Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This fragment introduces a sādhana, or ritual practice, dedicated to Manoharī, a figure identified here as a kinnarī. The text begins by providing the title in both Sanskrit and Tibetan, establishing a linguistic bridge between the Indian origin of the practice and its Tibetan translation. It presents the specific seed syllable or mantra associated with the deity—Oṃ manohari svāhā—and specifies the prerequisite for the practitioner. Specifically, the text commits the reader to a prior foundation in the practice of Yamāntaka and the accumulation of merit, indicating that this ritual is not a standalone practice but is embedded within a larger tantric system. The fragment serves as a technical manual, transitioning from the identification of the deity to the specific requirements for the practitioner's spiritual readiness.
Provenance
About this text
A sādhana dedicated to the kinnarī Manoharī, the Manoharīsādhana belongs to the classical Tibetan tradition. The work is attributed to the Indian author Prajñārakṣita. It was translated into Tibetan by Dānaśīla (III) and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཙི, as part of the canonical collection known as The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, a Sādhana Activity Garland of Red Yamāri. The ritual enacts a specific spiritual practice centered on the mantra Oṃ manohari svāhā, which is to be recited eight thousand times on a mountain peak. The text specifies that the practitioner must have previously performed the accumulation of merit and be a practitioner of Yamāntaka, positioning the ritual within a broader tantric framework. A scholar or serious reader consults this one-page text today to understand the technical requirements for spiritual readiness and the specific ritual instructions associated with Manoharī, as well as the linguistic relationship between the original Sanskrit and the Tibetan translation, yid 'phrog ma'i sgrub thabs.
Sanskrit title
Manoharīsādhana
Indian author
Prajñārakṣita
Tibetan translators
Dānaśīla (III)
Canonical collection
The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, a Sādhana Activity Garland of Red Yamāri
The text is significant for illustrating the integration of kinnarī figures into the broader tantric pantheon and the specific dependency of certain practices on the Yamāntaka cycle. For the modern reader, it demonstrates the precise requirements for ritual eligibility and the bilingual nature of Tibetan Buddhist transmission.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction and Prerequisites
Provides the Sanskrit and Tibetan titles, the mantra, and the necessary prior practice of Yamāntaka and merit accumulation.
Themes
Ritual Prerequisites (1)
Mantra (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Manoharīsādhana. In the language of Tibet: Yid ’phrog ma’i sgrub thabs (The Sādhana of Manoharā).
Next, the sādhana of the kinnarī shall be explained. It is as follows: Oṃ manohari svāhā. A practitioner of Yamāntaka who has previously performed the accumulation of merit should recite this eight thousand times on a mountain peak. Following that, having made great offerings, one should burn incense made of a mixture of beef and guggulu. One should continue the recitation until she appears. Then, at the time of midnight, the kinnarī girl will come of her own accord. One must not be afraid of her. If she says, "O practitioner, please give me your command," one should say, "Noble lady, become my wife." Then, carrying her on one's back, one will be taken to the world of the gods, and from there, she will be escorted back to one's own abode. She will also grant the substances of divine desire. The Sādhana of Manoharā is complete.
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.