Text 21.7 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 21.7]

HŪṂ! The great rock of indestructible reality is the solidifier.
The water of indestructible reality is the great dissolver.
The fire of indestructible reality is a mighty blaze.
The air of indestructible reality is a great whirlwind. HOḤ! [7]

[Tibetan]

rdo-rje brag-chen sra-ba-po /
rdo-rje chu-bo sdud chen-po /
rdo-rje me-ste 'bar-ba che /
rdo-rje rlung-ste 'thor-rlung che HOḤ / [7]

Commentary:

[ii. The particular eulogy to the mighty lord of the maṇḍala (comments on Ch. 21.7):]

The Buddha-body of the male and female consorts Che-mchog Heruka is the great rock of indestructible reality (rdo-rje brag-chen) because it is without birth and transference at death. It is the great solidifier (sra-ba-po), blazing forth with major and minor marks, because it is free from mundane aggregates.

The Buddha-speech and attributes (of that Heruka) are the water of indestructible reality (rdo-rje chu-bo) or pristine cognition, which is the great dissolver (sdud chen-po) and satisfier of the host to be trained.

His Buddha-mind is the inwardly radiant fire of (me-ste) omniscient pristine cognition or indestructible reality (rdo-rje), which manifests all knowable things without exception, and dispels the darkness of the ignorance of living beings with a mighty blaze ('bar-ba che) of light rays of spirituality.

His enlightened activity embodies spontaneously accomplished indestructible reality (rdo-rje). It is the air (rlung) which pervades and arouses those to be trained, and it is a whirlwind ('thor-rlung) which scatters demons, extremists and so forth—one in which the goals of the four rites are entirely and spontaneously present in the Great (che) Perfection.

[Eulogy to the Supporting and Supported Maṇḍalas:]

Next, the eulogy to the maṇḍalas of supporting (celestial palace) and supported (deities) has two sections, of which the first is a eulogy to the mendala of the supported deities.

In this context, the above verses (Ch. 21.2-6) from:

HŪṂ! Most ferocious, blazing forth
Like the fire at the end of time...

Down to:

These most terrifying (Herukas)
Are present in this great seminal point.

Respectively become eulogies to the maṇḍalas of the five enlightened families of Herukas.^[1]

[The second, the eulogy to the supporting celestial palace, refers to (the last verse. Ch. 21.7), in which context it is explained as follows:]

The great rock of Indestructible reality is Mount Meru composed of skeletons. The water is the ocean of blood (rakta). The fire is the fire-mountain of pristine cognition; and the air is the wheel of vital energy below (the palace), which is the basis.^[2]

[The conclusion (comments on Ch. 21.8):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

These eulogies are therefore made respectively to Vajra Heruka, Padma Heruka, Buddha Heruka, Ratna Heruka, and Karma Heruka, with their corresponding retinues.

[2]:

On the "wheel of vital energy" (rlung-gi dkyil-'khor), an energy field or maṇḍala of wind on which, according to Abhidharma, the universe is based, see NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 2, under the Emanational Body. pp. 50a-60a.