Dream technologies in Śaiva-Śākta tantra
In the tantras a dream is not a sign to be read but a procedure to be performed. Five uses; texts from the 6th to the 19th century; the unedited passages edited from manuscripts.
Introduction What the thesis argues and how.
Argument The dream as a procedure, not a sign.
| Claim | Śaiva-Śākta tantras treat the dream as a technology: a rite performed on purpose, with a mantra, a prepared bed and a stated result |
| Five uses | to get an answer (Oracle), to test a candidate (Ordeal), to receive a mantra or a scripture (Gift), to act on another person (Weapon), to train consciousness (Discipline) |
| Not included | omens (what it means to see an elephant): the dreamer reads a sign but does nothing |
| Range | 6th c. (Bṛhadyātrā) to 19th c. (Nepalese and Bengali digests) |
Method A thematic study with critical editions of unedited passages.
| Corpus | systematic search of e-texts (Muktabodha and others) by formula, not by title (svapnādhipataye namaḥ, hili hili śūlapāṇaye, svapne kathaya); then catalogues (NCC, NGMPP) for unedited witnesses |
| Editions | local critical editions of the unedited passages from manuscripts, in an appendix |
| Status | for each passage: edited, unedited or catalogue only; unchecked readings and identifications are marked |
Beyond the MPhil What the DPhil adds to “The Industry of Miracles” (MPhil, 2026).
| MPhil | DPhil |
|---|---|
| a typology by what the operation acts on: revelation, empowerment, magic, transformation of consciousness | the same material arranged by use: oracle, ordeal, gift, weapon, discipline |
| dream technologies traced from the Niśvāsa, “the earliest datable evidence” | its verse traced to Varāhamihira’s Bṛhadyātrā 16.4–7 (6th c.); the mantra in the Piṅgalāmata (manuscript of 1173/74 or 1176/77) |
| Svapnavārāhī not treated | a second, later line of dream goddesses beside the male dream boy: Svapnavārāhī, Svāpnavatī and the other “Svapna-X” deities |
| Dīkṣāpaddhati ORL 2379 dated late 11th–12th c. | a witness of Manodadatta’s Kalādīkṣāpaddhati (composed 1335/6) |
| 16 texts | the full census on this page |
Literature What has been written. No one has yet described the operations done in or through the dream across tantric schools.
On dreams in South Asia Interpretation, philosophy and Buddhist practice; tantra at the margin.
| Work | What it does | What it leaves out |
|---|---|---|
| Wayman 1967, “Significance of Dreams in India and Tibet” | an early typology of Buddhist dreams: prophetic, instructional, transformative | Hindu tantra; the difference between receiving a dream and making one |
| Doniger 1984, Dreams, Illusion, and Other Realities | dream as an epistemological puzzle, centred on the Yogavāsiṣṭha | practice; tantra appears only at the margin |
| Wangyal 1998, The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep | Bön and Nyingma techniques for lucidity across states | Śaiva-Śākta sources |
| Sharma 2004, Sleep as a State of Consciousness in Advaita Vedānta | deep sleep (suṣupti) from the Upaniṣads to Ramana | dream plays a minor role; one school only |
| Bautze-Picron (ed.) 2008, The Indian Night | the widest collective survey: Vedic, Jain, dharmaśāstra, Buddhist, literary | tantra appears only in Barazer-Billoret’s chapter |
On dreams in tantra Single schools, single rites.
| Work | What it does | What it leaves out |
|---|---|---|
| Houben 2008 (in The Indian Night) | Vedic rites against bad dreams, read as work on fear and memory | tantra |
| Barazer-Billoret 2008 (in The Indian Night) | the dream in the Śaiva Siddhānta adhivāsana; identifies the svapnamantra / svapnamāṇavaka and traces it to Varāhamihira | other schools and other uses; calls the practice “oniromancy”. She cites the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (as summarised in the MPhil); the verse is found in the Bṛhadyātrā 16.4–7: her reference to be checked |
| Verma 2019, Precognitive Dreams in Kashmir Śaivism | precognition explained by ābhāsavāda, from the Tantrāloka | ritual, initiatory and magical uses |
| Nemec 2021, The Ubiquitous Śiva II | translation of Utpaladeva’s Śivadṛṣṭivṛtti, including 4.19–21ab, where dream objects have efficacy | — |
Dream before tantra What the tantras inherit.
Vedic The dream as a sign to be read and warded off.
| Text | Locus | What it says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atharvaveda 4.5 | 4.5.1–7 | a spell to put people to sleep (see Weapon) | edited |
| Atharvavedapariśiṣṭa 68 | 68.1.50–55; 68.2.57–59 | three causes of dreams (humours, waking residue, the gods); only god-sent dreams predict; the watch of the night times the fruit | edited; cited after Modak 1959 |
| Atharvavedapariśiṣṭa 64, 68 | 64.3.5–4.6; 68.5.18–31 | the king sleeps with controlled senses before a campaign and goes only after a good dream; a bad one needs śānti | edited; cited after Modak 1959 |
Upaniṣads The dream as a state of the self.
| Text | Locus | What it says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad | 4.3.9–10, 13 | the dreamer “dreams by his own light” and creates chariots, roads and joys that are not there | edited (Olivelle 1998) |
| Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad | 4 | dream is taijasa, the second of four states: waking, dream, deep sleep, the fourth | edited (Olivelle 1998) |
| Gauḍapādakārikā | 2.5 | dream and waking “are one”: both are only perceived, so both are unreal | edited |
Dream and reality Kashmir: dream objects are as real as waking ones, because they work.
| Text | Locus | What it says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somānanda, Śivadṛṣṭi | 4.19–21ab | the test of reality is efficacy (arthakriyā, Dharmakīrti’s term) | edited (KSTS 54) |
| Utpaladeva, Śivadṛṣṭivṛtti | on 4.19–21ab (KSTS 54, pp. 155–156) | water drunk in a dream quenches thirst; the satisfaction is known to oneself and “does not deceive”, so what is dreamt is “real and usable” (satyaṃ vyavahāryaṃ ca). The Buddhist test is turned against the line between dream and waking | edited; translated in Nemec 2021 |
| Abhinavagupta, Tantrāloka with Viveka | 28.355–357 | “it does not exist in a dream” is a statement without a means of knowledge (svapne nāsti sa ity eṣā vāk pramāṇavivarjitā) | edited (KSTS) |
Dream as Oracle Asking a deity for an answer.
Svapnavārāhī The boar-faced goddess who tells “what will be” in a dream.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, Lalitopākhyāna | date uncertain | 3.36.25; Svapneśī 28.41, 34.64 | Svapnavārāhikā in Lalitā’s palace; Svapneśī fights the demon Maṅgala and guards Daṇḍanāthā’s residence; no oracle | edited |
| Mantramahodadhi (Mahīdhara) | 1588/89 | 10.39–58 | dhyāna 10.39 (earth on the tusks, horse); fifteen-syllable mantra; “Vārāhī who speaks in dreams” (10.57); three yantras: worship 10.41–43, subjugation 10.50, amulet 10.58 | edited |
| Merutantra | printed 1908 | 23.573–591; 33.364–374 | fifteen-syllable mantra (33.371); “keeping his matter in mind, let him lie down alone: the goddess tells in a dream how it will be”; amulet yantra on birch bark, worn on the arm. 33.364: Chaukhamba matkṛtam “made by me”, Bombay 1908 camatkṛtam “wondrous” | printed |
| Vārāhītantra (Nepalese) | manuscripts 17th–19th c. | 2.90–92; paṭalas 12–13 | Svapnavārāhī mantra in initiation; dhyānas and yantras | unedited (study: Pamio 2014) |
| Śaktisaṅgama, Sundarīkhaṇḍa | Śākta | 19.31–65; also 11.159–161, 18.30, 21.43 | three vidyās (15, 18, 24 syllables); after 3,000 repetitions she “speaks good and ill in a dream” | edited (GOS) |
| Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya (Uddaṇḍabhairavīya) | manuscript of 1725 | paṭala 13 svapnavārāhīpūjāvidhi | “the deity will surely tell the matter thought of for the dream” | unedited |
| Premanidhi, Śabdārthacintāmaṇi on Śāradātilaka 15 | date uncertain | ff. 182a–184b | full kalpa; the eighteen-syllable mantra agrees verbatim with Śaktisaṅgama 19, and one passage with Merutantra 23 | unedited |
| Tantracintāmaṇi (Navamīsiṃha) | c. 1690 | prakāśas 22–23 | svapnavārāhī kālī mantra; after four years “she abides in the dream” | edited 2024 (not critical) |
| Śāktapramoda, Kālītantra | printed 19th c. | 107–109 | the same mantra as the Tantracintāmaṇi | printed |
| Puraścaryārṇava III; Dīkṣāprakāśa | Nepal; Mithilā | 12.50–55; — | copy of Merutantra 23; fifteen lakh repetitions | printed |
| Śrītattvanidhi | Mysore, 19th c. | no. 76 | iconography of Svapnavārāhī “from her kalpa” | edited |
| Bhairavāṣṭaka | Nepal | A 981/11 | oracle mantra hrīṃ namo vārāhi ghore svapnaṃ vada svāhā | unedited |
| Newar ritual handbook | Nepal, NS 997 = 1877 | British Library EAP945/1/24, image 52 | svapnavārāhimantra, with instructions for knowledge in a dream | digitised, open |
| Mantramahārṇava | printed (Khemraj) | Uttarakhaṇḍa, “Sva. si. taṃ.”, taraṅga 1, fol. 607 | worship yantra; “Svapnasiddhi-tantra” is the compiler’s heading: NCC has no such title | printed |
Mantras: two families
Invocation, fifteen syllables: Mantramahodadhi 10 (in the nyāsa), Merutantra 33.371, the Khemraj yantra plates.
ॐ ह्रीं नमो वाराहि घोरे स्वप्नं ठः ठः स्वाहा oṃ hrīṃ namo vārāhi ghore svapnaṃ ṭhaḥ ṭhaḥ svāhā
Oracle request: Tantracintāmaṇi 22 and the Newar manuscript of 1877. Both witnesses are Nepalese.
oṃ hrīṃ svapnavārāhī kālī svapne kathaya … amukasyāmukaṃ dehi krīṃ svāhā (Tantracintāmaṇi) oṃ svapnavārāhi kāli[ke?] svapne kathaya mama … dehi krīṃ(?) svāhā (EAP945/1/24)
The Nepalese copy drops hrīṃ and asks for the practitioner himself, mama … dehi, instead of “give so-and-so such-and-such”. One word before dehi is not yet read.
Yantras
Mantramahodadhi with Naukā (Khemraj, Bombay, pothi, c. 1895), plates 23–26, after MM 10.41, 10.50, 10.58, 10.76. Nepal Sanskrit University copy, digitised by eGangotri: archive.org.
All the yantras share one core:
- a triangle for the goddess;
- a hexagon for the limb deities;
- sixteen petals for sixteen śaktis: Uccāṭanī, Śoṣiṇī, Māraṇī, Bhīṣaṇī, Trāsinī, Kampinī, Ājñāvivartinī and their -īśvarīs, Vastujāteśvarī and Sarvasampādinīśvarī;
- eight petals for the Mātṛkās with Bhairavas;
- a bhūpura.
The yantra itself thus carries the goddess’s aggressive use: “terrify him in a dream” (Premanidhi on ŚT 15).
Other printed yantras:
- Mantramahārṇava, fol. 607 (archive.org).
- Mantramahodadhi, ed. Shukadeva Chaturvedi, figs 24–26 (archive.org).
- Merutantra, Chaukhamba, vol. 5 p. 294 and vol. 4 p. 92.
- Puraścaryārṇava (1985), p. 1158.
The Bombay Merutantra of 1908 prints the text without a figure.
Iconography: a painted dhyāna
Śrītattvanidhi (Mysore, 19th c.), no. 76: Svapnavārāhī “from her kalpa”. Painted page, Kannada script. Oriental Research Institute, Mysore, MS SA. 852, f. 38a (Bühnemann 2000, fig. 58c). The goddess is boar-faced and crowned, has four arms, raises a sword, and rides a white horse; a moon disc above her head.
Transcription, line by line. Metre śārdūlavikrīḍita. [ ] = unclear in the photograph, restored by the metre; ? = reading uncertain.
| Line | Text |
|---|---|
| 1 | atha svapnavārāhīdhyānaṃ yathā [tat?]kalpe ‖ |
| 2 | meghaśyāmaruciṃ manoharakucāṃ netra- |
| 3 | trayodbhāsitāṃ kolāsyāṃ śaśiśekharām |
| 4 | [acala]daṃṣṭrā[tala]śobhinīṃ bibhrāṇāṃ sva- |
| 5 | karāmbujair asilatāṃ carmā[ṇi?] pāśaṃ sṛ- |
| 6 | ṇiṃ vārāhīm anucintayed dhayavarārū- |
| 7 | ḍhāṃ śubhālaṃkṛtiṃ ‖ [1?] ‖ meghaśyāmavarṇā … |
Translation. “Now the meditation on Svapnavārāhī, as in [her] kalpa. One should meditate on Vārāhī: with the lustre of a dark rain cloud, with lovely breasts, shining with three eyes, boar-faced, the moon on her crest, beautiful [with … tusks], holding in her lotus hands a sword-blade, a shield, a noose and a goad, mounted on an excellent horse, finely adorned.” Line 7 begins a new caption: “dark as a rain cloud in colour …”
Other images of the goddess:
- Bühnemann, The Iconography of Hindu Tantric Deities I (2000), no. 58, pp. 150–151, reproduces two more. Fig. 58a is a line drawing from the Telugu-script Mantramahodadhi (Madras 1908), with the earth on her tusks as in MM 10.39. Fig. 58b is by M. Ganapathi Sthapati (Rūpadhyānaratnāvalī, 1981), after the Śrītattvanidhi.
- No manuscript drawing of her has been found; the manuscripts give only mantras and yantras.
- No museum object is catalogued as Svapnavārāhī.
- Rangarajan (2004) calls a British Museum Vārāhī with a fish in her mouth “an ideal example of Swapna Varahi”. The fish marks Matsya-Vārāhī, and MM 10.39 describes the earth on the tusks and a horse, so the identification is doubtful.
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva | Buddhist / Jain | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Goddesses who answer in a dream | Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 47: Tumburu’s sister Jayā “tells in a dream all that is intended” | a goddess as dream oracle on both sides |
| Florence 410 Svapnavārāhīpaṭala (Tārā, Nīlasarasvatī) | Svapnatāropāyikā (Toh 1720); Vimalasvapnabhāvanā (Toh 2786), both through Khro-phu lo-tsā-ba c. 1200; Sādhanamālā, Vajratārā | three independent witnesses to a dream Tārā; the Tibetan texts survive only in translation |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Svapnavārāhīpaṭala | BNCF Florence | MS 410 | 14 ff., mid-18th c.; opens oṃ namas Tārādevyai |
| Svapnavārāhīkalpa | Anup Library, Bikaner | Mitra 1880 no. 1342 | 8 ff.; incipit bhagavan sarvabhūteśa mantrasādhanam uttamam |
| Svapnavārāhīkalpa | BISM Pune; Sarasvati Bhavana, Varanasi; VRI Vrindavan | 29/1587; 24444, 26167; V. 15821 | catalogue only; identity of the text unverified |
| Svapnavārāhī mantra / kalpa | GOML Madras | DC XIV 7624–7628; D. 2102 | five mantra copies; kalpa f. 103a |
| Svapnavārāhī mantra / yantra | Mysore ORI | P. 7982/79; C. 3544/2; P. 4925/49 | Nandināgarī and Grantha |
| Svapnavārāhī texts | RORI | Jodhpur 13845(7), 38895; Bikaner 21650; Jaipur 939, 2776 | Jodhpur 38895: 3 ff. on Gyan Bharatam (not 7); Bikaner 21650 Svapnavārāhīprakaraṇa, 3 ff.; Jaipur 2776 dated 1857 |
| Svapnavārāhī kalpa / prayoga / mantra | Sarasvati Bhavana, Varanasi | 29820; 23619; 10866 | Gyan Bharatam; no illustrations |
| Svapnavārāhī | Kurukshetra Univ.; BORI; Central Sanskrit Univ. | 55468 (1808), 55469; Muley 115; 40519-A, 15371, 12742 | Gyan Bharatam; no illustrations |
| Svapnavārāhīmantra | Berlin SBB; British Library | Hs. or. 6332-24; IO 119b | palm leaf; flyleaf note of 1786; Berlin images not yet public (Oct 2026) |
| Svapnavārāhimantra | British Library (Endangered Archives) | EAP945/1/24, image 52 | Newar handbook dated NS 997 = 1877; mantra and instructions; images online |
| Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya | NAK and private | A 199/9; A 199/7; G 43/9; E 22/5; E 1660/1; B 174/10 | A 199/9 dated Śaka 1647 = 1725, 15 paṭalas; A 199/7 has 20 paṭalas |
| Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya | Panjab Univ. Lahore; Sarasvati Bhavana | PUL I App. p. 60; 24658, 24978, 88517 | catalogue only |
| Vārāhītantra | NAK; Kesar; private | B 144/9; A 187/2; C 22/6; A 186/11; E 680/10; E 2899/19; G 29/12 | A 187/2 complete, dated 1856; C 22/6 is the basis of Pamio’s study |
| Bhairavāṣṭaka | NAK | A 981/11 | the only manuscript with the oracle mantra |
| Svapnavārāhīdhyānādi | private (NGMPP) | E 2084/26 | the only NGMPP record with the subject Tantra |
Edition candidates
- Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya, paṭala 13, edited against Śaktisaṅgama, Sundarīkhaṇḍa 19 (about 40–50 verses; six NGMPP witnesses, one dated 1725).
- Florence MS 410 Svapnavārāhīpaṭala; the Svapnavārāhīkalpa witnesses once their identity is checked.
Other oracles A yakṣa answers in the dream.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati, Mantrapāda | Kerala, 11th–12th c. | 32.137–143 | a yakṣa general answers in a dream after japa and fasting; a child medium (prasenā) finds a thief | edited (TSS) |
| Uḍḍāmareśvaratantra | yakṣiṇī-ceṭaka material | 10.5 (svapnasiddhimantra) | night japa “until sleep comes”; the yakṣa Maṇibhadra tells the time of death | edited (KSTS 1947) |
Dream as Ordeal The dream as a test before initiation. For the svapnamāṇavaka rite used in the test, see Oracle.
The night Where and how the candidate and the guru sleep.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What it shows | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mṛgendra, kriyāpāda | Siddhānta | VII.100–104 with vṛtti | the adhivāsa dream | edited |
| Somaśambhupaddhati; Agnipurāṇa | 11th c.; Agnipurāṇa date uncertain | dīkṣādhivāsa; AP 84.1–6 | householder on darbha, head east; ascetic on ash, head south; morning questioning; Aghora oblations against bad dreams (AP adapts Somaśambhu) | edited (Brunner; AP) |
| Jñānadīkṣāvidhi (anonymous) | Tamil Nadu; date uncertain | in transcript RE 15527 | bed by aim (seeker of enjoyment on darbha, seeker of liberation on ash); Aghora japa from 10,000 to 1,000,000 “according to the defect” | unedited |
| Kālottara; Mohacūḍottara | Siddhānta | dīkṣādhivāsapaṭala; — | disciples sleep on the ground; the ācārya asks “was the dream good?” in a gentle voice; svapnādhipa mantra at a temple foundation | unedited |
| Dīkṣāpaddhati, ORL 2379 | Kashmir; copy after c. 1400 | dream block | beds for enjoyment and for liberation; the guru enters the sleeper (svapnasaṃkrānti, see Discipline); dream examination on the third day | unedited |
| Jayadrathayāmala, Ṣaṭka 1 | Vidyāpīṭha | 17–18 | adhivāsana | unedited |
| Kubjikāmata; Kubjikāsamayanirvāṇadīkṣāvidhi; Kubjikāgurumaṇḍalapūjā | Paścimāmnāya; Nepal | KMT 23.154–157; manuals | mantra whispered in the right ear of men, the left of women; remedy through vīramelāpaka | KMT edited; manuals unedited |
| Tantrāloka with Viveka | Kashmir | 15.474–505 | initiation night; the guru enters the sleeping disciple, who is to stay lucid to read the signs (see Discipline) | edited (KSTS) |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dīkṣāpaddhati and its kin | ORL Srinagar | ORL 2379; ORL 1523; ORL 1172 | 1523 Adhivāsakalādīkṣā is the closest comparandum |
| Kalādīkṣāpaddhati | BORI Pune | 157 of 1886–92; 440, 442 and 541 of 1875–76; 1147 of 1886–92 | needed to place ORL 2379 in the stemma |
| Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ1 | NAK | NAK 3-358 (A 995/6 + A 996/1); B 122/7 | palm leaf; 1925 copy |
| Kubjikāsamayanirvāṇadīkṣāvidhi | NGMPP | reel not identified | Muktabodha e-text M00550 |
| Kubjikāgurumaṇḍalapūjā | NAK | A 234/12 | Newar; the HILI mantra; date reading uncertain |
| Adhivāsanavidhi (Nepalese manuals) | NAK and private | A 1151/16 (NS 747 = 1627); E 1336/30; E 153/23; E 1012/11; G 66/15 | catalogue only; whether they contain the dream test is unchecked |
Edition candidates
- Dīkṣāpaddhati ORL 2379, dream block, collated with the Kalādīkṣāpaddhati witnesses (editio princeps).
- Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ1 17–18; the Kubjikā dīkṣā dream rite.
Reading the dream What a good or bad dream means; the grade of initiation set by the dream.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What it shows | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svacchandatantra with Uddyota | Mantramārga | 3.214–4.18; 4.27 | sleep in the sacrificial hall before dīkṣā; catalogue of dreams | edited (KSTS); Nepalese recension unedited |
| Sarvajñānottara, kriyāpāda | early Siddhānta | dīkṣāṅga vv. 13–51 | guru sleeps with the disciples; after a bad dream, oblations and an initiation “without worldly siddhi”; v. 22 is a rule for reading the dream, not lucidity | partly edited |
| Mataṅgapārameśvara, kriyāpāda | Siddhānta | 5.135–139; paṭala 6 | dream section between adhivāsana and initiation; liṅga | edited (Bhatt 1982) |
| Kāmika-uttara; Suprabheda; Vīrāgama; Ajita | South Indian Siddhānta | 22–23; dīkṣā; 8.160–176; — | guru sleeps with the disciples; a good dream gives worldly and liberating fruit, a bad one liberation only (Suprabheda) | printed (various) |
| Śāradātilaka 4 with Rāghavabhaṭṭa; Merutantra; Kulamuktikallolinī 3; Tantracintāmaṇi 10; Kaularahasya 4 | later Śākta digests | as given | dream examination “for the four streams”; the grade of initiation set by the dream; the clause on “no dream” read differently in different witnesses | edited / unedited |
| Jagannādevālayapratiṣṭhāvidhi | Nepal | A 1235/19–A 1236/01 | temple consecration with “consideration of good and bad dreams” | catalogue only |
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva | Buddhist | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Adhivāsana dream test before dīkṣā | Dīpaṃkarabhadra, Guhyasamājamaṇḍalavidhi 210–213; Saṃvarodaya 18.22; Kriyāsaṃgraha; Sarvadurgatipariśodhana | the same test before abhiṣeka |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Svacchandatantra (Nepalese line) | NAK; Kesar | B 28/18; A 998/4; C 6/5 | dated palm leaves; ten more paper copies |
| Mataṅgapārameśvara | NAK | A 43/2 | adhivāsana, dream and tattvadīkṣā chapters in sequence |
| Muhūrtakalpadruma | British Library | IO 680 | Benares 1627; ff. 91a–92: dīkṣā followed by auspicious dreams |
| Uttarakāmika; Śaunakīya | British Library | IO Burnell 359; Mackenzie II.91g | svapnādhyāya f. 69b; f. 139 |
| Jagannādevālayapratiṣṭhāvidhi | NAK | NAK 1/46 (A 1235/19–A 1236/01) | 822 ff., Newar |
Edition candidates
- Sarvajñānottara dīkṣāṅga 13–51.
Bad dreams What to do when the dream is bad.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What it shows | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kriyādīpikā (Śivāgrayogin) | Tamil Nadu, 16th c. | nirvāṇadīkṣādhivāsa | after a bad dream at night: repeat the root mantra and sleep again | printed 1929 (per NCC) |
| Amṛteśvaradīkṣāvidhi (Viśveśvarī) | Nepal; copied “from an old palm-leaf book” | ff. 8b–9a | bad dreams told to the guru; 1,008 oblations, “otherwise the disciple dies” | unedited |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amṛteśvaradīkṣāvidhi; Samayadīkṣādhivāsanavidhi | NGMPP | not identified | e-texts only; palm-leaf exemplar not located |
Edition candidates
- Amṛteśvaradīkṣāvidhi ff. 8b–9a.
Other proofs Tests run in the same night as the dream.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What it shows | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vārāhītantra | Nepal | paṭala 2 | five objective proofs of initiation: flowers that rise, water that climbs from the conch, the candidate weighed on a scale (tulā-pratyaya), and the dream | unedited |
| Samayadīkṣādhivāsanavidhi | Nepal (Newar manual) | pp. 22a–22b | toothstick test and dream in one night; the mantra is spoken into the disciple’s right ear; the guru sleeps too | unedited |
Edition candidates
- Samayadīkṣādhivāsanavidhi pp. 22a–22b.
Testing the mantra Three nights on the ground: the dream says whether the mantra will work.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yantracintāmaṇi (Dāmodara); Hāhārāva (Hāhārṇava 7) | Śākta | vv. 24–29; — | three nights on the ground: the deity says whether the mantra is siddha, sādhya, susiddha or hostile; no dream means sādhya; a dream vision within 90 days | edition not checked; unedited |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yantracintāmaṇi | NAK | B 141/14 | three-night incubation |
| Hāhārṇava | NAK | A 501/1 (= A 1255/2) | single witness |
Dream as Gift Mantras and scriptures received in dreams.
Svapnalabdhamantra A mantra received in a dream: valid or not, what rite it needs, a mantra taken away.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kulārṇava and the formula family | Kaula, Śrīvidyā, later digests | Kulārṇava 15.97; Jñānārṇava 16.127; Śrīvidyārṇava 3.14; Phetkāriṇī 20.7; Mantrakaumudī 36; Śrītattvacintāmaṇi 2.120; Tantracintāmaṇi 4; Haribhaktivilāsa 1.211 | svapnalabdhe striyā datte … siddhādīn naiva śodhayet: a mantra received in a dream or from a woman is exempt from the arithmetical tests | edited (most) |
| Kulamūlāvatāra (lost) | Kaula | quoted in Śrīvidyārṇava 3 and Mantracandrikā | “for a mantra taught in a dream there is no rule and no rite” | known only from quotations |
| Bhūtabhairava / Bhūtaḍāmara (“Mantrakośa” codices) | Nepal | closing block | the same formula; two manuscripts reverse it (ca carcayet; vicārayet) | unedited |
| Nirvāṇatantra 2 (in the Prāṇatoṣiṇī) | Bengal | quoted | the exemption does not apply to a householder | printed |
| Bṛhattantrasāra (Kṛṣṇānanda) | Bengal | first chapter | the exemption is “only praise”; an enemy’s mantra can come in a dream; take it from a living guru, or else through a water-pot and a banyan leaf | printed 1896 |
| Yoginītantra; Vaiśampāyanasaṃhitā; Rudrayāmala; Dīkṣāprakāśa | Śākta, Vaiṣṇava | YT 2.6.180; RY 2.106–117, 5.25–32 | the dreamt mantra “is purified only by saṃskāra”: a pot holding the guru’s breath, the mantra written in saffron on a banyan leaf | printed |
| Nigamasāranirṇaya (Ramāramaṇa) = Dīkṣāvidhi A 238/25 | Nepal / Assam | f. 7a | full acceptance rite, including the case of an enemy’s mantra; the Dīkṣāvidhi is newly identified as its opening section | unedited |
| Kālottara, guruyāga (quoted in Jñānaratnāvalī and Kriyādīpikā) | Siddhānta | — | worship of the guru is due “when a mantra is obtained in a dream” | unedited |
| Śaktisaṅgama, Sundarīkhaṇḍa; Tantracintāmaṇi 10; Tantrasaṃgrahadhātuvāda | Śākta; Nepal | ŚS 3.93–181 | Śiva teaches mantras “by the path of dream”; three classes; shortened puraścaryā; the enemy’s mantra; the Dakṣiṇāmūrti lineage (3.180) | ŚS edited (GOS); TCM edited 1997; Dhātuvāda unedited |
| Āgamakalpalatā (Yadunātha), quoting the Skandapurāṇa | Bengal | ff. 3a–b | reject even a dreamt mantra if the wheel of syllables yields “sādhya-sādhya” | unedited |
| Tārābhaktitaraṅgiṇī; Kātyāyanītantra | Bengal | f. 23a; f. 10b | the Saptaśatī needs no puraścaraṇa because Mārkaṇḍeya received it in a dream | unedited |
| Kaulāvalīnirṇaya; Tārārahasya | Bengal, Kaula | 18.17, 18.23; paṭala 4 | receiving a mantra or a book in a dream is a sign of siddhi | printed |
| Merutantra | printed 1908 | 26.951–953 | Kṛṣṇa’s mantra “obtained in a dream” counts as perfected | printed |
| Mātṛkābhedatantra | Śākta | 12.43–49; 12.59–65 | a god in the form of a brahmin takes the mantra away in a dream; repair by cremation-ground practice | edited |
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva / Śākta | Buddhist | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Mantra or mudrā given in a dream | Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa 35: “the mantras tell him the mudrā in a dream” | the same idea in a kriyā text |
| Dream permission as a sign of success | Sādhanamālā, Kurukullā: the goddess’s command “in a dream or in person” | the same structure |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tantrasaṃgrahadhātuvāda | NAK | B 125/9 | 146 ff.; svapnalabdhamantropāsanākrama |
| Dīkṣāvidhi (= Nigamasāranirṇaya, opening) | NAK | NAK 1/1403 (A 238/25) | 29 ff., Newar |
| Nigamasāranirṇaya | NAK | NAK 3-333 (B 129/5) | second witness |
| Bhūtabhairava / Mantrakośa | NAK | A 183/16; B 135/22; B 135/30 | B 135/22 dated saṃvat 1881; two Bhūtaḍāmara copies in Bikaner (Mitra 1250) |
| Kātyāyanītantra | NAK and private | F 33/2; D 31/12; E 373/26; A 940/15; E 2744/16; H 347/20 | E 373/26 dated NS 829 |
| Tantracintāmaṇi | NAK | A 153/7 and others | see Chapter 1 |
| Śaktisaṅgama | Anup Library, Bikaner | Mitra 1320 | |
| Svapnalabdhastotra; Svapnalabdhasamudrastotra | Sarasvati Bhavana | 74318; 74907 | catalogue only |
Edition candidates
- Nigamasāranirṇaya, opening section on mantras (= Dīkṣāvidhi A 238/25), from two Nepalese witnesses.
- Bhūtabhairava “Mantrakośa”, closing block: three witnesses, two of which reverse the formula.
- Tantrasaṃgrahadhātuvāda B 125/9 against Śaktisaṅgama 3.93–181 and Tantracintāmaṇi 10.
Authorised by a dream A dream authorises a book, a teacher, a disciple.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tantrāloka; Tantrasāra | Kashmir | 16.74 (also 4.53, 28.52–53); TS 20 | the guru’s authority by instruction in a dream | edited |
| Bhāratamañjarī (Kṣemendra) | Kashmir, 11th c. | author’s colophon | Vyāsa appears in a dream and permits the abridgement | edited |
| Mahārthamañjarī with Parimala | Kashmir / south | 12, 71 | the text received “between waking and dream” from a yoginī; the commentary gives a criterion of a true dream | edited |
| Sītārāmavihāra (Lakṣmaṇa Somayājin) | kāvya | 12.51 | a Dakṣiṇāmūrti mantra received from a god “seen in a dream” | unedited |
| Kriyāsāra (Nīlakaṇṭha); Basavapurāṇa; Yatīndramatadīpikā | Vīraśaiva; Śrīvaiṣṇava | upodghāta 6–7; 58, 17; colophon | a digest composed on dream instruction; a liṅga shown in a dream; a guru’s blessing in a dream | edited; colophon from a manuscript |
| Paranandasūtra | Śaiva | 91 | the guru “makes disciples in a dream” | edited |
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva / Śākta | Buddhist | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Author authorised by a dream | Abhayākaragupta, Abhayapaddhati; Kṛṣṇācārya, Vasantatilaka; Svapnopadeśanārthaviśuddhi (Tanjur, catalogue only) | parallel colophon practice |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sītārāmavivāhakāvya (= Sītārāmavihāra) | NAK | NAK 1/463 (A 399/1) | 41 ff. |
| Yatīndramatadīpikā | NAK | B 72/15 | colophon with the dream blessing |
| Mahārthamañjarī | Wellcome | MS Indic γ 202 | 16 ff. |
| Abhayapaddhati; Vasantatilaka | NAK | A 48/2; A 140/14 |
Revealed in a dream Hymns and scriptures revealed in a dream.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahābhārata | epic | 7.57 | Arjuna, led by Kṛṣṇa in a dream, hears the Pāśupata mantra from Śiva | edited (Pune) |
| Mṛgendravṛtti (Nārāyaṇakaṇṭha); Svapnaśatarudrīya | Siddhānta; catalogue | vṛtti; NCC 41 | the epic episode circulated as a separate hymn | edited; catalogue only |
| Spandasarvasva (Kallaṭa); Kṣemarāja, Spandanirṇaya and Śivasūtravimarśinī | Kashmir | closing verse; introductions | the Śivasūtra “taught by Maheśa in a dream”; Vasugupta finds the rock “that confirmed the dream”; the vārttika has a version without a dream | edited (KSTS) |
| Śivadṛṣṭi (Somānanda) | Kashmir | 7.106 | composed at Maheśa’s command, received in a dream | edited |
| Rāmarakṣā with Mahāmudgala’s Vajrapañjaraṭīkā; Śivarakṣā | Vaiṣṇava / Śaiva | v. 18; f. 1v | Hara dictates the Rāmarakṣā to Budhakauśika in a dream; the ṭīkā comments on the Rāmarakṣā and is not a Buddhist text | printed; ṭīkā unedited |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vajrapañjaraṭīkā | NAK | A 569/11 | 16 ff.; only NGMPP copy |
| Śivarakṣā | NAK | A 1301/22; B 394/58 | |
| Śivasūtravārttika | NAK | B 39/28 | |
| Svapnaśatarudrīya | Sarasvati Bhavana; Jaipur Museum | 71252; Ser. 2 p. 128 | catalogue only |
Dream as Weapon Sorcery through another person’s sleep.
Sending a dream A deity enters the target’s dream: to command, terrify or strike.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayākhyasaṃhitā | Pāñcarātra | 28.8–11 | a mantra in the heart of a king or a woman, in a dream: “rise, fool, and enrich so-and-so” | edited (GOS 1931) |
| Jayadrathayāmala, Ṣaṭka 4 | Vidyāpīṭha | paṭalas 5–6 (Rāviṇīsādhana) | the six acts of magic through the yakṣiṇī Karaṅkiṇī | unedited |
| Buffalo formula: Merutantra 23.973; Phetkāriṇī 7.16–17; Bṛhattantrasāra; Āgamakalpalatā; Śrīvidyārṇava; Prāṇatoṣiṇī | Dhūmāvatī sections | as given | “taking the form of a she-buffalo, in a dream strike down the enemy”; the Prāṇatoṣiṇī quotation lacks “in a dream” | printed / unedited |
| Premanidhi, Śabdārthacintāmaṇi on Śāradātilaka 15 | date uncertain | ff. 182b–184b | Svapnavārāhī “tells the target in his dreams” the practitioner’s wish; effigy of ash; the goddess terrifies the target in a dream; a yantra rite after the Mantramahodadhi | unedited |
| “Kāmarūpa” tantra in vernacular (Ācārasāra file) | date uncertain | Madhuvāsinī-vidhi | the goddess tells a king in a dream to honour the practitioner “or else misfortune” | unedited |
| Uḍḍāmareśvaratantra; Indrajālavidyāsaṃgraha | yakṣiṇī-ceṭaka chapter | 10.1; 10.9 | a piśāca in the practitioner’s form claws a woman in her dream; the “Impeller” draws her by sleeplessness | edited (KSTS) |
| Sādhanamālā, Vajratārā | Buddhist | three sādhanas | “tell such-and-such woman my desired dream”, or “into her ear” | edited (GOS) |
| Arthaśāstra | — | 13.1.9–10 | the state manufactures “prophetic” dreams (inversion) | edited |
| Paramasaṃhitā | Pāñcarātra | c. ch. 22 | hostile deities weaken the practitioner’s resolve “in a dream, like kinsmen” (inversion) | printed |
| Puraścaryārṇava II | Nepal, 18th–19th c. | — | listed under dream magic in the earlier survey; passage not re-located in the 2026 census | printed 1901 |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ4 | NAK | NAK 3-683 (A 996/3) | palm leaf |
| Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ4 | NAK | A 997/1; NAK 1-1468 (B 122/4); NAK 5-1941 (A 151/16) | B 122/4 c. 1626/7 |
| Jayadrathayāmala satellites | NAK | NAK 1-253 (A 152/8); NAK 1-1514 (A 1267/3) | mantra extracts (1642/3); mantra commentary (1584/5) |
| Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ2 fragment | NAK | NAK 5-7980 (A 182/11) | yakṣiṇīcakra |
| Premanidhi, Śabdārthacintāmaṇi | Ramsingh collection | no. 1480 | 284 ff.; base of the Muktabodha e-text; listed in the NCC as a lexicon by mistake |
| Bhūtaḍāmara; Kālarātrikalpa | Anup Library, Bikaner | Mitra 1250; Mitra 1270 | Kālarātrikalpa dated 1525/26 |
| Vaśīkaraṇasvapnavārāhī; Svapnānayanamantra | Bharatpur; Rādhākṛṣṇa collection | XVI 282a; Rādh 43 | catalogue only; relevant by title |
| Svapnauṣadhamantrakarmakāṇḍa | private (NGMPP) | H 329/6 | Newar, 15 ff.; dream medicines and mantras |
Edition candidates
- Premanidhi, Śabdārthacintāmaṇi on Śāradātilaka 15, ff. 182a–185a (Svapnavārāhī as oracle and as weapon), checked against the Mantramahodadhi and Merutantra 23.
- The buffalo formula in six witnesses; the Āsurī formulary from the Atharvaveda to the Merutantra.
- Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ4, yakṣiṇī chapter (optional).
Taking sleep away Destroying, seizing or breaking the target’s sleep.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atharvavedapariśiṣṭa 35, Āsurīkalpa | Atharvavedic; date uncertain | 35.1.1–1.3 | recite “until she sleeps”; burn, in turn, her going, her womb, “of the sleeping woman the mind”, of the woken one the heart | edited |
| Merutantra | printed 1908 | 24.91–106 | the same Āsurī formula with a male target; effigy and oblations for subjugation and harm | printed |
| Śāradātilaka with Rāghavabhaṭṭa’s Padārthādarśa | 11th–12th c.; comm. 1490s | 23.92–103 | at midnight, “when the target is asleep”, the practitioner draws the syllables of his breath from his heart into an effigy; Padmapāda (quoted) first wakes him with Death’s staff | edited (Avalon) |
| Śrīvidyārṇava | date uncertain | śvāsas 17–18 | copies of Śāradātilaka 23; in śvāsa 18 the dūtīs “go to the target and bind him” | edited |
| Vārāhītantra; Parātantra; Tridaśaḍāmara | Śākta | one shared verse | japtvā saṃkṣapayen nidrāṃ … vaśyā bhavati: destroy her sleep and she is subjugated | unedited |
| Vīṇāśikhatantra | Vāma | 386–389 | suptaṃ bodhayate mantrī: forced awakening, “even of one asleep and unconscious” | edited (Goudriaan 1985) |
| Hāhārāvatantra | Śākta | Cāmuṇḍā māraṇa | nidrāvaya between “make him reel” and “kill his breaths” | unedited |
| Āścaryayogamālā | magic | 45–46 | amulet on the enemy’s bed causes epilepsy | unedited |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vārāhītantra | NAK; Kesar | B 144/9; A 187/2; C 22/6 | see Chapter 1 |
| Āsurīkalpa | various | Bikaner 1245–1247; IM; Dacca 138N and others | at least 30 manuscripts (NCC); catalogue only |
| Hāhārāva | NAK | about 20 reels | the dream passage located only in the Hāhārṇava |
Svāpana Putting a house, a village or a woman to sleep.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atharvaveda (Śaunaka) 4.5 = Ṛgveda 7.55.5–8 | Vedic | 4.5.1–7 | sleep-spell; Sleep itself is asked to put all the people to sleep | edited |
| Kauśikasūtra with Keśava’s paddhati | Atharvavedic ritual | 36.1–4 | strīsvāpana: the house, a mortar and the woman’s bed are charmed so that the household sleeps | edited (Bloomfield 1890) |
| Ṛgvidhāna | Vedic | 2.26.139 | the same hymn “puts beings to sleep at night” | edited |
| Gaurīkañculikātantra | Śākta | “nidrā cikitsā” | Mahānidrāyaṇī puts a whole house to sleep | unedited |
| Kulacūḍāmaṇi | Kaula | 52–53 | Svapnavatī puts others to sleep | edited |
| Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa | Buddhist kriyā | paṭalavisara 55 | charmed mustard seeds put a village to sleep “as if dead”; the practitioner sleeps facing the target’s house for seven days (reading corrupt) | edited (TSS) |
Dream as Discipline Yogic practice in dream and sleep.
Svapnasaṃkrānti Entering another person’s sleep.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tantrāloka with Viveka | Kashmir | 15.474–505 | the guru enters the sleeping disciple; the disciple stays lucid to read the signs; Dyczkowski (TAA vol. 8, n. 768) reconstructs counter-breathing, no channel named | edited |
| Dīkṣāpaddhati, ORL 2379 | Kashmir; copy after c. 1400 | dream block | svapnasaṃkrānti: the guru enters through the left channel with oṃ huṃ praviśāmi namaḥ, rises to the dvādaśānta and returns; the term occurs nowhere else (hapax) | unedited |
| Yogavāsiṣṭha, hunter-and-sage episode, with Tātparyaprakāśa | vulgate | 6b.137–141 | a sage sends his breath into a sleeping student through the mouth, settles in his heart and watches his dream, knowing it as another’s dream | vulgate only; outside the Mokṣopāya critical edition |
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva | Buddhist | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Tantrāloka 15; Dīkṣāpaddhati: entering the disciple’s sleep for oracle and verification | Nāropa’s Six Dharmas: dream (rmi lam), illusory body; Nāḍapāda, Sekoddeśaṭīkā; Maitrīpa (Advayavajra), Svapnanirukti | different aim (lucidity and transformation, not verification); the throat as the seat of dream on both sides |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dīkṣāpaddhati | ORL Srinagar | ORL 2379 (ORLS_0431) | the only witness of svapnasaṃkrānti |
Edition candidates
- Dīkṣāpaddhati ORL 2379, svapnasaṃkrānti passage (the core of the chapter).
- Yogavāsiṣṭha 6b.137–141 (outside the Mokṣopāya edition); Mālinīvijayottara 16, 18, 21 and 23.33–38.
Svapnasvātantrya Staying aware and free inside the dream.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Śivasūtra with Kṣemarāja’s Vimarśinī | Kashmir | I.7–11 (svapno vikalpāḥ is 1.9 in this e-text) | ninefold grid of states; svapna-suṣupti is the dreamer who knows “I am dreaming”; turya carried into all states | edited (KSTS) |
| Spandakārikā with commentaries | Kashmir | Vibhūtispanda 1–3 (33–35) | svapnasvātantrya, freedom in dream; Varadarāja’s Śivasūtravārtika 70–72; Utpala Vaiṣṇava’s Spandapradīpikā | edited |
| Tantrāloka with Viveka | Kashmir | 6.183–184; 10; 29 | svapnasvapna defined; a sixteenfold ladder of states; kula worship across the states | edited (KSTS) |
| Svacchandatantra with Uddyota | Mantramārga | 7.257; 11.83–125 | the yogin “neither wakes by day nor sleeps by night”; abuddha to suprabuddha | edited |
| Yogavāsiṣṭha / Mokṣopāya | Kashmir | 3.57.32–33; 6b.106.7; 6b.141.1 | knowing the dream as dream (svapnatvaparijñāna): lightness, flight, unharmed in fire | edited |
| Jayadrathayāmala, Ṣaṭka 3 | Vidyāpīṭha | 15.194–203 | wakefulness in dream and sleep | unedited |
| Śivastotrāvalī with Kṣemarāja | Kashmir | 11.5 | devotion in dream as in waking | edited |
| Mahārthamañjarī with Parimala | Kashmir / south | 12, 71 | nested states; the text received between waking and dream (see Chapter 3) | edited |
| Sarvajñānottara | Siddhānta | 22 | tatrasthas tu vibudhyeta: waking while the image is still present, a rule for reading signs; not evidence of lucidity | partly edited |
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva | Buddhist | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ3: mustard seeds in the mouth before sleep | Sādhanamālā 180: an empowered pellet in the mouth at bedtime | shared gesture, different aims |
| Doctrine: Śivasūtra 1.9, 2.10 | Āryadeva, Caryāmelāpakapradīpa 6; Sekoddeśa 27 | dream as analogy only |
| — | 45 Tibetan dream-yoga manuals on NGMPP film | comparative material |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ3 | Kesar; NAK | C 72/1; NAK 5-1979 (A 151/15) | both carry 15.194–203 |
| Mahārthamañjarī | Wellcome | MS Indic γ 202 | |
| Sekoddeśa; Sekoddeśaṭīkā | NAK | A 940/6; B 94/9 | |
| Vimalaprabhā | NAK and private | A 48/1; A 993/8; E 618/5 | content not read |
| Tibetan dream-yoga manuals | NGMPP | 45 records | Lo chen Dharmaśrī, gTer bdag gling pa, Karma gling pa, the Fifth Dalai Lama |
| Svapnodita (Sadāśivabrahman); Svapnaprakaraṇa | Tanjore; Adyar | DC 51 7754–7755; VB 417(c) | Advaita; contents unverified |
| Svapnekṣā; Svapnadeśaka; Svapnopaniṣad | Cordier; Sarasvati Bhavana | Cordier II pp. 190, 314; 57359 | catalogue only |
Yoganidrā Holding the mind at the onset of sleep; sleep as practice.
Texts
| Text | Date / tradition | Locus | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vijñānabhairava | Trika | 55, 75; 82 | mastery of dream; the onset of sleep; contemplation lying on the bed | edited |
| Floating verse nidrādau jāgarasyānte yo bhāva upajāyate | five witnesses | Jñānārṇava 1.24; Svātantryadīpikā; Tātparyaprakāśa on Yogavāsiṣṭha 6b.106.7; two more | hold the state that arises at the onset of sleep | edited (most) |
| Tripurārahasya, Jñānakhaṇḍa | Śākta | 9.94; 17.12, 17.48 | mark consciousness between sleep and waking | edited |
| Mālinīvijayottara | Trika | 16.11, 16.31–33; 18.36–37; 21.25–36; 23.33–38 | mind held on a heart-lotus “until sleep” gives true dreams; prāṇa stopped “in the dream mode”; sleeping into the moon-goddess; knowledge in sleep | partly edited |
| Yoginīhṛdaya with Amṛtānanda’s Dīpikā | Śrīvidyā | 3.174–181 | the five states contemplated during japa; great waking defined as “the destruction of sleep for all time”; dream at the throat | printed |
| Kubjikāmata | Paścimāmnāya | 4.20–21; “paṭala 31” | the sleeper’s state as a stage of ascent; yoganidrā giving clairvoyance and entry into another body, a passage that belongs to the Nepalese Pārameśvarīmata recension, not the Goudriaan–Schoterman edition | edited (G–S); recension unedited |
| Ciñciṇīmatasārasamuccaya | Paścimāmnāya | 7.164, 7.206, 9.41–52 | sleep (nidrā) as the fourth of five stages, yielding ājñāsiddhi | unedited |
| Acintyaviśvasādākhya; Candrajñānāgama | Siddhānta | 27.135–137, 33.26, 47.78–80; 55 | dream made true by yoganidrā; dream conquered by dhāraṇā; sleep performed as worship | status not checked |
| Jñānaratnāvalī; Sakalāgamasārasaṃgraha | Siddhānta | nightly regimen; f. 38a | sleep in yoganidrā with contemplation | unedited |
| Haṭhapradīpikā | Haṭha, 15th c. | 4.49; 4.110, 4.112 | yoganidrā through khecarī; the one in samādhi is “neither asleep nor awake” | edited |
Buddhist parallels
| Śaiva | Buddhist | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Mālinīvijayottara 16.32: mind held until sleep | Asaṅga, Śrāvakabhūmi: falling asleep mindfully and noticing defilement while asleep | common technique; the Buddhist form is the oldest dated |
| Ritualised sleep (Acintyaviśvasādākhya; Jñānaratnāvalī) | Sādhanamālā 218, 239: sleep in the lion’s posture, gurus visualised at the head of the bed, “woken by the goddess” | structural parallel |
| Vijñānabhairava 75: the moment before sleep | Advayavajra, Tattvaratnāvalī, rejects pre-sleep meditation; Kudṛṣṭinirghātana yoganidrayā supyāt | polemic and adoption |
Manuscripts
| Text | Repository | Shelfmark / reel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciñciṇīmatasārasamuccaya | NAK | NAK 1-767 (B 157/19); NAK 1-245 (A 1177/7) | B 157/19 dated 1754 (Sanderson 2014) or 1733/34 |
| Yoginīhṛdaya | NAK and private | 23 reels, e.g. A 182/12, A 185/11, B 141/8–13, C 31/3 | A 185/11 dated 1617 |
| Vijñānabhairava | NAK | A 276/14; A 186/24 | |
| Amanaska | NAK and private | 37 reels, e.g. A 62/34, E 148/51, A 884/6 | text not yet read |
| Yoganidrārūpa | NAK | A 988/42 | 7 ff., Newar; subject uncertain |
| Mālinīvijayottara; Mokṣopāya beyond 6,252 | — | not censused | Kashmirian manuscripts to be located |
Edition candidates
- Yoginīhṛdaya 3.174–181 with the Dīpikā, from the NGMPP reels.
Manuscripts By repository. ★ = proposed for edition.
Kathmandu
| Shelfmark | Reel | Text | Date | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ NAK 1-277 | A 41/14 | Niśvāsatattvasaṃhitā | c. 850–900, palm leaf | Guhyasūtra 3.17–22 incubation; 3.24–27 prasenā |
| NAK 5-2401 | A 159/18 | Niśvāsa, apograph | 1912 | |
| ★ NAK 3-370 | A 42/6 | Brahmayāmala | 1052 | chs 34, 55; codex unicus |
| NAK 3-376 | A 42/2 | Piṅgalāmata | 1173/4 (Sanderson 2014) or 1176/77; to be checked | svapnādhipati verse, source of the tradition |
| private | E 2339/25 | Piṅgalāmata, fragment | 6 ff. | contents unknown |
| NAK 3-358 | A 995/6 + A 996/1 | Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ1 | palm leaf | adhivāsana 17–18 |
| NAK 5-4650 | B 122/7 | JY Ṣ1 | 1925, from a palm-leaf exemplar | |
| NAK 1-255 | A 996/2 | JY Ṣ2 | palm leaf | |
| NAK 5-4651 | A 153/1 | JY Ṣ2 | paper | |
| NAK 5-4650 | A 153/2 | JY Ṣ2 | 1925/26 | |
| NAK 4-1357 | A 151/14 | JY Ṣ2 | paper | |
| NAK 5-7980 | A 182/11 | JY Ṣ2 fragment | yakṣiṇīcakra; prasenā svapnamānavam | |
| NAK 6-2740 | A 1376/6 | JY Ṣ2–3 | ||
| ★ NAK 5-1975 | A 152/9 | JY Ṣ3 (Dyczkowski’s Gh) | NS 908 = 1788 (Dyczkowski); Sanderson 2014: 1686/7; unverified | dream oracle 76–79, 84–92 |
| ★ NAK 5-1497 | B 122/3 | JY Ṣ3 (Dyczkowski’s K) | undated in the catalogue | dream oracle |
| ★ Kesar 728 | C 72/1 | JY Ṣ3 (Dyczkowski’s Kh) | NS 791 = 1670/71 | dream oracle; 15.194–203 lucidity; colour photographs on archive.org |
| ★ NAK 5-1979 | A 151/15; refilmed A 1312/25 + A 1313/1 | JY Ṣ3 (Dyczkowski’s G) | c. 1593 | dream oracle; 15.194–203 lucidity (ff. 149b to 150a); photocopy on archive.org (1, 2) |
| NAK 1-375 | B 121/13 | JY Ṣ3 | paper | |
| NAK 5-722 (unverified) | B 26/9 | JY Ṣ3 | palm leaf | |
| NAK 3-683 | A 996/3 | JY Ṣ4 | palm leaf | yakṣiṇī, dream magic |
| not recorded | A 997/1 | JY Ṣ4 | palm leaf | |
| NAK 1-1468 | B 122/4 | JY Ṣ4 | c. 1626/7 | |
| NAK 5-1941 | A 151/16 | JY Ṣ4 | ||
| NAK 1-253 | A 152/8 | Jayadrathayāmalaprastāramantrasaṃgraha | 1642/3 | |
| NAK 1-1514 | A 1267/3 | JY mantra commentary | 1584/5 | |
| NAK 1-224 | B 28/18 | Svacchanda (Nepalese line) | dated, palm leaf | 3.214–4.18 without commentary |
| NAK 5-691 | A 998/4 | Svacchanda | dated, palm leaf | |
| Kesar 9-68 | C 6/5 | Svacchanda | dated, palm leaf | |
| various | A 201/4, A 201/7, A 201/9, A 203/4, A 203/9, A 204/3+5, B 155/21, E 137/3, E 2188/11, H 20/6 | Svacchanda | paper | |
| NAK 1-445 | A 44/2 | Tantrasadbhāva | 1096/7 | 9.375–384 prasenā ⇄ dream |
| NAK 1-363 | A 44/1 | Tantrasadbhāva | palm leaf | |
| NAK 5-1985 | A 188/22 + A 189/1 | Tantrasadbhāva, apograph | ||
| ★ private | E 1804/7 | Gandharvatantra | 151 ff. | paṭala 26 |
| NAK | A 43/2 | Mataṅgapārameśvara | kriyāpāda: adhivāsana, dream and tattvadīkṣā chapters | |
| NAK 5/814 | A 39/4 | Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa | early palm leaf | ch. 15 |
| NAK 3/303 | A 136/11 | MMK (as Mañjuśrījñānatantra) | ||
| NAK 3/315 | B 144/9 | Vārāhītantra | f. 6b Svapnavārāhī mantra | |
| NAK 4/2385 | A 187/2 | Vārāhītantra, complete | 208 ff.; 1856 | unused |
| Kesar 211 | C 22/6 | Vārāhītantra | 140 ff. | |
| NAK 5/2004 | A 186/11 | Vārāhītantra | 149 ff. | incomplete |
| private | E 680/10; E 2899/19; G 29/12 | Vārāhītantra | incomplete; catalogue only | |
| NAK 1-767 | B 157/19 | Ciñciṇīmatasārasamuccaya | 1754 (Sanderson 2014) or 1733/34; unverified | nidrā stage |
| NAK 1-245 | A 1177/7 | Ciñciṇīmatasārasamuccaya | ||
| ★ NAK | A 199/7, A 199/9 | Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya | A 199/9: Śaka 1647 = 1725 | Svapnavārāhī pūjā, paṭalas 13–14 |
| private; NAK 1/229 | G 43/9; E 22/5; E 1660/1; B 174/10 | Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya | further witnesses; catalogue only | |
| NAK | A 153/7 | Tantracintāmaṇi | incubation liturgy; dream-obtained mantras; begins inside the dream examination | |
| NAK 4/1147; private | B 128/18; E 1120/17 | Tantracintāmaṇi | NS 823 = 1702/03; NS 825 = 1704/05 | earliest dated copies |
| NAK 2/375; NAK 4/2426; NAK 5/2407; NAK 4/1665 | A 158/3; A 161/19; A 153/5; B 131/2 | Tantracintāmaṇi | A 161/19: NS 977 = 1856/57 | A 158/3 and A 161/19 complete; B 131/2 with pañjikā |
| NAK 1/1135 | A 433/48–49 | Svapnaparīkṣā | 1727 (Palpa court) = Śaka 1727, i.e. 1805 | extract from the Tantracintāmaṇi |
| ★ NAK 9/174 | C 95/7 = C 18/9 | Kulamuktikallolinī | NS 811 = 1690/91 or NS 871 = 1750/51 | possibly in the author’s lifetime |
| ★ NAK 5/1940 | A 300/10 = B 118/3 | Kulamuktikallolinī | complete, 325 ff. | |
| ★ NAK 1/1675 | B 120/6 | Kulamuktikallolinī | dream dossier ff. 37a–40a; base of the e-text | |
| NAK 4/22; NAK 6/1921; private | B 116/20–B 117/1; A 1088/18 (≈ E 1790/34); E 1797/8 | Kulamuktikallolinī | A 1088/18: VS 1980 = 1923 | further witnesses |
| NAK 1/182 | A 230/14 | Kulamuktikallolinī | 5 ff.; opening only | |
| NAK | B 117/10 | Kaularahasya (Sarvāgamasāra) | NS 911 = 1790/91 | paṭala 4 svapnastuti; other copies unverified |
| NAK; private | A 208/2; E 1660/2; H 292/36; B 174/9; H 316/16 | Kulavṛtti | paṭala 10; catalogue only | |
| NAK 3/486 | A 433/43 | Svapnaprabodha + Nepali | 32 ff. | omen text (control) |
| NAK 2/250 | A 433/24 | Svapnādhyāya + Nepali | 10 ff. | omen text (control) |
| NAK 3-333 | B 129/5 | Nigamasāranirṇaya | Svāpnavatī; acceptance of dreamt mantras | |
| NAK | B 125/9 | Tantrasaṃgrahadhātuvāda | dream-obtained mantras | |
| NAK | A 238/25 | Dīkṣāvidhi | initiation for a dream mantra; = opening of the Nigamasāranirṇaya | |
| NAK | A 183/16; B 135/22; B 135/30 | Bhūtabhairava / Mantrakośa | B 135/22: saṃvat 1881 | closing formula on dreamt mantras |
| NAK and private | F 33/2; D 31/12; E 373/26; A 940/15; E 2744/16; H 347/20 | Kātyāyanītantra | E 373/26: NS 829 | Saptaśatī received in a dream |
| NAK | A 569/11 | Vajrapañjaraṭīkā | 16 ff. | commentary on the Rāmarakṣā |
| NAK | A 1301/22; B 394/58 | Śivarakṣā | ||
| NAK 1/463 | A 399/1 | Sītārāmavivāhakāvya | 41 ff. | Dakṣiṇāmūrti mantra in a dream |
| NAK | B 72/15 | Yatīndramatadīpikā | 33 ff. | dream blessing in the colophon |
| NAK | A 1065/23 | Praśnabhairava | Śaka 1551 | text received from the goddess in a dream |
| NAK | B 39/28 | Śivasūtravārttika | ||
| NAK | B 23/37; B 466/20 | Praśnavyākaraṇa (Jain) | appended Sarasvatī vidyā: dream, then prediction | |
| NAK | A 234/12 | Kubjikāgurumaṇḍalapūjā | HILI mantra; Newar | |
| NAK 1/46 | A 1235/19–A 1236/01 | Jagannādevālayapratiṣṭhāvidhi | 822 ff. | dream consideration in temple consecration |
| NAK | A 182/16; A 183/1; B 141/11 | Yoginītantra, pūrvārdha | A 183/1: NS 961 = 1840/41 | Nepalese witnesses; catalogue only |
| NAK and private | A 182/12, A 185/11, B 141/8–13, C 31/3 and others | Yoginīhṛdaya | A 185/11: 1617 | 23 reels |
| NAK | A 276/14; A 186/24 | Vijñānabhairava | ||
| NAK | A 940/6; B 94/9 | Sekoddeśa; Sekoddeśaṭīkā | ||
| NAK; private | A 48/1; A 993/8; E 618/5 | Vimalaprabhā | not read | |
| NAK | A 48/2; A 140/14 | Abhayapaddhati; Vasantatilaka | authors authorised by dreams | |
| NAK | A 424/32 | Lomaśarohita | Svapneśvarī yantra, treasure | |
| NAK | B 141/14 | Yantracintāmaṇi | three-night incubation | |
| NAK | A 501/1 | Hāhārāva | svapnadarśana in 90 days | |
| NAK | A 981/11 | Bhairavāṣṭaka | vārāhi ghore svapnaṃ vada | |
| private | E 2084/26 | Svapnavārāhīdhyānādi | ||
| private | H 329/6 | Svapnauṣadhamantrakarmakāṇḍa | Newari | dream medicines |
| Patan E 2910 | E 169-4(4) | Duḥsvapnanāśanastotra | Newari | |
| NAK 6/17; NAK 3/618 | A 958/34; A 1308/1 | Guhyakālīduḥsvapnanāśanastotra | 1908; 1879 | |
| NAK | B 20/8 | Svapnādhyāya | palm leaf | oldest omen witness (control) |
| NAK 9/680 | C 64/3 | Svapnādhyāya | 1712, 148 ff. | omen text (control) |
| ★ reel not identified | — | Kubjikāsamayanirvāṇadīkṣāvidhi (Muktabodha M00550) | Newar | svapnamāṇavaka in Kubjikā dīkṣā |
| NGMPP | 45 records | Tibetan dream-yoga manuals (rmi lam) | comparative material |
Srinagar
| Shelfmark | IGNCA DVD | Text | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★ ORL 2379 | ORLS_0431 | Dīkṣāpaddhati (= Kalādīkṣāpaddhati), Śāradā, 303 ff. | dream block; svapnasaṃkrānti; only ~70 pp. transcribed |
| ORL 1523 | ORLS_0338 | Adhivāsakalādīkṣā, 24 ff. | comparandum for 2379 |
| ORL 1172 | ORLS_0310 | Adhivāsavidhi, 2 ff. | |
| ★ ORL 1241 | ORLS_0316 | Gandharvatantra, 32 ff. | paṭala 26 |
| ★ ORL 1168 | ORLS_0310 | Gandharvatantra, 35 ff. | paṭala 26 |
| ORL 922, 2446, 2018-I, 2280-2, 810, 1697 | ORLS_0290, 0436, 0355, 0418 | Kalādīkṣā(vidhi) | relatives of 2379 |
| Jammu, Stein 177 | — | Śāradā dream interpretation |
Pune
| Shelfmark | Text | Note |
|---|---|---|
| BORI 157 of 1886–92 | Kalādīkṣāpaddhati, Śāradā, 246 ff. | Sanderson’s A |
| BORI 440 of 1875–76 | Kalādīkṣāpaddhati, 111 ff. | B (Khmers 2003–04) |
| BORI 1147 of 1886–92 | Kalādīkṣāpaddhati, 192 ff. | C / B (Exegesis 2007) |
| BORI 442 of 1875–76 | Kalādīkṣāpaddhati, 143 ff. | |
| BORI 541 of 1875–76 | Kalādīkṣāpaddhati, 224 ff. | |
| BISM 29/1587 | Svapnavārāhīkalpa | Bharata Itihasa Samshodhaka Mandala; catalogue only |
Bengal
| Shelfmark | Text | Date |
|---|---|---|
| ★ Dhaka Univ. 611 A | Yoginītantra, complete, 232 ff. | 1756 |
| Dhaka 657, 1497, 13208, 16904 | Yoginītantra, parts | |
| RASB 6019, 6020, 6021 | Yoginītantra, pūrvakhaṇḍa | |
| VRM 388, 420, 1420, 1451 (Rajshahi) | Yoginītantra | 1420 = 1784 |
| Mitra, Notices VI 2213 (Nadia) | Yoginītantra, uttarārdha | |
| Sanskrit College V 70 (unverified) | Yoginītantra, Kāmarūpādhikāra | |
| RASB VIII.A.6217, 6218; Dacca 1444 | Tantracintāmaṇi (Navamīsiṃha) | catalogue only; Dacca copy incomplete |
| RASB VIII.A.6308 (= IM 2689) | Kulamuktikallolinī | catalogue only |
Rajasthan
| Shelfmark | Collection | Text |
|---|---|---|
| Mitra 1880 no. 1342 (“Bik. 615”) | Anup Library, Bikaner | Svapnavārāhīkalpa, 8 ff. |
| Mitra 1298 | Anup Library | Merutantra, 511 ff. (ch. 23 Svapnavārāhī) |
| Mitra 1250 | Anup Library | Bhūtaḍāmara ×2 |
| Mitra 1270 | Anup Library | Kālarātrikalpa (1525/26) |
| Mitra 1323–1326 | Anup Library | Śāradātilaka ×4 + 3 commentaries |
| Mitra 1358 | Anup Library | Gandharvatantra fragment |
| Mitra 1558 | Anup Library | Anūpakautukārṇava, 423 ff., dream divination |
| Mitra 1320; 1345 | Anup Library | Śaktisaṅgama; Tantracintāmaṇi (author not stated) |
| Mitra 1262; 1334; 1253; 1361 | Anup Library | Devīrahasya; Śrīkālarātripaddhati; Chandronmīlana; Uddhārakośa |
| Bik. 1245–1247 | Anup Library | Āsurīkalpa (catalogue only) |
| Gen. 84 / Ser. 360 | Anup Library | Duḥsvapnaprāyaścitta |
| 13845(7) | RORI Jodhpur | Svapnavārāhīsādhana |
| 38895 | RORI Jodhpur | Svapnavārāhī, 7 ff. (digitised by NMM) |
| III.B.6073 | RORI | Svapnavārāhīsādhana “from the Ḍāmara Tantra” (catalogue only) |
| 21650 | RORI Bikaner | Svapnavārāhīprakaraṇa |
| 2776 | RORI Jaipur | Svapnavārāhīmantra |
| 15876 | RORI Jodhpur | Svapnasādhanamantra |
| 10347; 12288(21) | RORI Jodhpur | Svapneśvarīmantra |
| 12115(23) | RORI Jodhpur | Svapneśvarīyantravidhi |
| 13841(1); 13841(2) | RORI Jodhpur | Svapnakāmeśvarīprayoga; Śivasvapneśvaraprayoga |
| 13871(2) | RORI Jodhpur | Svapneśvaragaṇapatiprayoga |
| 13864(2) | RORI Jodhpur | Hanumatsvapnaprayoga |
| 4755 | RORI Kota | Svapneśvarīmantra |
| 1591 | RORI Udaipur | Susvapnaphala + Duḥsvapnaśānti |
| HP 24423; HP 66569 | KOBA | Svapnādhyāya (Rudrayāmala codex); Duḥsvapnaśāntividhi |
| XVI 282a | Bharatpur | Vaśīkaraṇasvapnavārāhī (catalogue only) |
| Mus. Ser. 2 p. 128 | Jaipur Museum | Svapnaśatarudrīya (catalogue only) |
Other India
| Shelfmark | Collection | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 24444; 26167 | Sarasvati Bhavana, Varanasi | Svapnavārāhīkalpa |
| 24658; 24978; 88517 | Sarasvati Bhavana | Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya |
| 74318; 74907 | Sarasvati Bhavana | Svapnalabdhastotra; Svapnalabdhasamudrastotra |
| 71252 | Sarasvati Bhavana | Svapnaśatarudrīya |
| 88657; 89941; 90505; 57359 | Sarasvati Bhavana | Svapnacāmuṇḍa; Svāpnavatī texts; Svapnopaniṣad |
| V. 15821 | VRI Vrindavan | Svapnavārāhīkalpa |
| 4918 | Ānandāśrama, Pune | Svapnakāmeśvarīprayoga |
| IV.2423 | OSM | Svapnāvatīkalpa |
| Rādh 31; Rādh 43 | Rādhākṛṣṇa collection | Svapnamantrapaṭala; Svapnānayanamantra |
| I App. p. 60 | Panjab University, Lahore | Ṣaṭśāmbhavarahasya (20 paṭalas) |
| 1942; IM 6944, 6986 | Bombay University; IM | Svapnavārāhīstotramantra (Merutantra, Uttara 16) |
South India
| Shelfmark | Collection | Text |
|---|---|---|
| TR 470-e; PM 1313-h (1689) | Adyar | Svapnaprakāśikā = Bṛhadyātrā 16 |
| VB 417(c) | Adyar | Svapnaprakaraṇam (unverified) |
| DC XIV 7624–7628 | GOML Madras | Svapnavārāhīmantra ×5 |
| DC XIV 7629 | GOML | Svapnahanūmanmantra |
| DC XIII 6628 | GOML | Pulindinīmantra (incubation) |
| R. 566 | GOML | Svapneśvarīmālāmantra |
| D. 2102 | GOML | Svapnavārāhīkalpa |
| DC VI 3336–3338 | GOML | Duḥsvapnaśānti |
| C. 548/21, /23, /24, /25 | Mysore ORI | Svapnatripurasundarī, -bhairavī, -hanumat, -gaṇapati |
| P. 7982/79; C. 3544/2; P. 4925/49 | Mysore | Svapnavārāhī mantra and yantra |
| P. 4461/57; P. 4461-88; P. 4925-113 | Mysore | Pulindinī, Indrākṣī, Hanumat dream rites |
| 22137; 25309 | Mysore | Svapnavārāhīstotramantra (catalogue only) |
| MSS 3850 N | Trivandrum | Svapnaśānti (rite) |
| C-2388 | Trivandrum | Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa |
| 13457; DC 51 7754–7755 | Tanjore | Duḥsvapnaśāntiprayoga; Svapnoditam |
| DC 58; DC 57; TD 20593 | Tanjore | Svapnavārāhīmantra ×2; Svapnavārāhīstotramantra |
| T0677; T0372 (unverified) | IFP Pondicherry | svapnamāṇavaka locus; Dīkṣādarśa |
| RE 15527 | IFP Pondicherry | transcript with the Kriyādīpikā, Kriyākramadyotikā and Jñānadīkṣāvidhi |
UK
| Shelfmark | Collection | Text |
|---|---|---|
| IO 2555; IO 2556 (1794) | British Library | Yoginītantra |
| IO 1057b; IO 890b | British Library | Svapnādhyāya |
| IO 680 | British Library | Muhūrtakalpadruma (1627), ff. 91a–92 dīkṣā + śubhasvapna |
| IO Burnell 359 | British Library | Uttarakāmika, svapnādhyāya f. 69b |
| Mackenzie II.91g | British Library | Śaunakīya, svapnādhyāya f. 139 |
| IO 119b | British Library | Svapnavārāhīmantra (flyleaf, 1786) |
| IO 2345b | British Library | Svapnacintāmaṇi (1630) |
| EAP760/1/5/60 | British Library (Endangered Archives) | Tantracintāmaṇi, one photograph of the colophon (ff. 408b to 409a) of a 17th-c. Nepalese manuscript |
| Skt. MS i.33 | Wellcome | Niśvāsa apograph |
| MS Indic α 375 | Wellcome | svapnādhipati verse + Hindavi dohā |
| α 290 | Wellcome | Ācāramayūkha, svapnādhyāya |
| o 291 (1878); γ 211 (1780); α 482(ix) | Wellcome | Svapnādhyāya |
| γ 202 | Wellcome | Mahārthamañjarī |
| MS. Hodgson 6, f. 155 | Bodleian | Svapnevidyā dhāraṇī |
| MS. Chandra Shum Shere e. 264 | Bodleian | tantric collectanea, 598 ff. Śāradā, undescribed |
| Aufrecht p. 1006 (unverified) | Bodleian | Yoginītantra paṭala 16 |
| MS Add.1680.8.3 | Cambridge | Svapnandadā dhāraṇī, 12th–13th c. |
Europe
| Shelfmark | Collection | Text |
|---|---|---|
| MS 410 | BNCF Florence | Svapnavārāhīpaṭala, 14 ff., mid-18th c. |
| Hs. or. 6332-24 | Berlin SBB | Svapnavārāhīmantra, palm leaf |
| Hs. or. 8666a | Berlin SBB | Svapnādhyāya (Śaiva recension) |
| Hs. or. 11575 | Berlin SBB | Śāradā divination anthology |
| Chambers 794 q,16 | Berlin SBB | Svapnādhyāya + Śaiva pūjā |
| Ms. or. fol. 2252 | Berlin SBB | Jain ninefold dream aetiology |
| Cod.sanscr. 492 | Munich BSB | illustrated Nepalese dream book, 1868 |
| Ma I 256 | Tübingen | Uttaratantra, svapnaphala paṭala |
| Sanscrit 954 III | Paris BnF | Svapnādhyāya (Gallica) |
St Petersburg
| Shelfmark | Text |
|---|---|
| Ind. 33 (II,19); Ind. 34 (II,20) | Svapnādhyāya, Vasiṣṭha frame |
| III,10 | divination tables 16×24 with mantras |
| II,31 | Dattātreyatantra 1–10 |
| V,37 | Tantrasāra of Kṛṣṇānanda (1825) |
Online
| Shelfmark | Collection | Text |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. Coll. 390, items 673, 687, 1871, 2730 | UPenn (OPenn) | Svapnādhyāya, Svapnādhyāya-stotra |
| PSS 0182-1515; 0183-1516 | Surat CGV (archive.org) | svapna texts |
| — | private collection, Kathmandu (archive.org) | Kulamuktikallolinī and Tantracintāmaṇi, manuscript scans |
| NAK 5-1979 (A 151/15) | National Archives, Kathmandu (archive.org, 1, 2) | Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ3, photocopy of the film, complete |
| Kaiser 728 (C 72/1) | Kaiser Library (archive.org, colour) | Jayadrathayāmala Ṣ3, photographs of 2012 |
Where the Jayadrathayāmala manuscripts are
All of them can be had from one place: the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Twenty-two codices of the Jayadrathayāmala are known. One is Berlin’s own, Hs. or. 8535, and it is free online. Two more can be read free on archive.org, where copies have been posted: NAK 5-1979, a photocopy of the film in two parts (ff. 1 to 149, ff. 150 to 309), and Kaiser 728, colour photographs taken by the Kaiser Library in 2012. The other twenty-one, in Kathmandu, and seven fragments in private Nepalese collections were filmed by the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project (NGMPP), and Berlin holds copies of all those films. It sells scans of them at €0.30 a frame plus €10 an order, for research; an edition needs the consent of the National Archives, Kathmandu. No codex is known anywhere else.
| Original in | How many | What Berlin has |
|---|---|---|
| Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin | 1: Hs. or. 8535, ṣaṭka 3, 216 folios, 1667 | the original, free in the Berlin viewer |
| National Archives, Kathmandu | 18, and a three-folio fragment without shelfmark | NGMPP film of each, A and B series; scans to order |
| Kaiser (Kesar) Library, Kathmandu | 2, both of ṣaṭka 3: ms 728 (1671) and ms 467 | NGMPP film, C series; scans to order |
| Private collections, Nepal | 7 fragments, mostly hymn extracts of 9 to 111 folios | NGMPP film, E and H series; scans to order |
| Anywhere else | none; India, Britain, continental Europe, the United States and Japan checked |
The commentaries and digests that belong with the text are in Kathmandu and on film in Berlin too: a digest of the mantras (NAK 1-253, reel A 152/8, 1642/3), a commentary decoding them (NAK 1-1514, A 1267/3, 1584/5) and chapter 2.36 on palm leaf (NAK 4-304, A 59/14, 1189). Texts on Bagalāmukhī that carry the name of the Jayadrathayāmala in Kolkata (Asiatic Society MS 5893; Indian Museum), Chennai (Government Oriental Manuscripts Library) and the Asha Archives, Kathmandu, are not the Jayadrathayāmala. Nor is NAK 1-946 (reels B 685/25 and A 1265/17), which the catalogue card titles Jayadrathayāmala: it is a Kālasaṅkarṣaṇīmata-ṭippaṇī, a short ritual digest.
Every codex, with the reel to order from Berlin:
| Ṣaṭka | Original | Berlin copy (NGMPP reel) | Material, date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAK 3-358 | A 995/6, perhaps continued on A 996/1 | palm leaf |
| 1 | NAK 5-4650 | B 122/7 | paper, 1925/26, copied from a palm-leaf manuscript |
| 2 | NAK 1-255 | A 996/2 | palm leaf |
| 2 | NAK 5-4650 | A 153/2 | paper, 1925/26 |
| 2 | NAK 5-4651 | A 153/1 | Newari script, 189 folios |
| 2 | NAK 4-1357 | A 151/14 | Devanāgarī, 184 folios |
| 2 | NAK 1-253 | A 151/18 | Newari script, 96 folios |
| 2 | NAK 5-7980 | A 182/11 | fragment, 17 folios |
| 2 or 3 | NAK 6-2740 | A 1376/6 | parts, 30 folios |
| 3 | NAK 5-722 | B 26/9 | palm leaf, probably 12th century |
| 3 | Berlin, Hs. or. 8535 | the original itself, online | paper, 1667 |
| 3 | Kaiser 728 | C 72/1; colour photographs free on archive.org | 1671 |
| 3 | NAK 5-1979 | A 151/15; refilmed A 1312/25 and A 1313/1; photocopy free on archive.org (1, 2) | c. 1593 |
| 3 | NAK 5-1975 | A 152/9 | 1686/7 |
| 3 | NAK 5-1497 | B 122/3 | Newari script, 246 folios |
| 3 | NAK 1-375 | B 121/13 | Newari script, 213 folios |
| 3 | Kaiser 467 | C 47/3 | Newari script, 132 folios |
| 4 | NAK 3-683 | A 996/3, perhaps continued on A 997/1 | palm leaf |
| 4 | NAK 1-1469 | A 843/7; refilmed A 1217/20 | 1567 |
| 4 | NAK 1-1468 | B 122/4 | 1626/7 |
| 4 | NAK 5-1941 | A 151/16 | Devanāgarī, 19th or 20th century |
| not assigned | no shelfmark | A 151/8 | fragment, 3 folios |
Checked in October 2026 against the NGMCP online catalogue, Sanderson’s articles of 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2014, Serbaeva 2016 and 2022, and Serbaeva and White 2021; dates are given as there. Whether reels A 996/1 and A 997/1 exist is to be asked in Berlin: the catalogue does not list them.