The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c12.s7: 8. Mañjuvara

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c12.s7

Language: English

8. Mañjuvara

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Colour—Golden Yellow Mudrā—Dharmacakra Āsana—Lalita or Ardhaparyaṅka Symbol—Prajñāpāramitā on lotus

Two Sādhanas in the Sādhanamālā are devoted to the worship of Mañjuvara who is widely represented. He is yellow in colour, sits on the back of a lion, in the Lalita or the Ardhaparyaṅka attitude, and displays the sentiment of Śṛṅgāra (amour) lavishly. His two hands are joined against the chest in forming the Dharmacakra mudrā which is the eternal symbol of instruction on the secrets of Dharma. He holds the stalk of one or two lotuses on which appears the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript. The text of the Dhyāna in one of the Sādhanas is givea below :

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"Taptakāñcanābhaṃ pañcavīrakakumāraṃ Dharmacakramudrā-saṃyuktaṃ Prajñāpāramitānvitotpaladhāriṇaṃ siṃhasthaṃ lalitākṣepaṃ sarvālaṅkārabhūṣitaṃ...Oṃ Mañjuvara Hūṃ". Sādhanamālā, p. 111.

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"The worshipper should think himself as god Mañjuvara of golden yellow colour with head decorated with the images of the five Dhyāni Buddhas. His hands display the Dharmacakra mudrā and he shows the blue lotus bearing the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript. He rides a lion, sits thereon in the Lalita attitude and is decked in all ornaments...Oṃ Mañjuvara Hūṃ".

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According to a second Sādhana Mañjuvara should have the lotus in his left hand with the Prajñāpāramitā on it. He may sit in the Ardhaparyaṅka attitude and may be accompanied with the fierce god Yamāntaka of blue colour, whose face distorted with bare fangs is terrible to behold. Yamāntaka carries the staff in one of his hands and touches the feet of Mañjuvara with the other.

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The image (Fig. 83) discovered at Bara in the district of Birbhum in Bengal² probably represents this form of Mañjuśrī, with the miniature figures of the five Dhyāni Buddhas over the head, and of the two divinities to the right and left of him. The figure to the right probably represents Sudhanakumāra and the figure to the left is Yamāntaka. The principal god here displays the Dharmacakra mudrā and from under his left armpit rises a lotus which bears the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript as required by the Sādhana. The lotus to the right is added in order to maintain the balance with the lotus to the left.

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² This image was first identified as that of the Hindu goddess, Bhuvaneśvarī in the Birbhum Bibaraṇa ( in Bengali ), then as that of Siṃhanāda Lokeśvara in A. S. I. Eastern Circle, Annual Report. 1920—21, p. 27 and later on as that of Mañjuśrī in Ibid, Plate 1, Fig. 2

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The lion vehicle of Mañjuvara is sometimes absent, and in later images he may be found sitting in the Paryaṅka or any other attitude (Fig. 84). The lotus to the right which is not expressly required by the Sādhana sometimes bears the book (Fig. 85), and sometimes the sword in order to preserve the balance in a better way (Fig. 86). One of the two Indian Museum images of Mañjuvara is on either side of the god two feminine figures which no doubt represent the two wives of Mañjuśrī, Keśinī and Upakeśinī. Mañjuvara is well known in Tibet ¹

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¹ Gordon : ITL, p. 68 under the title of Dharmacakra Mañjuśrī, Getty : GNB, pl. XXXV.

Cites (1)

Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit