Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This text is a ritual manual, or sādhana, designed to facilitate the propitiation of Jambhala, the Buddhist deity of wealth. The work provides a technical blueprint for a visualization practice, beginning with the establishment of emptiness and the manifestation of specific forms of the deity, including the Red Garland of Play, the Green Lord of the City, and the Golden-Colored Lord of Conduct. These figures are characterized by specific attributes, such as the bījapūra fruit and the jewel-raining mongoose. The text further details a complex system of seed syllables (bīja) to be placed on various parts of the practitioner's body to align the physical form with the deity's energy. The ritual concludes with instructions for a fire offering in a charnel ground to ensure success through wrathful means. By following this procedure, the practitioner commits to a disciplined sequence of visualization, mantra placement, and offering, provided they have received the necessary empowerment.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual manual for the propitiation of the deity of wealth, the Vistarajambhalasādhana belongs to the genre of sādhana and is situated within the classical Tibetan tradition. The work is attributed to the Indian author Buddhaśrījñānapāda. It was translated into Tibetan by Jayasena and btsun pa dar ma yon tan, and is preserved in the Tengyur (vol. དི) as part of the Guhyasamāja and Related Tantras collection, where it extends over four pages. The text enacts a technical visualization practice that begins with the meditation on emptiness and the manifestation of a moon maṇḍala upon a yakṣa-tree. It directs the practitioner to visualize specific forms of the deity—including the Red Garland of Play, the Green Lord of the City, and the Golden-Colored Lord of Conduct—who hold bījapūra fruits and jewel-raining mongooses. Furthermore, the work prescribes a precise arrangement of seed syllables to be placed upon the practitioner's body and provides a mantra for water. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the detailed iconographic and mnemonic blueprints used to align the physical form with the deity's energy through a disciplined sequence of visualization and ritual action.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Sādhana of the Abundant Jambhala” (Toh 1863), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1863
Summary & commentary
Significance
The text is significant as it illustrates the intersection of wealth-attainment rituals and tantric methodology within the Indo-Tibetan tradition. It demonstrates the use of somatic seed-syllable placement and wrathful offerings to achieve worldly and spiritual goals. For the modern reader, it provides a primary example of the specific iconographic and ritual requirements associated with the Jambhala cult.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-2
Preliminary and Visualization
Introduction of the title, homage, and the visualization of the five-crested forms of Jambhala and their attributes.
3
Syllable Placement
Detailed instructions for the placement of seed syllables on the body, including the head, limbs, and extremities.
4
Conclusion and Restrictions
Instructions for the final fire offering and a warning that the practice is restricted to those with empowerment.
Themes
Deity Visualization (2)
Somatic Mantra Placement (3)
Ritual Offerings and Wrath (4)
Tantric Initiation (4)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Vistara-jambhala-sādhana. In the language of Tibet: Rgya che ba'i dzambha la'i sgrub pa'i thabs (The Extensive Sadhana of Jambhala). Homage to the Lord of Wealth!
Having performed all the preliminary rites as before, after meditating on emptiness, there appears a slightly reddish moon maṇḍala upon a yakṣa-tree, in the form of an eight-petaled lotus. In its center, from the seed-syllable vaṃ, arises Vasudhārā, yellow in color, holding a cluster of rice and making the gesture of supreme generosity. She is adorned with all ornaments and is surrounded by eight yakṣiṇīs, as follows: Candra-phala, Dāyinī, Sudāyinī, and Āryā are in the cardinal directions. Subhadrā, Guptā, Devī, and Sarasvatī are in the intermediate directions. Furthermore, there are Bhadrā, Subhadrā, Lāsyā, Guptā, Suguptā, Sarasvatī, Āryā, and Candra-lāsyā.
Surrounded by these, in the center of the bhaga of that great goddess, from the syllable jaṃ arises Jambhala, embracing Vasudhārā in union. From the emission of bodhicitta, one should clearly visualize him holding the mudrā of a mass of jewels. In the manner of dripping, in the eastern and other directions of the Blessed One, there is Maṇibhadra, blue in color; in the south, Pūrṇabhadra, yellow; in the west, Dhanada, red; and in the north, Vaiśravaṇa, yellow. In the corners of the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast, there is Karṇikāra, blue.
The Red Garland of Play, the Green Lord of the City, and the Golden-Colored Lord of Conduct—these five-crested ones hold in their right hands a bījapūra fruit filled with seeds, and in their left hands a mongoose that rains down jewels. They are adorned with the crowns of the five buddhas and emanate the five tathāgatas, who also rain down jewels; one should visualize this. From beneath their feet, one should visualize a rain of conch shells, heaps of lotuses, jewels, and so forth, falling into the house. The glorious protector Jambhala is yellow in color and holds a garland of utpala flowers. One should also meditate on the consorts of these eight yakṣas as being similar to Jambhala, raining down jewels from the center of their bhaga.
At the eastern gate, place Dhanada and Mahādhanada. At the southern gate, place Mahāyakṣa. At the western gate, place Kṣepa and Mahākṣepa. At the northern gate, place Pūrṇa and Supūrṇa. These are all naked, with pendulous testicles and pendulous bellies, raining down jewels.
On the head is Manibhadra; on the two eyes, Vaiśravaṇa; on the mouth, Purandara; between the breasts, Pūrṇabhadra; at the navel, Dhanada; on the two thighs, Kṣepa; and on the two ears, Khor sleb and Cāritreśvara—these are the deities to be placed.
As for the placement of the syllables, one should place the mantra on the body of the principal deity: Oṃ at the crown, Jam at the mouth, Bha-la on the two hands, Ja at the heart, and Len at the navel.
On the two thighs is drāya; on the two shins is svāhā. Furthermore, there is another arrangement: oṃ at the crown of the head, jrum on the forehead, crlum on the two ears, svā at the back of the head, oṃ on the wrists, jrum in the center of the hands, crlum on all the tips of the fingernails, and svāhā at the bases of all the fingers. Oṃ jrum crlum svāhā is the mantra for the water.
Likewise, on the index finger is Vasuputra; on the middle finger is Pūrṇabhadra; on the ring finger is Dhanada; on the little finger is Vaiśravaṇa; on the side of the hand is Grāmeśvara; and on the thumb is the earring-reach (karṇikā). Between the threatening gesture (tarjanī) and the thumb is Cāreśvara; in the center of the hand is Jambhala Jalendra. These syllables are the actual deities; having placed them on the hands, one should offer the five nectars, such as vajra-water and so forth. Even if the five are not available, one should mix them [with water], or else drink a handful of vajra-water mixed [with the nectars] and offer a handful for each of the four sessions, one hundred and eight times. If one does this, the deities will be accomplished before long. Gold, silver, and so forth will truly increase, and the earth will be filled with wealth. By reciting Oṃ jrum crlum plrum saḥ, one should offer handfuls of water.
If, even after doing that, one is not successful, then at that time one should meditate on oneself in the form of the glorious Vajra Hūṃkāra. One should smear an image of Jambhala with poison, kali seeds, salt, the juice of datura leaves, and charcoal from a charnel ground, and then heat and dry it three times a day.
Later, one should offer the remains into the fire of a charnel ground; through wrath, success will certainly be achieved. This concludes the extensive sādhana of Jambhala. These three sādhanas of Varuṇendra are not to be given to those who have not received empowerment.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.