The Ṣaḍakṣara-vidyā: A translation and study of the Tibetan version of the six-syllables spell

This article examines the Tibetan version of the Ṣaḍakṣara-vidyā, an apotropaic text extracted from the Śārdūlakarṇāvadāna, and discusses its position in early Buddhist rakṣā literature as well as the effects of its mantra, which was employed for healing purposes. The diseases, sores, and different kinds of fever against which the mantra shall be efficacious are given in a long list, which became a common feature throughout Buddhist protective texts. It is the sound substance of the mantra, which brings about the desired effect only when recited correctly. Thus the precise wording of the spell is essential, and this article therefore offers next to a full translation of the Tibetan sūtra also an edition of the mantras