Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas and to the noble śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas! Homage to the blessed invincible Uṣṇīṣa Queen!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in Excellent Dharma, the assembly hall of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, together with a great assembly of monks, a great assembly of bodhisattvas, and Śakra, the lord of the gods. The Blessed One sat down on a seat arranged for him and entered the samādhi called uṣṇīṣa gaze. As soon as he entered this samādhi, the words of this mantra formula issued from the center of the Blessed One’s uṣṇīṣa:

“Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Homage to the seventy million completely perfect buddhas. Homage to the assembly of bodhisattvas and the assembly of śrāvakas. Homage to Maitreya and all the other bodhisattva great beings.

“Homage to the arhats of this world. Homage to the stream enterers. Homage to the once-returners. Homage to the non-returners. Homage to those who have gone rightly in this world. Homage to those who have acted rightly.

“Homage to the divine ṛṣis who cast curses. Homage to ṛṣis who have attained the state of a vidyādhara and have the power to benefit. Homage to the accomplished vidyādharas.

“Homage to Brahmā. Homage to Indra. Homage to the blessed Rudra along with Umāpati. Homage to the blessed Nārāyaṇa, worshiped by the five great mudrās. Homage to the blessed Mahākāla, destroyer of Tripura, who prefers to reside in a charnel ground and is worshiped by hordes of mātṛs.

“Homage to the Blessed One of the tathāgata family. Homage to the Blessed One of the lotus family. Homage to the Blessed One of the vajra family. Homage to the Blessed One of the jewel family. Homage to the Blessed One of the elephant family. Homage to the Blessed One of the youthful family. Homage to the Blessed One of the nāga family.

“Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Dṛḍha­śūraraṇasena­praharaṇa­rāja. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Amitābha. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Akṣobhya. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Bhaiṣajya­guru­vaiḍūrya­prabha­rāja. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Supuṣpita­śālendrā­rāja. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Śākyamuni. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Ratnaketurāja. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Samantabhadra. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Vairocana. Homage to the blessed, thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha Vikasita­netrotpala­gandha­ketu­rāja.

“After paying homage to these blessed ones, this great invincible spell for averting, the blessed Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, annihilates all bhūtas who are grahas; disrupts all opposing spells; averts all forms of untimely death; frees beings from all that would kill or bind them; averts all malice, nightmares, and bad omens; destroys all yakṣas and rākṣasas who are grahas; destroys the eighty-four thousand types of grahas; appeases the twenty-eight lunar mansions; destroys the eight great celestial bodies; averts all enemies; destroys all violence, malice, and nightmares; averts poison, weapons, fire, and water; and liberates from all fear of the lower realms.

“She is invincible and greatly terrifying, Intensely fierce and greatly powerful. She blazes brightly and is rich in splendor; She is bright white Pāṇḍaravāsinī, wreathed in flame.

“She is noble Tārā and Bhṛkuṭī. Renowned as the victorious Vajramālā, She appears as a lotus and is marked with a vajra. She is Aparājitā and Mālā.

“She is the alluring Vajratuṇḍī, Worshiped by the peaceful gods. She is the peaceful Kāñcanamālikā, And the bright white and blazing Pāṇḍaravāsinī.

“She is noble Tārā, greatly powerful, Vajraśṛṅkhalā and Aparā, Vajrakaumārī, scion of her family, And the vidyā Kāñcanamālikā with vajra in hand.

“She is Kusumbharatnā and Vairocanā And the one renowned as Vajroṣṇīṣā.

“May this entire host of mudrās and mantra deities protect me, my community, and all beings!

oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | jambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | mohanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | bandhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | paraviṣabhakṣakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvaduṣṭapraduṣṭān stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | sarvaparavidyācchedanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | caturaśītināṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | aṣṭānāṃ mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ | rakṣa rakṣa māṃ sarvasattvāṃś ca |

“Blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, Vajroṣṇīṣā, great averting goddess, great goddess with a thousand arms, great goddess with a thousand heads, great goddess with a trillion eyes, indestructible goddess with blazing features, great exalted vajra goddess, grant auspiciousness for me and all beings within the maṇḍala of the three realms of existence!

“She is Vijṛmbhamānikā and Vajrā, Vajratuṇḍī and Locanā, whose eyes shine like gold. She is Śvetā, Kamalākṣī, and Śaśiprabhā. Likewise she is the glorious Buddhalocanā, Vajrā and Sūryaprabhā, And so too Candrā and Vajradharā.

“May this entire host vidyās, mudrās, and mantra deities completely protect me and all beings!

oṁ ṛṣigaṇapraśaste sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṃ | jambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | mahāvidyāstambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ | paravidyāsambhakṣaṇakarī hūṁ drūṃ | sarvaduṣṭānāṃ stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | caturaśitīnāṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | aṣṭānām mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṃ | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ rakṣa rakṣa māṃ svāhā |

“Blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, Vajroṣṇīṣā, great averting goddess, great goddess with a thousand arms, great goddess with a thousand heads, great goddess with a trillion eyes and indestructible blazing features, great exalted vajra goddess who rules over the maṇḍala of the three planes of existence, please protect us all!

“Grant auspiciousness in the face of dangers from rulers, thieves, fire, water, poison, weapons, opposing armies, famines, enemies, thunderbolts, untimely death, earthquakes, falling meteors, royal punishment, rituals, nāgas, lightning, suparṇas, and ferocious beasts.

“Grant auspiciousness in the face of the influence of grahas who devas, nāgas, asuras, maruts, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, apasmāras, unmādas, chāyās, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, revatīs, yāmakas, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, and kaṇṭakamālinīs!

“Protect me from those who consume vitality and fetuses; who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, feces, and urine; who drink sewage and devour leftovers; who drink saliva and consume snot, mucus, filth, oblations, flower garlands, fragrances, and incense; who capture people’s minds; and who consume flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings!

“I cut and pin down the spells of all these grahas! I cut and pin down the spells of mendicants! I cut and pin down the spells of ḍākas and ḍākinīs! I cut and pin down the spells of Brahmā! I cut and pin down the spells of Maheśvara! I cut and pin down the spells of Nārāyaṇa! I cut and pin down the spells cast together with the true garuḍa! I cut and pin down the spells of Mahākāla! I cut and pin down the spells of the hordes of mātṛs! I cut and pin down the spells of kāpālikas! I cut and pin down the spells of Jayakara, Madhukara, and Sarvārthasiddhi! I cut and pin down the spells of the Four Bhaginīs! I cut and pin down the spells of Bhṛṅgiriṭi and Nandikeśvara along with Gaṇapati! I cut and pin down the spells of naked ascetics! I cut and pin down the spells of shaven-headed ascetics! I cut and pin down the spells of arhats! I cut and pin down the spells of those devoid of passion! I cut and pin down the spells of Lokeśvara and his retinue! I cut and pin down the spells of Vajrapāṇi and his retinue! I cut and pin down the spells of dūtas, dūtīs, ceṭas, and ceṭīs! I cut and pin down the spells of all the hosts of ṛṣis! I cut and pin down the spells of the hosts of devas! I cut and pin down the spells of the hordes of those who wish to do harm!

“Homage to the blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, who is worshiped by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas! Protect me, please protect me!

oṁ asitānalārkaprabhāsphuṭavikasitasitātapatre | oṁ jvala jvala khāda khāda hana hana dara dara vidara vidara chinda chinda bhinda bhinda bandha bandha hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

“This is the essence mantra.

he he phaṭ | ho ho phaṭ | amoghāya phaṭ | apratihatāya phaṭ | varadāya phaṭ | varapradāya phaṭ | pratyaṅgiritāya phaṭ | asuravidrāvaṇakarāya phaṭ | paravidrāvaṇakarāya phaṭ | sarvadevebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvanāgebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayakṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvarākṣasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapretebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapiśācebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṭapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaskandebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvonmādebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvachāyebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāpasmārebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvostārakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaḍākinībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvarevatībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayāmakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśakunibhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamātṛgaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakambukāminībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvālaṃbakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṭaṭanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagandharvebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāsurebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakinnarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagaruḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamahoragebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadurlaṅghitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarva duḥprekṣitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvajvarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhayebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvopadravebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvopasargebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakṛtyakarmaṇakākhordebhyaḥ phaṭ | kiraṇavaitāḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | cichapreṣakasarvaduścharditebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadurbhuktebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvatīrthakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśramaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapātakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvavidyādharebhyaḥ phaṭ | jayakaramadhukarasiddhikarasarvārthasādhakebhyo vidyācāryebhyaḥ phaṭ | caturbhyo bhaginībhyaḥ phaṭ | vajrakaumārīye kulandharividyācaryebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamahāpratyaṅgirebhyaḥ phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya pratyaṅgirarājāya phaṭ | mahākālāya mātṛgaṇanamaskṛtīye phaṭ | brahmāṇīye phaṭ | vaiṣṇāvīye phaṭ | maheśvarīye phaṭ | raudrīye phaṭ | mahākālīye phaṭ | cāmuṇḍīye phaṭ | kaumārīye phaṭ | vārāhīye phaṭ | indrāye phaṭ | agniye phaṭ | yamāye phaṭ | nairṛitīye phaṭ | varuṇāye phaṭ | mārutīye phaṭ | somaye phaṭ | aiśānīye phaṭ | kāladaṇḍīye phaṭ | kālarātriye phaṭ | yamadaṇḍīye phaṭ | yamarātrīye phaṭ | kapālīye phaṭ | adhimuktiśmaśānavāsinīye phaṭ | oṁ ṣṭoṃ bandha bandha rakṣa rakṣa māṃ svāhā |

“Please protect me and all beings so that all those who are harmful and harbor harmful intentions toward me, who are dangerous and harbor dangerous intentions, who are evil and harbor evil intentions, who are angry and harbor angry intentions, and who are malicious and harbor malicious intentions develop a loving mindset. May we live a hundred years! May we see a hundred autumns!

“Protect me from yakṣas and grahas who steal vitality, energy, and fetuses; who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume leftovers, oblations, garlands, fragrances, incense, flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings; who consume pus and feces; who drink urine and saliva; who consume vomit, snot, mucus, and filth; and who drink sewage; and from beings who harbor evil, harmful, dangerous, angry, or malicious intentions.

“Protect us from grahas who are devas, nāgas, asuras, yakṣas, rākṣasas, bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, unmādas, chāyās, apasmāras, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, revatīs, yāmakas, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, kaṭakamālinīs, and kaṇṭakamālinīs! May we live a hundred years! May we see a hundred autumns!

“Dispel all fevers that last one day, two days, three days, four days, or seven days; those that are chronic or irregular; those that are caused by bhūtas; and those that arise from disturbances in the wind, bile, phlegm, or their combination. Dispel all illnesses of the brain!

“Dispel splitting headaches; loss of appetite; illnesses of the eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and heart; laryngitis; and pain in the ears, teeth, heart, joints, sides, back, stomach, hips, pelvis, thighs, calves, hands, feet, and all the major and minor appendages!

“May the great averting spell of the vajra uṣṇīṣa Sitātapatrā dispel everything within twelve yojanas, including all bhūtas, vetālas, ḍākinīs, yakṣas, rākṣasas, fevers, skin disease, itching, pruritus, fistulas, leprosy, boils, skin irritations, erysipelas, scabies, blood boils, emaciation, anxiety, coughs, labored breathing, memory loss, poisonous brews, poisonous compounds, kākhordas, fire, water, pestilence, māras, imprisonment, enemies, the wilderness, untimely death, tryambuka flies, tralāṭa flies, scorpions, snakes, mongooses, lions, tigers, bears, jackals, wild yaks, makaras, and other creatures.

“I bind all their spells. I bind their energy. I bind the spells of all opponents. I demarcate the boundary.

tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | khasame khasame | vīre vīre | saumye saumye | śānte śānte | dānte dānte | viṣade viṣade | vaire vaire | devi vajradhari | bandha bandhani | vajrapāṇi phaṭ | oṁ hūṁ drūṃ hrīḥ ṣṭoṃ phaṭ svāhā | oṁ vajrapāṇi bandha bandha vajrapāśena sarvaduṣṭavighnān vinyāyakān hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā |

“This is the subsidiary essence mantra.

“Whoever writes this invincible queen of spells for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, on birch bark, cloth, or tree bark and wears it on their body or around their neck or reads it will not be harmed by poison, weapons, fire, water, poisonous brews, poisonous compounds, or kākhordas for as long as they live, nor will they meet an untimely death. They will become dear to all grahas, vighnas, and vināyakas. The eighty-four billion goddesses of the vajra family and the accomplished goddesses will always and perpetually guard, protect, and defend them. They will become dear to and delight those goddesses. They will recall their rebirths of the past eighty-four thousand great eons. The sixty-four vajra dūtīs will also always constantly follow and defend them. They will never become yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, pūtanas, or kaṭapūtanas, nor will they ever be poor. They will gain a quantity of merit equal to that of the blessed buddhas as innumerable and limitless as the grains of sand in the river Ganges. Blessed buddhas and bodhisattvas as numerous as the grains of sand in the river Ganges will always guard, protect, and defend them, and they will please and gladden those buddhas and bodhisattvas.

“If one keeps this queen of spells for averting called the invincible Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, one will become chaste if one was not chaste. Those who did not observe silence will observe silence. The impure will become pure. Those who did not practice abstinence will practice abstinence. Even those who committed the five acts with immediate retribution will be purified. All the obscurations resulting from their past actions will be exhausted without exception.

“If a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to have a child keeps or recites this queen of spells for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas, they will gain a child. The child will have a long life and possess merit and strength. After they pass away they will take birth in the realm of Sukhāvatī.

“Those who are threatened by diseases that affect humans or livestock or by calamities, violence, harm, epidemics, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies should affix this invincible queen of spells for averting called Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of all tathāgatas to the top of a banner and worship it with great offerings. The banner should then be planted at the gateway to any city or in a town, city, market town, country, or monastery. This noble, invincible, great queen of spells for averting should be worshiped and planted. As soon as it has been planted, war will be pacified, as will calamities, violence, harm, epidemics, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies.

tadyathā | oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha mama rakṣa rakṣa svāhā || oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha vajra mama rakṣa rakṣa vajrapāṇi hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣānale avalokite curṇa tejorāśi || oṁ jvala jvala | dhaka dhaka | dhara dhara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || tadyathā | oṃ anale anale | khasame khasame | vaire vaire | saumye saumye | sarvabuddhādiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ phaṭ | hūṁ mama hūṁ ni hūṁ svāhā ||

“The nāga kings Ananta, Śaṅkhapāla, and Mahākṛṣṇa will send timely rain, clouds, and peals of thunder. When facing any calamity, this should be recited three times in connection with the Buddha.”

The buddhas and bodhisattvas, together with the whole world of devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

This translation was finalized after consulting an old manuscript from the Amṛtabhavana monastery in Kashmir by the paṇḍita Parahitabhadra and the lotsāwa Zu Gador.