金剛界五部，胎藏界三部，各立部主與部母，部主如國王，部母如國母。部母一曰母主。對於部主為能生之母也。秘藏記末曰：「五部定母主如何？毘盧遮那佛部主源，故無母。阿閦金剛部主，金剛波羅蜜為母也。寶生寶部主，寶波羅蜜為母也。無量壽蓮華部主，法波羅蜜為母也。不空成就羯磨部主，羯磨波羅蜜為母也。據四波羅蜜出生四佛之義所立之文也。三部定母主如何？佛部金輪佛頂為主虛空眼為母，又云佛眼也。蓮華部馬頭觀音為主，伴陀羅縛字尼是白衣觀音也。此為母，金剛部金剛手為主。又云三世勝金剛，忙摩雞為母。」
The 'mother-lord', or mother, as contrasted with 主 and 母, lord and mother, king and queen, in the maṇḍalaof Vajradhātu and Garbhadhātu; Vairocana, being the source of all things, has no 'mnother'as progenitor, and is the 部主 or lord of themaṇḍala; the other fourdhyāni-buddhas have 'mothers' called 部母, who are supposed to arise from the paramitas; thus, Akṣobhya has 金剛波羅蜜 for mother; Ratnasaṃbhava has 寶波羅蜜 for mother; Amitābha has 法波羅蜜 for mother; Amoghasiddhi has 羯磨波羅蜜 for mother.
一母主 又作部母。於密教中，金剛界五部、胎藏界三部各立部主與部母，部主如國王，為各部中心之本尊；部母如國母，為產生部主或其他諸尊之本尊，相對於部主而為能生之母。〔祕藏記卷末〕（參閱「部主部母」6059）p2547