Notes

n.1The Abhi­dharma­kośa gives eleven wholesome mental factors and lists faith as the first among them.

n.2The Tibetan copy in the tantra section of the Kangyur (Toh 739) is followed by two short related texts, both also set in in Sukhāvatī and structured as expositions by the Buddha Śākyamuni to Avalokiteśvara: ’phags pa dpal chen mo’i mdo, “The Sūtra of the Gorious Great [Goddess]” (Toh 740)‍—the goddess concerned being identified as Lakṣmī in the Sanskrit title of the Degé version but not in all versions‍—and dpal gyi lha mo’i mtshan bcu gnyis pa, “The Twelve Names of the Glorious Goddess” (Toh 741). In both, the knowing, reciting, reading, and writing of the goddess’s twelve names (almost but not exactly the same in both cases) and of short dhāraṇīs (different) are recommended as effective means of dispelling obstacles and achieving goals. The colophons of both short texts state that they were translated by Jinamitra and Yeshé Dé.

n.3“Of the excellent eon” (bskal pa bzang po’i = bhadra­kalpika) is missing in the Skt.

n.4Skt.: “Śrī Mahādevī also went toward the Bhagavān. Having circumambulated one hundred thousand times at the Bhagavān’s feet she also paid homage to all the bodhisattva mahāsattvas.”

n.5“Names” is omitted in the Skt.

n.6Translated on the basis of the Tibetan. Skt. has tasya rājñaḥ kṣatriyasya viṣaye teṣāṃ sattvānāṃ sarva­bhayety upadravā pra­śamiṣyanti: “In the country of the kṣatriya king, these beings’ misfortunes, that is to say ‘all fears,’ will be pacified.”

n.7Skt. does not have “and who put them into practice once they have heard them.”

n.8Skt. sarvakārya, “all effects”; Tib. lus thams cad, “all bodies.”

n.9Skt. upasarga, “natural misfortune”; Tib. gnod pa, “harms.”

n.10The Skt. list has been followed. The Tibetan (F.248.a–b) has some minor differences from the Sanskrit.

n.11Skt. dvādaśa­daṇdakaṃ… stotram, but the Tib. has the puzzling stod pa brgyad cu gnyis pa, “eighty-two praises.”

n.12The Tibetan and Sanskrit lists of names differ somewhat. We have followed the Sanskrit and indicated differences from the Tibetan in notes.

n.13Tib. lha la sogs pa thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Gods, And So Forth.”

n.14Tib. gnas thams cad na yod pa’i dpal, “Glory Present in All Places.”

n.15The eight planets: (1) Sun, (2) Earth’s moon, (3) Mars, (4) Mercury, (5) Jupiter, (6) Venus, (7) Saturn, and (8) Eclipse-Maker (Rāhula).

n.16According to the ancient Indian traditions, twenty-eight constellations lie on the path of the moon during its complete circuit through the plane of the ecliptic. For a list of the twenty-eight, see Monier Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, s.v. nakṣatra.

n.17Savitra is a Vedic solar deity, an Āditya or descendant of the mother of the gods, Aditi.

n.18The Tibetan (see glossary under “Sarvatīrthā”) treats these two epithets as one, i.e., “She Who Confers the Happiness of All the Holy Places.”

n.19The Tibetan (see glossary entry) has “She Who is Enveloped by a Hundred Thousand Supreme Lotuses.”

n.20A Hindu creator god. His daughter is the consort of Śiva.

n.21The terms candra­kānta and sūrya­kānta also regularly refer to gems, i.e. moonstone and sunstone respectively.

n.22Tib. “She Who Abides in Flowers.”

n.23Tib. “Glory of All Rivers and Lakes.”

n.24Tib. “She Who Gives Food and Clothing.”

n.25Skt. reads °varuṇā°. Yama is the lord of death, Varuṇa is the Vedic god presiding over night, Kubera is the god of riches, and Vāsava is Indra.

n.26Omitted in the Tib.

n.27Tib. mthong ma, “She Who Has Vision.”

n.28Tib. “She Who Abides in the Kumuda Flower.” Kumuda is a white flower that grows in or near water and blossoms at night. It is usually thought to be the datura plant, a member of the lily family with a very large, white, trumpet-like flower that opens at night, especially in the moonlight.

n.29Tib. “She Who Is Patient.”

n.30Omitted in the Tib.

n.31Tib. mthu rtsal gyi gnas, “She Who Is the Source of Power.”

n.32Tib. dag byed dang bkra shis thams cad kyi lag pa dang ldan ma, “She Who Has Hands That Purify and [Bring] All Auspiciousness.”

n.33The Tibetan (see glossary entry for “Sarvapṛthivīśrī”) takes these two as one: “Glory of the Entire Earth and All Kings.”

n.34Omitted in the Tibetan, which here has lha’i gnas dang lha thams cad kyi dpal / bzlas brjod dang / bzlas brjod du bya ba / sbyin sreg dang / sbyin sreg tu bya ba dang / bkra shis thams cad kyi dpal, “Glory of All Abodes of the Gods and All Gods, Glory of All Incantations and What Is Incanted, All Fire Offerings, and What Is Offered and All Auspiciousness.”

n.35The Tibetan here is bud med kyi gnas thams cad kyi gtso ma dang dpal gyi mchog, “Supreme Glory and Foremost of All That Is Feminine.”

n.36The Skt. edition has sarvakinnara­sarva­sūryottama­śrī, “Glory That Is the First of All Kinnaras and All the Sun,” but in the Tib. (see glossary entry) lha ma yin mo suggests that the spelling °sarvāsurya° here is more likely to be correct in the context.

n.37In the Tibetan text, this first section of the dhāraṇī is in Tibetan. The Skt. of the second sentence should be corrected from sarva­puṇya­sambhārānā­mukhī­kuru svāhā to sarva­puṇya­sambhārānām abhi­mukhī kuru svāhā.

n.38Skt. gaṅgādi­sarva­tīrthānyāmuikhī­kuru should be corrected to gaṅgādi­sarva­tīrthānām abhimukhī kuru.

n.39The Sanskrit of the dhāraṇi as transcribed in the Tibetan text appears unreliable; the dhāraṇi as presented here is transliterated from the Sanskrit edition.

n.40Tib. med par byed pa, “make nonexistent,” “eliminate”; Skt. praśamanakarāṇi, “make calm,” “pacify.”

n.41Skt. omits “and recite.”

n.42Skt. guptiṃ kariṣyanti, while Tib. has sbed par byed pa, “conceal.”

n.43Tib. has lha mo chen mo dpal de, “that Śrī Mahādevī,” while Skt. has sā, “she.”

n.44The usual mention of the translators in the Tibetan colophon is missing in all versions.