Notes

n.1Sarasvatī’s history and status in South Asia’s diverse religious communities have been studied in Ludvik 2007.

n.2Note that there is a discrepancy among various databases for cataloging the Toh 1092 version of this text within vol. 101 or 102 of the Degé Kangyur. See Toh 1092, note 3, for details.

n.3Among the Action Tantras, this text is grouped within the Lotus Family, where Sarasvatī is positioned as a female attendant (Tib. bka’ nyan mo) of that family.

n.4The phrase “three knowledges” (Tib. rig gsum) is enigmatic. It could be an abbreviated form of rig byed gsum, “the three Vedas,” which is supported by the reference to “sages,” (Tib. drang srong), a translation of the Sanskrit term ṛṣi, a title often applied to realized teachers of the Vedic tradition. This interpretation is not conclusive, however, thus rig gsum has been translated here as “three knowledges” to preserve the ambiguity and polyvalence of the Tibetan term.

n.5“Lustrous” (Tib. gsal) is omitted in H, N, and S. It is replaced with the instrumental particle gyis in those versions.

n.6This translation follows H, N, and S in reading sogs (“the likes of”) where D reads tshogs (“host”). S reads dbang po (“Indra”) where D and other versions of the translation read lha dbang (“Devendra”). This amounts to the same reading, however, as Devendra is an epithet of Indra.

n.7C, K, Y, and J instead read bsod ldan ("meritorious"), in which case this line would read, “Compassionate mother, replete with love and merit.”

n.8This mantra follows the Degé with minor orthographic emendation. It can be tentatively translated as, “Homage to the lord Brahmā. Homage to Sarasvatī. Goddess! May this mantra formula be accomplished. Let it be consecrated by Brahmā, svāhā.” A similar passage is found in the Suvarṇa­prabhāsa Sūtra (p. 57): namo bhagavatyai brāhmaṇyai namaḥ sarasvatyai devyai sidhyantu mantrapadās taṃ brahma namasyantu svāhā.