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The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c12.s8: 9. Mañjuvajra

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c12.s8

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9. Mañjuvajra

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( i )

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| Colour—Red | Faces—Three |
| Arms—Six | Variety—Yab-yum |

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The form of Mañjuśrī called by the name of Mañjuvajra is somewhat popular amongst the Tāntric Buddhists. Several of his forms are described both in the Sādhanamālā and the Niṣpannayogāvalī of Abhayākara Gupta. In the Sādhanamālā the colour of his body including the principal face is red like Kuṅkuma, the right face is blue and the left white. He has six arms of which the principal pair is engaged in embracing his female counterpart. The remaining four hands carry the sword, the arrow, the bow and the night lotus. He sits in Vajrāsana or in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude on the orb of the moon supported by a lotus. The Dhyāna is in verse and may be quoted as follows :—

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Kuṅkumāruṇasanmūrtir-nīlasitatrayānanaḥ I
Bhujadvayasamāśliṣṭa-svābhavidyādharāsyadhṛk II
Khaḍgaśarathujañcāpa-nīlotpalaparigrahaḥ I
Viśvadalābjacandrasthaḥ vajrāsanaśaśiprabhaḥ II

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Sādhanamālā, p. 163.

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“...His handsome body is red like Kuṅkuma and he is endowed with three faces of (Kuṅkuma) blue and white colour. He embraces his Svābhā Prajñā with two arms, of which one touches her face. He carries the Khaḍga, the arrow, the bow, and the blue Utpala, sits on the moon on a double lotus in Vajrāsana, and is radiant like the moon.”

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Mañjuvajra is represented in Tibet ¹

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¹ Gordon : ITL, p. 66 with the Śakti under the title of Mañjunātha.

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( i i ) Colour—Golden Yellow. Faces—Three Arms—Six.

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Mañjuvajra is the principal deity of the Mañjuvajra Maṇḍala in the Niṣpannayogāvalī. His form has been described thus :

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“Siṃhopari sattvaparyaṅkaṣaṇṇo Bhagavān Vairocanasvabhāvo Mañjuvajraḥ kamanīyakanakakāntiḥ... pīta-nīla-śukla-savyetaravaktraḥ ṣaḍbhujo dakṣiṇaiḥ khaḍgavaradabāṇān vāmaiḥ Prajñāpāramitāpustaka-nīlābjadhanuṃṣi vibhrāṇaḥ.” NSP, p. 48.

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“God Mañjuvajra is seated on the back of a lion, is of beautiful golden colour and resembles Vairocana. His three faces have yellow blue and white colour. He is six-armed. In the three right hands he holds the sword, the Varada mudrā and the arrow. In the three left likewise he carries the Prajñāpāramitā manuscript, the blue lotus and the bow.”

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( i i i ) Colour—Red Arms—Six

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Mañjuvajra is the principal deity in a second Maṇḍala dedicated to Mañjuvajra in the Niṣpannayogāvalī. Here he is identified with the Sixth Dhyāni Buddha Vajrasattva. The Kuleśa of this god is Akṣobhya according to a definite statement in the Maṇḍala. He is described thus :

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“Bhagavān Vajrasattvo Mañjuvajra-rūpaḥ kuṅkumāruṇaḥ kṛṣṇa-sitasavyetaravadanaḥ pradhānabhujābhyāṃ svābha-prajñāliṅgitosīa-rendīvaracāpadharo”... NSP, p. 2.

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“The god Vajrasattva in the form of Mañjuvajra is red like vermillion. His right face is blue and the left white. With the two principal hands he embraces his Prajñā ; in the others he carries the sword, the arrow the lotus and the bow.”

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Under the name of Mañjuśrī his different forms are to be found in the Chinese collection ². Fig. 87 illustrates an eight-armed Mañjuvajra with the Śakti in the Baroda Museum. It is both remarkable and beautiful.

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² Clark : TLP, II, pp. 11, 53, 198, 199.

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