“Next to be explained are the vajras A practitioner should be sure to wield. They can measure ten, twelve, sixteen, or eighteen finger-widths, But the best measures twenty finger-widths.

“Gold vajras are recommended to obtain The state of a vidyādhara, or any lands. Silver is the best for kingship, While copper is for nāgas, the source of jewels.

“To destroy the magical devices of asura lords, Or enter openings in the earth, use a stone vajra. For success in all aims, a triple-alloy is best, While iron is used to smash guhyaka armies.

“For other malevolent forces use khadira wood; Use bilva for glory, prosperity, health, and riches; For success with yakṣas and mātṛkās use madu wood; And for the Dharma, one made of aśvattha is recommended.

“Use human bone to assail murderers, And enemies wielding sharp spears. Use one made of crystal for great illusions, While one made of neem is recommended for separation.

“To kill or desiccate use beleric myrobalan, Which is always good for success with piśācas too. For success with devas, yakṣas, and gandharvas Use a vajra made from cedar.

“If mastery over nāgas is desired, Use one made from the root of a nāga tree. For shapeshifting use one made of earth, And for success with vetālas, use kadamba wood.

“For wealth use a vajra made of punnāga wood, Or the wood of rājārka or the aśvattha tree. One made of glavāmraśivarṇava, arjuna tree, or the like Is used for victory when battling humans.

“To attain anything pleasing and desirable Use a vajra made of white or red sandalwood. One should wield a vajra that is solid and five-pronged, Well formed, smooth, and free of wear.

“When recitation begins, pick the vajra up; When complete, immediately bow with faith, Make offerings of fragrance and the like, And place the vajra at the Victor’s feet.

“Anyone practicing the mantras of my clan Will not succeed without a vajra. Those who cannot find one Should make a fist and recite with focus.

“Realgar, bovine bezoar, a sword, collyrium, Copper sulfate, yellow orpiment, a noose, vermillion, Ochre, ghee, calamus, a wheel, a vajra, A spear, skin, armor, and a trident—

“These seventeen renowned substances Bring the attainment of the three kinds of siddhi. Look to the explanations in your own mantra rituals To learn about the three kinds of siddhi.

“Vighnas and vināyakas who dislike siddhis Flit about the host of vidyās, Seeking myriad ways to thwart industrious vidyādharas.

“There are four clans of vighnas, Of vināyakas arrayed upon the earth: The destroyer, jackal, mongoose, and one-tooth clans. Limitless are these four and their emanations.

“Upon the earth are the four world guardians, In whose retinue is found Aśoka. Their retinue, numbering seventy million, Creates obstacles for practitioners of mantra.

“The jackal clan numbers 180 million, And serves as the retinue of Maheśvara. Their general is the mighty Gajamukha, And together they create obstacles all over the earth.

“The general of the one-tooth clan is Dangling Locks, Who controls sixty million vināyakas. With Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, Sūrya, Candra, and Vāyu They create obstacles for instruction and mantra.

“The mongoose clan is vast, Numbering thousands of millions of billions. With their general, Born from a Topknot, They create obstacles for my clan and mantras.

“Nandika, with long, lotus-like eyes, And Pāñcika create obstacles for the mantra lineage. The son of Maṇicara and father of Pūrṇa Also create obstacles for one’s own mantra line.

“Unhappy with practitioners’ wealth and bereft of kindness, They create obstacles according to their respective clans. They take the form of one’s own mantra deities And abscond with garlands and oblations.

“Seeing what the vināyakas, as deities, have done, A mantrin will grow angry and turn away in disgust. Motivated as they are by avarice and delusion, Vighnas and vināyakas devise this way of appearing as a deity.

“No deva, nāga, or siddha can undermine this, Not even the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. The terror wrought by vināyakas Can be overcome by what I have already taught.

“When recitation is complete, rites of protection should be performed, The maṇḍala rites repeated, and the maṇḍala entered. Otherwise, in the absence of a rite of worship, And lacking rites for recitation and homa, A person will constantly wonder, ‘Which vidyā should I recite?’

“Fixated on tales of kings, kingdoms, and the like, The body becomes easy to possess. Pulled here and there in this way, The mind that chants vidyā is led to distraction.

“Like a shadow falling on water, Vighnas enter a person’s body. They enter some when bathing, Some when reciting, And some when sleeping. They enter some when offering Flowers, fragrance, and lamps, And some when performing homa.

“Just as, for example, a sunstone charged with sunlight Produces fire without need for specific conditions, So a vighna can enter the body And spark the intense fire of passion.

“The vighnas named shaking and trembling Take hold when a person is bathing in water. They cause hunger, fatigue, and deep sleep, As well as lethargy and anger in the extreme.

“Likewise, the vighnas called gandharvas Enter the body when fragrance is offered. People dream of kings, kingdoms, family, and wealth; They grow fatigued and become fixated on women.

“A being with a large black body will burst from the earth And enter a person’s body during offerings of incense. Acting wickedly, it incites avarice and deceit, And terrorizes those with strong desire so that semen spills.

“One-Braid will create obstacles during lamp offerings, Causing heat in the heart, sharp pain, and mental decline. Dangling Locks enters when a person is standing, Inflicting intense fever, diarrhea, and vomiting.

“Great Flower Array will find a chance To enter the body while one offers flowers. He will cause fevers, colds, and joint pain, As well as separation from companions.

“Those who are possessed by a vighna Take what is not the path as the path. They are wracked with desire, behave erratically, Speak impulsively, and stumble profitlessly through their readings.

“Those with purpose are rendered ambivalent. With their minds overcome by wrong view, They constantly say frivolous things like, ‘There is no mantra, there are no heavens, There is no merit nor the slightest evil, There is no liberation, and no cause of bondage. Life is pointless, rife with afflictions, and a hardship.’

“Those who are possessed pick at grass with their nails, Smash dirt clods, and grind their teeth at night. Also possessed are women who want a spouse but find none, Men who want a spouse but find none, People who ignore the meaningful and do what is not, And those who go where they please and never sleep.

“Also possessed are those who dream Of tigers, leopards, lions, dogs, or pigs; Of donkeys, camels, cats, or flesh-eating jackals; Of vultures, owls, herons, small people, or snakes; Of people who are naked, ash-covered, or black-colored; Of dry wells or heaps of skulls and bones; Of iron, stone quarries, or houses old and unclean; Or of changing faces or of people bearing swords and spears.

“Carry out the ritual activities of fierce Amṛtakuṇḍalin To destroy these vighnas and vināyakas. Mantrins who follow the path of his mantra, Are not vulnerable to vighnas and vināyakas.

“At a solitary tree, in a cattle pen or shrine, At a crossroads, empty house, or in a forest, Use a variety of paints to draw a maṇḍala, One that is four cubits square.

“Surround it with places for the directional deities, And spread kuśa grass at the four gates. Present many oblations of fruit and cooked grain, Along with other food, meat, alcohol, radishes, and so forth.

“Take four vases that are the color of a red lotus, Unblemished, and adorned with jewels, Fill them with medicines, grain, and fragrant water, Adorn their mouths with stalks, and tie cloth around their necks.

“After reciting one hundred recitations Of the mantras for Raktāṅga, Kīlikīla, Dramiḍa, and so forth, Place the vases around the maṇḍala And make offerings of fragrant unguents, incense, and so forth.

“Place someone possessed by a vighna in the center of the maṇḍala, On a comfortable seat that faces toward the east. Once the mantra is recited and they are washed with each vase, They are thereby freed from the vināyaka.

“Destroying vighnas is not only of benefit To people who are practitioners. It is also suitable for the royal court and childless women, For young women and musicians, Sex workers and merchants, Farmers, the poor and destitute, Those seized by grahas and those stricken with fever, Young grahas, and those who steal flowers and fruit. This washing brings purity; It clears away poison, nightmares, and distractions.”