The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

The name of a yakṣa king.

A phrase describing the mantra syllable hā in the “presentation of mantra” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

The name of Gaṇapati’s consort. Lit. “the light-maker.”

One of the eight supreme flavors. Also one of the six tastes of the Āyurveda and Tibetan medical traditions.

One of the three humors (doṣa) in the Āyurveda medical tradition.

A term for the depiction of the superscribed nasal anusvāra.

One of the eight supreme flavors. Also one of the six tastes of the Āyurveda and Tibetan medical traditions.

A member of the highest of the four castes in Indian society, which is closely associated with religious vocations.

The term for the consonant classes of the Sanskrit alphabet.

The name of a deity in the southwest section of Gaṇapati’s maṇḍala.

A term for the first phase of the waxing moon.

The name of a form of Vināyaka, a form of Gaṇapati.

One of the four great kings who guard the cardinal directions.

In The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati this term signifies a group of eight beings that are emanated in the initial phase of the generation stage yoga before being gathered and subsumed into the syllable hūṁ and manifesting Gaṇapati.

The eight supreme flavors are bitter (Tib. kha, Skt. tikta), sour (skyur, āmla), astringent (bska ba, kaṣāya), sweet (mngar, madhura), spicy (tsha, kaṭuka), and salty (lan tshwa, lavaṇa), juicy (bzhun), and exceedingly savory (bro mchog che ba). The first six on this list constitute a known list of “flavors” or “tastes” that are common to the Āyurvedic and Tibetan medical systems. The Tibetan terms for the last two members of the list are obscure and only tentatively translated here.

A female of the class of serpentine spirit beings (Tib. klu Skt. nāga ), who are often the target of rituals for bringing (or stopping) rain.

A phrase describing the mantra syllable phaṭ in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

A phrase describing a mantra syllable in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

The name for the troops or classes of lower deities and beings, particularly those considered attendants of the god Śiva over whom Ganeśa (lit. “Lord of the Gaṇas”) has control.

Gaṇeśa or Gaṇapati, both of which mean “lord of gaṇas ” are names of the elephant headed deity, where gaṇa refer to his communities of followers.

A phrase describing the mantra syllable oṃ.

An epithet of the elephant headed deity Gaṇapati.

An epithet of the elephant headed deity Gaṇapati.

An epithet of the elephant headed deity Gaṇapati.

An epithet of the elephant headed deity Gaṇapati.

Lit. “Great Remover,” an epithet of the elephant headed deity Gaṇapati.

Dromtön Gyalwé Jungné (1004/5–1064) was one of Atiśa’s Tibetan disciples and a founding patriarch of the Kadampa school.

A mantra that can be used to impel or incite beings to perform a particular action.

A type of bird.

A maṇḍala that is used to perform the ritual action of killing.

A mantra that is used to perform the ritual action of killing.

An epithet for Curved Trunk Vināyaka.

A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name‍—which means “is that human?”‍—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

A round sweet ball. The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati describes a laḍḍu as a type of food containing the three sweets and the three fruits that is sprinkled with a delicious fragrance, rolled into a ball, and boiled in milk and butter.

Often an alternate name for the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Lokeśvara, literally meaning “lord of the world,” can also be a general epithet for a number of bodhisattvas and is also commonly used as a name for more localized protector deities.

The name of a yakṣa king.

An epithet of Vināyaka, a form of Gaṇapati.

An epithet for Rudra.

The name of a deity in Gaṇapati’s maṇḍala.

An epithet for both Vāyu and Varuṇa.

A particularly auspicious time that is marked by the moon passing through the constellation puṣya.

A wrathful form of Śiva.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

A term for the concave line shaped like an upturned crescent moon that is drawn beneath a superscribed nasal anusvāra.

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

One of the three humors (doṣa) in the Āyurveda medical tradition.

A term for anyone who is authorized to perform a particular practice or sādhana.

A phrase describing the mantra syllable svā in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati specifies that this is a type of mustard root (yungs ma) and describes it as “the most supreme of all foods,” that is said to contain the eight supreme flavors (bitter; sour; astringent; sweet; spicy; salty; juicy; and savory) that act as antidotes to eight classes of diseases. It is also used as one of the primary bali offerings (gtor ma, bali) that is offered to Gaṇapati.

In The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati, the red cast offerings are offered to the eight great yakṣas and contain fish and onions.

A name of the god Śiva.

One of the eight supreme flavors. Also, one of the six tastes of the Āyurveda and Tibetan medical traditions.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

An ascetic observance (Tib. brtul zhugs; Skt. vrata) that is adopted for a fixed period of six months.

A phrase describing a mantra syllable in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

A stone that is believed to contain or be directly linked to the vital force of a particular being.

One of the eight supreme flavors. Also, one of the six tastes of the Āyurveda and Tibetan medical traditions.

One of the eight supreme flavors. Also, one of the six tastes of the Āyurveda and Tibetan medical traditions.

One of the eight supreme flavors. Also, one of the six tastes of the Āyurveda and Tibetan medical traditions.

A phrase describing the mantra syllable hūṁ in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

A phrase describing the mantra syllable ha in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

A phrase describing a mantra syllable in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

The various configurations of the three fruits are 1) the three myrobalan fruits (Terminalia Chebula, Terminalia Bellerica, and Phyllanthus Emblica); 2) grape, pomegranate, and date; 3) nutmeg, areca-nut, and cloves.

The three sweets are sugar, honey, and ghee.

The three white offerings are traditionally curd, milk, and butter.

A phrase describing a mantra syllable in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

An ideal monarch or emperor who, as the result of the merit accumulated in previous lifetimes, rules over a vast realm in accordance with the Dharma. Such a monarch is called a cakravartin because he bears a wheel (cakra) that rolls (vartate) across the earth, bringing all lands and kingdoms under his power. The cakravartin conquers his territory without causing harm, and his activity causes beings to enter the path of wholesome actions. According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa, just as with the buddhas, only one cakravartin appears in a world system at any given time. They are likewise endowed with the thirty-two major marks of a great being (mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇa), but a cakravartin’s marks are outshined by those of a buddha. They possess seven precious objects: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the wish-fulfilling gem, the queen, the general, and the minister. An illustrative passage about the cakravartin and his possessions can be found in The Play in Full (Toh 95), 3.3–3.13. Vasubandhu lists four types of cakravartins: (1) the cakravartin with a golden wheel (suvarṇacakravartin) rules over four continents and is invited by lesser kings to be their ruler; (2) the cakravartin with a silver wheel (rūpyacakravartin) rules over three continents and his opponents submit to him as he approaches; (3) the cakravartin with a copper wheel (tāmracakravartin) rules over two continents and his opponents submit themselves after preparing for battle; and (4) the cakravartin with an iron wheel (ayaścakravartin) rules over one continent and his opponents submit themselves after brandishing weapons.

The name of the lord of wealth and one of the four great kings who guard the cardinal directions.

An epithet for Arcikarī, Gaṇapati’s consort.

The name of a great yakṣa in Gaṇapati’s maṇḍala. Vajratuṇḍa, which literally means “vajra-beaked,” is more commonly an epithet for Garuḍa.

The name of one of the eight nāga kings who obey the eight deities in Gaṇapati’s nine-section maṇḍala.

The name of the god of the waters.

The name of the god of wind.

Lit. “Remover.” Used as an epithet for the deity Gaṇeśa in his role as a remover of obstacles.

One of the four great kings who guard the cardinal directions.

One of the four great kings who guard the cardinal directions.

A phrase describing a mantra syllable in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

One of the three humors (doṣa) in the Āyurveda medical tradition.

A phrase describing a mantra syllable in the “selection of mantra syllables” (Tib. sngags btu ba; Skt. mantroddhāra) instructions in The Tantra of Great Gaṇapati.

A magical jewel that instantly grants whatever one may wish.

A class of nonhuman beings who inhabit forests, mountainous areas, and other natural spaces, or serve as guardians of villages and towns, and may be propitiated for health, wealth, protection, and other boons, or controlled through magic. According to tradition, their homeland is in the north, where they live under the rule of the Great King Vaiśravaṇa. Several members of this class have been deified as gods of wealth (these include the just-mentioned Vaiśravaṇa) or as bodhisattva generals of yakṣa armies, and have entered the Buddhist pantheon in a variety of forms, including, in tantric Buddhism, those of wrathful deities.