Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The Twelve Verses of Personal Instructions (Daśopadeśagāthā) is a concise instructional work that begins with a salutation to Vajrasattva. The text aims to guide the practitioner toward a state of mental stability and clarity, identifying Bodhicitta with a state of peace comparable to the expanse of space. The author argues that abiding in this state results in a fundamental lack of fluctuation in the practitioner's physical and vocal manifestations. To illustrate the necessity of self-awareness and the ability to discern essential truths from impurities, the text employs a series of naturalistic metaphors. By citing the specific capabilities of animals—such as the peacock's consumption of poison, the swan's ability to separate milk from water, and the bee's gathering of path traces—the work commits the reader to developing a refined, intuitive capacity for spiritual discernment and mindful presence.
Provenance
About this text
An instructional work of the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra tradition, the Dvādaśopadeśagāthā is attributed to the Indian author Saraha (II). Preserved in the classical Tibetan period, the text appears in the Tengyur, volume ཞི, where it extends over three pages under the Tibetan title man ngag gi tshigs su bcad pa bcu gnyis pa. The work opens with a salutation to Vajrasattva and seeks to guide the practitioner toward a state of non-conceptual peace, identifying Bodhicitta with a stability comparable to space. It argues that abiding in this state prevents fluctuation in body, speech, and mind. To illustrate the necessity of spiritual discernment and self-awareness, the author employs a series of naturalistic metaphors, citing the specific capabilities of animals such as the peacock's consumption of poison, the swan's ability to separate milk from water, and the bee's gathering of path traces. A scholar or serious reader consults this concise text today to examine how these animal metaphors are used to enact a refined, intuitive capacity for discernment within the context of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “Twelve Verses of Personal Instructions” (Toh 2274), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2274
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its use of zoomorphic metaphors to describe internal cognitive and spiritual processes. It reflects a tradition of using concise, mnemonic verses to transmit complex instructions on the nature of the mind and the cultivation of Bodhicitta.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction and Nature of Bodhicitta
Homage to Vajrasattva and a definition of Bodhicitta as a state of space-like peace.
2
Metaphors for Self-Awareness
A series of analogies using animals to illustrate the qualities of discernment and awareness.
Themes
Bodhicitta and Equanimity (1)
Spiritual Discernment (2)
Self-Awareness (2)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Daśopadeśagāthā. In the language of Tibet: Man ngag gi tshigs su bcad pa bcu gnyis pa. Homage to the glorious Vajrasattva.
Bodhicitta is peace; whoever abides in it will become peaceful like space. There is not the slightest change in that which arises from body, speech, and mind. Transcending authentic wisdom, it becomes non-conceptual peace. The pacification of conceptualization is buddhahood itself; that is the very nature of omniscience.
Having seen things as things, whatever conceptualization arises in that way is non-conceptual wisdom, because it perceives the diversity of beings. It is the nature of all things, abiding individually in all of them. Regarding those, there is neither pride nor delusion. How could there be grasping at a self in a single direction or a single thing? It is the nature of animals and so forth. Whatever arises from even a single direction shall be explained as its essence. Grasp it with an authentic mind.
The tiger dwelling in its cave; the frog in the great emptiness; the cat with its hair standing on end; the ox and others shaking their bodies; the snake having no food; the birds flying in the sky; the firefly emitting light; the camel summoning snakes; the peacock victorious over thirst; the bee consuming poisons; the waterfowl restraining the senses; the lion being fearless; the owl seeing at night; and the vulture perceiving jewels.
The venom of a snake acts [as a medicine],
The peacock consumes poisons,
The crane knows the future,
The parrot is skilled in speech,
The bee gathers the traces [of the path],
And animals such as these proceed with self-awareness.
The swan separates water from milk,
The bee’s song is exceedingly melodious,
The heron catches sentient beings with its saliva,
The snake hears with its eyes,
And musk is produced from the musk deer.
The guṇasā bird smells with its eyes,
And the fish dwelling within the water
Arrests [its breath] through prāṇa and āyāma.
Through the recitation of improper conduct, the Brahmin
Will be reduced to ashes in supreme wisdom.
All creatures, such as tigers and the like,
Arise from the latencies of the past;
Their natural qualities will thus emerge.
If these are the possessors of worldly wisdom,
They are neither ascetics nor liberated.
Arising from the latencies of the past,
They each abide in their own way.
If such [worldly] wisdom were [true] wisdom,
Then even animals would be liberated.
Knowing this and abandoning attachment,
One should practice authentic wisdom.
Through this, supreme enlightenment and
Supreme siddhi will arise.
The twelfth verse of pith instructions, spoken from the lips of the great Brahmin Saraha, 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.