Does Anybody Else Have Clear Body Experiences?

[Old Student]

Whatever Hindu legend Ghasmari had, and however she arose in Buddhist sadhanas, ultimately she has a completely functional meaning which is on the other side of something like being washed by Kurukulla and gaining a balance towards Six Families, which is part of the meaning of Guna or Jewel Family in Paramadya-->Samputa, and also the whole Dakini Jala is Six Families as compared to for example Mahakarunika which focuses one of them.

I looked up Ghasmari just now as "Ghasmari Gauri" on google, and found (putting several things together)
1) she is pictured doing a tarjani mudra in her left hand
2) she is green and black.
as of last night, both of those have happened to me.
I also found this thangka,

Dombini (is this Dombi?) is next to her, and is "multicolored". Seen that as well.

You have Kurukulla as a red Nairatmya. I found elsewhere, Kurukulla apposed to Vajrasattva as red and white, as in red and white drops.

I'm not sure what the question here is, but these things all seem to have some relevance to things in my shaking.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

Quite timely. I spent most of last night dancing in a form similar to one of the Citipati, with the words "stellar nine" repeated over and over. I did digging on "stellar nine" and it is roughly navagraha, who seem attached both to Marici and to Kurukulla. There was also a Chinese side to it, where navagraha was related to the Dipper and Marici was somehow Tianho -- queen of heaven. I was also pulled into a threatening stance with one hand in tarjani mudra, couldn't find such a person, but I could find it as either a Chinese or Japanese stance from which to attack...


It isn't a coincidence that the 15 deities of the moon are mapped to the vowels?

Navagraha in general are definitely the astrology of Durga; in Nepalese Buddhism, Grahamatrika is Mother of Grahas or Planets, and yes, Marici at the Dipper relates to the Seven Sages and cosmos per se. This is my fundamental question in astrology, if one is not that interested in making predictions, what, for instance, does it mean to say that a planet is a regent in some sphere of consciousness?

I believe that they are, and once I started to see why there are nine because using the Dragon or the Nodes of the Moon, the legends and the tantras started coming together. Mars turns out to be far from an "iron god of war" and perhaps one of his better esoteric names is Angaraka or charcoal--a blackened mess which nevertheless holds latent heat. As a graha or "seizer", it has the capacity for violence, but when turned towards wisdom, it is Manjushri.

I do not know Chinese very well, but in the eastern orient Marici is highly revered, to the extent that justifies her sixteen mega parcels in Sadhanamala. She probably has the most material in the book, and, as far as I can tell, the most comprehensive. Her more sublime manifestations appear to depend on Bhuta Damara or Demon Subduing gesture. Bhu and Aparajita witness Buddha's Enlightenment locally; it is Marici who is the light that reveals it to Tathagatas of the Ten Directions.

She eventually handles everything except for Ekajati and Kamadhatvishvari roles, which are in Vajra Panjara.

Lalita is fifteen Nityas or lunar phases, which in total is Kalachakra or wheel of time.

"The chakra of the letters of the alphabet is based upon time and so is identical with the sidereal zodiac." - Tantraraja Tantra

...the Nityas are the vowels of the Sanskrit alphabet and are identical with both time and space.

They are said to exist on Vishuddha chakra:

The petals correspond to the vrittis of the mantra Ong [Aum], the Sama-mantras, the mantras Hung, Phat, Washat, Swadha, Swaha, and Namak, the nectar Amrita, and the seven musical tones.

It is even used to explain "explanation" or Atha, as per how each is a different emotion and how any word like that has a feeling, which is part of its meaning, which is hard to "read". This is the same reason why Four Brahma Vihara are so omnipresent, because feeling is definitely what is sought here. We want to be having that intense feeling without any attachment of "me" or belief in a self of it.

Tantras such as Samputa all derive from Ah syllable.

In their true form the lunations and syllables are Prajnas and Gauris. And so now, with this Samputa, which was published only a couple of months ago, we see that Vajraraudris are a lot like six Gauris plus Sound and Ground. Everybody knows that Vajra Bhumi is Golden or Prithvi is Yellow, so, of course, here, she follows the color pattern that is forming and discards all prior clues and comes out Green and White. She is also Bhucari, the nature of Samsara (or external objects according to Shiva). This must be part of a Gauri group, and for some reason, are inseparable from Sound, and so I suppose it should be seen as a heavy influencer of Samsara.

It has White Raudri who is Vajracandi who is Guhyakali?? Candi is normally an Amoghasiddhi wrathful goddess, Saumya or Shanti is usually White, and so it is like a weird reversal of them in the first ring, which perhaps is pinned to Green and White Vajra Bhumi. Meanwhile there is a non-white Vajradakini subject to Agni.

There must be some reason this group shows up in addition to Gauris, but, since everything we can think of is already linked to a deity, I am not sure what else they could have.


With the cemeteries, the sample pictures are simply the only known set of such, in terms of individual images. It has no kind of self-identification. So it is the closest we can come to matching the descriptions. There are so many versions they are always changing something. The main and best definition I think is in letting Vajrapani assign the Nagas, so that this subject is really in tandem with Sarvadurgati Parishodana. In terms of inner meaning, the tantras are all the same, it represents a fanned out splay of principles of consciousness which may flee eight exits, or, may be redirected into eight branch nerves. And it turns out to be the Yakshas who "are" the very life-wind itself, in each of its playgrounds, which consist of various phenomena being destroyed and dissipated to emptiness. It is all based on impermanence, whereas peaceful meditations are about stability, such as everlasting mandalas which we perhaps become able to temporarily view or participate in.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
Dombini (is this Dombi?) is next to her, and is "multicolored". Seen that as well.

You have Kurukulla as a red Nairatmya. I found elsewhere, Kurukulla apposed to Vajrasattva as red and white, as in red and white drops.

I'm not sure what the question here is, but these things all seem to have some relevance to things in my shaking.

Haha, well, I am not sure there always is a question. Half of it all is just little reminders. I try to internalize everything, just like how Sila or Upeska may seem like theoretical constructs, but once you really digest them, you are just made of it, and might forget the words. Vajraraudris are almost a sore thumb right now, but, sooner or later we will find why they would be amassed as something distinct from the Gauris.

In some formats of Gauris, they all do Tarjani gesture. There are easily three or four different formats of them, most of which are similar to each other, few of which resemble Dakini Jala at all. Everything else in the world points out how wrathful they are, but, it is a bit like calling Heruka "blood drinker". In Dakini Jala, some of them are pleasant, or funny. Often I am not sure what the questions are, until you find the thing on which all the tantras are based and it is actually totally different from them.


Dombini or Dombi are the same, Outcaste I believe. They are all something like Rajaki Washer-woman and so forth, they have jobs. They are the esoterification of women. From the personal realizations of a couple Mahasiddhas, Dombi and Sabari were entered into the ranks of Gauris, and replaced two from the Dakini Jala format where the multi-colored one is Pukkasi dancing in cemeteries with a wind-whipped branch of a wish-fulfilling tree.


The difference between Vajraraudris and Gauris is seen wherein he text says a two, four, or six armed Hevajra (body/speech/mind) may use this retinue of Vajraraudris; Hrdaya Hevajra changes the Vajraraudris to Gauris. The two types of rings do not appear at the same time.

Trailokyaksepa Hevajra is a Vilasa or male Vilasini. Virupa's Vajrayogini begins by saying Locana and others are Ten Vajravilasinis in an equivalent way to the next line saying Yamantaka and others are Ten Wrathful Ones. That piece is based on Guhyasamaja Trikayavajrayogini. The subsequent song puts her in Kubjika's family in verse fourteen. This has a close Shiva Ucchusma parrallel: Ucchusma (‘Desiccating [Fire]') is the first of Ten Rudras, who have female counterparts by the same names, and in some variations, Candali, Matangi, Sabari, Yami, and Pukkasi start showing up, until the reviewer finds that there is a common group in dharanis as we found with Parnasabari, five non-Vedic goddesses: Gauri, Gandhari, Candali, Matangi, and Pukkasi. So they straddle a twilight area between Ten Vilasinis, and various sized groups of Gauris.

Pramoha and Heruki were removed, whereas Dombi took Pukkasi's appearance.


Pukkasi resides locally in Nepal at a stupa in a charnel ground. There they say she is Hariti or Ajima. The word also has a connotation of a widow or lone-wolf. How this is an Indigo Plant, I am not sure, but Pukkasi is usually blue.

If she is Hariti, it would seem that Vajra Yakshi has no other meaning than Hariti, which would mean she is a Gauri and a Vajraraudri. Although Hariti has not been seen much by name in many of the rites, that is because she is in her pseudonyms.

So, a multi-colored goddess could be Hariti, whom we know much about, or, Dombi or Dombini, whom I currently can't remember how she got into it, and she is in all the pictures.

It would probably be a simple question of which are you closer to?

Neither one is wrong, the point is that either is an attested and validated vision of something stable that does what it says it does.

The mandala style does make Nairatma appear as a copy of Kurukulla, but again, these are often shortsighted reviews that do not take into account the fact that we might think they are more than different colors. Nairatma is like a chief of Gauris, who is perhaps even synthetic. Samputa is synthetic, it has mostly just grabbed twelve or so prior tantras and formed a common factor. Kurukulla however is an old Hindu deity. It is very weird that the copies, the mini-Kurukullas are actually all different deities that have simply taken Kurukulla's form.

From that point I think they mean different things, Kurukulla is more physiological and I could do that in a non-Buddhist way or a way that is not very spiritual at all, whereas Nairatma is psychological and by removing the mortal ego, a spiritual condition emerges, even if it is kind of low-power without a corresponding Kurukulla.

So then yes you do want both, along with a few other things.

I do not recall Vajrasattva--Kurukulla specifically as white and red drops, is it part of Sakya?

[shaberon]

Before combing the entire Samputa Tantra, we can show a few more things about it.


The following piece is unidentified, but appears to show the Vajraraudris appropriately.

This has Skull Hevajra in the center; the upper left is Weapon Hevajra with Gauris, and the others are the two/four/six arm Hevajras with dual-colored corner deities as in Samputa Vajraraudris.

1500s Ngor with Green-White Prithvi and others:









Tibetan Deities 474 discusses Vajravali Samputa (Peaceful Sambara Vajrasattva) without anything about the retinue.

Samputa is "Vajrasattva or Vajradhara" in a six-arm white ardha paryanka form with reddish tinge. He has vajra, sword, and hook, then bell, skull, and noose, copulating a consort (red and two armed, or similar to himself). He has a complex crown, but is an Akshobya deity. He has Concentration Hero, i. e. a Heruka in his heart, in whose heart is a black (probably blue) Hum. He is peaceful, but expresses all nine sentiments (somehow).

His heart mantra is:

Om Vajramrita Mahasukha Hum Ham Svaha

and the All-purpose mantra is Vajraghanta (Bell):

Om Ah Vajra Ghante Hoh Hum Svaha



Samputa's Tibetan name is Demchog Vajrasattva, which is a bit confusing, as Demchog generally indicates Jewel Family. Evidently, he is making some kind of exchange, he is an Akshobya Hum deity called Vajramrita.

In that the retinue includes Vajrabimba, in Sadhanamala, the only Vajrabimba is the big Ekajati 123. In Samputa, Vajrabimba appears to be in Jewel Family; Ekajati is the protector of Vajramrita or Jewel Tantra.

So if you produce a Mahasukha Vajrasattva, via Sadaksari or some other means, it continues more elaborately here. The principal is quite similar to Grahamatrika or Six Arm Parasol in appearance. And so this six-arm "boundary", not even seen in Hinduism, does seem to mean something one way peacefully with white/red/blue faces, and a little bit different wrathfully on Sukla Tara with different colors and the cemeteries, Karma Family.

If we re-iterate the ring with what has been found as explanatory correspondences:


White Raudrī in the east, [Vajrachandi--Guhyakali--Guhyeshvari--Charchika]
Yellow Vajrabimbā in the south, [Ekajati]
Red Rāgavajrā in the west,
And green Vajrasaumyā in the north.

In the northeast there is white and yellow Vajrayakṣī; [Hariti or Ajima or Pukkasi]
In the southeast, yellow and red Vajraḍākinī;
In the southwest, red and blue Śabdavajrā;
And in the northwest, green and white Pṛthivīvajrā. [Vajrabhumi or Bhucari]


The Vajraraudris follow a straightforward, typical color pattern, until you get to the end, where the Ground goddess has dispensed with everything we have said about the occult nature of yellow, earth element, and Nirmana chakra. What comes to mind is simply the Green-White axis which we said is the primary opposition of Form and Formless, and the main way we are going to melt mundane color into occult and gnostic light.

I am just trying to read the symbols without twisting it, and so if the solitary existence of Vajrachandi places Charchika on the same line in her hymn, this would be telling. In that sense, we port in our most wrathful and most esoteric deity made in Karma Family, who turns white and starts this thing by passing her momentum to Ekajati, which indicates Vajra Panjara Tantra, or perhaps anything from Mahacina Tara on up. Then you get somewhat generic Passion and Peace names, followed by a ring of non-duals.

Part of the elegance of Samputa is that it is plainly peaceful, just like Gauri in Dakini Jala, which seems important since the wrathful aspect is so prevalent in most art and study, just like there is an important White Lakshmi who is covered over by her wrathful forms. It is not excluded, but the white pattern ostensibly works from a white samaya Vajrasattva and Sherab-class deities through an emergent or self-arisen luminous white Heruka.



Ragavajri is found in a Newari explanation of Pancha Kumari and Nava Kanya rituals.


Vajrasaumya is in Circle of Bliss, in the male-based Moon (Chandra) mandala.

Also in STTS and in a Triloka Chakra explanation.

Emphatically it appears in the Sarvadurgati Navagrahas.

NSP gives the following unusual family information for Samputa:

Akshobya: Vajrasattva, Tathagatas, Mamaki, Sabdavajra, Gita, Sparshavajra, Dharmadhatuvajra

Vairocana: Locana, Vajraraudri, Prithvivajra, Puspa, Hasya, Vamsa, Vajrankusi

Jewel: Vajradakini, Vajrabimba, Dhupa, Lasya, Vina, Vajrapasi

Lotus: Pandara, Vajraragi, Dipa, Gandha, Mukunda, Vajrasphoti

Karma: Tara, Vajrasaumya, Vajrayaksi, Nrtya, Rasa, Muraja, Vajraghanta


Tri-kaya in the tantras is done differently:

For Chakrasamvara, the principal needs to enter union with Varahi in three families, Buddha, Vajra, and Jewel.

For Hevajra, the principal joins Varahi, Nairatma, and Shrnkala (Karma Family).

[shaberon]

Here is the approach to Saumya as just mentioned as a minor retinue deity in Samputa.

In Sarvadurgati Parishodana, the final major mandala refers to Seven Families (cf. p. 69); it explains the Sun deities Vajrakundalin and Vajramrita as Red, with a Vajra and Lotus in their right hand, Sun disc and Lotus in the left. Vajrankusa and Vajramukhi have boar heads. Sarvadurgati conveys Seven Paramitas, the first six plus Aspiration.

In terms of Navagraha, it gives a perhaps unique view of them as couples:


Vajrakundali and Vajramrita on a Seven Horse Chariot

Vajraprabha and Vajrakanti on a Swan

Vajrapingala and Vajramekhala on a Goat

Vajrasaumya and Vajrasaumya on a Lotus

Vajraguru and Guruvajra on a Frog

Vajrasukra and Sukravajra on a Lotus

Vajradanda and Dandavajra on a Tortoise

Vajrarahu and Vajrasuri

Vajraketu and Vajranagi


Amritakundalin is used as a separate deity here; he exists in this tantra, as does Vajrabhairava. Vajrahumkara states that Vajrakundali is the new name of Amritakundalin, as the wrathful deity in the south, when re-purposed for his own mandala. Maybe they are different forms of one another.

We see the Hindu sun Aditya has been changed into a new thing whose Shakti is Amrita. This sun is perhaps a bit occult, and we anticipate it is subsumed in Jewel Family. Her name is the same as the male who heads the only specifically Jewel Family tantra, Vajramrita. It is hard for us to write these names in gender, we have to remember that one ends with "A" and the other ends with "A".

Vajrasurya, or Secret Sun, is a title of Ratnasambhava (with Mamaki) as used in Anandagarbha's time, when a yogi called Gambhiravajra propitiated Vajrasurya by means of Sarvabuddha Samayoga Dakini Jala tantra in Sitavana cemetery. He obtained the vision of Vajramrita Maha Mandala and the sadharana siddhi.

He was then sent to Dhumasthira (Steady Smoke) to find a blue (utpala) woman with an emerald-colored tikka. She conferred to him the initiation of Catuh Vajra Amrita Mandala. She taught him the rest of the tantras, he meditated on Heruka, until attaining Mahamudra siddhi.



Saumya (pleasant, mild, lunar) is for some reason in the Moon mandala as a second moon, asserts herself in Sarvadurgati, and actually appears to be the origin motor in Vajramrita.

What little we know of Vajramrita tantra is that it is among the oldest and main explanations. It is beside Paramadya in the Tibetan canon, and after Six Chakravartins or Dakini Jala equivalent in Tibetan Deities.

Paramadya is important to Vajramrita; Vajramrita is explanatory for Secret Treasury (Guhya Garbha or Book of the Dead). Samputa Vajrasattva is Vajramrita (or, Samputa has four kinds of Hevajra). The teaching of Vajramrita tantra was requested by Mamaki. It was promoted by the contemporary of Padmasambhava named Vimalamitra, who also made the pilgrimage to Wu Tai Shan.

Jagganatha tells us:

There are four main schools of Hindu Tantra, namely Odiyana, Jalashaila (Jalandhara), Shrahata
(Sirihata), and Purnagiri (Kamarupa or Kamaksha). The Odiyana, the most important, has it seat in Orissa,
and is also the Adi-bhumi of the Bauddha Tantra (the Buddhist Tantra). Here, Sarahapada started the
tradition based on the Buddha kapala Tantra, Kambalapada and Padmavajra started the tradition based on
the He Vajra Tantra, Luipada started the tradition based on the Samputa Tilaka Tantra, Lalitavajra started
the tradition based on the Krishnajamari Tantra, Gambhiravajra started the tradition based on the
Vajramrita Tantra, Kukkuripada started the tradition based on the Mahamaya Tantra.



Vajramrita deity is mainly called Mahasukha; he is Hah-arisen. His consort is often called Svabhaprajna. Vajramrita's sub-deities having their own mandalas are Amrita Humkara, Amrita Krodha, and Amrita Kundalin.


Its products are Eight Vidyas, devis such as Saumya, Vikata, Manojna, Surupa, Aprameya, and Candali. The final and total result is Vetali and Five Nectars. The Vidyas are the inner retinue, but Tibetan Deities does not list it at all, and the available Tibetan mandala description or the NSP does not match this Indian one. So far I have not managed to reverse-engineer the other two members. The less-clear version is:

1. Saumya East
2. Saumyavadani. South
3. Candri West
4. S'ainl North
5. S'aimandala Agni corner
6. S'ailekha Nrtta corner
7. Manojfia Vayu corner
8. Manohladanakari lsana corner

And so he is similar to Samputa or Dakini Jala, having eight unique deities, and then some common ones. He also has four unique deities. This set is perhaps similar to Gauris, who open four Buddha Wisdoms and the Four Brahma Vihara, since it includes Candali, but until the details are published, we have to chisel at it. It has "unusual visualization details" which are not given, but, one thing is that when these eight Vidyas are cast, they are around the edges, and they move on to the petals of the central lotus.

It uses Vajrahumkara, and, later, Saumya is with Vajrabhairavi in the Vajrakilaya Tantra, which uses Amritakundalin as All-purpose banisher.

In Jnanapada lineage, Amritakundalin is Vighnantaka from Guhyasamaja (which again seems related to Ganesh).

From a recording of a Rinchen Terdzo retreat, they give Amrita Kundalin (purifying), Humkara (fumigation) and Mamaki empowerments together. This is after Vase Empowerment and Guru Yoga based on Vajramrita. Before this is Amrita Guna, and Vimalamitra sadhana about Four Empowerments of Amrita medicine, pill, etc. for long life. Amrita Guna is preceded by Vajrapani. These are mostly all Jamgon Kongtrul versions of various tertons.


In Vairocana Abhisambodhi, Sumbha is the Vidya Queen before Mamaki. She has the perhaps not too surprising syllable Sam; not far away is Amritakundalin, who is Mr, they say this is a letter.

Vetali is the vidya of natural light.







Christie's calls this Vajramrita:









If so, Jewel Family in the center has turned white, and the directions have convoluted in some manner besides rotation or flipping.


These are disappointing smudges of Vajramrita Vajravali mandala from the Guimet:














Similarly to how Buddhas such as Amitabha are seen as having, at their lowest, a celestial bodhisattva such as Amitayus,
Hodgson or Amritananda handled Prajna Bodhisattvas as "Sangha Prajnamnayi", as Sita Tara, Ugra Tara, Bhrkuti Tara, Ratna Tara, Visva Tara. They deftly skip the "Six Families" version and give no bodhisattva for the sixth Prajna, Vajrasattvatmika, who is usually White with Varahi items, chopper and skullcup.

"Dhyani Nava Prajnamnayi" includes the Prajnas beginning from Vajradhatvishvari (consort of Vairocana), plus Vajrasattvatmika, Ratnavajrini, Dharmavajrini, Karmavajrini; these correspond to Samantabhadra, Padmapani, etc., in other words appears to be bodhisattvas or perhaps celestial or sambhogakaya ones. That is because the next group appears to be Offering Bodhisattvas.

Nava Bodhisattva Prajnamnaya is:

Bhrkuti, Maitrayani, Pushpatara, Sita Tara, Ekajata, Vagisvari, Dhupatara, Dipatara, and Gandhatara.

The name of the first group is Dhyani Prajna Family, certainly at least meaning meditative or celestial, which appears to correspond to Mahasri Tara/Sambhogakaya/the middle of Mount Meru. The second group, Bodhisattvas, has Bhrkuti, who is explained as preaching beneath Mahasri on the lower slopes of Meru. Although the first group mostly uses the regular names of the Prajnas, we also find for example Bodhisattva Vajrapani somehow cheats by joining Prajna Mamaki, who is supposed to be on a higher plane. But if, in the first group, she is allowed to be a Bodhisattva in her own name, this explains, for instance, Sahaja Vajrapani 158 and the next two in Rinjnung Gyatsa, where she starts as white with bluish luster and Varahi items knife and skullcup, is then Blue Vidyadhari or Rigdzinma, and then Sapphire Blue Dorje Lhamo. She apparently has emanated a Bodhisattva in her own name, related to Vajrapani.


"Nava Devi Prajnamnaya" means the Nine Dharanis.

[Old Student]

I do not know Chinese very well, but in the eastern orient Marici is highly revered, to the extent that justifies her sixteen mega parcels in Sadhanamala. She probably has the most material in the book, and, as far as I can tell, the most comprehensive. Her more sublime manifestations appear to depend on Bhuta Damara or Demon Subduing gesture. Bhu and Aparajita witness Buddha's Enlightenment locally; it is Marici who is the light that reveals it to Tathagatas of the Ten Directions.

So as far as I can tell, this follows a circuitous route. Marici is associated with the planets because she is the "first light" of the sun, usually at dawn, but also after an eclipse. So that makes her the slayer of the demon Rahu since he is the eclipse (Ketu and Rahu become the lunar and solar eclipses because they are associated with ascending and descending moons and the lunar and solar eclipses happen on full moon and new moon respectively). Apparently, because Rahu is one of the 9 celestials, and because Marici slays him as a demon, she actually has a Navratri celebration in some places, similar to Durga or maybe equivalent to Durga, there are pictures of her doing the demon slaying that are pretty much Durga slaying Mahish Asura.

So fast forward to the Chinese, for whom the 9 celestials are the kings of the Big Dipper. They comprise 9 because apparently Mizar and Alcor are counted separately and because the 'extended dipper' includes Arcturus (which in our system is in Bootes). So the woman in Daoism who is queen over these 9 gentlemen is Tian Hou, the Queen of Heaven, so Marici becomes Tian Hou. BTW, I think I already said that in the Neijing Tu, the Dipper is at the heart.

Everybody knows that Vajra Bhumi is Golden or Prithvi is Yellow, so, of course, here, she follows the color pattern that is forming and discards all prior clues and comes out Green and White.

I ended up looking up Bhumi/Prithvi this morning after last night's shaking, because of looking for someone who was brown. The one who was brown was related to the earth.

With the cemeteries, the sample pictures are simply the only known set of such, in terms of individual images. It has no kind of self-identification. So it is the closest we can come to matching the descriptions.

Thanks for that, I was wondering why I couldn't find everything but that makes sense.

[Old Student]

Dombini or Dombi are the same, Outcaste I believe.

Apparently from Dom or Doma, which are the people who cremates bodies, and yes, they are Dalit -- they have no caste. It's the same caste as has been theorized to be the ancestors of the Roma people in Europe.

Pukkasi resides locally in Nepal at a stupa in a charnel ground. There they say she is Hariti or Ajima. The word also has a connotation of a widow or lone-wolf. How this is an Indigo Plant, I am not sure, but Pukkasi is usually blue.

If she is Hariti, it would seem that Vajra Yakshi has no other meaning than Hariti, which would mean she is a Gauri and a Vajraraudri. Although Hariti has not been seen much by name in many of the rites, that is because she is in her pseudonyms.

So, a multi-colored goddess could be Hariti, whom we know much about, or, Dombi or Dombini, whom I currently can't remember how she got into it, and she is in all the pictures.

It would probably be a simple question of which are you closer to?

Neither one is wrong, the point is that either is an attested and validated vision of something stable that does what it says it does

So, I latched on to the figure in the mandala whom the caption identified as Dombi, because of the white head and red and green and blue below. It is colored like the Citipati skeleton I felt like I was dancing as the night before last. Last night there was a bit of clarification -- the two planes I told you about at my pelvis and above my palate, what is between them when I do that dance comes out as skeleton, what is above and below as normal. No idea why but that is why the coloring seemed to match.

I do not recall Vajrasattva--Kurukulla specifically as white and red drops, is it part of Sakya?

I don't know where I found it, I was doing a search to try to find out if Kurukulla ever had a consort, because the tandava position that she puts me in has been different lately as if more of an embrace.

[Old Student]

The Vajraraudris follow a straightforward, typical color pattern, until you get to the end, where the Ground goddess has dispensed with everything we have said about the occult nature of yellow, earth element, and Nirmana chakra. What comes to mind is simply the Green-White axis which we said is the primary opposition of Form and Formless, and the main way we are going to melt mundane color into occult and gnostic light.

I spent some of the night before, and a lot of last night doing dissolves. They were calisthenic the night before, last night they started that way and apparently while I was practicing in my sleep, I got the hang of something and they woke me up. I danced while they kind of clapped and cheered. It was a very strange dance because I was dissolving constantly, so I was not the same person from movement to movement, but the general thread was that I had been two dissolve people from much of my shaking, only up on my feet (very strange): The two are brown-skinned earth and the valley spirit. The former is a kind of self-less being that I become at some times that seems like a brown-skinned woman lying on my back and then I merge into the earth and am the mud and the sticks and leaves and so forth. Think very earth and very formless. The latter is from Laozi 6. Since it is relevant I will put up the two translations I put up on Dao Bums about a year and a half ago:

谷神不死，是謂玄牝。玄牝之門，是謂天地根。綿綿若存，用之不勤。

This is the famous sixth chapter from Laozi, usually translated as,


The valley spirit does not die, it is called the Mysterious Female. The door of the Mysterious Female is called the root of heaven and earth. Continuously as if from a store, it is used without exhausting it.


At times, it is also


The valley spirit does not die, it is called the Mysterious Vulva.The door to the Mysterious Vulva is called the root of heaven and earth. Endlessly soft and silk-like as if it secretes, its manner of use is to be not focussed or attentive.


And that would not be wrong, but is rather more generative and sexual in nature, but totally in keeping with Daoist internal and gymnastic arts up to quite late in history.

The main difference between the two dissolves is that one sinks into the earth, the other often appears like she is gazing out from a valley over plains below, but she is also formless, she is the valley not someone in the valley.

But what was happening was that I was dissolving constantly -- this appears to have been the goal of the calisthenic the Dakinis set up, and they were calling out to me as "Brown Goddess" because I was dancing and going back and forth between wrathful and peaceful and a lot of other things. It was so confusing to be dissolving constantly that I had a hard time writing up last night's shaking.

[Old Student]

In terms of Navagraha, it gives a perhaps unique view of them as couples:


Vajrakundali and Vajramrita on a Seven Horse Chariot

Vajraprabha and Vajrakanti on a Swan

Vajrapingala and Vajramekhala on a Goat

Vajrasaumya and Vajrasaumya on a Lotus

Vajraguru and Guruvajra on a Frog

Vajrasukra and Sukravajra on a Lotus

Vajradanda and Dandavajra on a Tortoise

Vajrarahu and Vajrasuri

Vajraketu and Vajranagi

This list seems very mixed, some of the names of the couples seem related, others don't, some seem to have names of celestial objects others don't. Are the names contained in each pair related in some way other than being in this list? E.g. is Ketu related somehow to serpents?

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

Dombini or Dombi are the same, Outcaste I believe.

Apparently from Dom or Doma, which are the people who cremates bodies, and yes, they are Dalit -- they have no caste. It's the same caste as has been theorized to be the ancestors of the Roma people in Europe.

Ok. Most of the modern converts to Buddhism since the Tibetan diaspora are six million Dalits.

Roma quite possibly are connected, except when we look at the musical aspect of them, it is Baul or Rajput or Dravidian or something I can't quite recall. Going the other direction, we believe there is a Syrian immigration mixed into the trans-Himalayan Kirats. Hariti is Persian, and the mundane figures at Alchi are Persian and some perhaps even Byzantine.

That sounds right for her name, however, it is likely the case that Dombi and Sabari were personal discoveries of a couple of Mahasiddhas who influenced the liturgy.

I remembered how to reverse-engineer the Vajrasaumyas, within the category of text matches for Vajramrita Tantra. The missing ones are:

Amritalocana (Prasanna Tara)

Amritavajra

Ugra

Sukhasadhani

Sasimandala

Candri

Dombika

Varuna

and others, so, it is inclusive of the standard list. But it plainly says there are eight, and of course it is an eight-petaled lotus. This is called Sri Heruka Utpatti or Heruka Generation Stage. Most if not all of them continue into Dakarnava wherein the vast multitude of entities are mirror-named couples like Saumya and Saumya, however, it is always female first. Since these are all females in Vajramrita Vidyas, it is likely that Varuna is feminized or i. e. Varuni.

It is possible they changes names when they enter the lotus. The definitions of all the devis just say they are one of eight in this mandala. It is possible each branch is body/speech/mind and multiple devis fuse to a singular. Just to plain copy what appears to be the relevant section, we get:

Amritalocana

Varuna

Surupa

Amrita

Aprameya

Amritavajra

Sukhasadhani

Vikata

Ugra

Vajramrita

Shashimandala

Candri

Karamudra

Candali

Pingala

Kulini

Daruni

Sotkata

Dombika

Shashini

Saumyavadana

Shashilekhya

Saumya

Manojna

Manohladanakari


It is not alphabetized, it is probably the order the terms appear, I am not sure. Vajramrita is the principal, so if you pick him off, there are twenty-four.

Since we have taken lengths to describe what Heruka is, and what Utpatti is, and how this is the basis of all tantra, you would think Herukotpatti would be found all kinds of places besides Vajramarita. But it is so obscure, it may have only two other attestations.

Buddhakapala has a Herukotpatti Commentary:

Furthermore the same verses also occur in a similar maṇḍala ritual in the Sādhanāmālā. The seventh chapter of the Abhayapaddhati is a long description and explication of this maṇḍala ritual (Figure 3). After an extended passage, we reach the trope and motif of dissolving into emptiness, described as a liquid. Then out of this liquid, four trembling goddesses (sphuritāś catasro devyaḥ), observing the Lord (prabhum apaśyantyaḥ), with concern for His various previous vows (pūrva-praṇidhi-veśeṣa-āpekṣayā), full-throatedly (sotkaṇṭhya) arouse the Lord with songs.

Herukotpatti Tantra was discovered around the Vajra Pitha in Oddiyana in the Golden Rosary.

It is its own text, and part of Buddhakapala.

However in defining it in terms of a chapter in Vajramrita, Wisdom Library says:

Then the text lists the eight Wisdoms (vidyā):

Sotkaṭā,
Vikaṭā,
Cāṇḍālī,
Ḍombikā,
Piṅgalā,
Kulinī,
Ugrā,
Dāruṇī.

It certainly is not the main retinue as described in NSP.

It definitely does have some that are considered Gauris. Like Samputa appears to mix Gauris with certain elements to make Vajraraudris, this may be intended as some Gauris mixed with some kind of meditation. We can make this group, the published one, and whatever is leftover, which would be accurate, but what exactly it is accurate to, we cannot say.

Vajrapani is in Union with Mamaki, then he has all these, is asked to explain mantra and turns wrathful, does a Vajrahumkara sadhana and generates Heruka, and finally achieves Vetali and Five Nectars. That is the plot of the tantra.

Vajrapani can emanate Garudas in All Families.

Vajramrita can be emanated by Amoghasiddhi and is possibly his only male emanation. But this is Bhattacharya's assumption because he is green. There is no particular family identification to be found. As we have seen, this could easily be wrong. So far nothing in the tantra has much to do with Jewel Family, except that Mamaki participates in it at other times.

We can say that Candali and Dombi must be at least as old as this is.

I don't know where I found it, I was doing a search to try to find out if Kurukulla ever had a consort, because the tandava position that she puts me in has been different lately as if more of an embrace.

I am not sure about that one. I think we can find Marici and Ekajati do, in rare circumstances. Why would I believe in a love goddess if she does not even have a mate? Well, her love seemed to be about the cemeteries.

I can't say that it never happens, but I am not aware of it. In the Red cycle, that sort of thing seems to be passed to Vasudhara and Bharati who frolic with Jambhala. In the most explicit terms, Jambhala is a lot of arousal and Vilasini is penetration and the rest of them are just "during" union.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
Vajrakundali and Vajramrita on a Seven Horse Chariot

Vajraprabha and Vajrakanti on a Swan

Vajrapingala and Vajramekhala on a Goat

Vajrasaumya and Vajrasaumya on a Lotus

Vajraguru and Guruvajra on a Frog

Vajrasukra and Sukravajra on a Lotus

Vajradanda and Dandavajra on a Tortoise

Vajrarahu and Vajrasuri

Vajraketu and Vajranagi


This list seems very mixed, some of the names of the couples seem related, others don't, some seem to have names of celestial objects others don't. Are the names contained in each pair related in some way other than being in this list? E.g. is Ketu related somehow to serpents?

It is freakish.

I saw it when I was thinking about Vajrasurya, and when this started with solar names from the largely unavailable Jewel Family tantra, I was at a loss to do anything but surmise that might have something to do with the full Sadhanamala Marici. She originally takes the Horse Chariot from here and converts it to Pig. Occasionally her charioteer is Rahu.

The sun is followed by a few planets expressed in purely tantric terms, then Jupiter and Venus in plain ones.

Ketu has two natures. As a "tail", it is like Sikhi, or a hair knot, or usnisa, or protuberance of the great coronal dome. Hence Ratnaketu as the original name of Ratnasambhava.

As a "tail of a comet or meteor", it is more like Dhumavati and Ratnolka--Dhvajagrakeyura. Generally it is a planet of death; the dragon's tail is karmic wind. At once, it is highly inauspicious, yet absolutely necessary in order to accomplish Suksma Yoga.

Those are its main aspects and Vajranagi is not a name of anything. In the 5th century, Nagini would have been understood as the consort of Nagaraja. But that is generally Indian and does not mean Nagaraja Bodhisattva.

It is tricky but for one thing you see a cluster of them appearing in Vajramrita Tantra. Other than that, they do not appear to have any forward motion into sadhanas.

[Old Student]

It is possible each branch is body/speech/mind and multiple devis fuse to a singular.

The seventh chapter of the Abhayapaddhati is a long description and explication of this maṇḍala ritual (Figure 3). After an extended passage, we reach the trope and motif of dissolving into emptiness, described as a liquid. Then out of this liquid, four trembling goddesses (sphuritāś catasro devyaḥ), observing the Lord (prabhum apaśyantyaḥ), with concern for His various previous vows (pūrva-praṇidhi-veśeṣa-āpekṣayā), full-throatedly (sotkaṇṭhya) arouse the Lord with songs.

This kind of stuff is much more like what happens during shaking. Lots of dissolving these days, and lots of liquid-ness.

I am not sure about that one. I think we can find Marici and Ekajati do, in rare circumstances. Why would I believe in a love goddess if she does not even have a mate? Well, her love seemed to be about the cemeteries.

She maybe is not thought of as having a consort because she lures people to the Dharma with love and sex?

[Old Student]

Occasionally her charioteer is Rahu.

This is interesting. In one version she's slaying him in another he's her charioteer?

Ketu has two natures. As a "tail", it is like Sikhi, or a hair knot, or usnisa, or protuberance of the great coronal dome. Hence Ratnaketu as the original name of Ratnasambhava.

As a "tail of a comet or meteor", it is more like Dhumavati and Ratnolka--Dhvajagrakeyura. Generally it is a planet of death; the dragon's tail is karmic wind. At once, it is highly inauspicious, yet absolutely necessary in order to accomplish Suksma Yoga.

This duality is like the tail of a comet indeed. Comet means "hairy star" so it was originally seen as hair of the comet. How is it necessary for Suksma Yoga?

I seem to be working on dissolves. Last night I did another "extended" dissolve -- in that I just kept dissolving over and over, but this time I was doing so from a completely "disintegrated" body - all mist and fire. This is still part of the breeze exercise I'm sure, but they apparently don't think I can give up my self competently or quickly enough yet.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)

Occasionally her charioteer is Rahu.

This is interesting. In one version she's slaying him in another he's her charioteer?

No, Marici is not in the Puranas (male Marici is).

Generally it perhaps is why we would say the ninth avatar of Vishnu is not Buddha, but Mohini:


The earliest reference to a Mohini-type goddess appears in the Samudra manthan episode of the 5th century BCE Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Amrita, or nectar of immortality, is produced by the churning of the Ocean of Milk. The Devas and the Asuras fight over its possession. The Asuras contrive to keep the Amrita for themselves, angering the Devas. Vishnu, wise to their plan, assumes the form of an "enchanting damsel". She uses her allure to trick the Asuras into giving her the Amrita, and then distributes it amongst the Devas. Rahu, an Asura, disguises himself as a god and tries to drink some Amrita himself. Surya (the sun-god) and Chandra (the moon-god) quickly inform Vishnu, and he uses the Sudarshana Chakra (the divine discus) to decapitate Rahu, leaving the head immortal. The other major Hindu epic, Ramayana (4th century BCE), narrates the Mohini story briefly in the Bala Kanda chapter. This same tale is also recounted in the Vishnu Purana four centuries later.

Svarbhanu the dragon managed to drink amrita without swallowing it, so, the head has it, the tail does not. In some versions the severed parts are attached to serpents.

Marici's chariot is variable. It can have seven bay green horses; it could have four, five, or seven pigs. She can drive it, or, it may be Rahu (with Eight Arm 137, Kalpokta 142, Samskipta 146), or, I believe there is also another assistant.

Rahu has hardly any other mention in Sadhanamala except Kurukulla born from Tara:

kurukullaparvvataguhāsthitarāhumastakasthitasapatnīkakāmadevoparisthitāṃ

I think that is:

kurukulla parvvata guhasthita rahu mastaka sthita sapatnika kama deva paristhitam

Rahumastaka would be similar to Cinnamasta, or i. e. head of Rahu. I am not sure what this says except maybe parvata--moutain guha--cave, where Rahu's head seems to have seven kama devis for wives.

Yes, that would actually be one of the better ways of describing it, love and sex is a lure towards Dharma. If a body is neglected, abused, etc., it correspondingly damages the subtle body and there is not much basis for cultivation of inner bliss. And so if Kurukulla and Katyayani are both seen as making mundane relationships work, that is actually fine, as long as one is not forced to see this as the be-all-and-end-all of what they can really do. It is like the tip of their iceberg.

This duality is like the tail of a comet indeed. Comet means "hairy star" so it was originally seen as hair of the comet. How is it necessary for Suksma Yoga?

The head and tail are something like current will versus old habits.

The head is like "wind in your sails" as you try to steer towards new directions in life.

The tail pushes, whether you want it to or not, according to your own causes. Something more like "wind at your back" which if you do not steer well, crashes you off the path.

Karmic wind is the main adversary of Suksma Yoga. When the winds arise, coarse minds will arise, or, if coarse minds arise, winds accompany it. It may be called habit-energy.

For most people, it simply kills them, via disease or accidents or something probably generated from karma. In Mahayana, we ask all this karma to ripen and we try to prevent new seeds (such as Cunda mantra) so it doesn't kill us or disturb meditation.

Ketu is the power of how the future is shaped by the past. This is usually very stupid, although we know it is possible for a conscientious choice joined with effort can change it. Rahu is usually inert, manipulated by the subconscious, or deceived into doing something ineffective. It is difficult to get these to work well, together. I do not think Ketu is removable or stoppable, it can only be cleaned up and guided appropriately.

So for example, if I play a video game all day, I dream about still being in it. If I meditate Tara, then I dream Marici and a few million pigs. The dream is usually an almost helpless condition where Ketu or habit-energy displays itself. Because of this, I can see why I would limit the time I would spend in a game (or anything else artificial), and why I would spend more time learning deities. Very basic things like Om Manipadme Hum or Om Cale Cule Cundi Svaha do not become outdated and discarded; they remain as habits and grow branches with tiny little gem-like details. In other words we wipe clean our mortal Ketu and replace it with something divine. The driving energy is still there, but it isn't dangerous.

When one totally withdraws (Nisprapancha), and all the force is centered and launching upward, that is a purified, balanced Ketu. So it is total success in that case, or complete failure if we still have distractions or anxieties perturbing it.



Vajra Humkara was a yogi who lived in Sitavana charnel ground and empowered Padmasambhava with Vajrasattva. The article gives clear Sanskrit names for the Vidyadharas of this group and that Vajramrita was considered Wrathful Samantabhadra.

In Sarvadurgati, we find strange folks showing up to represent the planets or Navagrahas. Some of these are shared with Vajramrita Tantra. Although it is unpublished probably not even in Tibetan, we can distinguish three rings of what are probably the same Eight Vidyas, which is likely the principle of eight major branches from the heart which cover the body in the three modes of body, speech, and mind. It is also possible the rings are increasing degrees of tantric approach, since the sadhana specifies the goddesses arise at the edges and move on to the lotus petals.

The normally-published Vajramrita retinue is:

1. Saumya East
2. Saumyavadani. South
3. Candri West
4. S'asinl North
5. S'asimandala Agni corner
6. S'asilekha Nrtta corner
7. Manojfia Vayu corner
8. Manohladanakari lsana corner



The eight wisdoms defined as part of Heruka Utpatti chapter are:

Sotkaṭā,
Vikaṭā,
Cāṇḍālī,
Ḍombikā,
Piṅgalā, [tawny, brown, yellowish or reddish brown]
Kulinī,
Ugrā,
Dāruṇī


And the remainder that are also defined as vidyas are:

Amritalocana

Varuna

Surupa

Amrita

Aprameya

Amritavajra

Sukhasadhani

Karamudra


Those could perhaps also be classed as peaceful, wrathful, and nectarine or tantric.

There are some, to us, difficult names in the Sarvadurgati Navagraha and in Vajramrita Tantra; but just as Sarvadurgati is converting Hindu deities, this has been already done by Vajrapani, and that is where they come from.

In STTS, Vajrapani converts Hindu deities into the "external" Vajra Family by giving them Buddhist initiations. It will not directly tell us they are planets, but it does state the epithet Kundalin is "ear-ring", which frequently shows up as "kundala" if we see a Tara description where she has "ear-rings":

“Then, after Vajrapani induced (all the gods) to enter (the
mandala) correctly, he duly revealed the entire maha-mandala,
and initiated them with the vajra-gem-consecrations. After he gave
them the vajra-signs for their hands, he initiated them with the
vajra-name-consecrations. Since all the Tathagatas acted , for the
welfare of living beings, he established (the names).

Then, there followed the performance for the commanders of all three worlds,
for example, Mahesvara was named as Krodhavajra (WrathVajra),
Narayana as Mayavajra (Illusion- Vajra), Sanakumara as
Vajraghanta (Vajra-Bell), Brahmana as Maunavajra (SilenceVajra),
and Indra as Vajrayudha (Vajra-Weapon). Thus, these
gods were initiated as Knowledge-Kings (vidya-rajyaka).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on the commanders of all the gods
wandering in space, for example, Amrtakundala was named as
Vajrakundali (Vajra-Ear-Ring), Indu as Vajraprabha (VajraSplendour),
Mahadandagra as Vajradanda (Vajra-Stick), and
Pingala as Vajrapingala (Vajra-Treasure). Thus, these gods were
initiated as Vajra-Wrathful-Beings (vajra-krodha).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on the commanders of all the gods living in
space, for example, Madhumatta was named as Vajrasaunda
(Vajra-Liqueur), Madhukara as Vajramala (Vajra-Garland), Jaya
as Vajravasi (Vajra-Power), and Jayavaha as Vijayavajra
(Conquest-Vajra). Thus, these gods were initiated as CompanyLeaders
(gana-pati).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on the
commanders of all the gods living on the earth, for example,
Kosapala was named as Vajramusala (Vajra-Club), Vayava as
Vajranila (Vajra-Wind), Agni as Vajranala (Vajra-Fire), and
Kubera as Vajrabhairava (Vajra-Horror). Thus, these gods were
initiated as Messengers (duta).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on
the commanders of all the gods living beneath the earth, for
example, Varaha was named as VajrankuSa (Vajra-Hook), Yama
as Vajrakala (Vajra-Time), Prthiviculika as Vajravinayaka (VajraRemover),
and Varuna as Nagavajra (Serpent-Vajra). Thus, these
gods were initiated as Servants (cetaka).

Then, he (Vajrapani) initiated all the consorts of the commanders
of the three worlds with the vajra-gem-consecration. After he
empowered their own signs with the vajra, he initiated (them) with
the vajra-name-consecration. Since all the Tathagatas acted for the
welfare of living beings, he established (the names), for example,
the goddess Uma was named as Krodhavajragni (Wrath- VajraFire),
the goddess Rukmini as VajrasauvarnI (Vajra-Gold), the
goddess Sasthi as Vajrakaumari (Vajra-Maiden), the goddess
Brahmani as Vajrasanti (Vajra-Tranquillity), and the goddess
IndranI as Vajramusti (Vajra-Fist). Thus, these goddesses were
initiated as Vajra-Queens (vajra-rajanika).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on all the consorts (of the commanders) wandering in
space, for example, the goddess Amrta was named as Vajramrta
(Vajra-Immortal), the goddess RohinI as Vajrakanti (VajraBrightness),
the goddess DandadharinI as Dandavajragra (StickVajra-Best),
and the goddess Jataharinl as Vajramekhala (VajraBelt).
Thus, these goddesses were initiated as Vajra-WrathfulFemales
(vajra-krodhini).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on all
the consorts (of the commanders) living in space, for example, the
goddess Maranl was named as Vajravilaya (Vajra-Death), the
goddess Asana as Vajrasana (Vajra-Eating), the goddess Vasana
as Vajravasana (Vajra-Passion), and the goddess Rati as
Vajravasa (Vajra-Desire). Thus, these goddesses were initiated as
Courtesans (ganika).

Then, he bestowed (the names) on all the
consorts (of the commanders) living on the earth, for example, the
goddess Siva was named as Vajraduti (Vajra-Female-Messenger),
the goddess Vayavi as Vegavajrini (Speed-Vajra-Holder), the
goddess Agnedhrya as Vajrajvala (Vajra-Illumination), and the
goddess Kauberi as Vajravikata (Vajra-Dreadfulness). Thus, these
goddesses were initiated as Vajra-Female-Messengers (vajraduti).


Then, he bestowed (the names) on all the consorts (of the
commanders) of living beneath the earth, (for example), the
goddess Varahi was named as Vajramukhi (Vajra-Mouth), the
goddess Camunda as Vajrakali (Vajra-Death), the goddess
Chinnanasa as Vajraputana (Vajra-Disease), and the goddess
Varuni as Vajramakari (Vajra-Sea-Monster). Thus, these
goddesses were initiated as Vajra-Female-Servants (vajra-ceti).”


These are arranged around Vajra Humkara.

Normally if you query "Vajrasana" you will get Vajra Throne at Bodhgaya; here, it is eating. Kubera is the original Vajrabhairava. Vajravarahi is not an original name for her. Sasthi is "sixth", the sixth lunar night, or sixth Durga, Katyayani. Sasthi is Vajrakumari, is a Buddhist Katyayani. We can suss out the idea of the sun which is Amritakundali--Vajrakundali with Amrita--Vajramrita, the first couple wandering in space.

Dandadharini is a title of Mahalakshmi or of Varahi (staff holder with Lalita Tripurasundari). Jataharini is a child-stealing demon from Markandeya Purana. A poor quality archive of Krsna Yamari says:

In this way it goes on giving the mantra of Irsyavajra,
Mudgaravajra, Dandavajra, Padmavajra, Khadgavajra, and
their Safeties Vajra-Carcika, Vajra-Varahj, Vajra-Sarasvati,
Vaira-Saurl, and Kayavakcittadhisthana mantra;' in short,
the mantras of all the associates of Bhagavan, named in the
beginning. [male Dandavajra is Yamantaka]

Vajradanda per se simply is the "one way".

Daruni is in a rare list of Vidyas appearing after the subjugation of Ravana's Yakshas with Gauri, Gandhari, Amara, Santi, Kauberi, Varuni, and others related to this same theme.

The Varuni referred to in STTS is the consort of Varuna; so it is Varuni's mother Varuni who is makara devi. Varuna is never really shown as having a "pattern of descent", he is the deep dark and formless, who at most is simply included to show that he is perceivable. The total Net at its most subtle. Orthodox Hinduism blesses the Conch by Varuna; but in Buddhist Agni Homa, it is by Varuni daughter of Varuni, Samjna daughter of Samjna. And so this rarefied liquid daughter is much in step with the rarefied solar daughter Marici who, in Hindu yoga terms, is probably closer to Daivi Prakriti than to any deities.

Here, we get the basic idea of the three levels of space or sky, on the surface of the earth, and subterranean, the main categories of goddesses in tantra. There is a beginning group of five, and the other rings are four-fold.

I cannot mete out all the details, but it seems this batch of deities through STTS-->Sarvadurgati-->Vajramrita Tantra is at its core completely consistent with everything we have put together.

It is possible some of them are in Dakini Jala since we do not know all the retinues. It is said that Vajramrita appeared in the world because Gambhiravajra propitiated Vajrasurya (Vajra Sun or Ratnaketu or Ratnasambhava, Jewel Family) by means of Sarvabuddha Samayoga Dakini Jala tantra in Sitavana cemetery. This attaches to Samvarodaya, or Chakrasamvara Dharmodaya, which specifically says it was written at Ratnagiri, whereas most tantras are extremely reticent about their composition. So again, I would say this whole thing is completely historically continuous and intact, is a direct portal to Indian Buddhism in its then-current understanding. Beyond a point, it is un-translatable, or, to utilize a single word, takes a whole study on it. But this is even almost the same as the Japanese definition of esotericism: that learning the many meanings is exoteric, internalizing them until they are simultaneously present is esoteric.

[shaberon]

There are a few different ways of handling dharanis. There is the roster in Namasangiti, which could be applied to astrology and Tara days. In Nepal, there is also a "seven days of the week" formula. But there is also a Nepalese system of Dharanis as used with Navagraha:


Aditya -- Sun -- Vasudhara -- Sunday

Soma -- Moon -- Vajravidarani -- Monday

Mangala -- Mars -- Ganapati Hrdaya -- Tuesday

Budha -- Mercury -- Usnisa Vijaya -- Wednesday

Brhaspati -- Jupiter -- Dhvajagrakeyura (or Parnasabari or Prajnaparamita) -- Thursday

Sukra -- Venus -- Marici -- Friday

Shani -- Saturn -- Grahamatrika -- Saturday

Rahu -- Parnasabari

Ketu -- Pratyangira


One might conceive how Vasudhara is solar if thinking of the occult sun as being Jewel Family, but, I am not sure how Marici got applied to Venus, other than a blog comment suggests that verbs in her Dharani indicate a connection to Venus and/or Mercury. I cannot see this in Tibetan and English or Sanskrit. It does say she "travels before the sun and moon", she is not Surya, she is something invisible in the pre-dawn twilight, wherein Venus is usually the visible entity. Her dharani mantras are something else since they use playful twists on Vetali and Varahi.

Nine is a specific to Nepal classification which I would maintain is equivalent to a system of Seven, because that is Six Families plus something that soon has to be described as Three-in-One. Seven Families can arguably be derived from Shurangama Sutra and from Sarvadurgati Parishodana. We would then reason that Heruka Completion Stage relies on Seven Syllable deity, which itself relies on the Seven Jewels of Enlightenment.


Sarvadurgati achieves Seven Paramitas. The Seven Bhumis are for defeat of the Maras. Buddhaguhya interprets bhumis eight and up as the Perfections of the Seventh Bhumi. First Bhumi is stream-entry, path of seeing, darshana marga. Meditation or bhavana marga is stages 2-7, the last ones are consummation. Seven covers the entire Path, except for the Irreversible Bodhisattva Path.

Seven is not a common number in mandalas, but, we have found a Naga Hood or what we might call a Hydra used by Nagaraja Bodhisattva, Nagarjuna, Dombi Heruka, Janguli, and Amoghasiddhi (Janguli calls it Sapta Phana Bhoga). And so when the minor Red Avalokiteshvara emits his deities, it is hard to miss Varuna on a Makara with the hood, closely followed by Ananta, who is similar (Varuni is his embodied radiance):










Someone else is the main operator of Varuna's apparatus.

Janguli only has a mandala in Krsna Yamari Tantra:

So now, I will pronounce the ritual meditation on the Noble Janguli. By
merely visualizing her, one could cross over water.

Visualize her with three faces, and six arms. She is yellow, and forms
from the seed mantra Phuh. She holds a snake in her hands and is of enormous form. She loves to ride on her peacock vehicle. To the east, paint Mayuri, with Bhrkuti to the south. To her west is Parnasabari, and VajrasrNkhala to the north.

Peacock feathers, a gourd, a branch and a chain—visualize these (for the other goddesses) and their colors: yellow, red, dark, and blue. The intelligent one will visualize them thus, and recite the mantra:

om phuh jah


Place (visualize) Mudgara, etc., at the doors (in the cardinal directions) and Puspa, etc., in the intermediate directions. Then, by the Noble JaNguli yoga, you can always cross over water.

She removes poison; water poison comes from Tamas. Jnanagni is what obliterates these substances from the aura. So Janguli is a precursor or inspiration for Jnanagni. In referring to Janguli, it is possible that as early as 1917, an English speaker has figured out the "Tara series" is intended to emanate "He of Seven Syllables".

Her Yellow form introduces the syllable Phuh, uses weaponized Gatekeepers, Offering Goddesses, Yellow Mayuri, Red Bhrkuti, Dark Parnasabari, and Blue Vajrashrinkala; Feathers, Gourd, Branch, Chain.



Phuh is specifically for Ananta in Sarvadurgati Parishodana, it also could be all nagas, or Varuna Nagaraja according to Alex Wayman. Only in the tantra does she directly use this syllable; however, her dharani includes the only instance of playing around with it: "Phutte".

So she has a white form which has been described as tantric Sita, and a Yellow form which has its own sadhana, but also performs in Krsna Yamari Tantra and brings in Shrnkala.



Sadhanamala appears to have one use of Green Janguli in #121, who is saptaphaṭvirājitamūrdhajaṃ, or sapta phat virajita murdhajam, Seven Phat syllables (eminent, brilliant, adorned) (in her hair or head-born from her or a crown). She has trisula and mayuri piccha or plume; sarpam or sarpa is the term for serpent here in another hand, and the fourth is "prasāritābhayam". This seems to be a type of Abhaya mudra.

I cannot be sure what it literally says, but, it is not too far from each serpent in the hood being a Phat that attacks hindrances and purifies skandhas. There are only two Vajrakayas in the book--Manjuvajra and this one, her Hrdaya or heart form:

121.

atha bhagavatyā hṛdayakalpaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ / oṃ asijihve
śrūlajihve vajrakāye grasa grasa jvala jvala mahājvāle
mahāyogeśvari huṃ huṃ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā / daśasahasrajāpāt
sarvaviṣakarmaśamanasamartho bhavati / japaścānena vidhinā
kartavyāḥ / trikālasnāyī madyamāṃsavasāpalāṇḍutailalavaṇa-
vivarjitastrikālaṃ japet yāvad daśasanasrāṇi /
tataḥ siddho bhavati / paścāt karmāṇi kārayed anena
vinyāsena /
prathamaṃ tāvan mantrī ātmānam īdṛśaṃ cintayet kumāryākāraṃ
haritavarṇaṃ saptaphaṭvirājitamūrdhajaṃ caturbhujaṃ ekamukhaṃ
ekahastena triśūlaṃ dvitīyena mayūrapicchaṃ tṛtīyena sarpaṃ
caturthe prasāritābhayam / sarvāṅgena nūpuramekhalāvalayakuṇḍalādīn
sarpākārān citayet / ekaikasmāt romavivarāt
agnijvālāṃ samantānniṣkāśamānāṃ vicintayet /
evam ātmani kalpayet ahaṃ tāvad devatā / tataḥ sarpadaṣṭakaṃ
purataḥ saṃsthāpya tāmrādibhājane udakaṃ pratiṣṭhāpyānayā
vidyayā saptavārābhimantritaṃ taṃ sapta vārān śiraḥprabhṛtiviṣam
ākṛṣya tato daka eva prakṣipet punaḥ punaḥ / etena
nirviṣo bhavati / calaṃ ca viṣaṃ yaṃ yam evāṅgaṃ muñcati
tasmin tasmin sthāne mṛttikayā saptajaptayā dhāraṇībandhaṃ
sarpākāravalayayogena kārayet / etau mudrāṃ sarpākārau /
huḥkāraṃ muñced daṣṭakasyāṅge pibantam iva viṣaṃ cintayet /
evaṃ karmasiddhir bhavati nānyathā /
ity āryajāṅgulyā bhagavatyāḥ kalpaḥ samāptaḥ //



"calaṃ ca viṣaṃ yaṃ yam evāṅgaṃ muñcati tasmin tasmin sthāne mṛttikayā saptajaptayā dhāraṇībandhaṃ sarpākāravalayayogena kārayet" has calam, probably motion, visam, poison, yam or wind syllable, then evangam, probably "in that condition", muncati "loosens, releases, emits", tasmin sthane "in that residence" and gives us something called mrtti kaya which would mean death kaya, followed by, recite seven times her dharani (serpent [hand or maker] [bracelet, circle, mandala] yogini) (is compelled or becomes known).

Next, "sarpakarau mudra" or some kind of serpent hand, followed by huhkara; Nagas in Sarvadurgati are summoned by a Hood gesture. So far, she is not an identical, but like a feminized version of what Vajrapani is able to do with Eight Naga Kings. And so instead of the total cemeteries, she is more like the inner process of bodhicitta; she is never a naga and does not always have the hood, but she can use it.

"Huh" would seem to have no particular use, however, the Aryan Kriyakalagunottara uses it in Nilakantha's Meghamala Vidya or Garland of Clouds, whose purpose is to free one from all poisons. If bitten, it then invokes "Lady whose form is nectar" to determine which caste of serpent caused the wound, and responds with various seed-syllables. This is from a study of Garuda Tantras.

It is a linguistic seed, in that huh plus ah or ha makes the sound of laughter (Tathagata Family). Same root as Hah or Hoh. If it appears anywhere other than Garland of Clouds, I am not sure. Sarpa occurs once in Rig Veda where Ahi is usually found.

Bhattacharya also noticed she is alike Manasa Devi and Visahari; visam seems to be the word for poison in her sadhana.


For her Yellow Form (in verse):

oṃ namaḥ śabarakumāri
ye cūrcchacāḍi cālaya cuccālaya saṃghaṭṭani mattamātaṅgi
aḍaviddhe ahe oṃ jaḥ svāhā

Motion, repeated motion, then Samghattani is probably "sagghatana", encouters, meets, is in close union with, Mata Matangi. Ahe is "a particle", adaviddhe is probably a play on adhi vidya, science, or has acquired knowledge from. Hard to say for sure, but, in white, she got Sarasvati's syllable, and the lute, also used by Matangi, and this also makes her seem as a bridging goddess between a general outer one, and a highly charged magical one.

Then her large dharani is given. Next her short mantra (Yellow form prose):

oṃ jāṅguli sarvaviṣapraśamani huḥ svāhā

Then there is a Mahavidya expansion of her dharani, then the Green form. Then the last, White, is based from Ah Hrih Hum. It refers to jnanasattva samaya and Four Activities, and Hrih is her seed here. So White Janguli is not far from Sarasvati and Prajnaparamita, with the addition of a snake.

For her white form, after several depictions of "sukla", there is:

sukhāsanopaviṣṭo jagati maitrīkaruṇāmuditopekṣāṃ

Something about sukha, or bliss, then Jagati Maitri Karuna Mudita Upeksa.

Her visualization starts from Pam, emits a White Lotus, then a Moon Disk, upon which is Hrih. Shortly thereafter:

'kṛṣya gaganasthān jñānasattvasamayasattvān ekīkṛtya vibhāvayet
jaḥ huṃ vaṃ ho prayogeṇeti / punar api hrīḥkāraraśminākṛṣṭāḥ
sarvatathāgatā gaganasthāḥ sattvārthodyataṃ māmabhiṣiñcantu

Sthan is the same as "stan", home or residence of. So it twice refers to Gaganastan meaning Sky or Space is the residence. Akarsya (hook) (from her abode in space or sky) (gnosis being, samaya being) (gathered or unified) (causes to arise or appear) (four activities) (accomplishes yoga).

It goes on to recite Hrih seven laks (= 100,00), and something about seven white flowers. So we could say seven us a number highlighted by, or characteristic of, Janguli.

I will never figure out Jainism, but there is also some consideration that the mysterious Padmavati is Janguli.





In terms of an implication of "about to" enter union, we have studied a water-damaged manuscript that suggests it by the way pages face each other. It gives Prajnaparamita a unique retinue which, for instance, uses Janguli at an outer level, who is then replaced. Its male counterpart is Vajrasattva Manjughosha. These folios are poised as if they are about to enter union, similarly how we can use Yoga practices to get Vajravarahi "about" to enter union with Seven Syllable Vajradaka. It is sort of like Prajnaparamita's final moment before being replaced herself.

Receptacle of the Sacred explained MSD3 as Prajnaparamita becoming Vajradhatvishvari by appropriating Six Arm Arch (Stupa) Marici and radiating light. This Arch form is rare and not among most known sadhanas; Six Arms is usually her Bay Green Horses form; compare to Arch form. The authors believe this to be the Esoteric form of Prajnaparamita, i. e. generated by Prabhasvara. Quoting Sarvarahasyatantra, they say the goddess residing in the heart, causing the yoga of the yogin, the Mother of All Buddhas, is called Vajradhatvishvari (Queen of the Diamond Realm).

MSD4 has the retinue at first as Green Janguli with snake, Green Mayuri with plume, Durgottarini, Khadira, and Vajra Tara. Then, it is a higher-ranking scheme with Krsna Yamari, etc., that has Eight Arm Vajra Tara and puts Eight Arm Marici and Two Arm Sita in place of Janguli and Mayuri. This shows Sita as a potential consort to Vajrasattva, and already showed Durgottarini and Khadira with Krsna Yamari and Vignantaka. The un-coupled Hevajra and Samvara would be suggested with Eight Arm Marici and Vajra Tara. Prajnaparamita would mate with Enlightenment. This male enlightenment deity is "ambiguous", "possibly Manjuvajra", but is given the name Maravijaya. This is a Yellow Six Arm form in a "shrine", with a sword, bow and arrow, flower, with the principal arms crossed in front of the chest. So Six Arm Vajrasattva-Manjuvajra is thought to be the one under this one, who would merge with Two Arm Sita. This is about all that can be said for a damaged manuscript that uses Ratnagiri Taras.


Prajnaparamita starts out with two attendants, Janguli with snake and Mayuri with plume, both green. Then are added Khadira, Durgottarini, and Vajra Tara. So this is Prajnaparamita with five emanations or Paramitas. Then, Janguli and Mayuri are replaced by Eight Arm Tara likely Marici, and Two Arm White Tara, and in this format, Vajra Tara has Eight Arms. This is shown right after page 159. There are no precise details since it's not a picture and the manuscript is really in Boston, composed around 1136, probably in Bengal, or, in Varendra, where again, Mahattari is "Varendra vanna icchi". So although we can't see much, the point is, with careful research, the author concludes that the art is telling the exact same story about these "missing" Taras in a format where technical care was taken to present Krsna Yamari, Hevajra, and Samvara closely according to NSP and so forth. They describe it as a Yoga exercise or that the female retinue is "about" to enter union with the males. It does not use a union mandala.

In previous manuscripts, Prajnaparamita was shown with Seven Past/One Future Buddhas; Six Arm Arch Marici was facing Vajrasattva. And then they suggest this facing creates Vajradhatvishvari, or, when Prajnaparamita is the actual Clear Light, then Marici arises as Vajradhatvishvari. Then the outer Janguli and Mayuri would be replaced with Marici and Sita. Both forms of the retinue are Six Paramitas, the first conceptually produced, the second spontaneously arising. Or, balanced use of Six Families Equally with Armor allows the Clear Light or Prabhasvara to be perceived. That is why there is always a Peaceful White goddess, such as Sita and Prajnaparamita being major text goddesses, Heruka Vajra Tara, Vairocaniye, mother of all Buddhas, which uses Seven Syllable deity to emanate purified divine forms. It is an extremely methodical handling of the same natural "candelabra of lights" which otherwise has a spring-like resistance against a person.







Vajravali detail:









Mandala:

[Old Student]

Yes, that would actually be one of the better ways of describing it, love and sex is a lure towards Dharma. If a body is neglected, abused, etc., it correspondingly damages the subtle body and there is not much basis for cultivation of inner bliss. And so if Kurukulla and Katyayani are both seen as making mundane relationships work, that is actually fine, as long as one is not forced to see this as the be-all-and-end-all of what they can really do. It is like the tip of their iceberg.

You paired Kurukulla with Katyayani, so I ended up looking for Kurukulla amongst the names of Durga, and there is a Kurukullavirodhini which is the "Confronter of Duality". The constituent parts of the name make Kurukulla who induces love the dual-opposite of Virodhini who causes quarrels.

This notion that there are a single set of deities and as they move to different levels they become a different set of the same number sounds right for Ekajati as I perceive her at least. She is different people when she is doing different things.

Thanks much for the whole story on Rahu and Svarbhanu on the immortality and Amrita thing.

[Old Student]

Aditya -- Sun -- Vasudhara -- Sunday

Soma -- Moon -- Vajravidarani -- Monday

Mangala -- Mars -- Ganapati Hrdaya -- Tuesday

Budha -- Mercury -- Usnisa Vijaya -- Wednesday

Brhaspati -- Jupiter -- Dhvajagrakeyura (or Parnasabari or Prajnaparamita) -- Thursday

Sukra -- Venus -- Marici -- Friday

Shani -- Saturn -- Grahamatrika -- Saturday

Rahu -- Parnasabari

Ketu -- Pratyangira

These are mostly the same correspondences of days of the week that are in Hindi as well.

In previous manuscripts, Prajnaparamita was shown with Seven Past/One Future Buddhas; Six Arm Arch Marici was facing Vajrasattva. And then they suggest this facing creates Vajradhatvishvari, or, when Prajnaparamita is the actual Clear Light, then Marici arises as Vajradhatvishvari. Then the outer Janguli and Mayuri would be replaced with Marici and Sita. Both forms of the retinue are Six Paramitas, the first conceptually produced, the second spontaneously arising. Or, balanced use of Six Families Equally with Armor allows the Clear Light or Prabhasvara to be perceived. That is why there is always a Peaceful White goddess, such as Sita and Prajnaparamita being major text goddesses, Heruka Vajra Tara, Vairocaniye, mother of all Buddhas, which uses Seven Syllable deity to emanate purified divine forms. It is an extremely methodical handling of the same natural "candelabra of lights" which otherwise has a spring-like resistance against a person.

The Chinese caption at the bottom does say "Marici", albeit uses a set of characters not used currently with annotated characters underneath (common in some scripture things).
But it calls her a Buddha (Fo Mu, 佛母), specifically not a Bodhisattva or a goddess.

Vajravali detail:

She is in the womb (Dhatugarbha) part - reliquary - of a stupa? Is that also what the Mandala image is depicting?

[Old Student]

I should mention that I was "drilled" on dissolves again last night and during the sort of "testing" part, was corporeal but all liquid, dark blue in color with edges in red-rimmed yellow, and constantly changing, while I had to try to keep myself on a "fulcrum" of dissolve/"no mind". I slipped off of it a couple of times and was able to regain the balance point but then after that i could not. The colors "felt" like they were "waiting to be colored", as usual, the liquid visually seems like mist but sensorily seems like liquid.

[shaberon]

Posted by Old Student (here)
These are mostly the same correspondences of days of the week that are in Hindi as well.

It is one and the same time system east and west. You set up the seven main planets on a candelabra, short periods towards the inside, and when you go round counting, it sets the twenty-four "angels of the hours" and then the next hour for the next day is always shifted four from the previous. We still use it today, this very moment, the Latin, Greek, and Germanic versions are all the same. Nepal's days are no different, except they tell you to go off and meditate on a Buddhist Ganapati Hrdaya--Siddhi and Gauri from Hinduism. Here, perhaps we should remain aware that Gauri and Gauri are two totally different beings, even Buddha specifically states first and second Gauri.

She is in the womb (Dhatugarbha) part - reliquary - of a stupa? Is that also what the Mandala image is depicting?

Yes. I had not paid much attention to the fact it is only the top. I believe this is what was called "trefoil arch" in Receptacle of the Sacred Figure 3.1 (later they equate it to caitya) which calls the standing reverse-stance Marici having six arms, Vajradhatvishvari. That one has Vajra, Arrow, and Needle, then Tarjani with Thread, Bow, Akosa Branch--and one normal face, a green one, and a blue pig face. They say it matches nothing and she is "qualified" as Vajradhatvishvari because she faces Vajrasattva.

I think they are playing loose with the names. They made the thesis, "Prajnaparamita becomes Vajradhatvishvari by appropriating Marici and radiating light"--roughly correct but, it is someone just like me or us trying to put together the clues. We can provide one small sadhana that has Utpatti and Nispanna Prajnaparamita, so, we could say for sure she is an esoteric evolution. But once we are done with that set, there simply is no more Prajnaparamita, by name. She "is" an abundant number of other deities, until being equated with Guhyeshvari. It is all only one thing, but, it has different names in different circumstances. There might be a conceptual Vajradhatvishvari if one was trained in Guhyasamaja but not able to do it, whereas there is a real Vajradhatvishvari anyone might encounter, Buddhist or not. However in Buddhist practice, the fully-developed one is the biggest Marici, nothing unclear about that.

We do see in these manuscripts the use of Durgottarini, just like Dhanada is with Seven Syllable deity. Their use-by-name is in a highly syncretic esoteric position.

I do not think we can just decide to call something Vajradhatvishvari, most Maricis do not have this role, it is singular on her. It should not be too surprising she faces Vajrasattva, well, she is also Vajrasattva Ishvari. She is the only one I can think of who is multiple kinds of Ishvari.

The known six arm Maricis are the one above for the mandala, and the one with horses. Once we examine the items these forms have, the "custom" one is really no different. Recent Tibetan:















Ancient Indian stonework:








Looking like Figure 3.1 yet?

These are not part of Sadhanamala; I was unable to find a six arm one at all. The one from the mandala is a stupa deity, so, the questionable one is probably this, just more aggressive. The one in the middle detail in the prior post has blue pig face and is doing an unusual Japanese seiza, whereas the other two have fancy pants. So you already see a variant on the same thing. Because those two (Horses and Mandala) are the primary, if not only, Maricis followed in Tibet, it should not be too surprising if this is the one used as the base model in the rare manuscript.

If we task the big Drikung Ekajati (Sweat-born from Buddha) who has all the big Maricis, I think we might still find a missing pair of arms or changed item, but this will not remove the fact that they are Sadhanamala Maricis. If we go back over Green Janguli, for some reason, they also see her as part of this. I am just following the leads, and nothing says that Janguli is doing something like Vajrapani with all the nagas, just like nothing says Sukla or Sitabani have anything to do with Smasana or Cemetery Meditation in full detail, but once you set up the definitions with the evolution of mantric syllables and changes in form and location, then you do get a crazy carnival ride which is actually a precisely-tuned and engineered mechanism. With goddesses, it is less important that they "mean" it verbally, but they "are" it in terms of experience. Sitabani was physically probably the main tantric dissemination center "outside of school", and if that becomes a type of protective deity who moves from fire and mantra into the meaning of her name, cool forest, in Air Element, then perhaps Touch Object leaves air and enters the center space as in Guhyasamaja.

It is partly an issue of, how many minor changes is one allowed to make to an image? Usually the stuff produced by a mill or for a monastery is highly conforming to scripture, whereas things made for private donors will show a few changes to the deity forms, or highlight a combination they practiced which isn't obvious from the books.

I bet twenty cents that we could get either Kurukullavirodhini or a plain Virodhini somewhere in the Buddhist sadhanas or tantras. That sounds familiar. Virodhini comes from the same section of Markandeya Purana where we just found a Vajramrita deity.

Now I think the arch-name Vimala is inclusive of the Sodashi (Sixteen) Kumari (Virgin) whether expressed as Katyayani or Kurukulla, Varahi, or possibly even Mayuri, so really what we are looking at is what exactly is Stainless and, oh, it is at the power of a Bodhisattva Bhumi. As long as you are not doing something silly like trying to make Dhumavati sixteen years old, then they all are conducive to the understanding of that state and the holding of its power.

Ekajati is weird. She may, at times, destroy souls, but I would just look at her with that knowing grin that "it was not by your volition, it was their own". Then we would laugh. I am just too comfortable with wrathful deities, the most elaborate practice I have done was Chod where you become a moat of your own blood and so forth, and it had little effect on me. I'm not scared by anything, so, Vajrabhairava can have nothing that disturbs me. Perhaps my worst sin is Irsya--Jealousy (Karma Family), which is less "I want what they've got", but more of an issue with inequality. I go berserk over this based on self. Yes, behaviorally, I try to find the most appropriate ways to work on obstacles, but, psychologically, it throws me into an uproar.

I believe I understand Karma almost completely and still quite possibly have it as biggest weakness, which is more or less what it means to be "of" a Family. The rest of them I understand fairly well and sin against mildly.

Ekajati is like Mahacina Tara except she can become White Heruka or massive Viddyujvali, and can somehow launch out a Red Vajrayogini. She is in a lot of retinues and continues to do weird things like turn white or enter Lotus Family. I will have to dig it back out, but, in the tantra, she is completely convuluted. Parnasabari is a stronger form of Gauri or Vetali which is a Pisachi or Tramen. Ekajati and her ilk however are the Rakshashi. From the get go, these would be considered one's worst enemies, but all are some part of the aura to be converted to Dharma.

Here we go. So, in some instances of mandalas, we can find a "double Marici" in the east--and, similarly, in perhaps the only other Hexagram retinue besides the ones discussed, it goes like this.




What happens is that in the first, East, or lower petal, there is Sri on her mule; over her, but within the same flame aura, is Ekajati. Sri Remati is generated from Ekajati's fat belly. The rest are Mahakala's personal set of Five Activity Protectors: Father-Mother Nagpo-Nagmo Kala Rakshasha and Kali Rakshashi, with Son, Brother, and Sister. This sister is Ekajati. The mandala has four animal-headed Gatekeepers, who take over the Four Activities, as consistent with Hevajra. Ekajati is mother of all Mahakalas. She is presenting herself as if in the role of Urmila or Deep Sleep Lakshmi:

[Old Student]

I bet twenty cents that we could get either Kurukullavirodhini or a plain Virodhini somewhere in the Buddhist sadhanas or tantras. That sounds familiar. Virodhini comes from the same section of Markandeya Purana where we just found a Vajramrita deity.

Now I think the arch-name Vimala is inclusive of the Sodashi (Sixteen) Kumari (Virgin) whether expressed as Katyayani or Kurukulla, Varahi, or possibly even Mayuri, so really what we are looking at is what exactly is Stainless and, oh, it is at the power of a Bodhisattva Bhumi. As long as you are not doing something silly like trying to make Dhumavati sixteen years old, then they all are conducive to the understanding of that state and the holding of its power.

I found Kurukulla and Virodhini in lists of Kali Nitya Devi and this list of Kali's names (64 Yogini Namavali). In them, Virodhini seems to have something to do with "self".

In the statue of Marici you showed, Marici appears to be giving birth to herself? When I looked it up in Himalayan Art, they give yet a different Chinese name for Marici, this one not transliterated, "具光“ literally the Instrument of Light.

Ekajati has been doing a lot of "smoothing" lately, her outburst about destroyer of souls notwithstanding.

I had a "test" last night and flunked. I was unable to do a completely unassisted dissolve, and the best I could do unassisted with the breeze was kind of spread out into it, which is far short of "being" it.