetropakṣetra cchandohopacchandoha melāpakopamelāpaka śmaśānopuśmaśāna. Then, in an instant, upon the four elements, Mount Meru, and the lotus, place a hūṃ. With its light rays, summon [the deities] and dissolve the wisdom maṇḍala into it. Visualize that it completely transforms into the perfected maṇḍala. Offer with the lute goddess and others arising from the seed syllable at the heart. Having offered the seven precious jewels and purified [the site], with the left hand, offer flowers with the three syllables. Then, with the heart mantras of the gods and goddesses and so forth...
Having recited the respective rituals for their retinues, one should circle to the right at the intermediate points and circle the directions to the left. Then, having offered flowers to the Tathāgatas and others residing in the hands with the oṃ ha mantra and so forth, one should cast the flowers of the left hand into the maṇḍala with the eight-line mantra. Joining the palms to the head, one should cause the maṇḍala of the left to enter oneself. Having praised with the eight-line mantra, one should perform the confession of misdeeds and so forth, make aspirations, and perform the recitation of the hundred-syllable mantra. Having pleased [the deities] with the oṃ yoga mantra and so forth and the lotus-circling mudrā, one should perform the embracing mudrā. Reciting sparśa and ṭaḍaka and vajra muḥ, one should cause the entire maṇḍala to enter oneself. Then, one should dissolve the drawings of the outer maṇḍala. This is the ritual of the outer offerings.
The thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are placed in the mouth. On the left are the Vajra-holder Vairocana, Vajrasattva, Vairocana, Amitābha, Akṣobhya, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi, in that order. They possess the colors white, yellow, red, blue, orange, and green. They arise from oṃ ha and so forth. The Vajra-holder has three faces and six arms; the others have one face and four arms. In the right hands are the vajra, hand-drum, and head; in the left are the bell, skull-cup, and khaṭvāṅga. The faces of the Vajra-holder are white, red, and blue, in order from the center to the right and left. The weapons of the others are described as the wheel, lotus, vajra, and jewel.
The other sword is the khaṭvāṅga with a skull and a hand-drum. On the right and left, in successive order, are the palms of the hands as five-petaled lotuses. The red petals are joined in a counter-clockwise direction. In the center is Vārāhī, red in color, with three faces and six arms, blazing with light. Her faces are red, blue, and green. In her left hands are a skull-cup, a khaṭvāṅga, and a noose; in her right hands are a hook, a brahmin’s head, and a curved knife.
Yamī, Mohanī, Saṃhartrī, and Bhīṣaṇī, as well as Caṇḍālī—blue, white, yellow, and green—are the natures of the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. All of them have three eyes and loose hair; these goddesses are naked and have four arms. In their left hands they hold a skull-cup and a khaṭvāṅga, and in their other hands they hold a bell. In their right hands they hold a small drum and a curved knife. Their two legs are in the posture of one extended and one bent. The white one resides upon a moon; the others reside upon suns. Alternatively, one should meditate on these as the seed-syllables themselves, visualizing them in the manner first described. Because there is no difference between the mantra and the deity in terms of color and nature, one should visualize their reflection upon a wheel or on the back of the hand. Then, having applied the substances that cause the seed-syllables of the hand to melt, one should contemplate the nature of the three wheels. Vajradhara grants his blessing. To this, one should offer the substances with the eight-line prayer or with the three syllables. In order to purify any omissions or additions in the ritual, one recites the hundred-syllable mantra of secret mantra. Having made a request to the Lord of the Wheel, one should place those substances inside the vessel.
Regarding the substances held in the hands: having touched them with the ring finger of the left hand, one should recite the mantras HŪṂ ĀḤ OṂ at the heart, navel, and forehead. Having anointed [the hands], one should cause the hosts of deities to be thoroughly absorbed into oneself. This is the ritual of the hand offering.
From the white syllable HŪṂ arises a tongue of vajra nature. With the right hand, one pours [the offering] using the pouring and ladling spoons into the blazing wheel of the navel lotus. This is the inner fire offering (homa) at the time of eating.
OṂ ĀḤ UCCHIṢṬA VAJRA ADHIṢṬHA IMAṂ BALIṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ HŪṂ PHAṬ SVĀHĀ. With this, one should make the torma of the leftovers from what has been eaten.
This casket of the elements of the Great Self cannot be measured by ordinary beings; therefore, even I am not able to fully engage with it. Nevertheless, because the prose words of the Lord of Yogins, Lūipa, are difficult to grasp, I have composed these verses to abide in them for the sake of familiarization.
Through whatever infinite, stainless merit has been gained from explaining the meaning of the sadhana of the peerless Lord of the First Aggregate of Qualities, the Teacher, may the world become Buddhahood, and may I also remain to accomplish the welfare of beings and abide for the sake of migratory beings.
This was composed by the glorious Lūipa, who is like a crown jewel to the lords of yogins.
The commentary on the Abhisamaya of the glorious Cakrasaṃvara, titled Saṃvarodaya, composed by the great Indian paṇḍita Guru Tathāgatavajra, is hereby complete. It was translated directly into Tibetan by the great paṇḍita of eastern India, Vibhūticandra, at Ṛṣirākṣasagiri in the center of the land of Tibet.