Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

A CRITICAL TANTRISM

tors of the religion of the Tattvasmngraha-tantra took as their recourse the
hideous and repulsive cult of cemetery (smasiina).

IV. The Hevajra-tantra: Buddhism of cemetery

i. The group ofYoginis: the new matrix of enlightenment

The most definite description of the religion of Buddhist immigrants to 'the cult
of cemetery Umasiina f't.f)' centered on a group of yoginis (yogin!-cakra
~-iliDR'iJffi) can be found in a passage of the Hevajra-tantra (HV, I.v.4.-8.),
which has been reconstructed by D.L. Snellgrove as follows:

mudriih paficahuliin"iti kathyate moksahetunii II

vajre1Ja mudryate 'nena mudrii teniivhidh!yate I I ( 4)

Vajra Padma tathii Karma Tathiigata Ratnaiva ca II

kuliini paficavidhiiny iihur uttamiini mahiikrpa I I ( 5)

Vajre l)omb! bhaven mudrii Padme Nart! tathaiva ca II

KarmafJi Rajaky iikhyiitii Briihma1Ji ca Tathiigate II (6)

Ratne Ca1Jcfiilin! jfieyii paficamudrii viniscitiih I I

tathiigatahulal!l caitat sal!lh 'sepeniibhidh!yate II (7)

tathatiiyiil!l gatah 5;r!miin iigatas ca tathaiva ca II

anayii prajfiayii yuhtyii tathiigato 'bhidh!yate II (8)^40

"(4) In order that one may gain release, these Mudra are identified

with the Five Families. She is called Mudra or Sign, because she is

signed with the Vajra.

(5) Vajra, Padma, Karma, Tathagata, Ratna; these are known as the

Five Families supreme, 0 thou of great compassion. (6 and 7) These

then are their five Mudra: I)omb1 for Vajra, Nart1 for Padma, Rajak1 for

Karma, Brahmal)1 for Tathagata, and Cal)(ialin1 for Ratna. For short,

they are called the families of the tathiigatas. (8) He enters supreme

reality, he the Blessed One, and comes just as he went, and so on

account of this play on words, it's as Tathiigata he's known."^41

However, this reconstruction, especially verse 6, the essential part of this

passage, is difficult to support on the basis of the manuscripts^42 we have exam-

ined thus far. We would reconstruct it as follows:

mudriih paiicahuliin!ti hathyate moksahetunii I

vajre1Ja mudryate 'nena mudrii teniibhidh!yate 11411

vajrapadmam tathii karma tathiigatam ratnam eva ca I

kuliini paiicavidhiiny iihur uttamiini mahiikrpa 11511

vajram qombi bhaven mudrii padmam narfi tathaiva ca I

karma rajah! samiikhyiitii briihma1Ji ca tathiigati 11611