Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The provided fragment of the Caryādohakoṣagītikā (The Song that is a Treasury of Dohās on Conduct) serves as an introductory invocation and a programmatic opening. The text begins by establishing its bilingual identity in Sanskrit and Tibetan, signaling its transmission from India to Tibet. Through a ritualized opening, the author pays homage to Heruka and employs symbolic imagery—specifically the application of the realgar tilaka—to announce the revelation of the Kācarī tradition. The text positions the ideal practitioner as a yogin of majesty who has achieved spiritual victory over the four māras. By framing the work as a treasury of dohās (spiritual songs), the text commits the reader to a path of unconventional, experiential realization characterized by the overcoming of internal and external obstructions to enlightenment. The fragment suggests a structure that blends ritual devotion with the didactic goals of the Mahasiddha tradition.
Provenance
About this text
A treatise on the revelation of Kācarī, the Caryādohakoṣagītikā is a work belonging to the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. It is attributed to the Indian author Koṅkadatta. The work is preserved in the classical Tibetan tradition under the title spyod pa'i do ha mdzod kyi glu, appearing across two pages in volume ཟི of the Tengyur. Through an opening homage to Heruka and the symbolic application of the realgar tilaka, the work enacts the spiritual authority of the yogin. It argues for a state of majesty in which the practitioner has conquered the four māras, asserting a spiritual potency that transcends the protection of Viṣṇu, Śiva, and Brahmā. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the intersection of Indian dohā traditions and Tibetan translation, specifically regarding the programmatic framing of experiential realization and the overcoming of internal and external obstructions to enlightenment.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “The Song that is a Treasury of Dohās on Conduct” (Toh 2347), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2347
Summary & commentary
Significance
This work is significant as it represents the transmission of the Indian dohā tradition into the Tibetan canon, blending poetic spontaneity with formal Buddhist praxis. It provides insight into the role of the yogin as a figure of spiritual authority who transcends conventional social and mental constraints.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction
Contains the title in Sanskrit and Tibetan, an invocation to Heruka, and an opening statement regarding the revelation of Kācarī and the victory of the yogin over the māras.
Themes
Yogic attainment (1)
Ritual invocation (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaThe Song that is a Treasury of Dohās on Conduct·
In the language of India: Caryādohakoṣagītikā-nāma. In the language of Tibet: Spyod pa'i do ha mdzod kyi glu zhes bya ba. Homage to the glorious Heruka!
Having applied the tilaka of realgar, I shall reveal Kācarī. Alas! The yogin who possesses majesty has conquered the four māras with his crest. Neither Viṣṇu, the speaker, nor Śiva, nor Brahmā are able to protect him. Alas! If he speaks, he will be devoured by the Lord of Death. He is guarded by the assembly of fierce ḍākinīs. Alas! What is the use of the ḍākinīs of delusion seeking an opportunity? Alas! What is the use of the animal-like ḍākinīs seeking an opportunity? Alas! Do not be angry at the blazing fire. Neither Viṣṇu, the speaker, nor Śiva, nor Brahmā are able to protect the yogin who possesses majesty. Just as the edge of a razor or a sword, so too are the feet of Lavapa. The conduct of the samaya is most wonderful. Neither Viṣṇu, the speaker, nor Śiva, nor Brahmā are able to protect the yogin who possesses majesty.
The Caryādohakoṣagītikā-nāma, transmitted from the master Kaṅkavāla and spoken by the master Kakkana, 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.