Library - Tengyur - Comments on tantras

jvara-rakṣā-vidhi

Ritual for Protection Against Infectious Diseases

    I prostrate myself before the goddess Sitatapatra!
    If a yogi wishes to protect themselves from infectious diseases, they must first appease the bhutas of infectious diseases through offerings and torma. They must make a proclamation through the power of the Truths and recite the prayer.
    Then write the Sitatapatra dharani. Tie it to an umbrella or the top of a victory banner, [drawing] it in the center of the mandala to achieve the accomplishment. Set out offerings and torma and practice [meditation] on oneself in deity yoga. Perform meditation and recitation in four sessions.
    Also, during the six periods of day and night, offer prayers to Sitatapatra and his retinue. Make offerings and perform circumambulations. Perform ablutions with water from a vessel and also establish protection. Also, make a torma offering to the glorious Brahma, Indra, the four great kings, and the Protector, and perform the prayer.
    Then, the person for whom the practice is being performed should, in four sessions, make prostrations before Sitatapatra, make offerings, recite hymns, and perform circumambulations. One should offer torma to the assembly of harmful [beings] and perform supplications. In particular, one should also offer torma to the bhutas of infectious diseases and perform supplications.
    While performing this ritual, recite the dhārani in four sessions. At the conclusion, one must also make offerings to the Noble One and present an extensive torma to the assembly of protectors.
    Thus concludes the ritual for protection against contagious [or epidemic] diseases.
    Translated by Lama Dondrub Dorje Tulku.