The 21 Taras Mantra Dharanis in Sanskrit, as taught by Buddha in the Sanskrit Texts (and translated to Tibetan in the Kangyur), turned popularized as the 21 Homages or 21 Praises to Tara.
When chanted in the unique Sanskrit, the 21 Praises to Tara are 21 potent and powerful Dharanis (long-form mantras).
Although popularized as each a Tibetan and English 21 Praise chant, in its Sanskrit Holy syllable kind, it is an unique Dharani (or collection of 21 Dharanis) as taught by the Buddha in Sanskrit Sutra. In its Tibetan or English kind (translated in the Kangyur), it loses its sacred vibrational sound and the precise “meaning” (translation) is considerably extra simplified. The Dharani, in unique Sanskrit, is nuanced and profound.
NOTE: the precept of Sanskrit Dharani applies to all lineages of 21 Taras: Surya Gupta lineage, Atisha lineage or Nyingma lineages. Although the video beneath, which is appropriate Sanskrit pronunciation, visualizes with the traditional Surya Gupta lineage (work by Niels Petersen) the identical Dharanis and pronunciation are appropriate for all visualization techniques. In future, we’ll produce separate movies for these lineages.
Mantras and Dharanis shouldn’t be translated
In the identical manner a mantra, such as Om Mani Padme Hum loses most nuance and “potency” if translated for chanting to English — actually this interprets, in accordance to students as reward to the jewel in the lotus — in its Sanskrit kind it is empowered by Sanskrit’s sacred mom syllables. In different languages, a mantra or Dharani merely turns into extra of a “chanted prayer or praise” or hymn.
Likewise, the powerful mantra of Tara, in sacred sound kind Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha, turns into in English: I prostrate to Tara the liberator, mom of all of the victorious ones. While this is a beautiful reward, it not has the essence of sacred syllable and nuanced which means.
Enlightened Deities will reply to anybody, no matter language. The query of translation and language relates to “mantras” and Dharanis each.
For instance, Om is a brief type of AUM, that are the seed syllables of Body, Speech and Mind. As such, it represents the physique, speech, and thoughts of all of the Buddhas — in that easy Sanskrit Syllable Om. So, to do justice to a translation, we’d have to translate Om not as “I prostrate” however as an alternative as “I prostrate to the body, speech and mind of Tara, the liberator.” Then, whenever you begin to translate Tare (the following two syllables of Tara’s mantra), we discover it has many meanings. Tare can imply “freeing from samsara,” however it may imply “liberation from suffering” and “protection from fear” and about twelve different great nuances, all in these two little syllables.
Mantras, like Poetry, are tough to translate with out dropping one thing. Dharanis are much more difficult (the 21 Praises are literally 21 Dharanis.) In English, we name it “Praise,” however Dharani means far more than reward. It means “essence” and “sound essence” and “empowered vibration” and “homage,” and one other thirty or forty issues. Any one in every of them alone, as a single English phrase, is deceptive. This is why academics usually suggest college students chant in Sanskrit and their native language each. (Sanskrit and English or Sanskrit and Tibetan, and so on.)
21 Praises to Tara are Powerful Dharanis
The 21 Praises to Tara are well-known for blessing exercise, safety, therapeutic, long-life follow, and wish-fulfillment —however these acknowledged advantages are literally in reference to the unique Sanskrit sounds.
Hrishikesh Sonar appropriately pronounces the Sanskrit Dharanis for us in a lovely chant, with captions for chant-along:
The advantages of the Dharanis are absolutely acknowledged in the ultimate verses of the sacred texts, which define the precise advantages to religious practitioners. The advantages, nonetheless, are for the Dharanis as transmitted by Buddha, in the unique Sanskrit.
The advantages (when you translate them to English) are acknowledged in the textual content as (right here translated to English for readability):
“Whoever is endowed with devotion for the goddess and recites this with supreme religion,
Remembering it at daybreak upon waking and in the evenings,
Will be granted all fearlessness, will completely pacify all negativities,
And will get rid of all unlucky migrations.
The multitudes of conquerors will shortly grant initiation:
Thus, endowed with this greatness, one will ultimately attain the state of a buddha.
If affected by essentially the most horrible poison,
Whether ingested, drunk, or from a dwelling being,
Just by remembering, will one be completely cleansed.
If this prayer is recited two, three, or seven occasions,
It will alleviate all of the sufferings of torments
They are prompted by spirits, fevers, and poisons, and by different beings as effectively.
If you want for a kid, you’ll get a toddler;
If you need to for wealth, you’ll obtain wealth.
All your needs will likely be fulfilled
And all obstacles pacified.
Why 21 Dharanis?
Tara, the Mother of the Buddhas, emanates in numerous kinds to assist struggling beings in our troubled world. Each of those kinds specializes in one in every of these Enlightened actions: the varied White Taras for peaceable exercise, the Red Taras for magnetizing and enchanting, the Yellow Taras for auspiciousness and wish-fulfillment, and the Black Taras for wrathful energy to overcome evil or destructive forces and obstacles.
Chanting Tara’s Praises day by day — particularly in the unique Sanskrit — is a follow beneficial by numerous Buddhist academics. Shakyamuni Buddha taught the 21 Praises initially in Sacred Sanskrit. Chanting the reward with the unique Sanskrit vowels of Buddha is necessary as an empowering technique, energizing the sounds with mantra and seed syllable vibrations.
NOTE: In the featured video, Hrishikesh Sonar demonstrates the right Sanskrit pronunciation, right here superbly chanted. Many folks don’t chant musically — however the pronunciation is the identical. Note: in the English lettered Sanskrit beneath, any time you see an s or a c with a particular accent — such as (*21*)ś or ṣ — it is normally pronounced soft-style as is “sh” or “ch.”
Bring the blessings and safety of Mother Tara into your life with this sacred and profound reward sung in the Mother language Sanskrit. Visualize the 21 Taras — right here offered via the artwork of Niels Petersen, in accordance to the traditional lineage of Surya Gupta, as taught in the books Tara in the Palm of Your Hand, and Tara at Your Lotus Heart by Venerable Zasep Rinpoche.
To study extra in regards to the 21 Taras we strongly suggest Tara in the Palm of Your Hand. Even extra in-depth is the brand new e-book from Venerable Zasep Rinpoche, Tara at Your Lotus Heart.
Sanskrit Dharani of the 21 Taras
With descriptions of the names, colours and powers of every Tara in accordance to the e-book Tara in the Palm of Your Hand (discovered on Amazon right here>>)
Although the custom is that you simply chant all the 21 Dharanis plus the introductory Dharani day by day or thrice day by day, you probably have a selected difficulty or drawback — when you want Tara’s assist with a selected exercise — you possibly can have a look at the “Power or Rite” description beneath. The Color additionally signifies the kind of exercise
- Red: Power and magnetizing or enchanting
- White: Pacifying or calming and long-life
- Blue or Black: Wrathful energy to flip again obstacles, destructive karmas, evil forces
- Yellow: Auspiciousness and attracting success.
- Green: Combines all the colours and actions.
Introductory Dharani
om namo bhagavatyai āryaśrī ekaviṃśati tārāyai
namastāre ture vīre
tuttāre bhayanāśini
ture sarvārthade tāre
svāhākāre namo’stute
1st Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Pravita Tara
Tibetan: Rabtupa We Drolma
English: Heroic Red Tara
- Power or Rite: turning again the facility of others.
- Seed syllable OM
- Colour: crimson
- Number of arms: 4
- Peaceful or wrathful: peaceable
(*21*)namas tāre ture vīre
(*21*)kṣaṇa dyuti nibhekṣaṇe
(*21*)trailokya nātha vaktrābja
(*21*)vikasat kesarodbhave
2nd Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Chandra Kanti Tara
Tibetan: Karmo a Dang Ge Drolma
English: Moonlight White Tara
- Power or Rite: calming infectious illness.
- Seed syllable TAM
- Colour: white
- Number of arms: twelve
- Peaceful or wrathful: peaceable
(*21*)namaḥ śata śaraccandra
(*21*)sampūrṇa paṭalānane
(*21*)tārā sahasra nikara prahasat
(*21*)kiraṇojjvale
third Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Kanaka Vana Tara
Tibetan: Ser Mo Serdok Chen Ge Drolma
English: Golden Color Tara
- Power or Rite: calming infectious illness.
- Seed syllable TAM
- Colour: white
- Number of arms: twelve
- Peaceful or wrathful: peaceable
(*21*)namaḥ kanaka nīlābja-pāṇi
(*21*)padma vibhūṣite
(*21*)dāna vīrya tapaḥ śānti titikṣā
(*21*)dhyāna gocare
4th Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Usnisa Vijaya Tara
Tibetan: Tsug Tor Nam Pal Gyal We Drolma
English: Golden Tara of Crown Victorious
- Power or Rite: neutralizing deadly poisons.
- Seed syllable TUTA
- Colour: golden
- Number of arms: 4
- Peaceful or wrathful: peaceable
(*21*)namastathāgatoṣṇīṣa
(*21*)vijayānantacāriṇi
(*21*)aśeṣapāramitāprāpta
(*21*)jinaputraniṣevite
fifth Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Hum Svara Nadini Tara
Tibetan: HUM Dra Dolpi Drolma
English: Tara Proclaiming the Sound of HUM
- Power or Rite: subjugating.
- Seed syllable TA
- Colour: yellow
- Number of arms: two
- Peaceful or wrathful: peaceable
(*21*)namastuttāra huṅkāra
(*21*)pūritāśā digantare
(*21*)saptaloka kramākrānt niḥśeṣ
(*21*)ākarṣaṇa kṣame
sixth Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Trai Lokya Vijaya Tara
Tibetan: Jig Ten Sum Lay Nam Par Gyal We Drolma
English: Tara Victorious over the Three Levels of the World
- Power or Rite: purification of all obscurations and negativities.
- Seed syllable RE
- Colour: ruby crimson
- Number of arms: 4
- Peaceful or wrathful: peaceable
(*21*)namah śakrā nala brahma
(*21*)marud viśveśvar ārcite,
(*21*)bhūta vetāla gandharva gaṇa
(*21*)yakṣa puraskṛte
seventh Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Vadi Pramardani Tara
Tibetan: Golwa Jompi Drolma
English: Tara Who Crushes Adversaries
- Power or Rite: Destroyer of adversaries (adversaries means obstacles and obscurations).
- Seed syllable TU
- Colour: ruby black
- Number of arms: 4
- Peaceful or wrathful: wrathful
(*21*)namas triḍiti phaṭkāra
(*21*)parayantra pramardini
(*21*)pratyālīḍha padanyāse
(*21*)śikhi jvālā kulojjvale
eighth Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Mara Sudana Vasitottama Da Tara
Tibetan: Wang Chug Terwe Drolma
English: Tara Who Gives Supreme Spiritual Power
- Power or Rite: completion stage practices; destroyer of Maras (demons) and the 2 obstructions
- Seed syllable TU
- Colour: ruby black
- Number of arms: 4
- Peaceful or wrathful: wrathful
(*21*)namasture mahāghore
(*21*)māra vīra vināśini
(*21*)bhṛkuṭī kṛta vaktrābja
(*21*)sarva śatru niṣūdini
ninth Tara Dharani
Sanskrit: Khadiravana Tara
Tibetan: Seng Ding Nag Che Drolma
English: Tara of the Khadira Fragrant Forest (Principle Green Tara)
(*21*)namastrīratna mudrāṅka
(*21*)hṛdayāṅguli vibhūṣite
(*21*)bhūṣitā śeṣa dikcakra
(*21*)nikara-sva-karākule
tenth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ pramuditoddīpta
(*21*)mukuṭākṣipta mālini
(*21*)hasat prahasat tuttāre
(*21*)māra loka vaśaṅkari
eleventh Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ samasta bhūpāla
(*21*)patal ākarṣaṇa kṣame
(*21*)calada bhṛkuṭi hūṃkāra
(*21*)sarvāpada vimocini
twelfth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ śīkhaṇḍa-khaṇḍendu
(*21*)mukuṭā bharaṇoj-jvale
(*21*)amitābha-jaṭā-bhāra
(*21*)bhāsvara-kiraṇa-dhruve
thirteenth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ kalpānta huta bhuga
(*21*)jvālā mālāntara sthite
(*21*)ālīḍha muditābaddha
(*21*)ripu cakra vināśini
14th Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ karatalā ghāta
(*21*)ćaraṇa hatabhūtale
(*21*)bhṛkuṭī kṛta hūṃkāra
(*21*)sapta pātāla bhedini
fifteenth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ śive śubhe śānte
(*21*)śānta nirvāṇa gocare,
(*21*)svāhā praṇava saṃyukte
(*21*)mahā pātaka nāśini
sixteenth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ pramuditābaddha
(*21*)ripu-gātra prabhedini
(*21*)daśākṣara pada-nyāse
(*21*)vidyā-hūṃkāra-dīpite
seventeenth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namas ture pādaghāta
(*21*)hūṃkārākāra bījite
(*21*)meru mandharva vindhyaśca
(*21*)bhuvana trayacālini
18th Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ sureśarākāra
(*21*)hariṇāṅka kara sthite
(*21*)tārā_dvirukta phaṭkāra
(*21*)aśeṣa viṣa nāśini
nineteenth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaḥ sura gaṇā dhyakṣa
(*21*)sura kinnara sevite
(*21*)ābaddha muditābhoga
(*21*)kari duḥ svapna nāśini
twentieth Tara Dharani
(*21*)namaś candrārka sampūrṇa
(*21*)nayana dyuti bhāsvare
(*21*)hara dvirukta tut-tāre
(*21*)viṣama jvara nāśini
twenty first Tara Dharani
(*21*)nama stritat tvavi nyāse
(*21*)śiva-śakti samanvite
(*21*)graha vetāla yakṣa gaṇa
(*21*)nāśini pravare ture
Chanting in English
Chanting the 21 Praises in English might not have the identical profound vibrational depth as the Sanskrit, however it is a well-liked manner to honor Tara, the Mother of the Buddhas. If you favor to chant in English, right here’s our earlier video model additionally superbly chanted by Hrishikesh Sonar (in this model, with Surya Gupta lineage work by the well-known artist V.V. Sapar, used with permission):
When you do translate the reward, you possibly can see how lots of the nuances are lacking. English, usually, doesn’t carry as many layered meanings. This is the English translation used in chanting:
PRAISE OF TARA’S MANTRA:
Homage to Tara the Swift and Courageous,
You drive away all our fears with TUTTARE,
Saviouress fulfilling all goals with TURE,
With syllables SVAHA, we provide homage.
21 TARAS PRAISE IN ENGLISH:
1. Heroic Red Tara
Homage to You, the Swift One, the Heroine,
Your gaze is as fast as flashes of lightning
Who arose from the majestic carolla
From the Lotus face of the Lord of Three Worlds.
2. Moonlight White Tara
Homage to You with a face that resembles
The gathering of 100 autumn full moons
And who with the brightness of stars by the hundreds
Shines in an unlimited good mild of resplendence.
3. Golden Color Tara
Homage to You divine golden-blue Goddess
Whose fingers are adorned by water-born lotus.
Embody Six Perfections: Giving, Patience
Ethics, Concentration, Vigor, and Wisdom
4. Golden Tara of Crown Victorious
Homage to You who crowns Buddha’s ushnishas,
Whose victorious actions don’t have any restrict.
Who has attained ev’ry transcendent knowledge,
On whom the Bodhisattvas themselves rely.
5. Tara Proclaiming the Sound of HUM
Homage to You who with HUM and TUTTARA,
Fill all worlds of want, route, area.
Who along with your ft press down on the Seven Worlds;
You subdue all beings underneath your energy.
6. Tara Victorious Over the Three Levels of World
Homage to You praised by Indra and Agni,
Brahma, Vayu, Ishvara and all of the gods
All the spirits, zombies, and the smell-eaters,
Even the Yakshas give reward in Your presence.
7. Tara Who Crushes Adversaries
Homage to You who with the TRAY and PEY sounds,
Crush each magical wheel, evil forces,
Right leg prolonged and left bent, you trample,
You burn them utterly in Your whirling hearth.
8. Tara Who Gives Supreme Spiritual Power
Homage to You, TURE, the Boundless Fierce One,
Who completely destroys leaders of maras.
Whose lotus-like face kinds livid wrinkles,
You annihilate foes with out exception.
9. Tara of the Khadira Fragrant Forest
Homage to You whose fingers held at Your chest,
Displaying the mudra of the Three Jewels;
Beautiful swirling mild in your treasured fingers
Dharma wheels join each route.
10. Tara Who Dispels All Suffering
Homage to You, the majestic and joyful
With good garlands of sunshine round your crown
With the nice clangor of laughter TUTTARA
Over energy all of the worlds and the maras.
11. Tara Who Summons All Beings and Dispels Misfortune
Homage to You, endowed with the nice energy,
To draw meeting of worldly guardians.
The One who with the HUM of wrathful wrinkles
You rescue utterly from all poverty.
12. Tara Who Grants Prosperity and Brings About Aupsiciousness
Homage to You, who is topped with crescent moon,
And whose ornaments so brilliantly sparkle.
Amitabha in entrance of your ushnisha,
Eternally radiating beams of sunshine.
13. Tara the Complete Rinpener
Homage to You, who dwell in garlands of flames
Engulfed in hearth like the top of the aeon.
Right leg outstretched and left bent with blissful pleasure
Who along with your energy destroy all enemies.
14. Wrathful, Shaking and Frowning Tara
Homage to You, putting the bottom along with your hand
And crushing the earth along with your majestic foot.
With wrathful, wrinkled face and the sound of HUM
You absolutely subdue seven ranges of worlds.
15. Tara the Great Peaceful One Who Provides Virtues
Homage to You, pleased, virtuous and peaceable,
Who acts from everlasting bliss of Nirvana.
And who with the pure sounds of OM and SVAHA,
Eliminates essentially the most unwholesome Karmas!
16. Tara Destroyer of All Attachment
Homage to You, who turns the Wheel of Dharma
For really devoted, who love the teachings
Crushing enemies — all kinds of obstacles
with the Hum and the ten syllable mantra.
17. Tara Accomplisher of Joy and Bliss
Homage to You with ft stamping and Ture
Whose essence is the sacred syllable Hum.
You trigger Mount Meru, Mandhara and Vindhya
Making all three worlds to tremble and shake!
18. Victorious Tara Who Increases Realizations
Homage to You, holding the moon in Your hand
Like a celestial ocean of nectar.
Sound of the PEY and the twice uttered TARA
You utterly dispel each poison.
19. Tara, Extinguisher of All Suffering
Homage to You on whom the devas rely
And additionally the lords of all of the Gandharvas.
Your armor of pleasure, a radiant brightness,
You get rid of arguments and nightmares.
20. Tara, Source of All Powerful Attainments
Homage to You, whose two eyes are shining vibrant,
Brilliant with mild just like the solar and the complete moon.
Saying HARA twice and TUTTARE once more
You clear and get rid of epidemics.
21. Tara of the Perfection of Wisdom and Compassion
Homage to You whose pure Body, Speech and Mind
Are good with the power and energy of peace.
Suppressing Maras, Dons, Zombies and Yakshas
With essentially the most exalted syllable TURE.
More about Surya Gupta Lineage of 21 Taras
Nyingma Lineage model
Also in English, when you follow the Nyingma lineage (or Atisha, because the colours are comparable — Atisha’s visualization incorporates vases as an alternative of implements on lotuses), right here’s a beautiful chanted model with these visualizations, with 21 Tara Paintings by Lasha Mutual, and Green Tara picture (with mantra) Jampay Dorje Ben Christian.
