Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This fragmentary text is a liturgical praise directed toward the deity Heruka and the Ḍākinīs of the Five Families. The work functions as a devotional invocation, beginning with a formal homage and prostration to Heruka, who is characterized as the union of skillful means and insight. The text posits that the deity's manifestation is a result of compassion intended for the benefit of sentient beings. By addressing Heruka as the sovereign lord of the three dimensions of existence—body, speech, and mind—the text commits the practitioner to a state of submission and veneration. The fragment concludes as it begins to describe the physical attributes of the deity, specifically mentioning the four faces, suggesting a transition from general praise to a detailed visualization of the deity's iconographic form.
Provenance
About this text
A eulogy dedicated to the Ḍākinīs of the Five Families, this work belongs to the tradition of the Other Wisdom Tantras. It is attributed to the Indian author Kāṇha, also known as Kāṇhapā. The work is preserved in the classical Tibetan Tengyur, specifically within volume ཡ, where it occupies one page. As a liturgical piece, the text enacts a devotional invocation through formal homage and prostration to the deity Heruka. It characterizes Heruka as the embodiment of insight and skillful means, asserting that the deity manifests through compassion to benefit all beings. By addressing Heruka as the sovereign lord of body, speech, and mind, the work facilitates a transition from general veneration to a detailed iconographic visualization, describing the deity's four faces, four arms, and three eyes. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the specific devotional structures and visualization practices associated with Heruka and the Five Families of Ḍākinīs within the Tibetan canonical corpus.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Praise of the Ḍakas of the Five Families” (Toh 1638), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1638
Summary & commentary
Significance
The text is significant for its representation of the Anuttarayoga Tantra tradition, specifically the cult of Heruka. It illustrates the integration of philosophical concepts, such as the union of wisdom and method, into a ritualized praise format.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Invocation and Praise
A formal homage to Heruka, emphasizing his compassionate nature and his sovereignty over body, speech, and mind, followed by the start of a physical description.
Themes
Union of Skillful Means and Insight (1)
Compassion and the Benefit of Beings (1)
Deity Visualization (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Praise of the Ḍakas of the Five Families·
The Praise to the Ḍākinīs of the Five Families
Oṃ. Homage to the venerable Heruka!
You who are the embodiment of skillful means and insight,
Manifesting in form through compassion to benefit beings,
Sovereign lord of body, speech, and mind—
To Heruka, I prostrate and offer praise!
With four faces, four arms, and beautiful three eyes,
With two legs in the posture of the half-lotus dance,
You sit upon a lotus and sun-disc seat.
Akṣobhya is the great primordial wisdom;
The Vajra Expanse is the great sage.
To the Buddha-Ḍākinī of the three supreme vajra maṇḍalas, I prostrate and offer praise!
Vairocana is utterly pure,
The vajra of peace and great joy.
Naturally luminous and supreme—
To the Vajra-Ḍākinī, I prostrate and offer praise!
Ratnarāja is profoundly deep,
The vajra of space, stainless and pure.
Untainted by the duality of entities—
To the Ratna-Ḍākinī, I prostrate and offer praise!
Vajra-Immortal is great desire,
The vajra-holder of conceptual space.
Having attained the perfection of desire—
To the Padma-Ḍākinī, I prostrate and offer praise!
Vajra-Purity is the Infallible One,
Who completely fulfills all intentions.
Arisen from the very essence of the Buddha—
To the Viśva-Ḍākinī, I prostrate and offer praise!
The Praise to the Ḍākinīs of the Five Families is complete.