The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c12.1

c12.1

There is no doubt that the place assigned to Mañjuśrī in the Buddhist pantheon is one of the very highest. The Mahāyānists consider him to be one of the greatest Bodhisattvas. They believe that the worship of Mañjuśrī can confer upon them wisdom, retentive memory, intelligence and eloquence, and enables them to master many sacred scriptures. It is no wonder, therefore, that his worship became widely prevalent amongst the Buddhists of the North. They conceived him in various forms and worshipped him with various mantras. Those who could not form any conception of him according to Tāntric rites, attained perfection only by muttering his numerous mantras.