30. These nine relate to layers of different colors, which are white, black, indigo, green, yellow, white (again), red, cream, and maroon.
31. “A few questions for you”: An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as dri, “odor”; it should be ’dri, “to ask.”
32. An error in the original text at this line gives the Tibetan as rgyal mo, “queen”; it should be rgya mo, “Chinese woman or girl.”
33. Ibid., endnote 31.
34. “On a mountain peak”: An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as dgong, “night”; it should be gong, “high” i.e., “on a mountain peak.”
35. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as gzan, “shawl”; it should be zan, “food.”
36. According to the Vedic scriptures, when the peacock is in heat and hears the sound of thunder, the dragon’s roar, she becomes pregnant. The peacock is aspiring upward toward the sky in order to meet the dragon’s roar.
37. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ’tshams, “necessity”; it should be mtshams, “boundary, retreat” and is the notion that one is “sealed” or “bounded.”
38. “A success-preventing demon”: This kind of demon, called a sna dre, is one who gets between a boy and girl who are hoping to marry. This demon or spirit will attempt to make obstacles for their union together and their life in general.
39. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ’gug, “invoke, summon”; it should be gug, “curved.”
40. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as brtse, “love”; it should be rtse, “play.”
41. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as brngan, “to reward”; it should be rngan, “to disdain.” See note 42, “to disdain” or “scoff at.”
42. Ibid., endnote 41.
43. Ibid., endnote 40.
44. This refers to the kingdoms that existed around Ling at this time. The epic makes reference to four borderlands and eighteen minor kingdoms. The eighteen maidens are the fairest women in each kingdom of the earth.
45. “Light”: An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ’ong, “pleasing, will become”; it should be ’od, “light,” giving “Little Light Nāga Serpent” (Ludrül Ödchung).
46. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as rtsa, “channel, nāḍī”; it should be rtswa, “grass.”
47. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as nyug, “stroke, extend”; it should be nyul, “search for.”
48. Generally in Tibet there are two varieties of horses. One is a sorrel-colored wild horse or mustang, which is actually smaller in size than a regular horse. The other is a spotted domestic-type horse that comes in different sizes and shapes. Reference to the horse that has never been captured suggests that she is thinking of the domesticated horse, which belongs to the second category. Joru’s horse belongs to the first category and has always been wild up until the capture.
49. Ibid., endnote 47.
50. “His four hooves prancing”: An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as brtse, “love”; it should be rtse, “peak”—hence, rtse gar, “prancing (on tips of his hooves).”
51. The number thirteen indicates the thirteen wermas, and the falcons indicate the dralas and wermas naturally surrounding him.
52. Ibid., endnote 41.
53. In Golog the horses love to drink strong tea and eat barley for feed. This is the most common diet in the winter months and is also good for their health.
54. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as gzhung, “government”; it should be gsher, “wet.”
55. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as bya’u (one of the constellations); it should be bya’i, “of the bird” which we took as “to take flight.”
56. This reference to a “great secret” refers to the sacredness of the horse. This also means the horse’s hidden qualities were supposed to be revealed by Drugmo, not Gogmo. Since Gogmo almost told the secret, the horse then bolted away to show that the timing was off.
57. This is a prediction about how Gesar will emanate in the future disguised as a great fish, and in that body he will be able to accomplish his goal. This account relates to another story in the epic.
58. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as skyid pa, “happiness”; it should be sgyid pa, “knee joint or hock.”
59. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as gla, “wages”; it should be brla, “thigh.”
60. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as nam tshong; it should be nam tshong, “upper chest bones, ribs.”
61. This may disagree with traditional Tibetan terminology, but we assume the bard is knowledgeable in stating the five visceral organs (Tib. don lnga) as the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. The six hollow organs (Tib. snod drug) are the stomach, greater and lesser intestines, bladder, ovaries or testicles, and gall bladder.
62. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as dogs, “doubts”; it should be dog, “narrow.”
63. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as da ra, “buttermilk”; it should be ngar, “forepart” which we interpreted as the most distal bone, the cannon bone.
64. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ci, “what, whatever”; it should be spyi, “top of head.”
65. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as sha bo, “enemy”; it should be sha ba, “deer.”
66. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as tshong, “marketplace”; it should be tshang, “nest, den.”
67. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as khyims; it should be khyim, “home”; here we have taken this as meaning “cranial cavity.”
68. “The four gatherings” (Tib. bsdu ba’i dngos po bzhi) are the four means of magnetizing: being generous, speaking kind words, giving appropriate teachings, and keeping consistency between words and actions. These four can be summed up as generosity, pleasing speech, appropriate teachings, and consistency in behavior.
69. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan askhram, “false word”; it should be khrom, “public.”
70. This place was identified by Khen Rinpoche Jigme Phuntsog as the original site of Gesar’s palace, called Sengtrug Tagtse. The actual location is close to the present-day town of Darlag and the Traling Monastery in Golog.
71. The Tibetan in this passage, go ma chod, means that the opportunity was wasted in the sense that nothing was satisfied by the girl killing the deer. Nothing was paid off. For instance, if a man is killed, the family may demand that the killer’s family pay life for life or put the murderer in jail, but instead they send a poor person with no background and have that person killed. It still does not satisfy the vendetta. And go ma chod literally means “does not satisfy” in the sense of being “unproductive.” Hence this death was unproductive.
72. Nyag-ma’i Dong [Notch Ridge] (Tib. nyag ma’i gdon) is a small mountain in a ridge, sometimes called Dong Nyag. It is also a nickname for people with no bridge to their nose who are called sna nyag, meaning “notch nose.”
73. This means that one could apply understanding incorrectly.
74. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as rkyang dkar, “white mule”; it should be lcang dkar, “white willow.”
75. When someone dies in the Tibetan culture, it is considered very bad to have the dead eyes still staring at a living person. That could mean the dead person is still attached to something based on mental passions and poisons. Although Drugmo respects and loves Joru, because of this bad sign she tries to reverse his gaze with the ashes.
76. The Tibetan term god mgo in this passage refers to a ritual object that is used when an animal dies of a disease. This object should not be used in a wealth prosperity ceremony, for it will spread the disease—which is the exact opposite of what is wanted as the outcome
of a prosperity ceremony.
77. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as khar seng; it should be khar sang, “yesterday.”
78. Ibid., endnote 78.
79. This explains a woman as inferior who is incapable of upholding tradition and who is always disrespectful. The spirit of the deceased is similar since it has entered the bardo and due to negative karmic accumulations sees the wisdom deities only as demons. He is comparing these two and linking them together in his sarcasm directed towards Drugmo.
80. In other words, she prays that the inner qualities of the horse will become functional to reveal its enlightened qualities and then accomplish his enlightened deeds.
81. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ’dug nas lon; it should be ga nas lon, “Where did you get it?”
82. The Tibetan in this passage uses an alternate spelling of Ling; usually it is gling, but here it is given as brling.
83. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as tshang, “nest”; it should be tshong, “business.”
84. Ibid., endnote 84.
85. This is a reference to the ancient Tibetan story about hibernating dragons. In the highest mountains there are empty cave-like holes that are hidden by grass, and it is said that in these vast empty holes the dragons hibernate through the winter months.
86. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as rgyas, “bloom”; it should be rgyal, “victorious.”
87. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as mtshur, “color”; it should be mtshul, “muzzle.”
88. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ha ’jog; it should be a ’jog, “seat on a horse saddle.”
89. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as sku che, “greatness”; it should be sku tshe, “lifetime, longevity.”
90. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as sgang nga; it should be sgo nga, “egg.”
91. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as mi mdza,’ “enemy”; it should be mi mdzes, “ugly,” here written as “unsightly.”
92. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as rgyag pas, “putting”; it should be rgyug pas, “running.”
93. Drala castles are roadside shrines that are adorned with colorful silk flags and large arrows still in the quiver.
94. These three are blood brothers; however, because of his wealth, Kyalo is the only one known in the land of Ling. If all of them were of equal wealth, then they would all be well known, and in a sense, more equal.
95. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as brtse, “love”; it should be rtse, “play.”
96. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan is kho mo; it should be khol mo, that is, Sidpa Khölmo Rogdzong [Black Bellow Fortress of Existence], the place Trothung was given to live.
97. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as de rim; it should be de ring, “today.”
98. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as blo brgya; it should be blo rgya, “mental capacity.”
99. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as kha spor; it should be kha spur (that is, kha spu), “whiskers.”
100. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as lan, “reply”: it should be zin, “capture, seize.”
101. The order of this line and next three lines have been changed from the Tibetan text to “match up” with the four names above.
102. The source of the rivers are as follows: the river from the east, the Ganga, flows forth from the mouth of the great elephant. The river from the south, the Sindu, emerges from the mouth of a peacock. The river from the west, the Pakyu, flows from the mouth of a horse. The river from the north, the Sidha, flows from the mouth of a lion.
103. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as gra sdeb mjod; it should be gra sdebs mdzod, “unite in proper order.”
104. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ’tsham, “suitable”; it should be ’cham, “dancer.”
105. The Tibetan text here has another variation in this name. It was previously given as Sengseng and Singsing (Tib. sing sing); here it appears as sring sing.
106. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as dam, “holy”; it should be, dom, “bear.”
107. These environmental justifications for their evil activities are just an excuse. All the demons will try to make a case for their evil obstructions as though they were really virtuous, when in fact they are evil.
108. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as lus ngan, “ugly body”; it should be las ngan, “negative karma.”
109. When the demon sisters of the great hills first show themselves, they appear as frightening and as terrifying as a tiger, a leopard, and a bear. Once Joru tames them, he then transforms them into the bodies of human females.
110. Ibid., endnote 107.
111. The sudden appearance of this treasure keeper of the land of the Ma Valley, and her bestowal of gifts upon Joru, indicate that he will reveal the treasures hidden at Gu-ra Crag during another episode of the epic.
112. This means that he sees himself as the most divine among the hunchbacks, as the wealthiest and the one with the most prosperity.
113. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as gdug, “evil, harmful”; it should be gdugs, “parasol, umbrella.”
114. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as ser bu, “breeze”; it should be ser ba, “hail” or “sleet,” here written as “icy wind.”
115. Ibid., endnote 41.
116. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as lhangs; it should be lhang, “become active,” written here as “erupt.”
117. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as pha ru; it should be pha rus, “paternal clan.”
118. “Joru never committed any nonvirtue.” An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as jo ru sa; it should be jo rus, “by Joru.” Literally the sentence would read “Nonvirtue was never committed by Joru,”
119. In saṃsāra there are three realms and six classes of beings. The three realms are the formless Ārūpyadhātu, form Rūpādhātu, and desire Kāmadhātu realms. The four formless realms are also referred to as the fourfold spheres of perception. These are four unenlightened meditative states of dwelling on the thoughts called Infinite Space Ākāśānantyāyatana, Infinite Consciousness Vijñānānantyāyatana, Nothing Whatsoever Ākiṃcanyāyatana, and Neither Presence nor Absence of Conception Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana.
The seventeen form realms are heavenly abodes consisting of the threefold four dhyāna realms or realms of concentration and the five pure abodes (Tib. gnas gtsang ma lnga; Skt. Śuddhāvāsa) or the five highest heavens in Buddhist cosmology, where realized beings who will never return to samsara abide.
Another way of delineating them is that the fourth dhyāna realm is said to have eight inner realms or stages. The beings there have bodies of light, long lives, and no painful sensations.
The desire realm is where the beings of the six classes reside. It is said that there are six levels of the gods of desire: They are the four classes of the great kings Cāturmahārā or Lokapāla, the thirty-three levels of gods, the Limitless Gods, the gods of Tuṣita, the gods who Enjoy Emanation Nimmanarati, and the gods who Enjoy the Abundance of Others Paranimmitavasavattin.
120. There are four great continents: In the east is Pūrvavideha, in the south, Jambudvīpa, in the west, Aparagodānīya, and in the north, Uttarakuru. Along with these are the eight subcontinents: Deha and Videha, Cāmara and Aparacāmara, Śātha and Uttaramantriṇa, and Kurava and Kaurava.
121. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as zha, “face”; it should be zhwa, “hat.”
122. Ibid., endnote 122.
123. Ibid., endnote 122.
124. This refers to many small kingdoms scattered about. It is a cla
ssical list that we are calling the eighteen principalities. For instance, in volume one this is variously called the eighteen great wings of Tag-rong or the valley of the eighteen falcon caves, which is also referring to these eighteen small kingdoms or principalities.
125. The Phuwer brothers are indigenous spirits of the land. Here the diviner is performing an extremely abbreviated version of the norm, and so in some ways he is synthesizing to make the song sound melodious.
126. The ocean refers to Gesar; the tributaries refer to Drugmo, telling that she will come to belong to Gesar. The reference to the waves that seem to go elsewhere refers to Drugmo being captured by Gurkar and then one day returning back to her king.
127. “The four enemies” are the adversaries in the four directions, which are the subject of future battles in volumes of the epic to come.
128. These three are the spiritual side, the personal side, and the future, and the divination says that there will be only positive circumstances concerning these three situations.
129. This means that this mo divination is the best among the three possible types of mos, which are: excellent, mediocre, or bad.
130. These “three excellences” means that the outcome of his questions is excellent in all three cases.
131. An error in the original text here gives the Tibetan as lung, “shastra, scripture, valley”; it should be rlung, “prana, vital energy.”
132. The worst place for a man to sweat is from the forehead; that means he’s working too hard. And if a horse’s calves are quivering, that means he is barely able to run.
133. At the conclusion of an important ceremony the spiritual attainment is received in the form of ambrosia nectar. Here Joru is saying that Dongsten will be so exhausted and shaky that his hand will quiver as he extends it out to receive the nectar.
134. Usually Trothung’s songs are in the melody of Hara Hurthung, which is sudden and abrupt, but now he’s trying to hide his nature, so he sings in this slow, gentle style.
The Epic of Gesar of Ling Page 69