Abstract
The presence of Apabhraṃśa in tantric Buddhist texts has long been noted by scholars, overwhelmingly explained away as an example of “Twilight language” (saṃdhā-bhāṣā). However, when one looks closer at the vast number of Apabhraṃśa verses in this canon, one finds recurring patterns, themes, and even tropes. This begs for deeper study, as well as establishing a taxonomy of these verses based on their place and use. This paper focuses on a specific subset of Apabhraṃśa verses: “goddess songs” in maṇḍala visualization rituals. These verses are sung by yoginīs at specific moments in esoteric Buddhist ritual syntax; while the sādhaka is absorbed in enstatic emptiness, four yoginīs call out to him with sexually charged appeals, begging him to return to the world and honor their commitments to all sentient beings. When juxtaposed with other Apabhraṃśa verses in tantric Buddhist texts, these songs express an immediacy and intimacy that stands out in both form and content from the surrounding text. This essay argues that Apabhraṃśa is a conscious stylistic choice for signaling intimate and esoteric passages in tantric literature, and so the vast number of Apabhraṃśa verses in this corpus should be reexamined in this light.
Highlights
Songs and other “inspired utterances” occur in Buddhist literature dating back to the Pāli Canon, and appear in the tantric texts composed near the end of Buddhism in India around the thirteenth century CE
This paper focuses on a specific subset of Apabhram
Śa verses: “goddess songs” in man.d.ala visualization rituals. These verses are sung by yoginıs at specific moments in esoteric Buddhist ritual syntax; while the sādhaka is absorbed in enstatic emptiness, four yoginıs call out to him with sexually charged appeals, begging him to return to the world and honor their commitments to all sentient beings
Summary
Songs and other “inspired utterances” (gıtis and udānas) occur in Buddhist literature dating back to the Pāli Canon, and appear in the tantric texts composed near the end of Buddhism in India around the thirteenth century CE. Śa verses in tantric Buddhist texts instead seem to be reserved for intimate junctures and esoteric contexts, where the speaker speaks in a different language/register and level of discourse entirely. These dohās, “password” verses, and offering and initiation verses, speak directly to their subjects, an intimacy that contrasts markedly with the surrounding text. Śa verses, appealing to him sexually and pleading for him to honor his commitments and finish his ritual practice This trope occurs in the Hevajra Tantra, the Can.d.amahāros.an.a Tantra, the Abhayapaddhati, the Buddhakapāla sādhanā in the Sādhanāmālā, the Kr.s.n.ayamāri Tantra, and the Khasama Tantra.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
