Essay name: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
Author: William James Arraj
The essay represents a study and partial English translation of the Svacchandatantra and its commentary, 鈥淯ddyota鈥�, by Kshemaraja. The text, attributed to the deity Svacchanda-bhairava, has various names and demonstrates a complex history of transmission through diverse manuscript traditions in North India, Nepal, and beyond.
Page 221 of: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
221 (of 511)
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215
enumerated in the first book. The first pair of these procedures
(pp. 50-55) describe defensive techniques. The practitioner inscribes
in yellow orpiment on a piece of birchbark various formul忙,
including the Bahur奴pa岣�, called here the Aghora岣�, and its
corresponding thirty-two goddesses, and the Vidy膩r膩ja岣�, the
formula of both one of the eight bhairav膩岣� and the nine-centered
formula. 1 By worshipping the formul忙 and then sealing the
birchbark with beeswax and storing it in honey, he creates an
effective charm against death. The second procedure (p. 56)
describes the preparation of a similar charm, using as its primary
formula Kap膩li艣a岣�, another of the eight bhairav膩岣�. In the next
procedure (pp. 57-58), an enemy whose name has been written
boxed in by the formula of the bhairava岣� Sikhiv膩hana岣�,
supposedly burns up, as contemplated, in seven days. Similarly,
in the following procedure (pp. 58-59), by writing down a name on
a piece of cloth taken from a cremation ground, and enclosing it in
the formula of Krodhar膩ja岣�, another of the eight bhairav膩岣�, the
practitioner can murder his enemy. The description of these
malevolent rites continues (p.60) with a brief description of a
procedure for provoking fear in an enemy through the formula of
the bhairava岣� Vikar膩la岣�. An account follows of two rites of
subjugation (pp. 61-63), in the first of which the practitioner uses
the bhairava岣� Manmatha岣�, and in the second, Meghan膩da岣�. In
the next rite (p. 63), which produces prosperity, the practitioner
uses the bhairava岣� Somar膩ja岣�.
Although this section has now stated a separate procedure for
each of the eight bhairav膩岣�, at this point (p.64), there occurs an
addtional procedure using Krodhar膩ja岣� to induce madness. After
this addition comes another (pp. 65-66), describing a technique to
conquer death using once again the Bahur眉奴pa formula, called here
the Svacchandah. This appended material continues with the
1 For the formul忙 of the eight bhairav膩岣� v. bk.1, pp.66鈥�67,
and for the Vidy膩r膩ja岣�, bk.5, pp.11ff.
