Amṛtasiddhi Mahāvedha Section: Sanskrit and Tibetan text with English Translations.
The Sanskrit text and its English translation are taken from The Amṛtasiddhi and Amṛtasiddhimūla: the Earliest Texts of the Haṭhayoga Tradition. Critically edited and translated by James Mallinson and Péter-Dániel Szántó. The Tibetan Amrtasiddhi text (attributed to Virupa) is written by E deva (from Shangpa teaching cycles) and the English translation is mine.
Notes on Tibetan translation:
(I) In the Amṛtasiddhi trulkhor text from the Shangpa teaching cycles, liṅgamudrā is described as 'squeezing the right thumb with the left palm'.
(II) Amoghavajra's Amṛtasiddhi commentary speaks of bindu in the form of ekavira (god/male/method aspect) at the throat and vajrayoginī (goddess/female/wisdom aspect) at the yoni (perineum), and their union (union of wisdom and method) at the navel. According to the Amoghavajra’s commentary, this is one of most important part of the Amrtasiddhi practice. It is called ‘secret mudra’.
(III) In the Amṛtasiddhimūla (Tibetan text) it is written as / rtsa ni bud med gzugs can /, whereas in the Amṛtasiddhi Shangpa text it is written as / rtsa ni yon tan gzugs can /. In the Sanskrit text there is only the word Narī (woman), not Nāḍī (channel). There is a possibility that the Tibetan translator may have confused these two words (Narī and Nāḍī), but I very much doubt that this is the case because the text here speaks of 'mahāvedha' piercing the Nāḍī-chakras.
(V) Tibetan text has translated catuṣpīṭham as four chakras.
(VI) Tibetan text is longer here and is quite different from the Sanskrit text.
I.
Sanskrit text
/ mudrā ca dvividhā jneyā yathā bandho dvidhā kṛtaḥ / yonimudrā ca devīnāṃ liṅgamudrā ca daivakī /
Trans:
Know the [hand-gesture] seal to be, like the Lock, of two kinds: the Yoni Seal (yonimudrā) for the goddesses and the Penis Seal (liṅgamudrā) for the [great] god.
Tibetan text
/ phyag rgya gnyis su shes bya ste / ji bzhin bsdam pa’i cho ga shes / yo ni lha mo’i phyag rgya yin / ling ga’i phyag rgya lha yin no /
Trans:
Just as (two) ways of bandha (lock) is known, know the mudrā as two. yonimudrā is mudrā of goddess and the liṅgamudrā is the god.
II.
Sanskrit text
/ yathā strī puruṣābhyaṃ ca bāhyasṛṣṭiḥ prajāyate / bāhye tu strīpuruṣābhyāṃ sṛṣṭi nāśaḥ śarīrataḥ /
Trans:
External creation arises from a woman and a man, but external creation from a woman and a man [ultimately] results in destruction of the body.
Tibetan text
/ pho dang mo yi sbyor ba las / phyi rol du ni skye bar ‘gyur / ji bzhin sbyor ba de nyid kyis / skye ba nang du gsad par ‘gyur /
Trans:
With the union of male and female, there is creation/birth outside. With the union of that (liṅga/god and the yoni/goddess), destroys the creation/birth inside.
III.
Sanskrit text
/ guṇarūpavatī nārī niṣphalā puruṣaṃ vinā / mahāmudrā mahābandhau vinā vedhena niṣphalau /
Trans:
A woman of virtue and beauty is useless without a man; the Great Seal and Great Lock are useless without the [Great] Piercing.
Tibetan text
/ rtsa ni yon tan (bud med) gzugs can te / skyes pa med na ‘bras bu med / phyag rgya che dang bsdams pa che / dbye ba med na ‘bras bu med /
Trans:
Nāḍī (channels) is a woman of beauty, there is no fruit without a man. Mahāmudrā and mahābandha are fruitless without division/piercing (bheda and vedha).
IV.
Sanskrit text
/ gṛhītvā vāyu cakrāṇi kṛtvā bandhaṃ yathoditam / vedhaṃ samārabhedyogī sacittenaiva vāyunā /
Trans:
The yogi should take hold of the nexuses of Breath (vāyucakrāṇi), perform the Lock as taught and start performing the Piercing by means of Breath, which must be joined with Mind.
Tibetan text
/ rlung ni ‘khor lo gcig tu bsdu / ji srid bsdams pa bzhin du bya / rnal ‘byor pa yis gzhig (gshig) par bya / rang gi rlung sems gzhig (gshig) par bya /
Trans:
Gather together the vāyu in one chakra. while performing the bandha (lock) accordingly, the yogi should dismantle/break it, dismantle/break one’s vital air and mind.
V.
Sanskrit text
/ prāṇaṃ mahābalaṃ kṛtvā madhyamādvārasaṃmukhaṃ / vedhayet kramayogena catuḥpīṭhaṃ ca vāyunā /
Trans:
After greatly empowering Prāṇa [and] making it face the opening of the Goddess of the Centre, he should use Breath to pierce the four stations (catuṣpīṭham) in sequence.
Tibetan text
/ rlung gi stobs dang ldan byas la / dbu ma’i sgor ru gzhug par bya / sbyor ba’i rim pas gzhig par bya / ‘khor lo bzhi po rlung gis dbug /
Trans:
Having made the vital air (vāyu) powerful, put/usher it at the door of central channel. With the sequence of yoga, demolish/destroy it. The vital air pierces (‘bugs) all the four chakras.
VI.
Sanskrit text
/ karābhyāṃ liṅgamāropya pṛthivyāṃ dhruvasaṃnibhaṃ / tathā hi niścalaṃ kṛtvā pāda dvayam dhomukhaṃ /
Trans:
With the hands make the Penis [Seal] on the ground, [as unmovable] as the pole star (dhruvasaṃnibham), and point the two feet downwards, making them just as stable.
Tibetan text
/ lag gnyis ling ga’i phyag rgya bca’ / de ni sa la bzhag nas su / rkang pa’i rtse mo sa la gzugs / brla ni brdab par bya ba yis / rlung gis rlung ni bshig par byed / rlung gis rlung la bsnun par bya / rlung gis rlung ni gsad par bya / rlung gis yongs la khyab pa yi / rlung gis dngos grub thams cad sbyin / rlung gis ‘chi ba med par ‘gyur / des na bdud rtsi grub pa zhes / Bir wa pa yis gsungs pa yin /
Trans:
Make a liṅgamudrā with both hands. Having placed them on the ground, fix the forefeet to the ground. By means of throwing down the thighs (on the heels), vital air will destroy the vital air, vital air will pierce the vital air, vital air will kill the vital air. As the vital air pervades everywhere, vital air will bestow all the siddhis, vital air will make (you) deathless. Thus, it is called Amrtasiddhi by Virupa.
VII.
Sanskrit text
/ avakra pādamūlābhyāṃ kaṭim utthāpya susthiraḥ / āsphālayen mahāmeruṃ vāyuvajrāgrakotitaḥ /
Trans:
Lift up the buttocks and, [staying] very steady, with the heels of the unbent feet [and] the pointed tip of the vajra of the breath, flick the great Meru.
Tibetan text
/ lhun po yi(s) ni bar dag tu / rdo rje’i rlung rtse bya ba yis / dbug pa’i sbyor ba ‘di yis ni / tshangs pa’i mdud pa bshig par bya /
Trans:
In the midway of the Meru, the pointed tip of vajra breath, the piercing yoga of this, breaks the knot of Brahma.
VIII.
Sanskrit text
/ vedhaḥ saṃjāyate tena sabrahmāṇḍarasātlāt / meru madhyagatā devāḥ kampante merucālanāt /
Trans:
As a result Piercing takes place from the very bottom of the [microsmic] universe [upwards] (sabrahmāṇḍarasātalāt). The gods in the middle of Meru tremble because of Meru being made to move.
Tibetan text
/ lhun po’i steng du lha rnams ‘gro / lhun po dag ni g.yo ‘gyur te / des ni thams cad brgyal bar ‘gyur /
Trans:
The gods moves above the Meru. Meru shakes and this will makes all (gods) unconscious.
IX.
Sanskrit text
/ mṛyante meruvedhena brahma devatā dhruvam / ādau saṃjāyate kṣipraṃ vedho ‘yaṃ brahmagranthiṃ /
Trans:
As a result of the Piercing of Meru, Brahmā and the other gods are sure to die. At first this Piercing happens quickly in the knot of Brahmā;
Tibetan text
/ tshangs pa la sogs lha rnams gsad / dang po yi ni sbyor ba yis / tshangs pa’i mdud pa bshig par bya /
Trans:
Kills the gods like Brahmā and so forth. By this yoga, at first, breaks the knot of Brahma (brahmagranthi).
X.
Sanskrit text
/ brahmagranthiṃ tato bhittvā viṣṇugranthiṃ bhinattyasau / viṣṇugranthiṃ tato bhittvā rudragranthiṃ bhinattyasau /
Trans:
Then, having broken through the knot of Brahmā, it breaks through the knot of Viṣṇu. Then, having broken through the knot of Viṣṇu, it breaks through the knot of Rudra.
Tibetan text
/ de bshig nas ni Viṣṇu bshig / de nas dbang phyug mdud pa bshig /
Trans:
After breaking the (Brahmā knot), breaks the knot of Viṣṇu, and then breaks the knot of Shiva.
XI.
Sanskrit text
/ rudragranthiṃ tato bhittvā chittvā mohamayīṃ latām / udghāṭayaty ayaṃ vāyur brahmadvāraṃ sugopitam /
Trans:
Then, having broken the knot of Rudra and cut the creeper that is delusion (mohamayīṃ latām), this Breath opens the very secret gateway of Brahmā (brahmadvāram).
Tibetan text
/ de nas gti mug la sogs spangs / tshangs pa’i sgo ni spas pa la / rlung gis sgo ni rnam par dbye /
Trans:
Then, eliminates the delusion and so forth. As the door of Brahmā (brahmadvāram) is hidden, the vital air opens it completely.
XII.
Sanskrit text
/ mahāmudrā mahābandho mahāvedhastṛtiyakaḥ / tritattvair guhya niryāsair ebhir yogaḥ prasidhyati /
Trans:
The Great Seal, the Great Lock [and] the third, the Great Piercing: by means of these three elements, whose essences are secret, yoga is successful.
Tibetan text
/ gdams pa (bsdams pa) che dang ‘bigs pa che / phyag rgya che ni gsum pa yin / ‘di ni gsang ba gsum yin no / de dag gis ni sbyor grub grags /
Trans:
Mahābandha, mahāvedha and the mahāmudrā is the third. These are the three secrets. These are said to attain the union (yoga).
XIII.
Sanskrit text
/ yas tritattvaṃ vetti sa vetti bhuvanatrayam / yenābhyastamidaṃ daivāt syāt sarvagato vibhuḥ /
Trans:
He who knows these three elements knows the three worlds. He who is lucky enough to practise them becomes omnipresent and [omni-]potent.
Tibetan text
/ de nyid gsum ni gang rigs (rig) pas / de ni ‘jig rten gsum rig go / gang gis ‘di la goms byas na / thams cad kyi ni mnga’ bdag ‘gyur /
Trans:
Whoever knows these three (Mahābandha, mahāvedha and the mahāmudrā), will know the three worlds. Whoever practice them will become the lord of everyone.
XIV.
Sanskrit text
/ guhya guhyeṣu tantreṣu guhyaguhyeṣu devataḥ / anenaiva ādhikāreṇa nṛṇām evā ādhikāritā /
Trans:
It is because of this entitlement to secrets in the most secret tantras which are secret [even] to the gods that humans alone have [the greatest level of] entitlement.
Tibetan text
/ bsrung ba (gsang ba) lha yi lha rnams dang / mi yi bdag po’i bdag por ‘gyur / dbang bskur kun la dag pa (dbang ba) yin / thams cad ma lus lhag par ‘gyur /
Trans:
It is kept guard (secret) from the god of gods, (who know this) will become the lord of lord of man, will rule and dominate, everything will become greater.
XV.
Sanskrit text
/ yo jānāti tv imāṃ mudrām garvas tasyaiva sārthakaḥ / vijñātaṃ sakalaṃ tena nāḍyo devyāḥ prasādataḥ /
Trans:
Pride (garvaḥ) is justified only for him who knows this seal: everything is understood by him thanks to the goddess that is the [central] channel.
Tibetan text
/ phyag rgya ‘di ni shes pa yis / dregs pa yod kyang don dang ldan / des ni thams cad shes pa yin /
Trans:
(A person) who knows this mudrā is worthy of arrogance, (because) that person knows everything.
Glossary
yonimudrā - ཛྙོ་ནི་ཕྱག་རྒྱ
liṅgamudrā - ལིང་གའི་ཕྱག་རྒྱ་
vedhena - དབྱེ་བ་/འབིགས་པ་/བཤིག་/འབུགས་
guṇarūpavatī - ཡོན་ཏན་གཟུགས་ཅན་
mahāmudrā - ཕྱག་རྒྱ་ཆེན་པོ་
mahābandha - བསྡམས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་
mahāvedha - འབིགས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་
madhyamādvāra - དབུ་མའི་སྒོ་ (the door/opening of central channel)
catuḥpīṭhaṃ - འཁོར་ལོ་བཞི་པོ་ (four chakras)
brahmagranthi - ཚངས་པའི་མདུད་པ་ (Brahma’s knot)
viṣṇugranthiṃ - བིཤྣུའི་མདུད་པ་ (knot of Vishnu)
rudragranthiṃ - དབང་ཕྱུག་མདུད་པ་ (Shiva’s knot)
brahmadvāram - ཚངས་པའི་སྒོ་ (door of brahma)
moha - གཏི་མུག་ (delusion)
bhuvanatrayam - འཇིག་རྟེན་གསུམ་ (three worlds)
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