“Listen about the practice, as it really is, Of generating Nairātmyā and Heruka, One through which all wicked And violent beings will be tamed. {3.1.1}

“The transformations effected by the ḍāka and ḍākinīs— All of them I will explain to you. The vajra-holding Heruka, in his identity of Vajrasattva, Will bring on the vajra-like state. {3.1.2}

“One should assume a wild form in a raging ring of flames; It should be radiating all around. One should next visualize a garland of seed syllables In the center of a moon disk. {3.1.3}

“Then the vajra-holding Heruka, out of great passion, Melts down along with his consort (vidyā). Subsequently, the vidyās of the retinue exhort him, By offering various songs, to rise again. {3.1.4}

“Pukkasī:

“ ‘Arise, O lord! You are the essence of compassion! Please save me, Pukkasī. Abandon your void nature! Take me in union, O Great Bliss!’ {3.1.5}

“Śavarī:

“ ‘Without you I would die. Arise, Hevajra! Abandon the state of the empty nature! Fulfill the desires of Śavarī!’ {3.1.6}

Caṇḍālī:

“ ‘Invite the world, O lord of pleasure! Why do you remain in the void? I, Caṇḍālī, beseech you. Without you I have no direction.’ {3.1.7}

Ḍombī:

“ ‘Arise, O magician! May I know your mind! Since I, Ḍombī, am swooning, Do not interrupt your compassion!’ {3.1.8}

“The great Heruka arises then, in a fluid form, From the syllables aṁ and hūṁ, Spreading his feet on the ground And threatening the gods and demigods. {3.1.9}

“From the syllables of the lord’s pleasure consort {dga’ ma}— Hūṁ and aṁ —in a frightful blaze of blue, One should generate the goddesses of the retinue From their seed syllables gaṁ, caṁ, vaṁ, ghaṁ, puṁ, śaṁ, laṁ, and ḍaṁ. {3.1.10}

“In this circle of mothers, the blissful abode, One should visualize the lord as follows: He has eight faces, four legs, And is adorned with sixteen arms. {3.1.11}

“Standing astride the four Māras, And frightening even fear itself, He expresses the moods of sensuality, heroism, Disgust, fury, mirth, terror, {3.1.12}

“Compassion, wonder, and peace— The nine moods of dramaturgy. Wearing a skull-garland necklace, He stands on a sun disk and performs his wild tāṇḍava dance. {3.1.13}

“Black and frightening, He has a double vajra scepter fastened to the crown of his head. He emits the syllable hūṁ from his mouth And his body is smeared with ashes. {3.1.14}

“Joined with Nairātmyā, He is engaged in pleasurable union. Motionless, he is attaining bliss; Motionless, he dwells in his own nature. {3.1.15}

“His main face is black and smiling. His right one is the color of a jasmine blossom. His left face is red and very frightening, And his top face is terrifying with its bared fangs. {3.1.16}

“He has twenty-four eyes altogether, And his remaining faces are the color of bees. In his right hands he holds a vajra scepter, a sword, An arrow, a wheel, {3.1.17}

“A goblet, a staff, A trident, and a goad. In his left hands he has a bell and a lotus, And brandishes a bow and a khaṭvāṅga. {3.1.18}

“He also holds a skull cup, a jewel, And a noose, and displays a threatening gesture. He is surrounded by clouds of buddhas, Radiating different colored lights all around. {3.1.19}

“In this way, one should then follow the routine Of visualizing Gaurī, and so forth.

“Gaurī is white in color and is engaged In the act of drawing a bow and arrow. Her other implements are a skull cup full of blood And a knife with a vajra handle. {3.1.20}

“Caurī is red in color, And is known to hold a wheel, a goad, A skull cup, and a ḍamaru drum. One should visualize her as divinely beautiful. {3.1.21}

“Pramohā is black in color. She holds a skull cup, a goblet, A plowshare for turning up the earth, And in her right hand she brandishes a trident. {3.1.22}

“Vetalī is light yellow in color, With wine and water in two of her hands, And a sword and a skull cup in her other hands. One should visualize her with an alluring form. {3.1.23}

“Pukkasī is yellow in color. She holds a tendril of the wish-fulfilling tree, A skull bowl filled with meat, and a jewel. She displays a boon-granting mudrā. {3.1.24}

“Caṇḍālī is blue in color And holds a wind-cloth. In her other two hands she holds A skull cup and a white lotus. {3.1.25}

“Ghasmarī is yellowish green in color. She holds a vajra-fire pit and an axe in two of her hands, Has a skull cup filled with fat in her other left hand, And displays a gesture of granting fearlessness with her other right hand. {3.1.26}

“Śavarī is white in color, With a khaṭvāṅga, a skull cup, A vajra scepter, and a noose. One should visualize [these goddesses’] forms in all their diversity. {3.1.27}

“They each have a creature: Gaurī, a rohita fish; Caurī, a wild boar; Pramohā, a tortoise; Vetalī, a snake; Pukkasī, a lion; Caṇḍālī, a tiger; Ghasmarī, a jackal; and Śavarī, a bear. {3.1.28}

“They are in the eight skull cups, respectively, Of Gaurī, and so forth, in the right order. These goddesses are adorned with all kinds of jewelry And express the moods of sensuality, and so forth. {3.1.29}

“There are also the following goddesses: The horse-faced, the pig-faced, the dog-faced, and the lion-faced. All have four arms and four faces, And are adorned with serpent jewelry. {3.1.30}

“Also present are Vaṃśā, the flute goddess, Vīṇā, the lute goddess, Mukundā, the kettle-drum goddess, and Murajā, the tambourine goddess. They each have two arms, one face, And are adorned with all types of jewelry. {3.1.31}

“The faces—main, right, left—of the horse-faced goddess Are, respectively, black, white, and yellow, with the upper face being green. Those of the pig-faced goddess are—in the same order— Yellow, black, and white, with the upper face being red. {3.1.32}

“The faces of the dog-faced goddess Are red, black, and white, with the upper face being yellow. Those of the lion-faced goddess Are green, black, and white, with the upper face being the color of flames. {3.1.33}

“Each of the goddesses has blazing, upward-flowing hair And stands astride a corpse, her left leg extended and her right slightly bent. They all have three eyes and are to be visualized With faces expressing the moods of anger, sensuality, and mirth.” {3.1.34}

“Listen, Vajragarbha, O powerful king, About the practice of Jñānaḍākinī, Which is for those who abandon dualistic notions And gain the wisdom of phenomena as nondual. {3.2.1}

“One should recite the following formula of purification At the beginning of every practice three times:

“All phenomena are pure by nature; I am pure by nature. All phenomena have the pure nature of vajra; I have the pure nature of vajra. All phenomena have the pure nature of the union; I have the pure nature of the union. {3.2.2}

“Having thus recited, the practitioner Should meditate on the same. He should then commence the meditation proper In a place pleasing to the mind. {3.2.3}

“He should spread out a canopy, Hang fabrics of various colors from it, And hoist up streamers and banners. All around, throughout the ten directions, {3.2.4}

“He should strew various perfumes and flowers, And then form a maṇḍala of scented powders. There, through an instantaneous transformation, He should visualize his own form as the deity. {3.2.5}

“Thus visualizing himself as Jñānaḍākinī, The wise practitioner should first worship her with offerings. He should accordingly generate, According to proper procedure, an ocean of wisdom. {3.2.6}

“He should then visualize Mount Meru, With the four directions surrounding its peak having four different colors. Atop the peak is a golden palace, Bright and colorful with the seven types of jewels. {3.2.7}

“Around it are garlands of wind chime bells, Spread all around as desired. He should also visualize a lion throne In each of the five places. {3.2.8}

“Then, visualizing a sun disk Adorned with a white parasol, He should, with the exhalation of his breath, Project Jñānaḍākinī into its center. {3.2.9}

“She has three faces and six arms, And sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture. She is adorned with loose, disheveled hair And the five buddhas atop her head. {3.2.10}

“Blue in color, and with a terrifying form, She is bedecked with adornments made of snakes. Expressing the moods of mirth, anger, and sensuality, She has three eyes, and is divinely beautiful. {3.2.11}

“She is laughing loudly, baring her fangs, And beautiful in her red apparel. She holds up a khaṭvāṅga, And in her second hand, an axe. {3.2.12}

“In her third hand she has a vajra scepter. In her first left hand, she has a bell; In her second left hand, an alms bowl; And in her third, she holds a sword. {3.2.13}

“The wise practitioner should visualize her in the middle, Radiating manifold rays of light. To the east of Jñānaḍākinī, he should project, With his outgoing breath, Vajraḍākinī. {3.2.14}

“She is white and exquisite, Adorned with loose, disheveled hair, Bedecked with adornments made of snakes, And expressing the mood of sensuality. {3.2.15}

“She is bedecked with exquisite garments And adorned with two arms. He should visualize Vajraḍākinī Carrying a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic alms bowl. {3.2.16}

“To the north of Jñānaḍākinī, projected with his outgoing breath, He should visualize Ghoraḍākinī, With two arms, sitting in the sattvaparyaṅka posture, Resplendent with the color of molten gold. {3.2.17}

“She carries a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic alms bowl, Is adorned with loose, disheveled hair, And her limbs are adorned with ornaments made of snakes. Her figure is bedecked with exquisite garments.

“Thus should he visualize The goddess called Ghoraḍākinī. {3.2.18}

“To the west of Jñānaḍākinī He should project Vetalī. Again, she has two arms and sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture. She is blue in color and exquisite. {3.2.19}

“She holds a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic bowl, And is adorned with loose, disheveled hair. Snakes form her body ornaments, And exquisite clothes embellish her figure. {3.2.20}

“To the south of Jñānaḍākinī He should project the red Caṇḍālī, Who holds a khaṭvāṅga and a yogic bowl, And is adorned with loose, disheveled hair. {3.2.21}

“She has two arms, one face, And is adorned with different ornaments. The practitioner should thus visualize this pentad of goddesses, Himself endowed with perfect beauty and form. {3.2.22}

“In the northeast he should visualize The goddess Siṃhinī with the face of a lion. She is white and yellow, and stands with her right leg outstretched And the left slightly bent, on a pedestal fashioned from the lord of nāgas. {3.2.23}

“She holds a vajra goad and, in her other hand, a noose in a threatening gesture. She is nicely attired in exquisite garments. He should visualize her body radiating With a manifold blaze of light rays. {3.2.24}

“In the southeast there is the goddess called Vyāghrī On a supreme throne made of seven types of jewels. She has two arms, is blue and white in color, And is beautifully attired and adorned with jewelry. {3.2.25}

“She holds a blazing vajra goad and a noose, While forming a threatening gesture with her fingers. He should visualize her body radiant With a manifold blaze of light rays. {3.2.26}

“In the southwest there is the goddess Jambukī, Laughing loudly and inspiring fear. She is mounted on a buffalo. Her body is red and black in color. {3.2.27}

“Her body is attired with exquisite garments And she has two arms. Her implements are a noose held with a threatening gesture and a goad. She is adorned with ornaments made of snakes. {3.2.28}

“In the northwest there is the goddess Ulūkā, Yellow and red in color. She sits on a snake throne And snakes, too, should be visualized as her ornaments. {3.2.29}

“She has two arms and sits in the sattvaparyaṅka posture. Her implements are a goad and a noose held with a threatening gesture. One should visualize her body radiant With a manifold blaze of light rays. {3.2.30}

“There are eight ḍākinīs in the center And four on the outside. Having visualized in this way the order of their distribution, He should subsequently assign each one a place. {3.2.31}

“The royal goddess in the east, Ḍākinī, Has two arms and is white in color. She sits on a corpse And is adorned with snakes as ornaments. {3.2.32}

“She is wild, with disheveled hair, And her splendor is like that of a blazing fire. Radiant, she raises her hands To her mouth, laughing loudly. {3.2.33}

“In the north there is the royal goddess Dīpinī, Wild, and yellow in color. Frightening in form and baring her teeth, She is attired in exquisite garments. {3.2.34}

“She sits on a corpse; Her splendor is like that of a blazing fire. Her two hands are folded together at her forehead, Resembling the flame of a lamp. {3.2.35}

“In the west there is the goddess Cūṣiṇī, Red in color and inspiring fear. She sits on a corpse, Attired in exquisite garments. {3.2.36}

“From her cupped hands she drinks blood, Trickling in the form of a red thread. Fierce and with the splendor of a blazing fire, Cūṣiṇī is indeed a powerful deity. {3.2.37}

“In the south there is the goddess called Kambojī, Shiny black in color. She sits on a corpse, Adorned with disheveled hair. {3.2.38}

“She looks resplendent in her red clothes And is adorned with ornaments of snakes. In her hands she holds a javelin and displays a threatening gesture. She makes everyone’s mind free from delusion. {3.2.39}

“The all-knowing practitioner should always visualize Each of them as wild and radiating like a blazing fire. In front of these forms and images, The pledge substances should be displayed accordingly. {3.2.40}

“Taking the seventh syllable from the syllable of wind and the seventh from fire, He should impel the latter seventh with the seed syllable of Vajrī. This should be crowned by the anunāsika and supported by the sound ū. This combination is known as the torrent of ambrosia.” {3.2.41}

“Now I will teach the practice of Nairātmyā, Briefly, as has been taught. In the middle of space One should visualize a sun disk, {3.3.1}

“Then the maṇḍala with its arrangement of elements In the order of the appearance of the deities. Before the maṇḍala comes earth and water, And then fire, in their due order. {3.3.2}

“Then comes the great wind, and the symbols, Which correspond to the order of the appearance of the deities. The maṇḍala, which arises out of the dharmodaya, Has two pure and perfect overlapping areas: {3.3.3}

“One is formed by the circle of lotus filaments, And the other is the supreme three bodies of the vajra holder. One should visualize a corpse there, Which is the seat for each of the fifteen goddesses. {3.3.4}

“Above it there is a moon disk, And above the moon disk is the seed syllable; Resting upon that is a sun disk. From the meeting of these two disks comes great bliss. {3.3.5}

“The moon is then transformed into the vowels And the sun into the consonants. The meeting of the sun and the moon Is also known to be Gaurī and the other goddesses. {3.3.6}

“The moon represents mirror-like wisdom, And the sun, the wisdom of equality. The symbols of the chosen deity along with their seed syllables Are said to be discriminating wisdom. {3.3.7}

“The unity of all of these is action-accomplishing wisdom, Which corresponds to the purity of the deity’s full form. The wise practitioner should cultivate these five aspects According to the sequence just described. {3.3.8}

“The union of the vowels and consonants Constitutes the seat of Vajrasattva. Since the deity embryo arises from a letter, The syllables hūṁ and phaṭ are not necessary. {3.3.9}

“He should visualize the chief deity of the maṇḍala As arising from the syllable, which is the reflection of its essence. With their faces, attributes, and so forth, as before, With the radiance of the moon-stone gem, {3.3.10}

“All the goddesses manifest in full From the nature of skillful means and wisdom. The vowels are wisdom and the consonants, means, Reflecting the distinction between the moon and sun. {3.3.11}

“Since Gaurī and the others should appear one by one, Following the division of the colors, He should make every effort To correctly execute the maṇḍala procedure. {3.3.12}

“The following five yoginīs are positioned Within the inner enclosure; The yoga adept should always conceive them to be, In their natures, the five aggregates: {3.3.13}

“Vajrā is in the east; Gaurī is in the south; Vāriyoginī is in the west; Vajraḍākinī is in the north; And the yoginī Nairātmyā is in the center. {3.3.14}

“Within the outer circle there are the following:

“Gaurī, Caurī, and Vetalī; So too, Ghasmarī and Pukkasī. Further, there are Śavarī and Caṇḍālī, With Ḍombī completing the octet. {3.3.15}

“Down below and up above are known to be, Respectively, Bhūcarī and Khecarī— The first, moving, the other, stationary. They have the nature of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa respectively. {3.3.16}

“All these goddesses can be described as follows:

“They are different colors, very wild, And adorned with the five mudrās. They have one face, four arms, Three eyes, and are divinely beautiful. {3.3.17}

“They each wear a choker, earrings, A wrist bracelet, and a waist chain. They are adorned with the five buddhas, Which constitute their five pure seals. {3.3.18}

“Each of them is said to look Like the yoginī Nairātmyā, Who, on her left side, holds a yogic alms bowl And an upward-pointing khaṭvāṅga. {3.3.19}

“On her right side she holds a blue vajra scepter And a flaying knife. She stands on a corpse, ablaze with flames, With red eyes and yellow, upward-flowing hair. {3.3.20}

“She is blue, brilliantly luminous, And her hips are wrapped with a tiger skin. She sits there in her divine beauty, Glowing like the fire during the final destruction. {3.3.21}

“To her right there is a yellow and blue goddess, Khecarī; To her left there is a red and blue one, Bhūcarī. They each have two arms, a single face, And are adorned with all types of jewelry. {3.3.22}

“They all extend forward their left hands, which hold skull cups, And hold in their right hands flaying knives. They express the moods of mirth, anger, and sensuality, Abiding in the nature of reverence for him. {3.3.23}

“The wise practitioner should visualize himself in the center As the identity of the natures of the three tattvas, Radiating all around light of different colors, Composed of scintillating clouds of buddhas.” {3.3.24}

“Now I will teach The supreme great maṇḍala, Which has the form of the vajradhātu And is known as the vajradhātu itself. {3.4.1}

“One should purify the maṇḍala site, Making it into a place of the great seal. The follower of Mantra should execute the following, Watching over every detail: {3.4.2}

“The wise practitioner should delimit the maṇḍala, To the best of his ability, using a thread That is new, well woven, Of the right length, and beautiful. {3.4.3}

“The maṇḍala should have four corners and four doors, And be finely adorned with porticos. It should be provided with four threads And adorned with fine fabrics and flower garlands {3.4.4}

“On all its sides, Which are provided with gate-turrets, He should delimit the outer maṇḍala With lines of jewel-studded vajra scepters. {3.4.5}

“He should then enter the inner court, Which has the shape of a circle; It is strewn with vajra threads And adorned with eight pillars. {3.4.6}

“It is adorned with five circles Situated atop the vajra pillars. Then, in the center of the maṇḍala, He should place an image of the Buddha. {3.4.7}

“Now I will explain to you the practice Connected with the maṇḍala procedure just described.

“Starting precisely from there, the follower of Mantra should enter this dwelling of the deity and visualize a moon disk transformed from the letter a. Above the disk, he should visualize a white, five-pointed vajra scepter, according to procedure. Having then made offerings to all the tathāgatas, and so forth, he should prostrate himself, and say the following: {3.4.8}

“ ‘May all buddhas and bodhisattvas please keep me in their heart! From now until I sit on the throne of liberation, I, named such and such,

“ ‘Give rise to the altruistic aspiration set on awakening— Supreme and unsurpassable— Just as the buddhas of the three times Made their firm resolve to attain perfect awakening. {3.4.9}

“ ‘I will firmly observe each of the three kinds of bodhisattva ethics: The training in ethical discipline, The gathering of wholesome qualities, And the ethics of acting for the benefit of beings. {3.4.10}

“ ‘From now onward I will firmly uphold The vow, born from the union with the buddhas, Of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, The three foremost and unsurpassable jewels. {3.4.11}

“ ‘Within the fold of the great vajra family, I will firmly uphold the vajra, bell, and hand gestures According to their true nature. I will commit myself to the master. {3.4.12}

“ ‘Within the great jewel family, as is fitting, I shall bounteously give the four kinds of gifts, Performing this six times each day As my delightful samaya. {3.4.13}

“ ‘Within the great pure lotus family, Which emerges from great awakening, I shall uphold the true Dharma— The exoteric and esoteric dimensions pertaining to the three vehicles. {3.4.14}

“ ‘Within the fold of the great activity family I shall uphold, in every respect, The all-encompassing vow And perform the act of worship to the best of my ability. {3.4.15}

“ ‘Now that I have given rise to the altruistic aspiration set on awakening— Supreme and unsurpassable— And taken all the vows For fulfilling the needs of all beings, {3.4.16}

“ ‘I shall ferry across those that have not yet crossed, I shall liberate those that have not been liberated, And I shall give comfort to the desolate, Establishing all beings in nirvāṇa.’ ” {3.4.17}

Then the lord entered the meditative absorption called “that which arises from the pinnacle of all vajra holders” and gave this inspiring teaching: {3.4.18}

“Now, staying in a place suitable for meditation, he should observe the absence of intrinsic identity in all phenomena. Everything of an external and internal nature is imputed by mind. There is nothing else that exists beyond mind. Since all phenomena, being luminous, have never arisen in the first place, he should mentally declare them to be unproduced. Then he should perceive his own mind, which is luminous by nature, in the form of a moon disk, while reciting the following mantra with enthusiasm:

“ ‘ Oṁ, I penetrate my mind.’ {3.4.19}

“This mind is like the sky— Stainless despite the presence of clouds. It is free from all dejection, Being utterly devoid of mental constructs. {3.4.20}

“First it is visualized as the moon, Cleansed of all the dirt of afflictions. Therein enter all the qualities of the awakened ones In the form of the short letter a, and so forth: {3.4.21}

“a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ ḷ ḹ e ai o au aṃ aḥ.” {3.4.22}

Vajragarbha then asked:

“What qualities, O Blessed One, Make this moon disk unique?” {3.4.23}

The Blessed One said:

“It has three corners, is big in size, and is A receptacle for the qualities of all awakened ones.

“These qualities of the awakened ones enter into it in the form of the letter a, and the rest. Possessing the luster of a crystal or the moon, they come in atop the moon disk, causing the mind, which is luminous by nature, to expand. The follower of Mantra should then generate the altruistic aspiration for awakening with the following mantra:

“ Oṁ, I give rise to bodhicitta. {3.4.24}

“This bodhicitta arises from having performed this rite, And it begets kindness toward all beings. It is replete with wholesome qualities And destroys all afflictions. {3.4.25}

“In the center of the moon disk There is a second one—the moon of awakening. {3.4.26}

“Here, too, the qualities of the awakened ones enter like stars in the form of the syllables ka, and so forth, by means of the qualities being reflected in the syllables. These syllables are:

“ka kha ga gha ṅa ca cha ja jha ña ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa ta tha da dha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va śa ṣa sa ha kṣaḥ. {3.4.27}

“This maṇḍala procedure has not been taught in its entirety in other tantras. Here, in addition, in order to stabilize the generation of the mind of Samantabhadra, he should visualize himself in the image of a radiant, white vajra scepter there in the middle of the aforementioned moon disk, while reciting the following mantra:

“ Oṁ vajra! Please remain. {3.4.28}

“This conduct of awakening is unsurpassable. Its basis, it should be well understood, Is pristine, stainless wisdom without karmic stains. {3.4.29}

“In the center of the moon disk He should visualize a vajra scepter. {3.4.30}

“A follower of Mantra should visualize himself with a vajra body that extends throughout the entire expanse of space. {3.4.31}

“Then, while practicing the radiation and absorption Of tiny vajra scepters, he should recite the following mantra:

Oṁ, I am of the nature of vajra. {3.4.32}

“This vajra, which is the body of all the buddhas, Has neither appearance nor abode. It is unborn, unfabricated, pure, And devoid of nonexistence, and so forth. {3.4.33}

“It is unbreakable, indivisible, and ungraspable; It is the dharmakāya free of attributes; It arises as the nature of vajra and is therefore The unsurpassable vajra body.” {3.4.34}

Vajragarbha then asked, “How do I further meditate on this vajra, O Blessed One?” {3.4.35}

The Blessed One said, “May all the tathāgatas listen! One should again visualize Vajrasattva—the reflection of the buddhas endowed with the supreme of all characteristics—while reciting the following mantra:

“ Oṁ, I am just like all the tathāgatas. {3.4.36}

“The buddha body, its secret nature, and the conduct, The range of experience, and the awakening to reality— These are the five aspects of perfect awakening, The pure nature of all the buddhas.” {3.4.37}

Then the great bodhisattvas, led by Vajragarbha, addressed the Blessed One yet again:

“What, O Blessed One, are the secret vajra and lotus families?” {3.4.38}

The lord said:

“The vajra family abides in all tathāgatas; The lotus family includes great goddess deities. That is why the vajra scepter is positioned above the lotus flower— From there issue forth all the tathāgatas. {3.4.39}

“In this manner, one should generate oneself as Vairocana, visualizing, above and below, the syllables of the mantra. Following the usual procedure, one should then emanate Mount Sumeru and a vast triangle, adorned with a maṇḍala of different colored lights. One should visualize, arising there, a beautiful palace, and in it, the syllable paṁ, which transforms into a multicolored lotus with a sun disk atop it. This is adorned with the syllables ya, ra, la, and va, in conjunction with the maṇḍalas of wind, fire, and so forth. Then, above that, with the appropriate mantra, one should visualize a temple palace surmounted with a vajra-jewel pinnacle, shining with various jewels and gems, and adorned with colorful streamers and banners with tiny bells attached to them, shaken by the wind. The palace is further adorned with garlands, chaplets, multi-string chains of pearls, and moon crescents. It is praised and glorified by all the tathāgatas inhabiting it. While visualizing this one should recite the mantra hūṁ. {3.4.40}

“Having placed this mantra, hūṁ, on a moon disk in one’s heart, one should visualize that it transforms into a five-pronged vajra scepter. One should repeatedly radiate from it five-pronged vajra scepters, and absorb them all back as buddhas. Next, one should visualize that the very same vajra scepter transforms into Vajrasattva, radiant like the color of the moon, and endowed with the supreme of all characteristics. {3.4.41}

“Sitting on a moon disk, And adorned with all kinds of adornments, The hero, handsome in his singular wisdom and joy, Is holding a vajra scepter, a bell, {3.4.42}

“A sword, a goad, A skull cup, and a noose. The face on the right is black, And the one on the left, red. {3.4.43}

“He has three faces and six arms And is divinely beautiful, with three eyes on each of his faces. One should visualize him in a maṇḍala of pleasure, Nestled in the lotus of his consort (vidyā). {3.4.44}

“One should imagine that he is endowed with all the supreme Characteristics consistent with his being the lord of the maṇḍala. {3.4.45}

“In the east there is Vairocana; In the south, Ratnasambhava; In the west, Amitābha; And in the north, Amoghasiddhi. {3.4.46}

“In the northeast there is Locanā; In the southeast, Māmakī; In the southwest, Pāṇḍaravāsinī; And in the northwest, Tārā. {3.4.47}

“In the outer circle,

“White Raudrī in the east, Yellow Vajrabimbā in the south, Red Rāgavajrā in the west, And green Vajrasaumyā in the north. {3.4.48}

“In the northeast there is white and yellow Vajrayakṣī; In the southeast, yellow and red Vajraḍākinī; In the southwest, red and blue Śabdavajrā; And in the northwest, green and white Pṛthivīvajrā. {3.4.49}

“In the outer circle,

“In the northeast, Vaṃśā;In the southeast, Vīṇā; In the southwest, Mukundā; And in the northwest, Murajā. {3.4.50}

“Vaṃśā and the other three have two arms and a single face. {3.4.51}

“On the outer rim there should be placed the yoginīs of the maṇḍala, each holding her respective emblem—the flower, and so forth. They likewise have two arms. {3.4.52}

“At the eastern gate one should draw the goddess Vajrāṃkuśī, the color of dark sky, with her right and left faces black and white respectively. In her first hand she holds a goad, in the second she brandishes a sword, and in the third she holds a discus. Her left hands hold a noose, display a threatening gesture, and hold a bell. These are the emblems in her six hands. {3.4.53}

“At the southern gate one should draw the white and yellow mother, Vajrapāśī, whose right and left faces are black and red respectively. In her right hands she brandishes a noose, a vajra scepter, and a sword. In her left hands she holds a discus and a bell, and holds a noose while forming a threatening gesture. These are the emblems in her six hands. {3.4.54}

“At the western gate one should draw Vajrasphoṭā, red in color and with great brilliance. Her right and left faces are black and white respectively. In her six hands she is holding, on the right, a fettering chain, a vajra scepter, and a sword, and on the left, a discus, a bell, and a goad. These are the emblems in her six hands. {3.4.55}

“At the northern gate there is the terrifying Vajraghaṇṭā. She has three faces: the middle one is green, the right one black, and the left one white. In her six hands she holds a bell, a vajra scepter, a sword, a discus, a goad, and a noose. {3.4.56}

“All should be visualized standing on a sun disk upon a multicolored lotus, with their blazing hair flowing upward. {3.4.57}

“In the intermediate directions, starting from the southeast, there are yoginīs who hold their respective emblems—the flower, and so forth. They are typically known to possess two arms. {3.4.58}

“At the gates starting from the east, there are yoginīs holding a goad, a noose, a fettering chain, and a bell. Thus the maṇḍala is provided with gatekeepers. {3.4.59}

“The syllables jaḥ, hūṁ, vaṁ, and hoḥ are taught to be their respective heart mantras; there is no doubt about this. Through being arranged, fashioned, and so forth in this manner, this is the outer maṇḍala of glorious Vajrasattva, replete with the emblems and gestures. {3.4.60}

“Inside the outer maṇḍala, the same design as before, is another, half its size—the maṇḍala of the wind element, in the shape of a half-moon disk, adorned with eight pillars, and surrounded on the outside with a quadruple line. {3.4.61}

“In all the locations assigned to the respective deities, one should arrange Gaurī and the others, along with their thrones, as described. In the center one should visualize the syllable hrīḥ; in the quarter toward the east, the syllable hrīḥ; in the south, the syllable hiḥ; in the west, the syllable gīḥ; in the north, the syllable jiḥ; in the southeast, the syllable taṁ; in the southwest, the syllable jaṁ; in the northwest, the syllable maṁ; and in the northeast, one should place the syllable haṁ. {3.4.62}

“In the outer circle, in the southeast, one should place the syllable oṁ; in the southwest, the syllable aṁ; in the northwest, the syllable eṁ; and in the northeast, one should place the syllable aiṁ. {3.4.63}

“At the eastern gate one should place the syllable jaḥ; at the southern gate, the syllable hūṁ; at the western gate, the syllable vaṁ; and at the northern gate, the syllable hoḥ. {3.4.64}

“Further outside one should visualize, surrounding the maṇḍala, the eight charnel grounds. One should place there the eight great spirits, Indra, and the others, who are very frightened. {3.4.65}

“In the east one should draw A host of gods sitting upon a bodhi tree. In the south one should draw The powerful lord Yama atop a mango tree. {3.4.66}

“In the west one should place The king of clouds on an aśoka tree. Likewise, in the north one should situate The army of yakṣas on a bodhi tree. {3.4.67}

“Similarly, in the southeast one should draw A crowd of ṛṣis upon a pongamia tree. In the southwest, on a jasmine shrub, One should place rākṣasas and the like. {3.4.68}

“In the northwest one should draw The lord of wind on a crepe jasmine bush. In the northeast one should draw A crowd of pretas on a banyan tree. {3.4.69}

“One should live covered in ashes Along with Rudra, Indra, Upendra, Candra Arka, and Yama, who were sealed And confounded, and their treasures enjoyed. {3.4.70}

“Further, diligently practicing skillful means and wisdom, One should carry, on one’s left side, A khaṭvāṅga and a skull cup filled with blood, While gently sounding a bell. {3.4.71}

“In one’s right hand one should carry A blazing vajra scepter, which frightens even fear itself. Having assumed the ardhaparyaṅka posture, One should press down on one’s left thigh. {3.4.72}

“Stepping over Brahmā, and so forth, One should enjoy this act in a manly manner. He will give … {3.4.73}

“If the practitioner meditates Visualizing multicolored light all around That takes the form of scintillating clouds of buddhas, He will swiftly gain accomplishment.” {3.4.74}