Dà wēinù Wūchúsèmó yíguǐ jīng 大威怒烏芻澁麼儀軌經
Ritual-Manual Sūtra of the Greatly Wrathful Ucchuṣma by 不空 (Bùkōng, Amoghavajra, 譯)
About the work
A one-fascicle Esoteric ritual manual on Ucchuṣma 烏芻澁麼 (also 烏樞瑟摩, 烏芻沙摩 — the Sanskrit Ucchuṣma, the “Burner-of-Impurity”), translated by Amoghavajra (不空). Ucchuṣma is the wrathful Vidyārāja whose mantra is held to consume all impurity (Skt. aśuci); he is invoked in rites of purification, expulsion of vināyaka obstacles, and protection of bhikṣu against pollution. The canwww entry (T21N1225) records the alternate title 烏芻澁麼儀軌 and the Sanskrit Mahābalavajrakrodha(sūtra)-class affiliation through related-text links.
Abstract
A compact ritual manual giving Ucchuṣma’s iconography, mantra (om vajra-krodha mahābala hana daha paca …), mudrā programme, maṇḍala-construction, abhiṣeka protocol, and homa-applications. It complements the more extensive three-fascicle treatment by Ajitasena (阿質達霰) of KR6j0455 (T1227 Dà wēilì Wūshūsèmó míngwáng jīng), which is the principal scriptural exposition; T1225 here provides the abbreviated practitioner’s manual corresponding to that scripture. The dating bracket follows Amoghavajra’s translation activity at Chángān (746–774).
Translations and research
- Goble, Geoffrey C. Chinese Esoteric Buddhism: Amoghavajra and the Ruling Elite. New York: Columbia University Press, 2019.
- Strickmann, Michel. Mantras et mandarins: le bouddhisme tantrique en Chine. Paris: Gallimard, 1996. (Chapter on Ucchuṣma and impurity-rites.)