The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c13.s9: 11. Nīlakaṇṭha

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c13.s9

Language: English

11. Nīlakaṇṭha

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Colour—Yellow Āsana—Vajraparyaṅka. Mudrā—Samādhi Symbol—Bowl of Jewels Companions—Two serpents on either side

One Sādhana only is devoted to the worship of this form of Lokeśvara, which is almost identical with that of Amitābha, his sire, whose image he bears on his head. Indeed, this mark of descent and the sacred thread he wears, constitute the only points of difference between them. Amitābha being a Dhyāni Buddha, has no father. Nīlakaṇṭha, according to the Sādhana, is accompanied by two serpents. The Dhyāna is given below

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“Bhagavantaṃ pītavarṇaṃ ardhacandrāṅkitajaṭāmukuṭinaṃ Amitābhopalakṣitaśiraḥpradeśaṃ raktapadmoparisthitaṃ ; kṛṣṇasārahariṇacarmaṇi vajraparyaṅkinaṃ samādhimudropari nānāratnaparipūrṇakapāladhāriṇaṃ eṇeyacarmakṛtayajñopavītinaṃ, vyāghracarmāmbaradharaṃ nirābharaṇaṃ Nīlakaṇṭhaṃ nīlaguṭikāviśiṣṭakaṇṭhaṃ ; pārśvadvaye parasparābhisambaddhapuccha-samaṇiphaṇāviśiṣṭa-Bhagavadavalokanaparordhvamukhakṛṣṇasarpadvayopalakṣitaṃ ātmānaṃ evaṃ vibhāvayet... Sādhanamālā, pp. 85-86

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“The worshipper should think himself as the god Nīlakaṇṭha, who is yellow in colour and whose Jaṭāmukuṭa is adorned with the crescent and the effigy of Amitābha. He sits in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude on a red lotus, on which is spread the skin of black deer. He exhibits the Samādhi mudrā with his two hands carrying the Kapāla (bowl) filled with a variety of gems. His sacred thread is made of the deer-skin (eṇeya-carma). He wears the tiger-skin, and bears no ornaments (on his person). His throat shows the blue pill (of poison). The two sides of the god are occupied by two cobras with jewels on their hoods and tails entwined with each other. They look towards the god. Thus mediating...”

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Apparently, the conception of this god has been modelled on the Hindu deity Śiva, who is said to have saved the world from destruction by swallowing the poison that issued from the mouth of Vāsuki, the lord of serpents, while the gods and demons were churning the ocean together. The poison, could it have entered Śiva’s stomach, would surely have destroyed him, but it remained in his throat, and as the colour of the poison is said to be blue, there is a blue spot in the white throat of the god. That is the reason why the name Nīlakaṇṭha (Blue-throat) has been given to Śiva. As this particular form of Lokeśvara has also the same name, it may well be that its origin was the Hindu god Śiva Nīlakaṇṭha.

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A confusion is likely to arise in the identification of the images of Nīlakaṇṭha and Vajrarāga, a variety of Mañjuśrī, if their respective sires are not represented. The only point of distinction in that case would be the total absence of ornaments and rich garments in the case of Nīlakaṇṭha. If the image bears princely ornaments and is richly clad, it must be identified as that of Mañjuśrī.

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In the temple of Bodhnath in Nepal, a coloured image of this god is found, but here he is alone, without the serpents. The other image. (Fig. 116) hails from the monastery at Sarnath. In this sculpture two tiny figures carrying bowls are seen instead of two serpents.

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One statuette of this deity occurs in the Chinese collection ¹.

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¹ Clark : TLP, II, p. 267,

Cites (2)

Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit
Sārnāth