Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Serkyem of the Eight Classes Arranged by Nub Sangye Yeshe
hung ku sum gy sum la ma dang
To the Lama who embodies the three kayas and three lineages,
ch yl gong ma tam ch la
To all Exalted Recipients of offerings
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
Please accomplish my aspirations!
mi am chi jn ta go chen
The Great horse-headed Miam Chijon
ch kyong ma ha ka la dang
Dri Za Zurpu Ngapa,The King of Gandharvas ('with hair tied in five knots'), and all the others,
chi yi d gy khor ch la
To the Outer Eight Classes with their retinues
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
Please accomplish my aspirations!
nang gi d gy khor ch la
To the Inner Eight Classes with their retinues
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
Please accomplish my aspirations!
lu d na ga ra dza dang
Demon of Nagas, Nagaraja
d po re t go yak dang
Dd, Re Te Go Yag
sang w d gy khor ch la
To the Secret Eight Classes with their retinues
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
Please accomplish my aspirations!
za chok gyal po ra hu la
The Supreme of Za, King Rahula
chok gi d gy khor ch la
To the Supreme Eight Classes with their retinues
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
5
trl p d gy khor ch la
To the Emanation Eight Classes with their retinues
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
Please accomplish my aspirations!
nang si d gy khor ch la
To the Worldly Eight Classes with their retinues
ch pa dam pa di bl lo
We are offering this sacred offerings
dak gi di dn drup tu sl
Please accomplish my aspirations!
This Serkyem Offering for the Eight Classes which should be performed before any ritual activity was
arranged by Nub Sangye Yeshe, because any ritual action, whether it be a hail protection ritual, infant death
protection ritual, a torma- throwing against obstacle makers or a cross-thread ritual is, without firtsly making
the offerings to the Eight Classes, nothing more than child's play similar to building castles of sand.
Notes:
1
Some texts have dmar nag: red-black instead of dmar po: red
Some texts have chu so: genitals, instead of mchu so: mouth and teeth
Some texts have mchin pa: liver instead of mche ba: teeth, fangs
10
Some texts have Go Ra (the name of the class of Nagas) insted of gdol pa: 'outcast'
8
ka dang dam l ma da sa ma ya
Do not transgress your oaths and commitments. Samaya.
ky d gy chi dang chok di ru
The General and Supreme Eight Classes come to this place!
gek zhi sam dn lhn drup dz
Pacify obstructing forces and spontaneously accomlish all meaningful wishes!
10
Eight Classes
Indra
lha min dbang po thags bzang: a king of the Asuras (lha ma yin or lha min). His body is black,
he has one face and four hands, in which he holds a shield, sword, jewel, and a
chopper. His vehicle is a chariot.
klu'i dbang po: apparently only a title; it was not possible to ascertain which deity occupies
this place. In most works the klu'i dbang po is omitted from the enumeration of the phyi yi sde
brgyad.
mi 'am ci ljon rta mgo: a
playing a vina 4.
gnod sbyin gang ba bzang po: the mountain god, dwelling on the mountain gnod sbyin gang zang
near Gyantse, the famous companion of Vaishravana rnam thos sras, the protector of the
North, who guards and administers the riches from the treasury.
mkha' lding gser mig 'khyil ba: a
as an emanation of Pehar.
chos skyong gnod sbyin dmar po: another name for the dharmapala tsi'u dmar po. He is the chief
leader of all btsan demons. This dharmapala is usually represented in the following way:
Yaksha, the king of the dgra lha, fierce and horrible, produces dreadful shrieks. His
forehead is contorted in anger, his upper teeth gnaw the lower lip. He possesses all marks
of a hero.
With his right hand he brandishes a banner of red silk, in his left he holds the snare of
the btsan demons - sparkling like the rays of the sun, which he throws with the speed of
lightning at the enemies, catching with it their 'life-breath'. Also with the fourth finger of his
right hand he whirls a red snare. On his right side he carries a quiver of tiger-skin and on his
left side a bow-case made from the skin of a leopard, and he rides a black horse with white
heels. On his head he wears a helmet of leather, adorned with an aigrette of vulture-feathers,
and on his body he carries a cuirass covered with the shells of scorpions. He is surrounded
by hundred thousand unvanquishable war-battalions of the btsan, by twenty thousand groups
of klu, numberless the'u rang, and countless falcons and eagles, tigers, leopards, monkeys,
etc. Furthermore, he is accompanied by monks wearing bse theb hats, wielding their rattlingstaffs and carrying begging-bowls; five hundred of them, saying prayers solemnly, march in
front. On the right side walk five hundred magicians who pronounce horrible mantras. They
wear black hats, garments with broad sleeves, and brandish demon-daggers and skull-cups.
On the left side march, speaking courageous words, five hundred armed men, wielding
swords and shields. In the back are walking five hundred black women, who say curses
while shaking out their garments. His consort is lha mo grol mo spyan gcig ma. She is darkbrown, naked, has one face, and her two hands hold a chopper and a snare. A single eye
stares in a fierce manner from the middle of her brow.
ma mo 'jig pa'i glog 'byin: a mamo depicted as a black woman with long protruding teeth; her
body is only partly covered by a long, loosely hanging cloak.
meant.
Yaksha 6, represented on paintings with either a red or black
body, and brandishing a sword.
gnod sbyin shan pa gri thogs:
bdud pho re ti 'gong yag: a black figure dressed in black silks and riding on a ferocious black
otter. His right hand lifts a sta mo (axe) made of meteoric iron, with which he kills quickly
all enemies and obstacle-creating demons, his left hand brandishes a battle-lance with a
pendant of black silk. His companions are a multitude of bdud and btsan.
srog bdag dung gi thor tshugs: the
wolf on top
klu mchog klu rgyal dung skyong: represented as
(Mahakala) is meant.
rgyal mchog li byin ha ra: this is one of the companions of the three-headed and six armed
Hayagriva (rta mgrin), he jumps in front of Hayagriva amidst the horde of the demons btsan,
swinging their lassos, his hair tied in a knob, from which a shell sticks out. He holds a
crystal sword, a lasso made of rays, spear and a bowl of treasures. He wears leather armour
and leather helmet.
sprul pa sde brgyad
shoulder - Dd emanation
- Raksha emanation
- Mu emanation
This list reminds somewhat of the distribution of the so-called 'Go ba'i lha lnga, the five
guardian-deities of each person, who have their seats within five parts or areas of the human
body, from where they are exercise their protective influence. Their usual way of
distribution has been listed by Klong rdol bla ma:
crown of the head - yul lha
right shoulder - dgra Iha
right armpit - pho lho
left armpit - mo lho
heart - srog lha
Dhritarashtra, Yulkhor Sung; (yul 'khor srung; 'Defender of the Area') is the Guardian King
of the East and chief of the Gandharvas.
Virudhaka, Pak Kyepo; ('phags skyes po; 'Noble Birth') is the Guardian King of the South
and leader of the Kumbhandas, fierce beings who reside in the desire realms of the
heavens.
Virupaksha, Chen Mi Zang; (spyan mi bzang; 'Ugly Eyes') is the Guardian King of the West
and leader of the Nagas.
Vaishravana, Namts; (rnam thos sras; 'Son of He who has Heard Many Things') is the
Guardian King of the North and leader of the Yakshas.
mgon po bdun cu rtsa .lnga
jewel and in left he raises a platter, full of precious stones. Pho Lha is also an important
personal protective deity, and is located in the right armpit.
dra lha: 'the enemy deity' appears as smiling young man wearing a turban of white silk and
white raincoat and boots, riding on white horse. On his belt hangs a case for the bow and
quiver. With right hand he is waving a spear with a banner, and in left he holds a lasso.
Dra lha is also an important personal protective deity, which dwells in the right shoulder.
Dra Lha protects the live of those who worship him, helps to overcome obstacles, destroy
the enemies, and also to achieve high social rank.
sog lha- 'deity of life-force', appears as a man of strong physique, white skin, on a black horse
with white hoofs, wearing helmet and armor of gold, on the side hangs bow and a quiver, in
his right hand a spear with silk banner, in his left hand a lasso.
mo lha: the
female deity, this is the white goddess Machig Palgyi Lhamo, ma gcig dpal gyi
lha mo, riding on a deer, she is young and beautiful, clothed in white silk and wearing a
mantle of black silk, wearing a diadem, and jewellery, in the right hand she hold
divination arrow, in the left a mirror.
mo sman;
the word mo sman consists of two meanings: a woman and a medicine. In general
Men Mo can live in different environments. Some live in the sky, some in great quiet lakes,
some on green meadows, some in forests, or in the earth.
Notes:
1
Based on: Rene De Nebesky- Wojkowitz 'Oracles and Demons of Tibet', Chgyal
Namkhai
Norbu 'Serkyem of the Eight Classess Arranged by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe' (Russian
Edition,
2001) and some online sources.
2
There are many different kinds of gzhi bdag: sa bdag, Sadag, who dwell in the earth, the
Lu who dwell in the water, the btsan, Tsan who reside in the rocks, the gnyan, Nyen
who stay in the intermediary space (between heaven and Earth), the gzhi bdag who live on
passes, the gzhi bdag who stay on narrow ledges, others who live on boats and bridges, others
who dwell on roads (those are called lam lha - 'the road gods').
klu,
Kimnara: mi am ci: heavenly musicians, another name for Gandharva, creatures with horseheads and human bodies.
4
Gandharvas: dri za - a class of beings 'feeding on smells', dwelling in space, also called
'heavenly musicians'.
6
Yaksha: snod sbyin, 'the evil-doer', the class of demons living in the mountains, in
particular in the higher parts, who can, if not pleased, eat the travellers, they are the
servants of Kuvera and guardians of his treasures.
6