Guhyagarbha Tantra (with Commentary)
by Gyurme Dorje | 1987 | 304,894 words
The English translation of the Guhyagarbha Tantra, including Longchenpa's commentary from the 14th century. The whole work is presented as a critical investigation into the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, of which the Guhyagarbhatantra is it's principle text. It contains twenty-two chapters teaching the essence and practice of Mahayoga, which s...
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Text 17.9 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 17.9]
They are beautified by their retainers,
And a host of concubines and maid-servants,
Twenty-eight in number.
These maintain their own seats,
Hand-implements, and servile guises. [9][Tibetan]
slas-dang byi-mo bran-mo'i tshogs /
bcu-gnyis-dang-ni brgyad-kyis mdzes /
rang-gi stan-dang lag-cha-dang /
ci-bgyi zhes-ni chas-te gnas / [9]
Commentary:
[ii. Secondly, the array of the twenty-eight 莫艣var墨s or mighty queens (comments on Ch. 17.9):]
These are beautified (mdzes) and surrounded by (-kyis) their retainers (slas) or wives, and (dang) a host of (-'i tshogs) intimate concubines (byi-mo) and maid-servants (bran-mo), who are named according to the particular rites which they serve, twenty-eight in number (bcu-gnyis dang-ni brgyad). They maintain (gnas), as a retinue, their own (rang-gi) respective seats (stan-dang) of corpses, hand-implements (lag-cha-dang) including fresh skulls and servile guises (ci-bgyi zhes-ni chas-te) which request ritual activities.
They are present as follows: 惭补苍耻谤腻办峁蝉墨 is dark-brown, holding a fresh skull. 叠谤补丑尘腻峁嚹� is reddish-yellow, holding a lotus. 搁补耻诲谤墨 is pale-green, holding a trident. 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫墨 (here= rtogs-'dod) is blue, bearing a wheel. 碍补耻尘腻谤墨 is red, holding a short spear. 滨苍诲谤腻峁嚹� is white, holding a vajra. 笔颈峁単补濒腻 (here = 'dod-pa) is red, holding sandalwood. 础尘峁泃腻 is red, holding a lotus. 厂补耻尘墨 (or 艢腻苍迟墨, here = zla-ba) is white, holding a white lotus. 顿补峁囜笉墨 is green, holding a club. 搁腻办峁蝉墨 is dark-red, drinking a skull full of blood. Bhak峁s墨 is dark-green, eating entrails. 搁补迟墨 is red, holding a curved knife. Rudhiramad墨 is red, holding a ploughshare. Ekac膩ri峁嚹� is yellow, holding a razor. Manoh膩rik膩 is red, shooting a bow and arrow. Siddhikar墨 is white, holding a vase. V膩yudev墨 is blue, waving a flag. Mah膩m膩ra峁嚹� is white, holding a sword. Agn膩y墨 is red, holding a bright firebrand. 痴腻谤腻丑墨 is black, holding a noose of canine teeth. C膩mu峁囜笉墨 is black, eating a human corpse. Bhujan膩 is white, drinking blood from a skull. Varu峁嚹佱箛墨 is red, holding a lasso of snakes. 惭补丑腻办腻濒墨 (is black), holding an iron hook. The Yellow 搁腻办峁蝉墨 (Lambodar膩) holds a lasso. The Red 搁腻办峁蝉墨 (Mah膩ch膩gal膩) holds an iron chain; and the Dark 搁腻办峁蝉墨 (Mah膩kumbhakar峁嚹�) rings a bell.
This chapter does not entirely coincide in its description (of the deities) with that which is generally given in the drawing (of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补), its meditation, and so forth.[1]
[iii. Thirdly (see p. 1162), the appearance of their wondrous signs (comments on Ch. 17.10):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cf. Lo-chen Dharma艣r墨, op. cit., p. 404, who presents slightly different account of these hand-implements from the standpoint of the "means for attainment" (sgrub-thabs). Also, pp. 406-407, he explains how the number of deities forming the wrathful 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 may be extended in the course of meditation.