Twenty-One Praises to Tārā

Translated from Sanskrit and compared with the Tibetan edition by the Tara’s Triple Excellence Team

om jetsünma phakma drölma la OM Noble Lady Tārā, we bow to you.
chaktsal lo

chaktsal drölma nyurma pamo Praise to Tārā, swift and gallant,

cheni kechik lokdang drama Your glance that flashes like flares of lightning;
1 jikten sumgön chukyé shalgyi Born from the face of the triple-world’s lord,
gesar jewa leni jung ma You rose on the heart of a blossoming lotus.

Drölma Nyurma Pamo

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 chaktsal tönkai dawa küntu Praise to you whose face resembles
gangwa gyani tsekpai shalma A hundred autumn full moons together,
2 karma tongtrak tsokpa namkyi Your radiance like the clearest of stars,
raptu chewai örap barma Blazing with hundreds of brilliant light rays.

Drölma Loter Yanchenma

chaktsal serngo chuné kyekyi Praise to you whose hand is graced,

pemé chakni nampar gyenma With a lotus flower blue-gold in color,
3 jinpa tsöndrü kathup shiwa You show generosity, diligence, fortitude,
söpa samten chöyül nyima Patience, serenity, meditation.

Drölma Sönam Topché

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 chaktsal deshin shekpai tsuktor Praise to you, whose acts are boundless,
thayé nampar gyalwa chöma The jewel on the great Tathāgata’s crown.
4 malü pharöl chinpa thopai You are served by all bodhisattvas,
gyalwai sekyi shintu tenma Those who have reached complete perfection.

Tsuktor Namgyalma

chaktsal tuttara hung yigé Praise to you, with HŪṂ and TUTTĀRA
dödang chokdang namkha gangma Fulfilling all wishes to the bounds of space.
5 jikten dünpo shapkyi nenté You trample underfoot all seven worlds,
lüpa mepar gukpar nüma You have the strength to summon all.

Wangdu Rikjé Lhamo

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 chaktsal gyajin melha tsangpa Praise! Lady, greatly adored,
lunglha natsok wangchuk chöma By Anala, Brahma, Maruts, and Shiva.
6 jungpo rolang drisa namdang All the hosts of vetalas and spirits,
nöjin tsokyi düné töma Ghandarvas and yakshas to you pay honor.

Jikjé Chenmo

chaktsal tratché jadang phetkyi Praise to you, who with TRAḌ and PHAṬ quickly
pharöl trülkhor raptu joma Overthrow schemes and wicked practice.
7 yekum yönkyang shapkyi nenté With right leg bent in and left leg extended,
mebar trukpa shintu barma Stamping, you shine amid flames wildly blazing.

Shengyi Mitupma

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 chaktsal ture jikpa chenpö Praise to you, fleet-footed, ferocious,
dükyi pawo nampar joma Destroying even the most powerful demons,
8 chukyé shalni tronyer den dzé Your lotus-face and brow deep-furrowed—
drawo thamché malü söma Every foe, how swiftly you slay them!

Shengyi Migyalma

chaktsal könchok sumtsön chakgyai Praise! Your fingers gracing your heart,
sormö thukar nampar gyenma Displaying the mudra of the Three Jewels,
9 malü chokyi khorlö gyenpai Your wheel, adorning every direction,
rangi ökyi tsoknam trukma A fierce whirling mass of your own self-radiance.

Sengdeng Nakchi Drölma

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 chaktsal raptu gawa jipai Praise! Blessed with a splendorous crown,
ü rgyen ö kyi trengwa pelma Bright, majestic, supremely joyous.
10 shepa rap shé tuttara yi Laughing and smiling, thrum of TUTTĀRA,
dü dang jikten wangdu dzé ma You overcome the realm of demons.

Jikten Sumlé Gyalma

chaktsal sashi kyongwai tsoknam Praise to you! You summon whole legions
thamché gukpar nüpa nyi ma Of earthly guardians from all directions.
11 tronyer yowai yigé hung gi With HŪṂ rumbling deep in your frown,
phongpa thamché nampar drolma You free us all from every misfortune.

Phakma Norter Drölma

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 chaktsal dawai dumbü urgyen Praise, Lady, brightly adorned,
gyenpa thamché shintu barma The crest on your crown a sliver of moon,
12 ralpai tröné öpak melé Your locks always graced by Amitābha,
takpar shintu örap dzema His gleaming light rays endlessly streaming.

Tashi Dönjé

chaktsal kalpa thamai metar Praise to you in a blazing halo,

barwai trengwai üna nema Of flames all-consuming, apocalyptic,
13 yekyang yönkum küné korgai With right leg stretched out and left leg bent inward,
drayi pungni nampar joma The whirl of enemies blissfully crushing.

Tara Yüllé Gyalma

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 chaktsal sashi ngöla chakgi Praise to you, on the ground of earth
thilgyi nünching shapkyi dungma Striking your palms and thundering your feet.
14 dronyer chendzé yigé hung gi The HŪṂ that streams from your furrowing brow
rimpa dünpo namni gema Smashes to dust the netherworlds seven.

Trönyer Chen

chaktsal dema gema shima Praise, Lady, gracious and blissful,

nyangen deshi chöyül nyima You who encompass the peace of nirvāṇa.
15 soha om dang yangdak denpé With OṂ and SVAHĀ in perfect union,
dikpa chenpo jompa nyima You lay to waste every terrible evil.

Tara Rapshima

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 chaktsal küné korrap gawai Praise to you, immersed in bliss,
drayi lüni raptu gema You shatter the bodies of all your foes.
16 yigé chupai ngakni köpai You shine with the wisdom-syllable HŪṂ,
rikpa hung lé drölma nyima Stamping out your ten-syllable mantra.

Tara Rikngak Topjom

chaktsal turei shapni dapé Praise! Swift One, your foot stomping boldly
hung gi nampai sabön nyima Sowing the seed of the syllable HŪṂ,
17 rirap mandara dang bikjé While Meru, Mandara, the Vindva Mountains,
jikten sumnam yowa nyima And all the three worlds quiver and tremble.

Tara Phakmé Nönma

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 chaktsal lhayi tsoyi nampai Praise, Goddess! In your hand
ridak takchen chakna nama Is a deer-marked moon, a lake-like pool.
18 tara nyijö phet kyi yigé With TĀRĀ twice and then with PHAṬ,
duknam malü parni selma You neutralize every plague and poison.

Tara Maja Chenmo

chaktsal lhayi tsoknam gyalpo Praise! Queen of hosts divine!

lhadang miam chiyi tenma Gods and kinnaras willingly serve you,
19 küné gocha gawai jiki At play immersed in sheerest joy,
tsödang milam ngenpa selma You clear away nightmares, soothe away strife.

Dugkarmo

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 chaktsal nyima dawa gyepai Praise to you, clear-eyed, all-seeing,
chenyi pola örap salma Like the bright sun, and the full moon.
20 hara nyijö tuttara yi With twice-uttered HARA and then with TUTTĀRA,
shintu drakpoi rimné selma You pacify even the fiercest diseases.

Ritö Loma Jönma

chaktsal denyi sumnam köpé Praise to you of the three-fold nature,

shiwai thudang yangdak denma Filled with power and boundless grace,
21 döndang rolang nöjin tsoknam Profoundly swift, your devastation
jompa ture rapchok nyima Of hosts of graha, vetāla, and yaksha.

Lhamo Özer Chenma

tsawai ngakyi töpa didang Root mantra supreme and joyful praises –
chaktsal wani nyishu tsachik these are the Twenty-One verses of homage

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