Homage to the Three Jewels!

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, an 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 rite of the mantra formula issued from the center of the Blessed One’s uṣṇīṣa:

“Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

“Homage to the Buddha. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Saṅgha. Homage to the seventy million completely perfect buddhas and the assembly of śrāvakas.

“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 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 lotus family. Homage to the vajra family. Homage to the jewel family. Homage to the elephant family. Homage to the youthful family. Homage to 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 spell for averting named the invincible blessed Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata annihilates all bhūtas who are grahas; disrupts all opposing spells; averts untimely death; frees beings from all that binds them; averts all malice, nightmares, and bad omens; 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; and frees beings from poison, weapons, fire, and water.

“She is invincible and greatly terrifying, Intensely fierce and greatly powerful. She blazes brightly, is rich in splendor, And is bright white and greatly powerful. She is 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 destroyer who bears a vajra staff, Worshiped by the peaceful gods, And of gentle appearance and rich in splendor. She is noble Tārā, greatly powerful.

“She is Vajraśṛṅkhalā and Aparā And Vajrakaumārī, scion of her family. She is the vidyā Kāñcanamālikā with vajra in hand, Kusumbharatnā, and Vairocanā, and she is renowned as Vajroṣṇīṣā.

“She is Vijṛmbhamānikā and Vajrā And Locanā, who eyes shine like gold. She is Vajratuṇḍī and Śvetā, Kamalākṣī, and Śaśiprabhā.

“May this entire host of mudrās protect me, please protect me!

oṁ ṛṣigaṇapraśastāya sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ drūṁ | jambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | mahāvidyāsambhakṣanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | paravidyāsambhakṣanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | sarvaduṣṭānām stambhanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | sarvayakṣarākṣasagrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | caturaśitīnāṃ grahasahasrāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | aṣṭāviṃśatīnāṃ nakṣatrāṇāṃ prasādanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | aṣṭānāṃ mahāgrahāṇāṃ vidhvaṃsanakarī hūṁ drūṁ | rakṣa mām |

“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 realms of existence. Protect me from everything; please protect me!

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

“Grant me auspiciousness in the face of grahas who are of devas, nāgas, asuras, maruts, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, apasmāras, unmādas, chāyās, and ostārakas! Grant me auspiciousness in the face of all these grahas!

“Grant me auspiciousness in the face of those who steal energy and vitality; who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, filth, and urine; who drink sewage and consume leftovers; who drink saliva and consume snot, mucus, pus, oblations, 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 and all 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 Mahāpaśupati! 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 and 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 arhats! I cut and pin down the spells of those devoid of passion! I cut and pin down the spells of Vajrapāṇi, lord of the guhyakas!

“Homage to you, blessed Sitātapatrā, born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata! Protect me, please protect me!

oṁ asitānalārkaprabhāsphuṭavikasitasitātapatre jvala jvala | khāda khāda | dara dara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | he he phaṭ | ho ho phaṭ | amoghe phaṭ | apratihatāya phaṭ | varapradāya phaṭ | pratyaṅgire phaṭ | asuravidrāvakarāya phaṭ | sarvadevebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvanāgebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāsurebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamarutebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagaruḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvagandharvebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakinnarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvamahoragebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvayakṣebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvarākṣasebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapretebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapiśācebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvabhūtebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakumbhāṇḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaṭapūtanebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaskandebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvonmādebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvachāyebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvāpasmārebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvostārakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvadurlaṅghitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarva duḥprekṣitebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvajvarebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakṛtyakarmaṇakākhordebhyaḥ phaṭ | kiraṇavetāḍebhyaḥ phaṭ | cichapreṣakaduścharditebhyaḥ phaṭ | durbhuktebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvatīrthakebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvaśramaṇebhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvavidyādharebhyaḥ phaṭ | jayakaramadhukarebhyaḥ | sarvārthasādhakebhyo vidyācārebhyaḥ phaṭ | caturbhyo bhaginībhyaḥ phaṭ | sarvakaumārīyebhyaḥ phaṭ | vidyārajñīyebhyaḥ phaṭ | mahāpratyaṅgirebhyaḥ phaṭ | vajraśṛṅkhalāya pratyaṅgirarājāya phaṭ | mahākālāya mātṛgaṇanamaskṛtaye phaṭ | viṣṇāvīye phaṭ | brahmaṇīye phaṭ | agnīye phaṭ | mahākālīye phaṭ | kāladaṇḍīye phaṭ | indrīye phaṭ | raudrīye phaṭ | kaumārīye phaṭ | vārāhīye phaṭ | cāmuṇḍīye phaṭ | rātrīye phaṭ | kālarātrīye phaṭ | yamadaṇḍīye phaṭ | kapālīye phaṭ | adhimuktiśmaśānavāsinīye phaṭ |

“Dispel all beings who harbor malicious and dangerous intentions toward me; who steal vitality; who consume fetuses; who drink blood; who consume fat, flesh, grease, marrow, and newborns; who steal life; who consume vomit, filth, and urine; who drink sewage and consume leftovers; who drink saliva; who consume snot, mucus, pus, oblations, garlands, fragrances, and incense; who capture people’s minds; who consume flowers, fruits, grains, and burnt offerings; and who harbor evil, malicious, or dangerous intentions.

“Dispel grahas who are devas, nāgas, asuras, maruts, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, piśācas, bhūtas, kumbhāṇḍas, pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, skandas, unmādas, chāyās, apasmāras, ostārakas, ḍākinīs, revatīs, yāmakas, śakunis, mātṛnandīs, samikās, and kaṇṭakamālinīs!

“Dispel all fevers that last one day, two days, three days, four days, or seven days; those that they are chronic, irregular, or intermittent; those that are caused by bhūtas, arise from disturbances in the wind, bile, phlegm, or from their combination; all infectious diseases and 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, brain, neck, ribs, back, stomach, hips, pelvis, thighs, calves, hands, feet, and all the major and minor appendages! Please dispel them!

“May this great averting spell of the vajra uṣṇīṣa Sitātapatrā bind the spells of everything within twelve yojanas, including all bhūtas, vetālas, ḍākinīs, fevers, skin disease, scabies, pruritus, leprosy, boils, skin irritations, erysipelas, itching, blood boils, emaciation, anxiety, poisonous brews, poisonous compounds, kākhordas, fire, water, pestilence, enemies, harm, untimely death, tryambuka flies, tralāṭa flies, scorpions, snakes, mongooses, lions, tigers, bears, jackals, makaras, and all other life-threatening creatures such as bees. May it bind their energy! May it bind all opposing spells! May it bind all grahas!

tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | viṣade viṣade | vaire vaire | vajradhari | bandha bandhani | vajrapāṇi hūṁ phaṭ | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā | bandha phaṭ phaṭ svāhā ||

“Whoever writes this great, invincible spell 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 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 members of the vajra family will guard, protect, and defend them, hold them dear, and delight in them. They will recall their rebirths of the past eighty-four thousand great eons. They will never become yakṣas, rākṣasas, pretas, 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.

“If one keeps this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, one will become chaste, even 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. Those who did not fast will observe fasts. Even those who have committed the five acts with immediate retribution will see all their evil purified. All the obscurations resulting from their past actions will be exhausted without exception.

“If a woman who wishes to have a child keeps this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, she 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, livestock, or cattle or by any calamities, violence, epidemics, harm, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies should affix this great, invincible spell for averting, Sitātapatrā born from the uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, to the top of a banner and worship it with great offerings. The banner should be planted at the gateway to a large city or in a city, town, market town, country, or wilderness residence. As soon as this great, invincible spell for averting has been worshiped and planted, war will be pacified, as will calamities, violence, harm, mental disturbances, and the approach of opposing armies.

tadyathā | oṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha | bdag la srungs shig srungs shig svāhā | rāḳsa rāḳsa māṃ | oṁ hūṁ ṣṭoṁ bandha bandha vajra | bdag la srungs shig srungs shig | rāḳsa rāḳsa mām | vajrapāṇiye hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa avalokite mūrdhani tejorāśi || oṁ hūṁ jvala jvala | dhaka dhaka | dara dara | vidara vidara | chinda chinda | bhinda bhinda | hūṁ hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā || oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣa hūṁ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā || tadyathā | oṁ anale anale | khasame khasame | vaire vaire | saumye saumye | sarvabuddhādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhite | oṁ sarvatathāgatoṣṇīṣasitātapatre hūṁ phaṭ svāhā | hūṁ mama hūṁ ni svāhā ||

“This should be done in connection with the Buddha. The nāga kings will send timely rain.”

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

This version of the Uṣṇīṣa, the shorter of those of the heavenly realm, was translated by the Kashmiri paṇḍita Mahājana himself.