Institut für Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismuskunde Universität Wien

 June, 

H B   H

Alexis Sanderson

Handout

Not to be quoted without the permission of the author

e Cakrasamvara/Śa
. mvara
. corpus:

. Mūlatantra: Herukābhidhāna, also called Cakrasamvara,

. Laghuśamvara/Laghu-
.
samvara,
. and Laghvabhidhāna
. Vyākhyātantras: Herukābhyudaya (only accessible in Tibetan; probably the ear-
liest of these works; in some parts at least it is older than all the states of the
Herukābhidhāna now visible), Vajradāka
. (drawing also on the Catuspī. tha),
. Abhi-
dhānottara, Yoginīsamcāra,
. Caturyoginīsampu
. ta,
. Vārāhyabhyudaya, Samvarodaya,
.
Dākār
. nava,
. and Sampu
. ta. (shared with the Hevajra)
Commentaries on the Herukābhidhāna:

. Four surviving in Sanskrit: by Jayabhadra, Bhavabhat.t.a, Kambalapāda, and

Śāśvatavajra (the last not yet accessible)
. Seven accessible only in Tibetan: by Bhavyakīrti, Devagupta, Durjayacandra,
Indrabhūti, Tathāgataraks. ita, and two Vīravajras

Major forerunners of the Herukābhidhāna, on which it draws: Sarvatathāgatatattva-

samgraha,
. Guhyasamāja, Sarvabuddhasamāyogadākinījālaśa
. mvara.
.
Yoginītantras (/Yoganiruttaratantras) outside the Cakrasamvara
. corpus, which are later
than the Herukābhidhāna, or probably so: Hevajra, Dākinīvajrapañjara,
. Mahāmudrāti-
laka, Kālacakra, Mahāmāyā, Vajrāmrta,. Buddhakapāla, Ca ndamahāro
.. sa
. na.
.
Early Yoginītantra of uncertain relative date: Catuspī
. tha.
.

Some passages of the Herukābhidhāna and their sources:

Herukābhidhāna
. athāto rahasyam. vaks. ye
samāsān na tu vistarāt
śrīherukasamyoga
. m
.


sarvakāmārthasādhakam
. uttarād api cottaram
.
dākinījālaśa
. mvaram
.

Sarvabuddhasamāyoga
rahasye parame ramye . rahasye parame ramye
sarvātmani sadā sthitah. sarvātmani sadā sthitah.
. sarvadākinīmaya
. h. sattvo sarvabuddhamayah. sattvo
vajrasattvah. param
. sukham vajrasattvah. param. sukham
asau hi svayambhūr bhagavān . asau svayambhūr bhagavān
eka evādhidaivatah.
sarvabuddhasamāyoga-
vīro dākinījālaśa
. mvaram
. dākinījāśa
. mvara
. h.

Pauskara
. etc.
. sambhavān
. adr. s. t.avigrahāc chāntāc
chivāt paramakāranāt .
nādarūpād vinis. krāntā
. h. nādarūpam . vinis. krāntam.
śāstram . paramadurlabham

Picumata / Brahmayāmala
samayācāragocarāh.
durlabham
. tris. u lokes. u
ādimadhyāntasamsthitam
.
Cf. Herukābhyudaya .c–:
’jig rten gsum na rnyed pa yin
*durlabham . tris. u lokes. u . durlabham
. tris. u lokes. u
g.yon nas skyes pas byed pa yin
*vāmodbhava- . . .
Cf. Herukābhidhāna ., VD. ., AbhU , Jayadrathayāmala, Sa
. tka
. , Ādyayāgavidhipatala,
. v. 
vāmodbhavam
. jagat sarvam
. trailokyam
. sacarācaram bhagodbhavam
. jagat sarvam
. bhagamadhye layam
. gatam

dam tshig spyod pa’i mtshan nyid dang

*samayācāralaks. anam
. samayācārapālanam

Tantrasadbhāva
. manthyamanthānasamyoga-
. mathyamanthanayogena
r. jutvam
. jāyate priye
Cf. Kubjikāmata .ab:
madhyamanthānayogena jñānāgnir jāyate kila
yathā tathā mantrajāpadhyānādiyuktam
.
ere is nothing corresponding to .ab


in the Herukābhyudaya’s version.
Picumata
yogaś caiva vidhijñānam
. .c yāgam . vidhis tathā jñānam
.
cakram. yogam . ca śobhanam
. kathayāmi mahādevi
yat tvayā coditam. *balam (?)
tantre nigaditam . śr. nu
.
. madhyamottamaśvāsena madhyamottamachāgena
gandhodakasahitena tu gandhodasahitena tu
kulikām. pūjayen nitya
kālaviśes. ena
. tu
Cf. Abhidhānottara .c:
madhyamottamaśvāsena
gandhokasahitena tu
gulikām. kārayed dhīmān;
and Herukābhyudaya .cd:
madhyamottamaśvāsena
gandhokasahitena tu
vat.ikām
. prāśayen nityam
. . vat.ikām. prāśayen prājñah.
pūjākālaviśes. atah. pūjākāle viśes. atah.
vidhānam . tu sadā yojyam.
carvāhārena. suvrate
. samaye sadhāne caiva
dravyālabhanakarmani .
. dūtayah. sahajāh. siddhā tasyaiva dūtayah. siddhāh.
sahajā vīravandite
adhamottamamadhyamāh.
Sarvatathāgatatattvasamgraha
.
antargatena manasā : antargatena manasā
kāmasiddhim . tu bhavayet kāmaśuddhim . ca bhāvayan
. svaretobindubhir buddhān svaretobindubhir buddhān

Guhyasamāja
. svavajram. padmasamyukta
. m.
dvayendriyaprayogatah.
svaretobindubhir buddhān
bodhisattvāmś
. ca pūjayet vajrasattvāmś
. ca pūjayet

Sarvabuddhasamāyoga
darśanasparśanābhyām . ca darśanasparśanābhyām . ca
śravane
. smaranena
. ca śravanasmara
. nena
. ca
. mucyate sarvapāpais tu sarvapāpair vimucyante


 *yujyante (em. : pūjyante Ed.) sarvasiddhibhih.
evam eva na samśaya
. h.
Cf. Matasāra, f. v:

yogitvam. paramam . punya

. m . etat te paramam
. mantram
.
pavitram. pāpanāśanam pavitram
. pāpanāśanam
. sidhyate japan mantram .
jāpena dhyānena ca
samayān pālayen nityam. Cf. Svacchanda .a: samayān pālayen nityam ubhayārthaphalepsayā ;
Picumata .ab: samayām pālayet sarvvāṅ khānapānavisarjitām;

and Timirodghātana f. r: samaya pālayen nityam ekākārapadāsthitam

sādhakah. susamāhitah. Very common in the Śaiva scriptures, especially in the Picumata.

. bhedena samayānām . tu

na dīks. āman. dale
. siddhir avāpyate e term dīksāma
. n. dalam
. is standard in Śaiva texts.

It occurs nowhere else to my knowledge in Tantric Buddhist literature, except

in Guhyasiddhi ., where the context is Śaiva rather than Buddhist Man. dala
. initiation.

Sarvabuddhasamāyoga .–, var. –

madhu raktam
. sakarpūram
. . *mahāraktam . sakarpūram .
dmar chen dang ni ga bur bcas
raktacandanayojitam
. *raktacandanayojitam .
tsa ndan dmar por byar ba dag
. ganamadhye
. pratis. t.han tu *ganamadhye
. pratis. t.ham
. tu
tshogs kyi dbus su bzhag pa ni
Only in the version in the Abhidhānottara: sarvocchis. t.arasāyanam .d *sarvocchis. t.arasāyanam
ra sa ya na kun slong ba
sarvavajrāṅkacihnadhr. k .d *savajravāmacihnadhr. k (?)
g.yon pa mtshan ’dzin rdo rje bcas
.a rang gi lha yi sbyor ldan pas /

.a rang gi lha yi rnal ’byor ldan

anāmāṅgus. t.havaktrābhyām
. .b *anāmāṅgus. t.havaktrābhyām
.
srin lag dang ni mthe bo’i rtses
lehayed yogavit sadā
. somapānavad āsvādya .c *somapānavad āsvādya
zhi ba’i btung pa bzhin myangs na
siddhim āpnoti śāśvatīm *siddhim āpnoti śāśvatīm
rtag pa’i dngos grub thob par ’gyur
pañcāmr. tam bhaved etat
sarvvasiddhipravartakam
. catuhpūjā
. m. tathā yoginyo
vīrādvayasamāpatti-
samāpannam . ca tattvadhr. k


divyamānus. yatām . saukhyam
pin. dīk
. .r tya vajraka nikayā
.
kalām . nārghanti s
. daśīm
o .

•
Herukābhidhāna .–. Śaiva Yoginīsamcāra
. .–
. girigahvarakuñjes. u girigahvaraguhyes. u
mahodadhitat.es. u vā mahodadhitat.es. u ca
ādisiddhaśmaśāne ca ādisiddhe śmaśāne vā
tatra man. dalam
. ālikhet ālikhen man. dala
. m . śubham
... ...

For this parallel (Herukābhidhāna .–. < Jayadrathayāmala, Sa

. tka
. , Yoginīsamcāra
.
.–), which covers the Herukābhidhāna’s treatment of the initiation ceremony, see
S , pp. –.
•
e only substantially Buddhist passage in the main body of the Herukābhidhāna:
. atha kāyatrayam . vaks. ye śrīherukādvayayogatah. |
yena vijñātamātrena. sidhyante nātra samśaya . h. ||
. dharmakāyaśarīrānā . .m yadā bhavati sādhaka h. |
tadā jñānam. pravadāmy aham ||
. sambhogakāyaśarīrā
. nā
. m . yadā bhavati sādhakah. |
tadā sambhoga
. m
. pravadāmy aham ||
. nirmānakāyaśarīrā
. nā
. m . yadā bhavati sādhakah. |
tadā nirmānakāya
. m . pravadāmy aham ||
. jñānasambhoganirmā
. na
. samāpnoti na samśaya
. h. |
śrīherukamāhātmānam . sidhyate nātra samśaya. h. ||

•
e last section of the Herukābhidhāna as known to the earliest commentators, prob-
ably early in the th century:

Herukābhidhāna Picumata
. atha homavidhim . vaks. ye
avaśyam. vaśyakarmana. h.
yena samyag vidhānena
āśu siddhih. pravartate
. gomāmsa. m . surayālodya
. . gomāmsa<
. m>. surayālodya
.
vāmahastena homayet vāmahastena homayet



buddho ’pi vaśam āyāti
kim
. punah. ks. udramānus. āh.
. nis. t.hīvanam
. dantakās. t.ham
svadehodvartanam . tathā
nāmnā madyāktahomena
trailokyam . vaśam ānayet
. rajasvalāyā raktena
bhuktodgīrna . m
. ca bhojanam
samyukta
. m. mānu s. aih. keśaih.
sadya-m ākars. ana
. . param
m sadyas tv ākars. ana . m . param
. svakāyād ghr. tam udgīrna
. m.
svakeśair homayed budhah.
nimbakās. t.hāgnisamdīpte
. . nimbakās. t.hendhanair dīpte
sadya vidves. ana
. m. param
. kākapaks. akr. te home
dhuttūrāgni samāhitah.
kat.utailena samyukta
. m.
sadyoccāt.anamāranam .
.c gomāyumāmsamadyena
. . gomāyumāmsamadyena
homayed balikriyā
. japamantrakr. te rātrau
kros. t.ukam
. nīyate . . .
.cd svecchāyus. o mahāyogī
krīdate
. ’nekarūpadhr. k
.cd adhikāyu kus. mān. da
. m.
mudga mās. a sagomadhu
. chardirājikāgr. ha-
tamālapatrair mukhabandhanam
goraktam. ghr. tasamyukta
. m .
avadhūtena mantravit
. vāmahastena hotavyam .
yad icchet siddhim ātmanah.
śakro ’pi vaśam āyāti
kim. punah. ks. udramānus. āh.
. .c nis. t.hīvanam . dantakās. t.ham.
.d svadehodvartanam . tathā
. nāmnā madyāktahomena
trailokyam . vaśam ānayet
dantadhāvanam ādāya
gokīt.arudhiram . tathā
. tenāktam . homayec cailam .
trailokyam . kar s. ayet ks. anāt
.
rajasvalāyā raktena
bhuktodgīrna . m. ca bhojanam
. samyukta
. m . mānus. aih. keśaih.
Cf. Niśvāsaguhya f. r: sadya-m-utkrāntikārikā;
f. r: sadya-m utkramayet tanum
svakāyād ghr. tam udgīrya
svakeśair homayen narah.
vahnau vidves. ana . m. param
kākapaks. akr. te home
mūtratailāktasamyuta. m.
. dhatūrakendhanair dīpte
sadyoccāt.anam uttamam
.
bhaks. ahomabalikriyā
japen mantrakr. te rāve
kros. t.uko nipate ’gratah.
.c svecchāyus. o mahāyogī
.d krīdate
. ’nekarūpadhr. k
Cf. .ab: svecchāyus. o mahāyogī divyarūpadharo bhavet
. āvikāmuktakus. mān. da
. m.
mudga mās. o sitā madhuh.
chardirājīkr. to lepas
. trailokyam. mukhabandhanam

svecchakārī bhaved yogī
yatra tatra vyavasthitah.

Here the text as known to the earliest commentators (Jayabhadra and *Bhavyakīrti)
ends.
•
e passage from . to .b is found in Abhidhānottara . Perhaps the text
was first extended only up to this point. Part of this passage, beginning from .,
has also been incorporated (with some revision, mainly the omission of the cruxes) in
the Buddhist Yoginīsamcāra
. .c–. ere too the incorporated passage ends at this
same point (.b).
. athāparam . pravaks. yāmi bhūmi pīt.hādi yoginī |
śrīherukasyāṅgāṅgam . sarvāṅgam . sthiracalātmakam ||
. pīt.ham . muditābhūmau papī t.ham. vimalam . tathā |
ks. etram
. prabhākarī jñeyā arcis. matyopaks. etrakam ||
. chandoham abhimukhī caiva upacchandoham . surdurjayā |
duraṅgameti melāyām . acalasyopamelaka m. ||
. śmaśānam . sādhumatī caiva dharmameghopaśmaśānakam . |
śrīherukamatiś cāyam es. a adhyātmabhūmayah. ||
. daśapāramitābhūmau mlecchā bhās. antu yoginī |
svarge martyes. u pātāle vīrāṅgam. sthiracalātmakam . ||
. pullīrādi yathoddis. t.am. bāhyādhyātme sa msthita
. m
. |
śrīherukamahāyogam . sarvakāmeśvaram . prabhum ||
. sarvata<h>. pānipādānta
. m. sarvatoks. iśiromukham . |
sarvata<h>. śrūyate loke sarvam āv r
. tya tis t
.. hati ||
. tatas tu sādhayet siddhīh. dhyānayuktena cetasā |
sādhakānām . hitārthāya guhyatattvam udāhr. tam ||
.–b and ab > Sampu . todbhava
. ..–b. .ab > Sampu . todbhava
. ..cd:
yathoddis.taprakāra
. m. tu bāhyādhyātma m
. vicintayet. .. Cf. Śvetāśvataropani sad
. ., Bha-
gavadgītā ., Kūrmapurāna . .., Vāyupurā na
. .: sarvata h pā
. . nipāda m. tat sarvatok siśi-
.
romukham | sarvatah. śrutimal loke sarvam āvrtya . tis.thati;
. Subhāsitasa
. mgraha,
. p. , ll. –:
śrīśamvare
. ’py āha: sarvatahpā
. nipādādya
. m. sarvatoksiśiromukham
. | sarvatah. śrutimān loke sarvam
āvrtya
. tis thati.
..
  
. 
. . -
..
•
e st chapter:
In the rnam thar of Tilopā ascribed to Mar pa Chos kyi blo gros Jñānadākinī . and
her retinue are said to have taught Tilopā the fifty-first Pat.ala together with the oral


 transmission (ed. C , p. : gsungs nas rtsa rgyud le’u nga gcig pa bshad
rgyud dang bcas pa dang snyan rgyud gnang ngo). e rnam thar of Nāropā attributed
to the twelfth-century author lHai’i btsun pa rin chen rnam rgyal says that Nāropā
studied and mastered the Mūlatantra of Śamvara
. (bDe mchog) in fifty chapters. See
the translation of G (, p. ), which misunderstands this as referring to
the Abhidhānottaratantra.
. athātah. sampravak
. s. yāmi āmnāyam . sudurlabham |
gopanīyam . mayā tantre vīrasamketabhā . s. itam ||
. nivasanam . pañcamudrādi gātrasya prajñāṅgam . kīla pañjaram |
ālikālīti-m uccārya hetvādiśūnyapūrvakam . ||
. pravr. ttinādamādīni yāvat samhārayogata. h. |
amr. tāpyāyanivr. ttim . tu hastapūjābhisecanam . ||
. mahākavacena samrak . s. ya sarvamantrenārcanam . |
etac caturdaśa tattvam . sa mk sepe
. . . na tu bhā s
. itam ||
. yah. samācarati narah. śres. t.hah. sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā
tāthāgatīm . ca labhate bhūmi janmani janmani ||
. tathāgatakulotpadya rājā bhavati dhārmikah.  |
yathā pūrvādipāpasya hīno sarvalaks. anai . h. ||
. ya imām . dhyāyate nitya m
. sarvakāmeśvara ks. itau |
ghr. tapūrna
. m . yathā bhān. da . m. sthāpitam agnimadhyake ||
. dravantam . dravate sarpih. kālam . naśyati bhān. dayo . h. |
tathā pāpam . ca naśyati śrīheruketi nāmata h. ||
. dhyāne cintitamātram vā pāt.ham . svādhyāyalekhanāt |
svargabhogam avāpnoti athavā cakravartinam . ||
. cyutikāle tu yogīnām . śrīherukādivīrā yoginī |
nānāpus. pakaravyagrā nānādhvajapatākinam ||
. nānātūryanirghos. air nānāgītopahāratah. |
mr. tyur nāma vikalpasya nīyate khecarīpade ||

Cf. Sarvatathāgatatattvasamgraha
. §: sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā sarvaśuddhyā karoti sah. |
sarvakāryāni. karmo ’yam iti bhāvena sidhyati; Niśvāsamukha .cd: sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā dehatyāge
divam . yayau; Niśvāsaguhya .c–b: pañcavi mśa
. sahasrāni. japtvā vyomaśivasya tu | sarvapā-
paviśuddhātmā kr. tasevo bhavis. yati; Kriyākalagunottara
. f. r: sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā śivalokam . sa
gacchati; Nātyaśāstra
. .: maheśvarasya caritam . ya ida m
. sa mprayojayet
. | sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā
śivalokam . sa gacchati. e expression is also common in the Epic and Purānas. . See, e.g., Mahā-
bhārata ..cd: sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā gacchec ca paramām . gatim; and ..cd: sarvapāpa-
viśuddhātmā brahmalokam . ca gacchati; Kūrmapurā na
. ..cd: sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā rudraloka m
.
sa gacchati.

Cf. Śivadharma .c–: krīdate . paramam . kālam . rudraloke vyavasthitah. | tatah. kālāt ks. itim
.
prāpya rājā bhavati dhārmikah. | surūpah. sudvijo vāpi sarvavidyārthapāragah; . Niśvāsamukha .: tena
punyaphalenaiva
. svargaloke mahīyate | svargalokāt paribhras. t.o rājā bhavati dhārmikah. .

Picumata .c–: śr. nu . devi pravaks. yāmi sarvayogiprasādhanam | yāgamantrasamopetam .
yoginījālaśamvaram
. | yena vijñātamātrena . trailokye khecarīpadam; Jayadrathayāmala, Sa . tka
. , .ab:


 . evam
. deva mahāvīra yoginyo bhuvi durlabham |
•
Verses from the remainder of the text, from .c to the end, are found elsewhere
in the corpus only in the Yoginīsamcāra
. (YS) and the Samvarodaya
. (SU): .ab =
YS .ab, .c--b = YS .c-b, .-- >SU .c--b, .d >SU
.d.
śrīherukamahātantram. yo jñātvāpi abhaktitah. |
dāridryam. duhkhasantāpa
. m. tasya nityam
. sadā bhavet ||
•
. kan. t.hikācūdakeyūra
. m
. kun. dala
. m . brahmasūtrakam |
kan. t.hālamk. r. taśiromālā mekhalāghurghurāravaih. ||
. girimastakakiñjalke viśvapadmālikālyam . ca |
gauryāpatim . samākramya vajragha nt
.. āṅgaliṅgitam ||
. caturvimśena . sārdha sa myukta
. m. vīrayoginiv r. ndakaih. |
śrīherukamahārājam . bhāvayeta parama m. pada m. ||
. sarvavīrasya yoginyah. sa pars. anmadhye yogavān |
sarve tus. t.ā vai bhūtā sr. s. t.isamhārakārakā
. h. ||

. nānādhimuktikāh. sattvāś caryā nānāvidhoditāh. |

nānānayavineyānām . nānopāyāni darśitāh. ||
. gambhīradharmanirdeśe nādhimuktir bhaved yadi |
pratiks. epo na kartavyam . smartavyācintyadharmmatā ||
. nātra me vis. ayo hy es. a nāham . jānāmi dharmatām . |
jānanti te mahātmānah. sambuddhā<s>
. tatsutā api ||
. utpādam api buddhānām . anutpāde pi vā sthitah. |
dharmatā sarvadācintyā hānivr. ddhivivarjitā ||
. ity evam . tulayitvā tu na nindyā<t> sarvalaukikam |
acintyo gatis tes. ām acintyo buddhanāt.akam . ||
. sūtram . kriyābhicaryā nām
. . yogaguhyan tu bhedatah. |
sattvāvatāranaśīla
. m. tu tatra tatra ratā iva ||

 . 

. . . . -
.
  . 
. 
.  .
.
is is where the text ends in the only currently accessible manuscript (Baroda, Ma-
haraja Sayajirao University, Oriental Institute, MS Acc. ; ‘Herukavidhānatantra’;
palm-leaf; Kut.ila script; incomplete; undated), according to all commentators other

s. anmāsād
. utpataty eva sādhakah. khecarīpadam; .cd: tatrārūdha
. h. plaved devi praharāt khe-
carīpadam; Vāmanadatta, Dvayasampattivārtika
. cd: mārgenānena
. samsiddhā
. labhante yoginīpadam.


 than Jayabhadra and Bhavyakīrti, and in the Tibetan translation (bDe mchog nyung
ngu: Derge Kanjur, Rgyud ’bum, vol. ka, ff. r–v; by Padmākara and Rin chen
bzang po [–], revised by Prajñākīrti [b. ] and Mar pa Chos kyi grags pa).

B

S, Alexis. b. Vajrayāna: Origin and Function. In Buddhism Into the Year
. International Conference Proceedings (Bangkok and Los Angeles: Dhammakaya
Foundation), pp. –.
––-. . History rough Textual Criticism in the Study of Śaivism, the Pañcarā-
tra and the Buddhist Yoginītantras. In Les sources et le temps. Sources and Time. A
Colloquium, Pondicherry, – January , edited by François Grimal, pp. –.
Publications du département d’Indologie . Pondicherry: IFP / EFEO.
––-. . e Śaiva Age: e Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early
Medieval Period. In Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo E
(Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo), pp. –. e de-
pendence of the Buddhist Mantranaya on Śaivism is treated on pp. – of this
publication, and evidence of the textual dependence of the texts of the Cakrasamvara
.
cycle on texts of the Śiva Vidyāpīt.ha is presented on pp. –.
S́́, Péter-Dániel. . Review of G . Tantric Studies , pp. –.

