Buddhist Deity: Ushnishavijaya Textual History

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Ushnishavijaya Religious Context

Very Clear Presentation of the Vijayā Cycle

Title: Herein is the "Very Clear Presentation of the Dharma Cycle of Uṣṇīṣavijayā."
Namo Guruve

by Shakya Bhikshu Palden Döndrub (1563-1636)

Supreme heir of the mind of the Sugata Golden Light, Lion's Play, the protector, lord
of deathlessness, who for disciples' sake takes the form of a goddess — bowing at
the feet of Vijayā, I shall clearly explain the presentation of the rituals that
accomplish her, as taught in her dhāraṇī and kalpa, following exactly the oral tradition of the unmistaken lineage. Listen!

Here I briefly explain how the meaning taught in the kalpa of Uṣṇīṣavijayā is put into
practice. There are two parts: identifying which class of scripture this Dharma belongs to,
and establishing the meaning so identified.

1. Which class of scripture

All the Buddha's scriptures are gathered into sūtra and mantra; this belongs to mantra. Of
the many ways of dividing the tantras, in the system of four tantra classes [this is Kriyā
tantra]. Kriyā tantra has individual tantras and general tantras.

Individual tantras — six families: the tathāgata family, the lotus family, the vajra family,
the [lnga rtsen?] family, the jewel family, and the worldly family.

General tantras — four: the General Secret Tantra, the Susiddhi, the Later Meditation
(Dhyānottara), and the Request of Subāhu.

The six individual families contain about two hundred and fifty tantras. The main reason
they count as Kriyā is that their practice teaches no self-generation and teaches only
bathing and cleanliness. This one belongs to the tathāgata family, which has eight sub
classes: tantras of the family's chief, the family's lord, the family's mother, the family's
uṣṇīṣa, the family's wrathful males and females, the family's male and female messengers,
the bodhisattvas included in the tathāgata family, and the gods of the Pure Abodes.

The fourth of these is the uṣṇīṣa tantras: four of Sitātapatrā, three of Vijayā, one of
Vimaloṣṇīṣa, and the Uṣṇīṣa dhāraṇī of Supreme Compassion — nine pure uṣṇīṣa tantras.
This is one of the Vijayā tantras.

Of the three Vijayā tantras:

1. The first kalpa, the Request of Avalokiteśvara, was taught in Sukhāvatī in the cave
called "Perfect Gathering of Dharma"; the teacher was Amitāyus and the requester
Avalokiteśvara. The same was later taught again by the Śākya king.

2. The kalpa that purifies the lower realms was taught on the summit of Meru in the
Heaven of the Thirty-three; the teacher was the Śākya king and the requester the lord
of the gods.

3. The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī with its Kalpa, also called the First Chapter, teaches thirty
three deities. It was explained by ācārya [Durjayacandra?] as one of three works "that
bring about virtue," but the earlier Sakya masters did not receive its transmission.

So what is established here is the meaning of the other two kalpas.

2. Establishing the meaning

Three parts: the lineage it comes from, the practice that comes from it, and its benefits. [The practice section of this Tibetan text has been omitted].

Lineage

One lineage runs from the perfect Buddha and Maitreya through seven [masters] to
Vairocana, and was transmitted to the earlier Sakya masters. The other runs: the supreme
teacher, the Śākya king; the Lord of Secrets Vajrapāṇi; Mahāsiddha Jetāri; the greater
Vajrāsana; the lesser [Vajrāsana], Amoghavajra; the Bari translator; the great Kunga
Nyingpo; Jetsun Sönam Tsemo; Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen; Chöje Sakya Paṇchen; Phagpa
Rinpoche; Zhang Könchog Pal; Drakphukpa Sönam Pal; Ritröpa Lodrö Tenpa; Lama Palden
Tsultrim; Sharchen Yeshe Gyaltsen; and Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo.

Even in the time of the earlier masters the lineage divided into many branches. The lines
descending from the very many disciples of the guide Kunga Zangpo are too many to
write. Following only the nephew line: from him to the regent Kunga Wangchuk, the tutor
Könchog Phelwa, Je Lhamchog Senge, and Je Sangye Senge.

Colophon. This Very Clear Presentation of the Dharma Cycle of Uṣṇīṣavijayā: the pure oral tradition of the earlier Sakya masters descended to Vajradhara Kunga Zangpo, and its
practice has continued undiminished until now. So that it does not decline in future, and to
inspire confidence in those who seek its meaning, the Śākya monk and mantra-holder
Palden Döndrub [(1563-1636 [TOL 10470. BDRC P779. Biography] composed this at glorious E-wam Chöden.

HAR Team, 10-2026 [Translation by Claude AI]

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the masterworks page).