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Machik’s Complete Explanation ing to SKT), gsa’ (snow leopard), spyang ki (wolf), ce spyang (jackal), gong (mistake for gung, a species of big feline), wa (fox), ’phar (ba) (wild dog, Cuon alpinus Pallas), and seng ge (lion).
42 glag mo: Das 1969, 254, “a bird described as resembling an eagle, but smaller than the vulture and larger than the hawk, of blackish chocolate color; carries away kids and lambs. This bird is numerous in Mongolia, Central Tibet and Kham. Probably the lammergayer.” 43 re ’byams. I was unable to identify this animal, although there is a medicinal herb called re ’byams nag po: thar nu’i ming gi rman grangs shig. 44 stag shar, perhaps a kind of flower or herb, such as rhododendron (stag ma), saltwort (stag tsher), or white or black crazy weed (thag sha dkar po/gnag po). 45 bkru shing, yos bal, slad (or slang) rten, phyag ma, sbud shan, thag shing, the gu, ’breng bu. SKT provided these identifications. 46 yan lag brgyad ldan gyi chu, eight qualities of excellent water: (1) bsil ba, coolness; (2) zhim pa, sweetness; (3) yang pa, lightness; (4) ’jam pa, softness; (5) dvangs pa, clearness; (6) dri ma med pa, freedom from impurities; (7) ’thung na lto par ’jam pa, when drunk, soothing to the stomach; and (8) mgrin pa sang sang bde ba, clearing and soothing to the throat. 47 gdong, for gdong ’dre, a kind of ghost demon. 48 The four castes of India are usually: (1) rgyal rigs, Skt. k˝atriya, royal caste; (2) rje’u rigs (here rje rigs), Skt. vaiŸya, merchant class; (3) bram ze’i rigs, Skt. br›ma˚a, priestly caste; and (4) dmangs rigs, Skt. ŸÒdra, commoner class. In this case, “low caste” is translating gdol pa or gdol po, which is equated with dmangs rigs in some sources but in others is said to be even lower. 49 See note 48 above. Lists of the classical Eight Great N›ga Kings (klu chen brgyad) vary somewhat. Here it is as follows: (1) Nor rgyas, V›suki; (2) Dung skyong, ⁄aºkhap›la; (3) Dga’ bo, Nanda; (4) ’Jog po, Takñaka; (5) Pad ma, Padma; (6) Chu lha, V›ru˚ı; (7) Stobs rgyu (or Stobs ldan), Karko˛aka; and (8) Rigs ldan, Kulika. Sometimes there are nine or ten great n›ga kings. 50 tshsig gis brda sprad. See chapter 3. 51 rgyal po, bsen mo, the’u. These are described in chapter 8. 52 sa bdag, earth or ground spirits (literally, owners or lords). These are described in chapter 7. 53 gnyan rigs, “fierce types,” one class of spirits usually included in the eight classes (sde brgyad). Described as “a god of Tibetan culture and the patron of rulers and