Twenty-four great sacred places 二十四勝處

Twenty-four great sacred places (Wyl. gnas chen nyer bzhi)

According to the Hevajra Tantra these are:

1. Jālandhara
2. Oddiyana
3. Paurnagiri
4. Kamarupa
5. Malaya
6. Sindhu
7. Nagara
8. Munmuni
9. Karunyapataka
10. Devikota
11. Karmarapataka
12. Kulata
13. Arbuta
14. Godavari
15. Himadri
16. Harikela
17. Lampaka
18. Kani
19. Saurasta
20. Kalinga
21. Kokana
22. Caritra
23. Kosala
24. Vindhyakaumarapaurika

Other Traditions

Other sources, such as the sadhana of Yumka Dechen Gyalmo from the Longchen Nyingtik, give a different enumeration of these twenty-four sacred places. They abide on the vajra-body inherent in every sentient being, which is symbolized here by the body of Vajrayogini. These twenty-four are divided in three groups:

a) Eight celestial abodes (Skt. khagacharya; Wyl. mkha' spyod): 1) The crown of the head is Jālandhara, 2) in between the eyebrows is Pullīramalaya, 3) the nape is Arbuta, 4) the urna (the hair at the center of the forehead) is Rāmeśvara, 5) the right ear is Oddiyana (Skt. Oḍḍiyāna), 6) the left ear is Godāvarī, 7) the eyes are Devikota, and 8) the shoulders are Malava.

b) Eight earthly abodes (Skt. gocharya; Wyl. sa spyod): 9) the throat is Lampāka, 10) the underarms and kidneys are Kāmarupa, 11) the two breasts are Odra, 12) the navel is Triṣanku, 13) the nose-tip is Kosala, 14) the palate is Kaliṅga, 15) the heart is both Kaṅcika and 16) Himalaya (Himavat).

c) Eight underground abodes (Skt. bhugarbha; Wyl. sa 'og gi gnas brgyad): 17) the genitals are Pretapuri, 18) the anus is Gṛhadeva, 19) the thumbs and the big toes are Maru, 20) the thighs are Saurashtra, 21) the calves are Suvarṇadvīpa, 22) the sixteen other fingers and toes are Nagara, 23) the knees are Kulata, and 24) the ankles are Sindhu.

Further Reading

• Elizabeth English, Vajrayogini—Her Visualization, Rituals, and Forms, Wisdom Publications, 2002
• Matthieu Ricard, The Life of Shabkar (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2001), pages 342-343, note 10.
• Ngawang Zangpo, Sacred Ground: Jamgon Kongtrul on "Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography," (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2001).