Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text provides a ritual manual, or sādhana, designed for the attainment of siddhis through the practice of Kūrmapāda. The work instructs the practitioner to begin by establishing a sacred space in a secluded environment, specifically mentioning charnel grounds, to facilitate the ritual. It commits the reader to a precise sequence of preparatory actions, including the arrangement of supports and the presentation of offerings dedicated to Vajrayoginī. By combining physical placement—symbolized by the tortoise shell—with the visualization and invocation of the deity, the text aims to bridge the gap between the practitioner's current state and the realization of spiritual powers. The fragment focuses on the initial external requirements of the ritual, establishing the necessary environmental and material conditions before proceeding to the internal meditative processes.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual manual for the attainment of spiritual accomplishments, the Kūrmapādasiddhisādhana belongs to the genre of sādhana and is situated within the collection of the Śaṃvara and Related Tantras. The work is attributed to the Indian author Vāguri. It entered the Tibetan tradition through the efforts of the translators Ānandākarapāda and dpyal lo tsa ba chos kyi bzang po, and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཟ, where it occupies two pages. Written in classical Tibetan as the rus sbal zhabs kyi sgrub pa'i thabs, the work enacts a precise ritual process. It begins by directing the practitioner to a secluded location, such as a charnel ground, to arrange the supports of Vajrayoginī and present offerings and torma cakes while avoiding distraction. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the specific environmental and material requirements necessary to initiate the meditative process, as well as the preparatory sequence of physical arrangements and offerings dedicated to Vajrayoginī that precede the internal realization of siddhis.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana [for the Attainment of Siddhis] with a Tortoise Shell Under Foot” (Toh 1559), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1559
Summary & commentary
Significance
The text is significant for its illustration of the intersection between tantric ritualism and the use of specific symbolic objects, such as the tortoise shell, to anchor spiritual practice. It reflects the tradition's emphasis on the necessity of secluded, liminal spaces like charnel grounds for advanced yogic attainment.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Preparatory Ritual
Instructions on the selection of a secluded location, the arrangement of deity supports, and the offering of materials to Vajrayoginī.
Themes
Ritual Space (1)
Siddhi Attainment (1)
Vajrayoginī (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Sādhana [for the Attainment of Siddhis] with a Tortoise Shell Under Foot·
In the language of India: Kūrmapādasādhana. In the language of Tibet: Rus sbal zhabs kyi sgrub pa’i thabs (The Sadhana of Kūrmapāda). Homage to the glorious Vajrayoginī!
First, in a secluded place such as a charnel ground, the yogi should arrange the supports of Vajrayoginī, and set out offerings, torma cakes, and so forth. Abandoning the causes of distraction and sitting upon a comfortable seat, having completed the preliminary rituals, one should stabilize the mind by focusing it upon external appearances.
Second, one should visualize oneself as the Lotus Treasury of the Vedas, with great matted locks, treading upon the skin of Mahābala. Possessing the color of a mountain king and the eyes of a bird, holding a curved knife and a skull-cup filled with blood, seated upon a tortoise, and adorned with a skull on the head and body. With a full body and a face slightly smiling, one should stabilize the mind upon such a deity.
Third, one should focus on a deity the size of a mustard seed at the tip of the nose. Then, gradually, as it becomes non-apparent like the sky, the yogi perceives the accomplishment through clarity. At the conclusion of the session, one should perform offerings, torma, recitation, and dedication, and then remain as one pleases.
The instructions of the hunter are complete. This was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian Paṇḍita Ānandakara and the translator Pyal Chökyi Zangpo.