The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c14.s2.t2: (I) Śukla Kurukullā

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c14.s2.t2

Language: English

(I) Śukla Kurukullā

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Symbols—Rosary and the Bowl of Lotus Vāhana—Animal Āsana—Vajraparyaṅka

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Only one Sādhana in the Sādhanamālā states the method whereby she should be propitiated. The Dhyāna contained therein is a long one and runs as follows :

“Ātmānaṃ Bhagavātīṃ akṣasūtrotpalāmṛtakuṇḍīṃ savyāvasavya-pāṇibhyāṃ dadhānāṃ, trinetrāṃ Padmadhṛkpramukhaiḥ sarva-Tathā-gataiḥ Vīṇādiṣoḍaśadevbhir-abhiṣiktāṃ Amitābha-virājitanānāpuṣpo-paśobhitajaṭāmukuṭāṃ śṛṅgārādirasopetāṃ, kiñcit-savyapāṇipallava-sthākṣasūtramālokamānāṃ, kṣīrāmbhodhiśvetavarṇābjasthām-amṛtāṅko-pari sattvaparyaṅkāsanasthāṃ, kaṅkaṇa-keyūra-kuṇḍala-nūpuramuktā-hāradivyavastrādivibhūṣitāṃ nīlānantabaddhakeśīṃ pīyuṣavarṇa-Vāsu-kīkṛtahārāṃ, rakta-Takṣakakṛtakarṇograkuṇḍalāṃ, dūrvāśyāma-Kar-kkoṭakakṛtajñopavītāṃ, śukla-Padmanāgendrakṛtahārāṃ, mṛṇālavar-ṇa-Mahāpadmakṛtānūpurāṃ, pīta-Śaṅkhapālakṛtakaṅkaṇaṃ, dhūmā bhravat-Kulikakṛtakeyūrāṃ, śubhravarṇāṃ sravadamṛtavigrahāṃ karu-ṇārdracittāṃ bhāvayet. Śukla-Kurukullā-Sādhanam”. Sādhanamālā, pp. 362-363

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“The worshipper should think himself as the goddess (Kurukullā), who carries the rosary and the cup of Utpala full of nectar in the right and left hands respectively. She is three-eyed and is offered bathing water by (the Bodhisattvas) Padmapāṇi and others, by all the Tathāgatas and the sixteen damsels beginning with Vīṇā. She wears the Jaṭāmukuṭa which is decorated with various flowers and the miniature figure of Amitābha. She displays the sentiment of passionate love, and other sentiments, and turns slightly to have a look at the rosary which she carries in her leaf-like hand. She sits on an animal and rests on the nectar-like lap of the white lotus, that rises from the ocean of milk. She is decked in bracelets, armlets, ear-rings, anklets, pearl-necklace, and is clad in celestial garments. Her hair is tied up by the serpent Ananta of blue colour, her necklace is formed by the milk-coloured Vāsukī, and her prominent ear-ornament (Kuṇḍala) by red Takṣaka, her sacred thread is the green Karkkoṭaka, her girdle is the white Padma the lord of serpents, her Nūpura (anklet) is the serpent Mahāpadma of the colour of the lotus stalk, her bracelet is the yellow Śaṅkhapāla, her armlet is Kulika of the colour of smoky clouds. She is white in colour, and seems to diffuse nectar. She possesses a heart which is melting with compassion.”

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This lengthy description is sufficient to give one a vivid picture of the form of Śukla-Kurukullā, which has many features in common with the other varieties to be described briefly hereafter. It is not necessary to quote and translate all the Dhyānas given in the Sādhanamālā, because that would only serve to increase the bulk of the book unnecessarily.

Cites (1)

Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit