On the line of Atharvaṇic texts, Buddhists wrote numerous Dhāraṇīs consisting of various kinds of charms and chants. These have little to no philosophical content reflecting the teachings of the historical Buddha as represented by the Pali Suttas. Of these, the most popular is the group of Dhāraṇīs known as the Pañca-rakṣā. This pentad consists of:
1. Mahāsitavatī
2. Mahāpratisarā
3. Mahāsahasrapramardinī
4. Mahāmāyūrī
5. Mahārakṣāmantrānusāriṇī
Mahāsitavatī teaches a charm to mitigate evils caused by the Navagrahas in nīca-sthāna, wild animals, and poisonous beings. A mythical Buddha is said to have imparted this charm to his son Rāhula at the Mahāsmaśāna of Rājagr̥ha. The deity invoked in this mantra is Mahāsitavatī, a dēvī who sports six hands, three heads and appears seated on twin Garuḍas. She gets her name from her green complexion.
Mahārakṣāmantrānusāriṇī is a chant to cure diseases. It is said to have been imparted by Buddha to Ananda near the town of Vaiśalī. The goddess invoked here is Mahārakṣāmantrānusāriṇī who appears seated on twin peacocks and sports four heads and ten hands. She is of red complexion.
Mahāsahasrapramardinī presents a set of chants and rituals to ward off evil spirits that cause harm. This is said to have been imparted by Buddha while at Prabhāsa-vana on Gr̥dhrakūṭa mountain in Rājagr̥ha to Indra, Brahmā, and other celestials. It is said to overcome all kinds of grahas including yakṣa, gandharva, nāga, etc. The deity Sahasrapramardinī is of a fierce blue complexion, four-headed and seated on two crouching pretas. Her mantra revealed in this Dhāraṇī reads thus:
सिद्धे सुसिद्धे सत्त्वे अवे अरणे बले तम्भे स्तम्भे जटिले अखने सुखने खखने खरटे खरङ्गे हलिपिङ्गले तिमिङ्गले तिमिङ्गिलिनि मङ्गले सिद्ध्यन्तु मन्त्रपदा स्वाहा | मम सपरिवारस्य सत्त्वानां च स्वस्त्यस्तु | वैश्रवणस्य महाराजस्य नाम्ना बलेन ऐश्वर्याधिपत्येन च स्वाहा ||
siddhe susiddhe sattve ave araṇe bale tambhe stambhe jaṭile akhane sukhane khakhane kharaṭe kharange halipingale timingale timingilini mangale siddhyantu mantrapadā svāhā | mama saparivārasya sattvānāṃ ca svastyastu | vaiśravaṇasya mahārājasya nāmnā balena aiśvaryādhipatyena ca svāhā ||
Mahāpratisarā kalpa describes a charm to mitigate sins, disease and difficulties of all kind. This is said to have been imparted by Buddha on mount Mahāvajra-mēru. Goddess Mahāpratisarā is seated on twin lions, sports four heads and eight hands. Her secret mantra reads thus:
ॐ विपुलगर्भे विपुलविमले विमलगर्भे विपुल विमल विमलगर्भे विमल जयगर्भे वज्रज्वालागर्भे गतिगहने गगनविशोधने सर्वपापविशोधने ॐ गुणवति गगनविहारिणि गगनविहारिणि गगरिणि गगरिणि गिरिणि गिरिणि गुभरि गार्दभरि गमरि गहरि गहगह गर्गरि गर्गरि गगरि गगरि गभरि गभरि गभि गभि गहि गहि गमनि गमनि गरगर गुहगुह गुरुगुरु गुरुविचले मुचले सुमुचले स्वाहा ||
OM vipulagarbhe vipulavimale vimalagarbhe vipula vimala vimalagarbhe vimala jayagarbhe vajrajvālāgarbhe gatigahane gaganaviśodhane sarvapāpaviśodhane OM guṇavati gaganavihāriṇi gaganavihāriṇi gagariṇi gagariṇi giriṇi giriṇi gubhari gārdabhari gamari gahari gahagaha gargari gargari gagari gagari gabhari gabhari gabhi gabhi gahi gahi gamani gamani garagara guhaguha guruguru guruvicale mucale sumucale svāhā ||
Māhāmāyūrī set of charms deal with mitigating snake poison. Buddha is believed to have revealed them at Shravasti to Ananda when a Bhikśu was bitten by a serpent. He attributes the name Māyūrī to the king of peacocks on the Himalayas who is said to have originally known these charms. We have discussed this Dhāraṇī before and here is one of the mantras from this collection of charms:
इडि विडि किडि हिडि पिडिनि मेदे दो देइन्बा आडे ईडे घडे दुर्घडे हिरिणि चतुदि हुरिवेगाडि वेगाडि पशुपिशाचिनी अपोनिनी स्वाहा ||
iḍi viḍi kiḍi hiḍi piḍini mede do deinbā āḍe īḍe ghaḍe durghaḍe hiriṇi catudi hurivegāḍi vegāḍi paśupiśācinī aponinī svāhā ||