The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c12.s2: 2. Dharmadhātu Vāgīśvara

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c12.s2

Language: English

2. Dharmadhātu Vāgīśvara

c12.s2.1

Stone or bronze images of Dharmadhātu Vāgīśvara are by no means common, but paintings are still made of him by the Citrakāras in Nepal. When represented he is white in colour with four faces, and eight arms, and he bears five jewels on his diadern. He is clad in celestial garments and the leading sentiment displayed by him is one of Śṛṅgāra (amour). The two principal hands carry the bow and the arrow, the second pair has the noose and the goad, the third the book and the sword, and the fourth the Ghaṇṭā and the Vajra. He may also have another form, exhibiting the Dharmacakra mudrā in the first pair of hands instead of the bow and the arrow, and in the second pair the arrow and the vessel instead of the noose and the goad. The Dhyāna describing the former is given below :—

c12.s2.3

“...Aṣṭabhujaṃ caturmukhaṃ mūlamukhaṃ raktagauraṃ dakṣiṇaṃ kumkumāruṇaṃ paścimaṃ padmaraktaṃ, uttaraṃ pītaraktaṃ, dvābhyāṃ hastābhyāṃ dhanurbāṇandharaṃ, aparābhyāṃ pāsāṅkuśadharaṃ, punaraparābhyāṁ Prajñāpāramitāpustakakhaḍgadharam, tathāparābhyāṁ ghaṇṭāvajradharam mahārāgaśṛṅgārarasojjvalaṁ lalitāsanasthaṁ viśvapadmacandre divyavastrābharaṇaṁ Amitābhajaṭāmukuṭinaṁ...

c12.s2.4

"The worshipper should think himself as the god Dharmadhātu-Vāgīśvara who is eight-armed, four-faced and of reddish-white colour. His right face is red, the face behind is of lotus-red colour, and the left is of yellowish-red colour. He holds the bow and the arrow in one pair of hands, the noose and the goad in another pair, the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript and the sword in the third and the Ghaṇṭā and the Vajra in the fourth. He displays the sentiment of Śṛṅgāra (amour), and sits on the moon on a double lotus in the Lalita attitude. He is decked in celestial garments and ornaments and bears on his Jaṭāmukuṭa (crown of matted hair) the effigy of Amitābha".

c12.s2.5

( ii ) Colour—Golden Yellow Faces—Four Arms—Eight

c12.s2.6

Manjughoṣa is the principal deity in the Dharamadhātuvāgīśvara Maṇḍala of the Niṣpannayogāvalī. His form may be given briefly as follows :

c12.s2.7

"Mañjughoṣo Vajraparyaṅkī...suvarṇavarṇaḥ......pīta-nīla-rakta-sitamūla-savyapaścimavāmamukho aṣṭabhujo dvābhyāṁ Dharmacakramudraḥ savyaiḥ kṛpāṇa-bāṇa-vajrāṇi vāmaiḥ prajñāpāramitāpustakacāpavajra-ghaṇṭā vibhrāṇaḥ". NSP. p. 54.

c12.s2.8

"Mañjughoṣa sits in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude... ...is of golden colour......His four faces show the yellow colour in the first, blue in the right, red behind, and white left. He is eight-armed. With the two pricipal hands he exhibits the Dharmacakra Mudrā. The remaining right hands show the sword, the arrow and the Vajra, while the remaining left carry the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript the bow and the bell".

Linked texts (1)

Niṣpannayogāvalī — Abhayākaragupta, Sanskrit