Twenty-One Praises of Tara
OM I prostrate to the noble transcendent liberator
1 Homage! Tara, swift, heroic! Eyes like lightning instantaneous! Sprung from opening stamens of the Lord of three world’s tear-born lotus!
2 Homage! She whose face combines a Hundred autumn moons at fullest! Blazing with light rays resplendent As a thousand star collection!
3 Homage! Golden-blue one, lotus Water born, in hand adorned! Giving, effort, calm, austerities! Patience, meditation her sphere!
4 Homage! Crown of tTathagatas, Actions triumph without limit! Relied on by conquerors’ children, Having reached every perfection!
5 Homage! Filling with TUTTARE, HUM, desire, direction and space! Trampling with her feet the seven worlds, Able to draw forth all beings!
6 Homage! Worshipped by the all-lords, Shakra, Agni, Brahma, Marut! Honored by the hosts of spirits, Corpse-raisers, gandharvas, yakshas!
7 Homage! With her TRAD and PHAT sounds Destroying foes’ magic diagrams! Her feet pressing, left out, right in, Blazing in a raging fire-blaze!
8 Homage! TURE, very dreadful! Destroyer of Mara’s champions! She with frowning lotus visage Who is slayer of all enemies!
9 Homage! At the heart her fingers, Adorn her with Three Jewel mudra! Light-ray masses all excited! All directions’ wheels adorn her!
10 Homage! She so joyous, radiant, Crown emitting garlands of light!, Mirthful, laughing with TUTTARE, Subjugating maras, devas!
11 Homage! She able to summon All earth-guardians’ assembly! Shaking, frowning, with her HUM sign Saving from every misfortune!
12 Homage! Crown adorned with crescent Moon, all ornaments most shining! Amitabha in her hair knot Sending out much light eternal!
13 Homage! She mid wreath ablaze like Aeon-ending fire abiding! Right stretched, left bent, joy surrounds you Troops of enemies destroying!
14 Homage! She who strikes the ground with Her palm, and with her foot beats it! Scowling, with the letter HUM the Seven levels she does conquer!
15 Homage! Happy, virtuous, peaceful! She whose field is peace, Nirvana! She endowed with OM and SVAHA, Destroyer of the great evil!
16 Homage! She with joy surrounded Tearing foes’ bodies asunder, Frees with HUM and knowledge mantra, Arrangement of the ten letters!
17 Homage! TURE! With seed letter Of the shape of syllable HUM! By foot stamping shakes the three worlds, Meru, Mandara and Vindhya!
18 Homage! Holding in her hand the Deer-marked moon of deva-lake form! With twice spoken TARA and PHAT, Totally dispelling poison!
19 Homage! She whom gods and their kings, And the kinnaras do honor! Armoured in all joyful splendor, She dispels bad dreams and conflicts!
20 Homage! She whose two eyes bright with Radiance of sun and full moon! With twice HARA and TUTTARE She dispels severe contagion!
21 Homage! Full of liberating Power by the set of three natures! Destroys hosts of spirits, yakshas, And raised corpses! Supreme! TURE!
These prayers with the root mantras And Prostrations thus are twenty-one!