THE GODDESS MAHACINAKRAMA-TARA

(UGRA-TARA) IN BUDDHIST AND HINDU

TANTRISM^
By G u d r u n B u h n e m a n n
U niversity o f W isconsin-M adison

It is well know n th at some goddesses are w orshipped in b o th the Buddhist

and H indu Tantric traditions. A form o f the Buddhist Vajrayoginl, accom pan­
ied by V ajravarnanl and VajravairocanI, is the prototype o f the H indu
C hinnam asta accom panied by D akinI and Varninl. Form s o f E kajata and
M anjughosa were adopted from the Buddhist pantheon into the H in du and
w orshipped by the same nam e. Usually it is not easy to trace how and when
these adaptations to ok place. In the case o f M ahacTnakrama-Tara, a special
form o f Tara, it has long been suspected th a t the goddess was im ported from
the B uddhist Tantric pantheon into the H indu pantheon.^ In this paper I
dem onstrate, on the basis o f clear textual evidence, how the goddess’s descrip­
tion in a B uddhist sddhana was incorporated into the H in du P h etkd rim ta ntra,
which was then quoted as an authoritative source regarding the goddess
by later H indu Tantras. I further examine representations o f the goddess
in art, and provide a new edition and translation o f two sadhanas o f
M ahacm akram a-Tara.
The T ara in the tradition o f MahacTna^ belongs to the varieties o f dark
Taras. She is described in two B uddhist sadhanas, which form p art o f the three
m ajor sddhana collections in Sanskrit and Tibetan:
1. the unedited * Sddhanasataka, which contains only the second sddhana, 65
( = PT T 4194), translated into T ibetan by D on yod rdo rje and R in chen
grags o f Ba ri in the eleventh century;
2. the unedited *Sddhanasatapaficdsikd 54 ( = P T T 4020) an d 55 ( =
PT T 4021-22), translated into T ibetan by Tshul khrim s rgyal m tshan o f
the Pa tshab clan in collaboration with A bhayakaragupta, who lived from
the second h alf o f the eleventh century to the first quarter o f the twelfth
century; and
3. the Sd dh an am dld/Sddhanasam uccaya 100 ( = P T T 4315) and 101 ( =
PT T 4316), translated into T ibetan by G rags pa rgyal m tshan in 1286.
The first sddhana is rather short and, except for one verse (probably a
quote), w ritten in prose. We do n o t know^ the author. The second one, com ­
posed in anustubh m etre, is attributed to Sasvatavajra, who is identified with
P rajnaraksita, a disciple o f N aropa, in the T ibetan tradition. It m ust have been
com posed some time in the eleventh century.
The goddess M ahacm akram a-Tara, also called U gra-Tara, the fierce Tara,
is described as standing on a corpse in the p ra ty d M h a stance, with the left leg

' A p relim in ary versio n o f this p a p e r w as presen ted a t the 204th M eetin g o f th e A m erican
O rien tal Society, M ad iso n , W isco nsin, o n 21 M a rch 1994.
^ e.g., B h a tt a c h a i^ a (1932: 184-57). B u t v an K o oij (1974: 170) arg u ed th a t ‘ It is n o t necessary
to th in k th a t E k a ja ta cam e first to be ad o p ted in B u d d h ism an d fro m th ere in H in d u ism .’
^ Q n a a n d M aliacln a are usually reg ard ed as identical. T ucci (1971: 5 49-50) identified Q h a
w ith K a n a w a r in th e u p p e r Sutlej valley. B h arati (1965: 61, 79) held it to be included in th e entire
region to th e n o rth o f th e H im alayas, T ib et an d a t least p a rts o f M on g o lia an d w estern C hina.
B agchi (1939: 4 6 -7 ) th o u g h t it to refer to M o n g o lia, while L6vi (1905-1908, i, 347 an d cf. also
S hastri, 1922,: 11 a n d W eller, 1927: 446) held th a t it refers to C h in a. S ircar (1971: 103-4),
in terp retin g S a k tisa m g a m a ta n lr a 3.7 .4 8 -9 , identified Q n a w ith T ib et a n d M ah acln a w ith C hina.
 T H E G O D D E S S M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A ) 473

stretched out and the right retracted.'* She holds in her right hands the sword
and the cutter (ka rtri) and in her left hands the blue lotus and skull (cup). She
is o f d ark (krsnalnlla) com plexion and short, with a protruding belly; her face
has terrible faiags, three eyes and a lolling tongue. The goddess has a single
tawny-coloured k n o t o f hair w ith A ksobhya, one o f the five Ta& agatas, on
her hand. She wears a tiger hide as her garm ent, is adorned with the eight
snakes, has a garland o f severed heads around her neck and wears the five
(bone) ornam ents (‘ seals ’), called the pancam udra.^ She utters extremely loud,
frightening laughter.
The H indu Tantric com pendium M antra m a ho da dh i (4.39-40), com posed
by MahTdhara at Varanasi in 1589, gives a similar description o f Ugra-Tara.
She is visualized on a white lotus in the w ater covering the universe at the
time o f the G reat D issolution (m ahdpralaya).
v is v a v y a p a k a v d r itn a d h y a v ila s a c c h v e td m b u ja n m a s th itd m
kartrikhadgakapalariilanalinai rajatkardm mlabhdm /
kdncTkmdaiahdrakankanalasatkeyuramanJTratam
aptair nagavarair vibhusitatanum d raktan etra tra ya m // 4.39
p ing og raikajatdm lasatsurasandm dam strdkardldnandtn^
carm a dvaipi varam ka ta u vidadhatTn} svetasth ipa ttha likam /
aksob hyen a virdjamdnasirasam sm erdnandm bhoruhdni
tdrdm sa m h rdd san a m drdhakucdm am bd m trilokyah sm aret // 4.40
‘ One should recall Tara, who stays on a white lotus which m anifests itself
in the middle o f the w ater covering the universe, whose hands are shining with
the cutter, sword, skull (and) blue lotus, whose colour is dark, whose body is
adorned by friendly excellent snakes th a t have becom e (her) girdle, ear-rings,
necklace, bracelets, shining arm lets and anklets, who has three reddish eyes,
who has a single tawny-coloured fierce k n o t o f hair, whose beautiful tongue
flashes, whose face is terrible because o f fangs, who wears at (her) hips an
excellent tiger-skin, whose forehead has a diadem o f white bone, whose head
is shining w ith A ksobhya, whose lotus face is smiling, who has the heart ( =
chest) o f a corpse as seat, whose breasts are firm (and) who is the m other of
the three w orlds.’
U gra-T ara described here also has A ksobhya on her head, b u t wears a
diadem o f white bone {svetasthipatta) as opposed to the five (bone) ornam ents.
A ksobhya is specified as the seer {rsi) o f her m antra. The surrounding deities,
such as V airocana and A m itabha, worshipped in hev ya n tra and ih s m antras
I used in her worship, such as ya th d g a td (for: tathagatd)bhisekasam agri m e burn
p h a f or aksob h ya vajrapuspam pra ticcha svahd,'^ leave no doubt th at the
goddess is an adaptation from the B uddhist Tantric pantheon.
A bout a c^entury later, c. 1670,^ the Tantric encyclopedia Tantrasara by
K rsnananda Agam avagisa (p. 269. 1-8), very popular in eastern India, gave a
siniiiar description, quoted from the ‘PhetkdrTya \
W hile searching the passage from the ‘P h etka riya ’ quoted in th s Tantrasara
in the edition o f the P h etkd rim ta n tra (Ph T), I discovered th at Sasvatavajra s

“ cf. th e d escrip tio n s in th e T ib e tan tran sla tio n s o f th e sad h a n a s, P T T 4 0 2 0 -2 1 ,4 1 9 4 , 4315-16.

In th e a tid h a stance th e rig h t leg is stretch ed o u t a n d th e left retracted . , ^
^ T hese are th e d iad em (c a k r t), ear-rin g s ( k m d a la ) , necklace (k a n th i), b racelets (ru ca ka ) an d
b elt (m ek h a ld ) (cf. S M , p . 4 4 7.10-13; 461.4).
« T h is m a n tr a is given in M a h id h a ra ’s au to co n m ien tary o n M a n tra m a h o d a d h i d .bb .
’’ F o r th is m a n tra , cf. M a h id h a ra ’s au to co m m en tary o n M a n tra m a h o d a d h i 4.93.
* F o r th is d ate, cf. S ircar (1972/1973: 187).
474 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN THE GODDESS MAHACINAKRAMA-TARA ( u GRA-TARA) 475
m ahacTnakramatardsadhana {S M 101) is quoted alm ost in full in the beginning The B uddhist M ahaclnakram a-T ara is iconographically identical to one o f
o f chapter 11 o f the Tantra. The chapter is w ritten in the form o f a dialogue several existing form s o f E kajata/E kajatl, described in sddhanas, such as
between Siva and Parvatl. A fter some introductory verses we find the following S M 124 to 126.^® The same m antra is employed for b o th goddesses. A white
parallels; E kajata who is n o t identical to M ahaclnakram a-T ara is described in S M 127.
The colophon o f this sddhana in B hattacharyya’s edition states th a t N agarjuna
SM PhT took the tradition o f the goddess from the inhabitants o f B hota (bhotesu
N o. 101, verses 1-2 chapter 11, verse 9 uddhrtam ). Bhattacharya^® identified B hota (Tibet) with MahacTna and con­
101.3 ll.lO c d - lla b cluded th a t the goddess E kajata or M ahaclnakram a-T ara, w orshipped by
101.4 11.24 native inhabitants o f Tibet probably professing the Bon religion o f Tibet,
101.5 11.26 entered the B uddhist pantheon with the Tantric N agarjuna in the seventh
101.6-7C century. A gainst this it can be argued th a t S M 127 refers only to the white
101.7d 11.27b E kajata, n o t to the d ark M ahaclnakram a-Tara. Also, S M 127 is not p art o f
lOl.Sab the earlier sddhana collections *S d dha na sa ta ka and *Sddhanasatapahcdsikd and
1 0 1 .8 cd -llc 11.28-31a that— as Kane^° has already pointed out—n o t all m anuscripts o f the
101.11d-13a Sd dhanam dld!Sddhanasam uccaya contain this p art o f the colophon. It is, how ­
101.13b-d 11.31b-d ever, p art o f the Tibetan translation o f the collection, which was com pleted
in 1268.
101.14-15ab cf. 11.32cd-33
The B uddhist M ahaclnakram a-T ara bears the T athagata A ksobhya on her
101.15cd-20 11.36cd-41
head. This is because the deities o f the V ajrayana pantheon are considered
101.21
em anations o f one o f the five Tathdgatas, viz., A m itabha, Aksobhya,
101.22 11.42
Vairocana, A m oghasiddhi and R atnasam bhava. In H indu icons, however, the
101.23-24 m ention o f A ksobhya on U g ra-T ara’s head is unusual and requires explana­
tion. 'Aksob hya’ was interpreted as an epithet o f Siva. The Todalatantra 1.5-6^^
The P h T h & s been assigned to the thirteenth century by B harati (1965: 60), explains th at Siva is called ‘ unshakeable ’ {aksobhya), because he drank the
for unknow n reasons. The earlier Tantric com pendiums, such as the deadly H dldhala poison w ithout agitation (a-ksobha). K rsnananda stated in
Prapancasdra (before the latter p art o f the eleventh century)® and the his Tantrasdra (p. 269.8) th a t A ksobhya on the goddess’s head has three shapes
S drad dtilaka based on it, do n o t describe T ara at all. and the form o f a snake;^^ perhaps he had a three-headed snake in m ind. This
It can thus be established th a t Sasvatavajra’s mahdcTnakramatdrdsddhana explanation reiterates rem arks from earlier texts, such as the Bhdvacuddmani,^^
was incorporated in the H in du P h T , which was then quoted as authoritative M antracuddm ani^^ and B rahm asam hitd,^^ which describe A ksobhya as having
on the description and worship o f this form o f dark Tara, called the form o f a snake. Accordingly, images o f the H indu goddess show either a
M ahaclnakram a-T ara o r U gra-Tara in a num ber o f H indu Tantric texts, such snake on U gra-T ara’s head (cf. fig. 3) o r A ksobhya sitting on a snake on
as the Tdrdbhaktisudhdrnava^° (second p art o f the seventeenth century),^^ T ara’s head (cf. figs. 4, 5), while the snake is absent from the B uddhist images
the previously m entioned Tantrasdra,^^ Brhanriilatantra,^^ Srividydrnava- (cf. figs. 1,^® 2). In the H indu tradition A ksobhya also figures as the seer (rsi)
tantra (c. seventeenth century)^'* attributed to V idyaranya Yati^^ and o f U gra-T ara’s m antra. According to the S a ktisa m g a m a ta n tra (last p art o f the
P u ra scaryd rn ava}^ The description o f U gra-Tara in P h T 11.9 even appears in sixteenth century or first h alf o f the seventeenth century),^’ U gra-T ara was
SrTtattvanidhi 1.69, com piled by M um m adi K rsnaraja W odeyar III, King o f
M ysore, who ruled from 1799 to 1868, quoted from the ‘d m n d ya '. Similar
descriptions o f the goddess also appear in B rahm anandagiri’s Tardrahasya
(beginning o f the sixteenth century) 3.134-36 and M eru ta n tra 23.738-40.
K dlikd -P urdn a 63.64-8 differs in th at it describes her as standing w ith one foot cf. S M 124 (p . 26 0.1 6-261.1 0); S M 125 (p . 2 6 3.15-20) a n d S M 126 (p . 265.4-9 ).
c f th e in tro d u c tio n to vol. 2 o f his ed itio n o f th e S M , C X f
on a corpse and the other on a lion; there is no m ention o f Aksobhya.^’ ^ ° c f K a n e (1 968-77, v: l_033._n. 1665).
sa m u d ra m a th a n e d e v i k a la k u ta m sa m u tth ita m /
sa rve d evdh s a d a r a i ca m a h d ks o b h a m a va p n u yu h // 1.5
^ F o r th is d ate, cf. V. D viv eda, in tro d u ctio n to his editio n o f th e N ity a s o d a iik a r n a m , V aranasi: kso b h a d ira h ita m y a s m a t p ita m h d la h a la m visa n i /
V aranaseya S an sk rit V ishvavidyalaya (1968: 41), a n d th e discussion by (jo iid ria a ii in G o u d ria a n d ta eva m a h es a n i a k so b h ya h p a rik ir tita H U 1.6
a n d G u p ta (1981: 131). “ a ks o b h yo d ev im u rd h a n ya s tr im u rtir n a g a ru p a d h r k
'" c f . p p. 2 0 1 .2 9 -2 0 2 .3 - P /ir 1F9; 4 .7 - 1 1 - P / i r 11.39cd-40; m . l i - 9 - P h T 11.24. Q u o ted in P u r a s c a r y d m a m , p. 7 8 9 .3 -5; a tr d ks o b h yo n a g a ru p a h / a k so b h yo d e vim u rd h a n ya s
“ F o r th is date, cf. P. B h attach ary a, in tro d u c tio n to his ed itio n o f th e T a ra b h a ktisu d h a rn a va , 3. tr im u r tir n a g a ru p a d h rg iti (b h d v a cu d d m a n i-)v a c a n a f, sim ilarly, c f T a ra b h a ktisu d h a rn a va ,
cf. p. 2 6 9 .1 - S - P h T 11.3 0 -3 5 ab . p. 202.9 -10. ■ ■ ■
cf. p. 2 A 3 - 5 0 - P h T 11.27cd-34. Q u o ted in T a ra b h a k tisu d h a rn a va , p. 201.10 a n d P u ra sca ry a rn a v a , p. 787.5: a kso b h ya n d g a sa m -
T h e lo w er lim it fo r th e co m p o sitio ih o f th e w o rk is th e year 1589, i.e., th e d ate o f co m positio n b ad d ha jatd ju tarn va ra p ra dd m /
o f th e M a n tra m a h o d a d h i, w hich is q u o te d in it, a n d th e low er lim it is th e y ear 1726, i.e., th e d a te Q u o ted in P u ra sca ry a rn a v a , p. 715.19: a k so b h yo d ev a ta p r o k ta s tr im u rtir n a g a ru p a d h rk //
o f a m an u scrip t. F ig u re 1, w hich show s A k so b h y a on U g ra -T a ra ’s cro w n, is fro m a N epalese b o o k co n tain in g
1= cf. vol. 2, p. 2 6 1 .% - \ \ - P h T 11.30-33. im ages o f H in d u deities. H ow ever, th e su rro u n d in g deities a re th e fo u r T a th a g a ta s a n d th eir
cf. p. 7 8 0 .1 0-21-P /1 7’ l l . l - 7 a b ; 7 8 1 .2 - 6 - P /ir 1 1 .3 9 cd -^ l; 7 8 1 .2 5 - 6 - P /ir 11.38; 7 8 8 .1 8 -2 1 - co n so rts {p ra jha ), suggesting th a t th e im age is B uddhist.
P h T \l.9 . cf. S a k tisa m g a m a ta n tr a 4, also called A kso b h ya ta ra sa rn v a d a , ch. 5. F o r a discussion o f the
F o r a discussion o f this form , cf. v an K o oij (1974). date, c f G o u d ria a n a n d G u p ta (1981: 69).

476 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN
b orn in a lake nam ed Cola^® to the W estern side o f M t. M em . Siva in the
form o f a sage at the n orthern side o f the lake was the & s t to repeat her
m an tra and became the m a n tra ’s seer. U gra-Tara is visualized in the water
covering the universe (yisvavyapakatoya) in the region o f C ina (cf. 4.5.142-7).
In fig. 3 from the Punjab Hills, the dead body on which the goddess is standing
is th a t o f Siva, who can be identified by the crescent moon^® on his head and
his three eyes. This accords w ith the belief th a t Siva is a corpse {^avd) w ithout
the pow er o f l^akti. K ali is depicted on Siva in a similar fashion and
Tripurasundar! uses Siva as her m attress while four deities function as sup­
porting legs o f her throne.
K rsnananda (p. 269.9-10) further explained the five bone ornam ents Cfive
seals ’, paficam udrd) adorning Tara, which originally belonged to the K apalika
tradition, as five skulls having four plates o f white bone between them (i.e.,
one plate between any o f them)^° on the authority o f the TantracUM mani,
which states th a t the goddess is adorned w ith five skulls connected with plates
o f white bone,^^ and the authority o f the Sam karacarya o f G auda (N orth
Bengal) (p. 269.8-13).^^ A pparently the panca m ud ra ornam ents have been
taken as the p an ca ka pa la (five skull) ornam ent adorning the forehead o f some
deities. The explanation accounts only for the diadem {cakri), one o f the five
bone ornam ents (m udra).
The H indu Tantras stress th at the worship o f this form o f T ara follows n o t
the established ‘V edic’ pattern, b u t the left-hand (vdma) Tantric path.
P h T 11.11 f. states th at no restrictions apply as to the place or time o f the
goddess’s worship. The practitioner, sitting on a corpse, recites the m an tra in
a ritually im pure state w ithout having bathed, after eating substances such as
m eat and fish, and seeing, touching and enjoying women. References to such
practices are absent from the B uddhist sadhanas o f M ahaclna-Tara. Through
the nam e M ahacina (cf. P h T ll.lO ab ), T ara was linked w ith the practice
{dcdra) o f M ahacina, which is expounded in chapters 9 to 10 o f the N ilatan tra
and m ainly in the M a hdcm d cd ratantra (Acdrasdratantra, c. 1700).^^ These texts,
however, do n o t provide us with an iconographical description o f the goddess.
References such as the following in H in du Tantras to Vasistha receiving the
mahdcTndcdra tradition in M ahacina from B uddha in the form o f Visnu are
additional indications th a t the H indus im ported M ahaclna-Tara from the
Buddhists.
The R ud ra ya m a la 17.106 narrates th a t B rahm a’s son Vasistha, who
worshipped the goddess with austerities unsuccessfully for a long time, is
advised by the goddess herself to go to the B uddhist country M ahacina and
follow the ‘A th arv av ed a’ practice. In Q n a he encounters the B uddha sur­
rounded by women, drinking wine, eating m eat and engaging in sexual acts.
In a sim ilar passage fro m th e u n p u b lish ed S v a ta n tra ta n tr a th e la k e is called C o lan a/C o lan a.
cf. th e q u o te in N . N . Vasu: T h e a rch a eo lo g ica l su r v ey o f M a y u r a b h a n ja i (C a lra tta , 1912; rep.
D elhi: R a re R ep rin ts, 1981), LVII: m ero h p a sc im a k u le tu co la n a kh y o h ra do m a h a n j ta tra ja jn e
sva ya m ta ra d evT n Jla sa ra sva tT I/.. . ■
i.e., th e sixteenth lu n a r d ig it (in d u ka la), c o n tain in g n e c ta r a n d sym bolizing divine pow er.
la is te s v e td sth ip a ttik a c a tu sta y a n v ita k a p a la p a h ca k a b h u sita m ity a rth ah .
iv e ia sth ip a ttik a y u k ta k a p a ld p a n c a io b h ita m iti tan tra cu d a m a n a u . T h e follow ing line tro m th e
M a n tra c u d S m a n i is q u o te d in JS ra b h a ktisu d h a rn a v a , p. 200.18: vic itra sth im d la tn la la te ka ra la m
ka p d la m ca p a h ca n v ita m d h a r a y a n tm iti H- , a , ^ _ <■ d
^ ^ T h e q u o te is fro m th e T a ra ra h a s y a v rttik d /° va rtik a by S am k ara A g am acary a o t Bengal,
w ritten b efore 1630. F o r th is date, cf. G o u d ria a n in G o u d ria a n a n d G u p ta (1981: 153).
” F o r th is d ate , cf. M eisig (1988: 12). o j m,
A sim ilar sto ry ap p ears in th e B ra h m a y a m a la (cf. W oodrolfe, 1927: 1 27-8 a n a B h arati,
1955: 69 -7 0 ).
T H E G OD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A .) 477
and is initiated in the ku la path. A lthough the w ord cinacara is n o t used here,
references to it appear elsewhere in the text.^®
A place nam ed Vasisthasram a, Vasistha’s herm itage, where it is claimed
th at Vasistha perform ed austerities, is located abo u t 10 miles east of
Gauhati/Assam.^® According to another tradition, Vasistha, after meeting the
Buddha in Q n a , had a vision o f T ara in T arapith and m ade his residence
there.^^ T arapith (previously C handipur), a village in Bhirbhum district,
c. 290 miles n o rth o f C alcutta, claims the status o f one o f the 51 ‘ seats of
sa k ti’ (saktipTtha). S atl’s eye is said to have dropped here. A nother ‘ s e a t’
ipTtha) o f the goddess U gra-T ara is her tem ple on the banks o f the Sugandha
(Sunandana) river in the village Sikarpur, 13 miles n o rth o f Barisal, Bakarganj
district. West Bengal.^® It is said th a t S atl’s nose dropped dow n here.
Representations o f the goddess in painting and sculpture give further evidence
o f the goddess’s popularity in northern India, N epal and Tibet.
1. Icon s fr o m the Punjab
U gra-Tara was a goddess popular in the Punjab Hills, as appears from
PahadI paintings in which she is often included in the group o f goddesses
called the M ahavidyas.“° The illustrations which came to m y notice date from
the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries:
1.1. painting o f the goddess from G uler (c. 1745-60), first published in
Lentz (1986, no. 5);
1.2. PahadI painting o f U gra-Tara, preserved in the N ational M useum
Delhi 82.463 (Ajit M ookerjee Collection) (cf. fig. 3);
1.3. painting'show ing R aja P ratap C hand (1827-1864) o f L am bagraon
(K angra) worshipping the goddess. N ahan, c. 1850; published in A rcher (1973,
vol. ii: 331, no. 12; from the ancestral collection o f a Raj family, Sirmur,
N ahan); , , „ .
1.4. painting o f the M andi School, c. eighteenth century, labelled as Kali,
published in M ookerjee (1988: 107); _ . i n
1.5. painting from the series o f M ahavidyas by the poet-painter M ola Ram
(1760-1833) o f Srinagar/G arhw al, showing M ola R am worshipping Tara,
Garhwal, dated 1811; preserved in the B harat K ala Bhavan, Varanasi,
no. 113129 (cf. fig. 4).
Illustrations 1.1-1.3 are very similar in detail and style and show the
following distribution o f attributes, which agrees w ith the description in the
Buddhist sadhanas and the P h T , right, sword, pair o f scissors; left, lotus,
skull cup. j . ,
The goddess is ornam ented by a snake on her head and is shown standing
on the body o f Siva. The scenery is a burning ground with jackals. Painting 1.4
shows, the attributes, right: lotus, skull cup; left: sword, knife (?). The goddess
has a snake on her head and is standing on two corpses (possibly the body of
M ahakala th a t rests in tu rn on th a t o f Niskala-Siva).
3=cf. 16.25a, 6 4 .5 5 -6 5 a n d 64.113.
cf. K a k a ti (1984: 32, 34).
” c f M o rin is (1984: 166-7). k i /i r'
i c f B h attasali (1929: 2 0 5 -6 a n d p late L X X I (a)); a n d B ak arg an j G azetteer, 161 (J. C. Jack,
1918. B engal D istric t G azetteers, B ak arg an j. C alcu tta: B engal S ecretariat B o o k D ep o t).
^®cf K aly an 31 ( = rirt/idrik). (1957: 189.) y _
^ M u n d a m a ld ta n tra , p a r t 1, 6 .1 5 2cd-154ab lists th e te n M ah av id y a goddesses as K ali, T ara,
S o d aS , BhuvanesvarT, B hairavi, C h in n am asta, D h u m av ati, B agala, M atah g i a n d K am ala trm ka.
478 G UD RU N BUHNEM ANN
Painting 1.5 shows U gra-Tara bearing on her head A ksobhya, who sits on
a snake. The distribution o f attributes is as in 1.1-1.3, except th a t the attributes
in the left hands are interchanged. The goddess is shown w ith fangs and a
lolling tongue. The rather peculiar kneeling pose o f the goddess is probably
due to the influence o f the painting o f K ali in the M ahavidya series by
M ola Ram .
2. Ico ns fr o m N ep a l
The following six representations from N epal all show the same distribution
o f attributes as in 1.1-1.3. The cutter {kartri/kartrT, ka rtrika , ka rta ri) appears
as a kind o f dagger with a diam ond sceptre on it^ handle, in contrast to its
representation as a pair o f scissors in the paintings from the Punjab Hills. In
m odern Indian languages, such as H in di and M arathi, the w ord is also under­
stood as a pair o f scissors.
2.1. M a n da la o f U gra-T ara (cf. flg. 1) from a book o f pictures dated 1765.
Since the rem aining images show H indu deities, one would assume the H indu
U gra-T ara to be shown. The surrounding deities in the m andala, however, do
not correspond to those prescribed by the H indu Tantras. U gra-Tara, with
A ksobhya on her head, stands on a corpse in the pericarp o f a lotus on a
dow nw ard pointing triangle inside an eight-petalled lotus. The surrounding
deities on the lotus petals are the fo ur Tathagatas in the four cardinal directions:
Vairocana (W), A m oghasiddhi (N), R atnasam bhava (E) and A m itabha (S).
Their consorts (prajnd) in the interm ediate directions are P andurl (for:
Pandara) (NW ), T ara (NE), M am akI (SE) and probably L ocana (no
inscription) (SW). It is peculiar th a t V airocana’s consort is Pandura, who is
usually assigned to A m itabha. The directional guardians on the periphery are
V aruna (Western gate), Vayu (NW ), K ubera (N orthern gate), Isana (NE),
In d ra (Eastern gate), Agni (SE), Yam a (Southern gate) and N airrtya (SW);
the zenith {Urdhvd) is indicated between SW and W and the nadir (adhah) ,
between N E and E. The colours o f the directions are white (W), green (N),
yellow (E) and red (S);
2.2. the H indu U gra-Tara, eighteenth century, paper, Los Angeles County
M useum o f A rt, no. M. 81.206.8 (gift o f D r. and M rs. R obert S. Coles); first
published in Pal (1985: 266, P 33); figures o f small snakes are visible on the
head. The goddess stands over a dead body on the funeral pyre;
2.3. a sketch o f M ahacina-T ara from the painter’s m odel book, first pub­
lished in B hattacharyya (1958, pi. X X V II (a); the figure o f A ksobhya is absent);
2.4. line draw ing o f M ahacIna-T ara w ith A ksobhya on her head, first
published in B hattacharyya (1958, pi. X X V II (b); cf. fig. 2);
2.5. line drawing o f M ahacinakram a-T ara from a painter’s model book;
first published in C handra (1984, pi. 17; details o f the goddess’s top k n o t are
unclear);
2.6. copper statue labelled as M ahacina-Tara, fifteenth century, Galerie
M arco Polo, Paris, first published in Schroeder (1981, no. 99 E). The goddess
stands on a dead body on a ya n tra consisting o f a triangle inside a lotus.
Details o f her crow n are unclear, as is the attrib ute (lotus?) held in her upper
left hand.
B hattacharyya (1958: 76) and B harati (1965: 60-61) inform us th a t the
T H E G OD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A ) 479
VajrayoginI tem ple at Sam khu in N epal contains a statue o f Ugra-Tara.'*^ It
seems, however, th a t it is a tw o-arm ed benevolent statue holding a sword and
a lotus.''^
3. Icon in the T ibetan tradition
A line draw ing o f M ahacina-Tara is preserved in the m anuscript entitled
Z h u f o p u sa sheng xia n g zan, ascribed to an unnam ed Z hang Jia H utu ktu,
preserved in the N ational Library o f China, Beijing and published by Clark
(1937, II, no. 229). The m anuscript illustrates B uddhist deities based on Tibetan
sources. The goddess is surrounded by a halo o f fire and crushes a figure under
her left foot. The attribute in the upper left hand, if any, is unclear and the
figure o f A ksobhya is missing.
4. Ico n fr o m W est Ben gal
A sculpture o f the H indu U gra-Tara from the village Sikarpur was pub­
lished in B hattasali (1929, pi. LX X I (a)). It shows five m iniature images above
the goddess’s head. According to B hattasali they are rem iniscent o f the five
T athagatas and represent Siva (centre), B rahm a (to the right), K artikeya and
G anesa (to the left). The rem aining figure m ay be th a t o f Visnu. Except for
the sword, the attributes cannot be seen clearly from the photograph.
5. Ico n fr o m Am aravatTfAndhra Pradesh
A sculpture o f the B uddhist goddess in limestome m easuring 13" x 7" x 3"
was found in A m aravatl and published by M urthy (1989, pi. 5 (2)). The
attributes agree w ith those in 1.1-1.3, b u t details o f the crown are not clear.
Conclusion _
In this article I have provided com pelling evidence th a t SaW atavajra’s
sddhana o f M ah acln ak ram a -T ara^ g ra-T ara (eleventh century) was alm ost
completely incorporated in the H indu P hetka rim ta n tra (thirteenth century?),
including n o t only the iconographical description o f the goddess but also the
typically Buddhist Tantric visualization pattern. The goddess’s description was
adopted by a large num ber o f H indu texts from the P h T s, version. The H indu
tradition retained the description o f A ksobhya on the goddess’s head but
interpreted him as Siva, who was said to adorn the goddess’s head in the form
o f a snake. The dead body on which U gra-T ara is standing was interpreted as
Siva’s body in m any paintings. The bone ornam ents (pancam udra) o f the
goddess were interpreted as a garland o f five skulls on her forehead by some
authorities. W hile the B uddhist sddhanas do n o t refer to special worship
practices o f the left-hand Tantric tradition, the H indu tradition includes the
goddess am ong the deities worshipped with some o f the m a karas, m eat, fish
and enjoym ent o f women, and enjoins th a t the practitioner perform the prac­
tices sitting on a corpse. T hrough the nam e M ahacina, Tara is linked w ith the
practice (dcdra) o f M ahacina, which is described as using wine, m eat and
women and is said to have been introduced to India by Vasistha, who received
the transm ission from V isnu in the form o f B uddha in M ahacina.
cf. also S. L ien h ard : ‘ R eligio nssynkretism us in N ep a l in H . B echert (ed.), B u d d h ism in
C eylo n a n d stu d ies o n relig io u s syn cr e tism in B u d d h ist cou ntries: S y m p o sien zu r
B u dd h ism u sfo rsch u n g . I. R e p o r t o n a S y m p o siu m in G o ttin g en (G S ttingen: V andenhoeck u n d
R u p re ch t, 1978), 1 46-77, 167. i-o-n n - t.
cf. Z an en , M .: ‘ T h e G o d d ess V ajrayoginI a n d th e K in g d o m o f S an k h u (N ep al) , P u ru sa rth a ,
10 (Paris; C en tre d*Etudes de IT nde et de I’Asie d u S ud, 1986), 125—66, esp. 127—8, 155. Cf. also
th e discussion o f th e im age in Slusser (1982, ii, 331 a n d illu stratio n 199).
480 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN
The im portance o f the case o f M ahaclnakram a-Tara lies in the fact th a t
we can gain a clear understanding o f the adaptation process o f a goddess from
a Buddhist Tantric text into a H indu Tantra. F urth er com parative study o f
Buddhist and H indu Tantric texts m ay elucidate similar processes in the case
o f other deities shared by b o th the B uddhist and H indu pantheons.
T e x t a nd translation o f the sadhanas o f M ahdcTnakram a-Tard
The following presents the newly edited texts and translations o f the
two B uddhist sadhanas o f M ahaclnakram a-Tara. The passages in the
P h etkdrin ita ntra (P h T ) which correspond to the second sadhana are printed on
opposite pages. They are reproduced from the printed edition, which refers to
readings in m anuscripts as K h a and G ha.
The edition is based on B hattacharyya’s (Bh) Sddhanam dld, which refers
to m anuscript readings as A, C and N . In addition I have used the m anuscripts
o f the *Sad ha na sa ta ka (S S ) and * Sadhanasatapahcasika { S S P f^ published in
Buhnem ann (1994) and the following manuscripts:''^'
B 1 (VTrapustakalaya 1966) N ational Archives, K athm andu, no. 3-387,
fols. 79b.6-81a.4
B 2 (VTrapustakalaya 1966) N ational Archives, K athm andu, no. 3-603,
fols. 73b.l0-75a.9. This m anuscript is very faulty; it was used in p art
by B hattacharyya (labelled as N a); cf. S M , preface, vol. i, xiiif.
K K yoto University L ibrary no. 119 (Goshim a/Noguchi, 1983),
fols. 135a. 1 -1 36b.6
M 1 University o f Tokyo Library no. 451 (M atsunam i, 1965),
fols. 78a.3-79a.6
M 2 University o f Tokyo Library n o . 452 (M atsunam i, 1965),
fols. 54b.9-55b.5
M 3 University o f Tokyo Library no. 453 (M atsunam i, 1965),
fols. 78 b .l-7 9 b .6
T 1 T akaoka Collection no. CA 26 (Takaoka, 1981), fols. 94b.6-95b.7
T 2 Takaoka Collection no. K A 30 (Takaoka, 1981), fols. 95a.3-96b.4
Obvious scribal errors have usually not been noted.
The available T ibetan translations have also been consulted, b u t their
readings were included in the apparatus only in exceptional cases. F or reasons
o f space the five T ibetan translations have n o t been edited here.
In my edition I have used the anusvara instead o f the m ore correct anundsika
in the m a ntra s for reasons o f printing. I have em ended the spelling o f the
syllable hum in B hattacharyya’s edition to the m ore correct hurn, which agrees
with the analysis o f the m an tra in the text itself I have chosen the reading tdrn
(T ara’s seed syllable) over B hattacharyya’s reading tdrn. The m etre in thie
second sddhana is defective in m any places; no attem pt was m ade to rectify this.
I have attem pted, in the following translations, to render the Sanskrit texts
as faithfully as possible. The iconographical description extracted from the
second sddhana had earlier been translated by Foucher (1905: 76-7).
The first sddhana presupposes a knowledge o f the practices on the p art of
the reader, and the m ental creation o f the goddess by the yog in, her physical
''^ T h e m an u scrip t o f th e * S d d h a n a sa ta p a n c d ^ikd w as p a rtly u sed by B h attach ary y a an d
referred to as m an u sc rip t B in his edition.
I w ish to th a n k M s. R . S ak u m a, N ag o y a, fo r pro v id in g copies o f th e relevant m an u scrip t
sections.
T H E GOD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A .) 481
characteristics and the yo gin 's repetition o f the m an tra are described in a very
concise m anner. The second sddhana is slightly m ore elaborate. It consists of
the following parts:
— description o f the goddess in the form o f a dhydna verse (1)
— introductory verse (2)
— suitable places for the sddhana (3)
— suitable seats for the sddhaka (4)
— the process o f m ental creation o f the goddess (5-14), including the
description o f the goddess’s characteristics (10-14)
— the repetition o f her m antra (15-20), including the extraction (uddhara)
o f the letters o f her m an tra from the alphabet (16-19)
— beneficial results o f the repetition o f the mantra: poetic skills and
eloquence (21) ^
— concluding verses (22-2).
The m ental creation o f the goddess is described as follows: The yogin
1. visualizes three diam ond sceptres {vajra) pervading the triple states o f exist­
ence with their rays perform ing the benefit o f beings;
2. he w ithdraws the rays and contem plates emptiness (sunyatd), reciting the
m an tra otn sunyatdjhdnavajrasvabhdvdtm ako ’ham (Orn I am o f the nature
o f the diam ond-like knowledge o f emptiness);
3. he visualizes th e red syllable dh‘^^ in the sky, which transform s into a
red lotus;
4. the white syllable tdrn''® appears on top o f the lotus and transform s into a
skull cup;
5. in its centre, on a sun, the dark seed syllable hiirn appears;
6. it transform s In to a cutter adorned with the seed syllable hiirn;
1. the cutter transform s into the yo g in who identifies with M ahaclnakram a-
Tara.
The goddess’s m an tra is given as orn hrirn trJrn hurn phat. The H indu
tradition has preserved the variant strTrn for trirn. The same m antra is employed
for E kajata, who shares m any iconographical characteristics with
M ahaclnakram a-Tara, as appears from the sddhanas in S M 125 to 127.
B hattacharyya’s edition o f the S M occasionally omits the syllable orn. The
above m an tra is term ed the ‘r o o t’ (m ula) m antra o f E kajata in S M 123,
p. 258.19, while the same m antra appended with the syllables hiirn svdhd is
term ed her ‘ heart ’ (hrdaya) m antra. The upahrdaya m a ntra is said to be the
‘ ro o t ’ m an tra w ithout the final phat. The m antra is said to grant eloquence
and turn the yog in into a great poet. This m ust be the effect o f the seed
syllable hrirn contained in it, which, according to the passage S M p. 269.24,
produces similar results when recited by itself. According to Sriharsa’s
NaisadhTyacarita 14.88-9 the syllable hrirn is considered as representing Siva’s
ArdhanarTsvara form ; when repeated it grants similar results.''^
T h e v aria n ts ah a n d a a re also preserved by th e texts.
I have chosen th e read in g tdrn over th e read in g tdrn in th e ed itio n o f th e tw o sd dh a na s, since
tdrn is co m m only th e seed syllable {bJja) o f Tara.
cf. N a isa d h a c a rita o f SrTharsa, (tr.) K . K . H an d iq u i (P oona: D eccan College, 1964), 215 an d
580 (s.v. cin id m a n im a n tra ). I w ish to th a n k T . C. C ah ill fo r p ro v id in g th is reference.
 T H E G OD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A ) 483
482 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN

Fig. 1: (B uddhist?) M a n d a la o f U g ra -T a ra fro m a b o o k o f p ictures otherw ise co n tain in g H in d u

im ages Si'ad y w itr a s , o f N ep al, d a te d 1765. G o u ach e o n p ap er. 37 x 37 cm . P reserved in th e B h ara t
K a la B h av an , V aranasi, n o. 10054. P h o to g ra p h ed by th e A m erican In stitu te o f In d ian Studies,
R am n ag ar/V aran asi, n o . 3 -4 6 .
Fig. 2: M ah acT natara (B u d d h ist), first pub lish ed in B h atta ch a ry y a (1958), p late X X V II (b).
 T H E G OD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A ) 485
484 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN '

I
I

Fig. 4: P o et-p ain ter M o la R a m w orsh ip p in g T ara. F ro m a series o f pain tin g s o f th e M ahavidyas
by M o la R am , G arh w al, d a te d 1811, preserved in th e B h a ra t K a la B havan, V aranasi, n o . 113129.

M ahacTnakram aryatarasddhana (1)

{*Sddhanasatapancdsika 54 (73a.2-73b.2), P T T 4020,
Sd dh anam dld/Sddhanasam uccaya 100, P T T 4315)

purvoktavidh dn ena sun ya td b hd m n dn a ntara m rakta-dhkdrajaraktapadm opari'^^

sitatdm kdrajapadm abhdjane‘^^ suryasthanilahum kdrajasabTjakartriparindmena^^
krsndm^^ dryatdrd bh attdrikdm caturbhuJaikamukhTm trinetrdm kharvalam bo-
darim^^ dam strdkardlavadandm pratydlTdhapadena^^ savdrudhdtn^* ndgdstaka-
bhusandm vydghracarm avasandm^^ a va la m b a m d n a m u n ^m d ld m pancam udrd-
vibhusitdm khad ga kartridh drida ksin akardm utpalakapdladhdrivdm akardm sd-
ksobhyandthapingalajatdjutdm ^^ atighordttahdsabhJm arupdm nispddya om hrim
hum p h a t iti^^ m antram ^^ visa ya pra jhd dh ikdrena ^ ja p e t /
niram sum dlikdm d hyd tvd khadgasthdne vicaksanah /
sphuratsam hdrayogena sam japen m antra m u tta m a m //
iti m ahdcm akram dryatdrdsddhanam ^^ //

48 p j j 4 0 2 0 °ah ka ra °, B 2, K , T 2 ° a k a r a \ B 1, Bh, SSP °ta m °.

A k a rtta ° , K 1, M 1, 2 k a r tti° . A, N kr s ta m .
E m en d atio n ° n m w ith th e tex t o f th e second sa d ha n a: B 1, 2, B h, K , M 1, 2, 3, S S P ,
Fig. 3: U g ra-T ara, P ah ad I p aintin g, eig hteenth cdhtury (?), D elh i N a tio n a l M useum 82.463 (A jit T 1, 2, °ram .
M o o k erjee C ollection). B 1, 2, K , M 1, 2, 3, T 2 °p ad a. A , N °p ad a m . ^4^,^ paH casava°.
S S P , T 2 ° c a r m a n i° . ' ^ ^ A ° ju tT .
3’ S uggested a d d itio n in acco rd an ce w ith th e m a n tr a given in th e second sa dh an a.
3® N aM (. , 1 , 2 m a n tra .
60 P T T 4020, S S P visap ra°, P T T 4315 pra ]ha °\ A °kd ra m , B 1, 2, M 1, 2, 3, N , T 1, 2 °kare,
K °kara^.
S S P °kr a m a ta rd °.
 486 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN ■
T H E G O D D E S S M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A ) 487
M a ha cinakram atarasadhana (2) P h etkd rim tan tra {PhT) 11.9-42
(^*Sddhanasataka 65, fols. 31b.2-32a.4, P r r 4194; *Sadhanasatapancasika 55,
fols. 73b.2-75a.2, P T T 4021-4022, Sa dh anam ala/Sddhanasam uccaya 101, P T T
4316)
p ra tyaM ha p ad a rp itd ng hrisava hrd ghordttahasd^^ p a ra
pratyalrdhapaddrpitdnghrisavahrdghordttahdsd p a ra
khadgendivarakartrikharparabhujd^^' hum kdrabijodbhavd /
khadgendivarakartrkharparabhujd hum kdrabijodbhavd /
kharva nilavisalapingalajatdjutograndgair y u td
kharva nilaviM ap ihg alajatdjutogran dg air y u td
jd j.ya m n ya sya ka p d la k e tr ija g a td m ^ h a n ty ugratdrd svayam // 1®^
jdd yarn n ya sya ka pd la ke trijagatdm h a n ty ugratdrd svayam // 9
mahacTnakramdrn n a tvd tardm trib ha vatafim m /
m ahdcinakram drn n a tvd tdrdm tribhavatdrim m // lOcd
tatsadhanam aharn va ksye y a th d gurupadesatah // 2
tatsddhanavidhirn vaksye m a m a sdrvajnyasddhanam '''’ / l l a b
ekalinge sm asdne va sunydgdre ca sarvada /
ekalinge sm asdne ca sunydgdre catuspathe /
tatrasthah sa d h ayed yo g i vidyam tribhavam oksanlm ^^ // 3
tatrasthah sddh a yed yo g i tdrdm tribhavatdrim m // 24
m rdum asurakam ^'' dsino ’n yesu kom alesu va®®’/ ’
m rducudakam dsm o ’p y anyesu ko m a le ’p i vd /
vistaresu sam dsritya sd d h a yet siddhim u tta m d m // 4
vistaresu sa m dsritya sd d ha yet siddhim u tta m d m // 26
jh a tity d kdrayogena trivajrarn susam dhitah /
trisu sthdnesu tarn dh ya tva rasmirn visphdrayet tatah // 5
tribhavacarinah sattvdn avabhdsydnayet p un ah /
sarnhdre ca p u n a r dh ya yd c chunyam visvam sa m an tatah // 6
tatah
............ m nyarn visvam vicintayet // 27b
p a th e j jin am a ntra karn om sunyatadisvabhavakam /
antarJkse^^ tato d h yd y d d ahkarad'^'^ ra ktap ah kajam // 7
antarikse tato d h yd yed d h kd rdd rakta p ah ka jam /

b huyas tasyopart d h y d yd t td tn k a r d f^ p ad m abhajanam /

bhuyas tasyopari d h yd yet td m kd rd t svetapahkajam // 28
ta sya rnadhye p u n a r d h y d yd t hurnkdrarn nilasam nibham // 8
tasyopari p u n ar ^ y d y e d ikdrartf^ m lasam nibham /
tato hurnkarajdrn’^ p a s y e t kartrikdrn bijabhusitdm /
tato h u{rn)kd rajarn p a s y e t ka rtrkd m bijabhusitdm // 29
kartrip arin atam d h yd yd d dtm dnarn tdrim sam am // 9
ka rtrko p a ri td m d h yd ye d dtmdnarn td rinim a yam /
pratydlTdhapaddrn gh ordm m undam dldpralam bitdm /
praydtidhapaddrn ghordrn m undam dldvibhusitdm // 30
kh a rva la m b o da rim ’^ bhim a m njlanirajardjitdm ’^^ // 10 kharvdm lambodarirn b h im d rn ....... /3 1 a
tryam b a ka ika m u kh d m divyarn ghordttahdsabhdsurdm /
suprahrstdrn’^ savdrudhdrn’^ nd gdstakavibhusitdm // 11

A g h o ra h rs ta ca, T 1 g h o ra h rs ta ha sa.
w ith P h T ((d. also P l 'T 4316: th o d p a p h y a g b sn a m s), since this rea d in g accounts
fo r th e fo u rth attrib u te : ka rtrik a rp ita b h u ja B 1, 2, B h, K , M 1, 2 3 S k S S P T 1 2
““ A, M 1,,3 ’ > > •
M etre: SardulavikrTd ita.
M 1, 3, S S P °m o k sim m .
. . ot °m a cd ld ka m , S S P °m a c u la ka sa m (o ne a d d itio n al syllable), suggested em enda-
LlC/ll*
S S ca.
B h °ksa m . -
™ A , K , > i 1, 3, T 1, 2 a k a ”, P T T 4194 a k a ”, SSP a m k d ”.
B h, S S , S ^ P tarn”.
B h, S ^ , S S P '”jd m .
"’ B 1, 2, Bh, K , M 1, 3, T 1 ”a m .
^ K n ila n ila h ja sa m n ib h a m .
A p ra h r std n g e . '
A ca ru dd a m . 78 E m en d ed w ith P h T 11.39b m a m a sa rv a jn ya k a ra n a m : P h T s a r v a jh a ”-, K h a , G h a ”sa d h a k a m
Suggested em en d a tio n w ith sa d h a n a 2, 8d: h u m ka ra m .
488 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN
rakta vartulanetra m ca vyaghracarmdvrtdrrP^ ka ta u^’^ /
navayauvanasam panndm pan cam udrdvibhusitdm // 12
lalajjihvdm m ahdbhim dm sadamstrotkatabhTsandnfi^ /
kh ad g akartrikardm savye vdm otpalakapdladhdm ^^ // 13
p ingo graika jatdm dh yd yd n m auldv aksobh ya bh usitdm /
bhdvandbalanispattau^^ bhaved yo g i m ahdkavih // 14
ja d o ’p i ya d i m urkha h sy d d bhdvandrasatatparah /
labhate m a n ju vd n m ^’* tu la ksa m a ntrasya jd p a ta h // 15
tryaksaro^^ 'sau m ahdm antrah p ha tkdrdntp^^ hrdi sth itah /
pa n ca rasm isam dyukto a jm nend ha na ddh akah // \6
tasyoddhdravidhitpP’’ va ksye yo g d cd rdn u sd rata lf^ /
p ra th a m a m saparam^^ d a ttv d caturthasvarabhusitam // 17
rephdrudham sphu rad dip ta m indubindusam anvitam /
tram kdram ^^ ca tato d a dydt caturthenaiva bhusitam // 18
d irgho kd m sa m d yukta m ^^ ham kdram ^^ yo ja yet pu na h /
phatkdratpP^ ca tato d a d yd t sam purnam siddham antrakam ^^ jj 19
niram sum dlikdm d h yd tvd khadgasthdne vicaksanah /
sphuratsam hdrayogena sa m ja pet m a ntra m u tta m a m // 20
ka lp a yet sthiracittena p an d ito ’ham m ahdkavih /
ajasrabhdvandbhydsdd b h avaty eva na sam sayah // 21
tdrdydh sddhanam k rtv d y a n m ayopacitam ^^ subham /
bhavantu prd nina s tena p a n d itd jina sdsane // 22
krtih sdsvatavajrasya seyam medhdprasddhani /
agddhdh p a n d it^ ^ atra^^ ksa n tu m arha nti sddhavah // 23
m ahdcm akram atdrdsddhanam ^^ sam dp tam //
A , B 1, 2, K , M 1, 2, 3, S & P , T 1 °vrta , N °vrta.
A ka rjri, B 1, _2, K , M 2, 3, N , S S P i T 1 k a tim , M 1, 2 k a li,
m u kh a m .
S S , S S P °d h aram (o ne a d d itio n al syllable).
Bh, M 1, 3 °nac'alani°.
A °varn am .
A, M 1, i , T 1 a k s a \ _ _
B h h u m ka ", C h w n k a ra n ta , S S P p h a tk a r a n ta m .
B h ta sy a dva ra vid him .
K yo g a ta n tra n u ° .
B h h a p a ra m . A , N , C ?nam p a ra m , S S P m a sa ra m .
^C um °. _ ' ' ' ' 100 pqj. p a d m a b h a ja n a = skull, cf. H e va jra ta n tra II.3.58 a n d p arallel passages, such as S M ,
B h d irg h a ka ra m sa°.
B h h u m kd ra m .
B h, T 1 h a m ka ra m .
S S P s i d d h i\
A , N m a m a °.
S ^ °tas.
S S ta tra .
B 2, M 2 iti M m a h a ° .
T H E G OD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A ) 489
......... vydghracarm dvrttdm ka ta u //3 1 b
navayauvanasam panndm pancam udrdvibhusitdm // 31cd
caturbhujdm lalajjihvdrn bhim arupdm varapraddm Jj 32cd
khad gakartrdhardm pakse^^ vdm otpalakapdlim m /
pihgograikajatdrn d h yd yed m auldv aksobh yab hu sitdm // 33
bhdvandrasasam panno bhaved yo g i m ahdkavih // 36cd
ja d o ’p i y a d i m urkha h syd d bhdvandvasatatparah /
labhate ’bhim atdrn vdm m m an trasya laksajdpatah // 37
tryaksaro ’yarn p ia h dm an tra h p h a tkd rd n to hrdi sth itah /
pa ncara sm isa m d yu kto ’p y ajndnendhanaddhakah // 38
tasyoddhdravidhirn va ksye m a m a sdrvajnyakdranam /
pratham arn sapararn d a ttvd caturthasvarabhusitam // 39
rephdrudham sphu rad diptam indubinduvibhusitam /
strrnkdrarn ca tato d ad ydt caturthasvarabhusitam // 40
d irgho kdrasam d yuktam ham kdrarn yo ja yet tatah / 41ab
phatkdrarn tu tato d a dydt sam purnam siddh im an trakam // 41
ka lp a yet sth iracittena pa n dito ’harn m a ha ka vih /
ajasrabhdvandbhydsdd bhaved devo na satnsayah // 42
The sadhana o f th e noble Tdrd according to the tradition o f M ahdcina (1)
A fter the m editation on emptiness according to the previously prescribed
procedure, having visualized the dark noble m istress Tara on a red lotus, which
arises from the red syllable dh; in the ‘ lotus vessel’ ( = skull),^°° which arises
from the white syllable tdirv, from the transform ation o f the cutter, which is
accom panied by the seed syllable Qiurn),^°^ which arises from the dark syllable
hurn resting on the sun (which in tu rn rests in the lotus vessel),
(Tara,) four-arm ed (and) with one head, who has three eyes, is dwarfish and
big-bellied, whose face is terrible because o f fangs, who has m ounted a dead
body with the p ra tyd lid ha stance, has the eight snakes as ornam ents, is clothed
in a tiger-skin, has a garland o f (severed) heads hanging dow n (from her neck),
is adorned w ith the five (bone) ornam ents, holds with the right hands the
sword and cutter, holds w ith the left hands the blue lotus and skull, has a
mass o f tawny-colourdd m atted h air with the leader A ksobhya (and) has a
terrible form with extremely frightening, loud laughter,
one should repeat the m antra orn hrirn hurn p h a t with reference
to the understanding o f the objects (?) {visayaprajnddhikdrena)}°^
S uggested em en d a tio n w ith sa d h a n a 2, 13c: sa v ye or: d a kse.
p. 260.12, w here ka p a la is m entio ned.
Verse 1 o f sa d h a n a 2, states th a t T ara arises fro m th e syllable h u m .
T h e second sa d h a n a includes tr im as p a rt o f th e m a n tra , w hich is ab sen t fro m B h an d S S P \
cf. also S M 127 (p . 266.14).
^°^T he m ean in g o f th e com porm d vis a y a p ra jh a d h ika ren a is unclear. P T T 4315 om its vlsa ya
alto g eth er, w hile P T T 4020 read s visa° — poison, w hich is m eaningless here. T h e read in g m a ntravi-
sa ya p ra jh a d h ika re in M 1, 3 yields th e m eaning: w ith referen ce to th e in sig ht in to th e topic
o f m a n tra .
490 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN . T H E G OD DESS M A H A C IN A K R A M A -T A R A (U G R A -T A R A )
‘ The wise (man), having m editated on the rosary o f bones^®"' in the place
o f the sword, should repeat the best m an tra w ith the em itting and withdraw al
y o g a .’^^^
Thus (ends) the sadhana o f the noble T ara according to the tradition o f
M ahaclna.
The sadhana o f Tara in the tradition o f MahdcTna (2)
(1) U gra-T ara destroys the stupidity o f the three worlds, having placed is conspicuously dreadful w ith (her) fangs, has a sword and cutter in the hands
(it) in the skull, she who has placed (her) foot in the pratyaU dha stance on the
heart o f a corpse,^®® who possesses frightening, loud laughter, she, the highest
one, who has the sword, blue lotus, cutter and skull placed in her hands, who
has arisen from the seed syllable hum , is short, dark, fat and has a mass o f
tawny-coloured m atted hair (and) is adorned with terrible snakes.
(2) Having bowed to T ara in the tradition o f M ahaclna, who saves from the
triple states (of existence), I shall describe her sadhana according to the pre­
ceptor’s instruction.
(3) In an ekalihga^°^ place or a burning ground o r in an em pty building the
yog in, at all times, staying in th a t (place) should perfect the vidyd ( = m antra),
which liberates from the triple states (of existence).
(4) Sitting on a soft cushion o r having resorted to other soft^°® seats, he would
accomplish the highest success.
(5) The very attentive {yogin), having visualized quickly three diam ond sceptres
in the three places^®® w ith the yo g a o f form {akdrayoga), should then em it a
light ray.
(6) Having pervaded the beings m oving in the triple states (of existence), he
should bring (the light ray) back and in the w ithdraw al {samhara) he should
again visualize everything as completely empty.
Then:
(7) He should recite the Jin a’s ( = B uddha’s) m antra, consisting o f (the words)
orn su nyatd, etc.“ ° T hen he should visualize a red lotus (transform ed) from
the syllable ah in the interm ediate region.
(8) Again, on top o f it he should visualize a ‘ lotus vessel ’ ( = skull) (trans­
form ed) from the syllable tdtn\ in its centre he should again visualize the dark
syllable hurn.
(9) T hen he should visualize a cutter adorned w ith the seed syllable (Jiu m ),
arisen from the syllable hunv, he should visualize him self as transform ed from
the cutter (and) identical with the Saviouress.
“’''A c c o rd in g to S M , p. 261.7 th e sw ord held by th e goddess is tran sfo rm ed in to a ro sary
(a ks a m a la ) d u rin g th e v isu alizatio n process. S M , p. 267.9 a n d 268.23 specify th a t th e a k sa m d ld is
m ad e o f b o n e (n ira m iu k a s a h itd a k sa m d ld ; n ira rn su kd ksa m d ld . F o r th e m ean in g n ir a m s u (k a ) = ,
b one, cf. H e v a jr a ta n tr a II.3 .56; a sth y d b h a ra n a m n ira m s u ka m .
In this p ractice, lig h t rays are em itted a n d w ith d rav m while reciting th e m a n tra . (T his is
ap p are n tly a q u o ta tio n . F o r th e first line, cf. also S M 127 (p . 266.15). T h e sam e verse ap p ears in
th e second sd d h a n a , 20.)
T h e co m p o u n d p ra tyd ttd h a p a d d rp itd n g h risa va h rd is g ram m atically irregular.
P ro b a b ly a lonely iso lated place. E k a lin g a is explained in T d rd b h a ktisu d h d rn a va ,
p. 139.30-140.1 as a place w here only o n e M g a (la n d m a rk o r sivaliA ga l) is fo u n d w ithin a n area
o f five kro sa s:
p a n c a k ro sd n ta re y a tr a n a liA g dn taram I k s ^ y ^ a te /
ta d eka liiig a m d k h y d ta m ta tra sid d h ir a n u tta m d //
T h is definition seem s a la te r in te rp re ta tio n th a t is in a p p ro p ria te here. F o r sim ilar occurrences o f
th e term eka lin g a , cf. G u h ya sa m d ja ta n tra 12.34ab; ca tu s p a th a ik a v rk se vd ek a lu ig e sivd la ye / an d
14.54: m d trg r h e sm a sd n e M nya veS M a n i ca tu s p a th e / ek a lih g a ik a vr ks e vd a b h icd ra m sa m d ra b h etl(,iy.
A cco rd in g to th e T a n tra sd ra , p. 266.1 4-18 (q u o tin g SrTkram a an d N T la tan tra) k o m a la refers
to th e corpse o f a child less th a n five years o f age. T h e H in d u tra d itio n specifies th a t th e
p ractitio n e r p erfo rm th e sd d h a n a sitting o n a corpse.
i.e., in th e trip le states o f existence m en tio n ed in verses 2 a n d 6.
’“ *The m a n tr a is: orn su n y a td jn d n a va jra sv a b h d v d tm a ko ’h a m (cf. e.g., S M , p. 193.11-12,
195.12). ‘ Orn I am o f th e n a tu re o f th e d iam o n d -lik e know ledge o f em ptin ess.’
491
(10-14) H e should visualize her in the pratyaU dha stance, frightening, having
a garland o f (severed) heads hanging dow n (from the neck), dwarfish, big-
bellied, terrible (and) adorned w ith a blue lotus. She has three eyes, one head,
is divine, terrible with frightening, loud laughter, is extremely excited, has
m ounted a dead body, is adorned w ith the eight snakes, has red round eyes
and a tiger-skin spread over (her) hips. She is endowed with fresh youth,
adorned w ith the five (bone) ornam ents, has a lolling tongue, is very terrible,
on the right (and) holds the blue lotus and skull in the left (hands). She has a
tawny-coloured, fierce, single to p k n o t (and) is adorned on the head with
A ksobhya. A t the com pletion (n ispa tti) o f the pow er o f the m editation the
yog in w ould become a great poet.^^^
(15) Even if he were a senseless fool, he who is entirely devoted to the essence
o f m editation, obtains an agreeable speech through the repetition o f a hundred
thousand mantras.^^^
(16) T h at three-syllabled great m antra, ending in p h a t, which stays in the heart
(of the goddess?), possessed o f ‘ the five light rays ’ (pahcarasm i = om)“ "' burns
the fuel o f nescience.
(17) I shall explain the procfedure o f extraction o f the {m antra from the alpha­
bet) in accordance with the practice o f spiritual discipline:^^® first, having
pronounced th a t (syllable) which follows sa (i.e., ha), adorned with the fourth
vowel ( = z),
(18) m ounted on ‘ r ’, shining, blazing, possessed o f the ‘m oon d o t’ {= a n u n d -
sikd), he should then pronounce the syllable trarn adorned w ith the same fourth
(vowel = r).
(19) A gain he should em ploy the syllable harn joined with the long letter u,
and then he should pronounce the syllable p ha t: The siddham antra is complete
( = <om> hrirn trim hurn p h a t).
(20) ‘ The wise (man), having m editated on the rosary o f bones in the place
o f the sword^^® while em itting (rays), should repeat the best m an tra with the
em itting and withdraw al yoga.
(21) H e should im agine with a firm m ind th a t he is a learned great poet. By
practice o f perpetual m editation he becomes (a poet) doubtlessly.
(22) W hatever m erit I have accm nulated, having com posed T ara’s sddhana,
m ay thereby beings become learned in the Jin a’s ( = B uddha’s) teaching.
(23) This is Sasvatavajra’s com position, which effects intelligence. M ay
kindhearted, profound scholars forgive (defects, if any) in this.
The sddhana o f Tara in the tradition o f M ahaclna iscomplete.
T h e verse l i e d is also fo u n d in S M , 123, p. 257.20.
T h e verse 14ab is also fo u n d in S M 123, p. 257.22 a n d 14cd in S M , 127, p. 266.17.
T h e verse 15cd is also fo u n d in S M 127, p. 266.18.
I tak e p a h c a ra sm i here to refer to th e syllable o m ; cf. M a n tra b h id h a n a , 5.6;
B h u ta d d m a ra ta n tro kta b ija b h id h d n a , p. 64.16; VarnabTjakosa, p. 26, p rin te d in A. A valon (ed.),
T a n trd b h id h d n a (D elhi: C ax to n , 1983 [repr.]). T h e syllable orn as p a rt o f th e T d rd m a n tr a is also
given in sd d h a n a 1. T S , p. 2 6 3 .2 3 -4 explains p a h c a ra s m i w ith va rn a p a h ca ka m (‘ fiv e-co lo u red ’).
T here are occasional references to five-co loured ray s in th e S M , cf. p. 254.21; 268.4 a n d 268.20;
how ever, th is m ean in g is less plausib le here. T h e P ra d ip o d yo ta n a co m m en tary on th e G u hyasam dja ,
2 18.19-20, explained p a n c a r a sm a ya h as five-coloured rays o f th e seed syllables ya-ra -la -va -h a ,
sym bolizing th e elem ents w ind, fire, e arth , w ater a n d ether. S rT vid yd rn avata ntra vol. 2, p. 262.20
explained r a im ip a h c a k a (ap p earin g in a q u o te fro m th e 'M a ts y a s u k ta ’) as varna p a h ca ka , in th e
case o f E k ajata, a n d as th e syllable orn, in th e case o f N B asarasvati. O in is also u n d ersto o d in
S rT vid yd rn avata ntra vol. 2, p. 263.10.
M an u scrip t K reads: acco rd in g to th e Y o g atan tras.
T h e sw o rd h eld in o n e o f th e g oddess’s h an d s is tran sfo rm e d in to a ro sary o f bones, c f
also S M , p. 261.7. c f also n. 104, above.
T h e ray s o f light are em itted a n d w ith d raw n by th e p ractitio n er. (T his is ap p aren tly a
q u o ta tio n . T h e sam e verse ap p ears in sd d h a n a 1. O nly th e first line ap p ears in S M , p. 266.15.)
 492 G U D RU N BUHNEM ANN
Fig. 5: U g ra-T a ra (H in du). L ith o g ra p h first pub lish ed in th e editio n o f th e M a n tra m a h o d a d h i by
R . P ra sa d a (L ucknow : S m a ra h im sa k a d a tta Press, 1872), ap p en d ix , f. 4a. T h e u p p e r rig h t h an d
h o ld s a trid e n t w ith a b a n n e r a tta ch ed to it a n d a p a ir o f scissors. T h e goddess is show n in a
sittin g p o sitio n o n a corpse, w hich in tu rn rests o n a lo tu s o n a b o at.
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