The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c14.s2.t5: (IV) Aṣṭabhuja-Kurukullā

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c14.s2.t5

Language: English

(IV) Aṣṭabhuja-Kurukullā

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Arms—Eight Colour—Red Āsana—Vairaparyaṅka Mudrā—Trailokyavijaya

As has already been pointed out, Kurukullā may have another form with eight arms which is described in the only Sādhana devoted to her worship. This Sādhana is attributted in the colophon to the great Siddhācāryya Indrabhūti, who flourished about 700 A. D. and who had a daughter even more illustrious than himself, Lakṣmīṅkarā by name, well-versed in the doctrines of both Vajrayāna and Sahajayāna. The goddess described in this Sādhana is not terrible like the six-armed Māyājāla Kurukullā or the four-armed Uḍḍiyāna Kurukullā, but is mild, youthful and compassionate. The most important feature of the Sādhana is that it gives the description of a complete Maṇḍala which comprises the principal goddess and twelve surrounding divinities. For a better understanding of the form of this goddess and of the constitution of the Maṇḍala, it is desirable that the Dhyāna should be quoted in extenso and translated:—

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“Kurukullāṃ Bhagavatīṃ aṣṭabhujāṃ raktavarṇāṃ raktāṣṭadala-padmasūryye Vajraparyaṅkaniṣaṇṇāṃ kūṭāgāramadhyanivāsinīṃ prathamakaradvayena Trailokyavijayamudrādharāṃ, avaśiṣṭadakṣiṇakaraiḥ aṅkuśaṃ ākarṇapūritaśaraṃ varadamudrāṃ dadhānāṃ, pariśiṣṭavāmabhujaiḥ pāśaṃ cāpaṃ utpalaṃ dadhānāṃ, sakalālaṅkāravatīṃ bhāvayet.

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Pūrvadale Prasannatārām, dakṣiṇadale Niṣpannatārām, paścimadale Jayatārām, uttaradale Karṇatārām, aiśānadale Cundām, āgneyadale Aparājitām, nairṛtyadale Pradīpatārām, vāyavyadale Gaurītārāñca dhyāyāt. Etāśca sarvāḥ raktavarṇāḥ Pañca-Tathāgatamukuṭā vajra paryaṅkaniṣaṇṇā dakṣiṇabhujābhyāṃ varadamudrā-ākarṇapūrita-śara-dharā. vāmabhujābhyāṃ utpalacāpadharāḥ.

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Pūrvadvāre Vajravetālīṃ lambodarāṃ vikṛtamukhīṃ raktavarṇāṃ Akṣobhyamukuṭāṃ, dakṣiṇahastābhyāṃ tarjany-aṅkuśadharāṃ, vāmakarābhyāṃ vajraghaṇṭāpaśadharām

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Dakṣiṇadvāre Aparājitāṃ pītavarṇāṃ Ratnasambhavamukuṭāṃ dakṣiṇahastābhyāṃ daṇḍāṅkuśadharāṃ, vāmahastābhyāṃ ghaṇṭāpāśadharām.

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Paścimadvāre Ekajaṭāṃ kṛṣṇavarṇāṃ ūrdhvakeśāṃ lambodarāṃ dantāvaṣṭabdhauṣṭhāṃ Amitābhamukuṭāṃ, dakṣiṇakarābhyāṃ vajrāṅkuśadharāṃ vāmakarābhyāṃ ghaṇṭāpāśadharām.

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Uttaradvāre Vajragandhārīṃ kanakaśyāmāṃ Amoghasiddhimukuṭāṃ vikṛtamukhīṃ lambodarāṃ, dakṣiṇabhujābhyāṃ khaḍgāṅkuśadharāṃ vāmabhujābhyāṃ ghaṇṭapāśadharāṃ vicintayet. Etāścatasra ālīḍhapadasthāḥ” Sādhanamālā, pp. 351-352

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“The worshipper should think himself as goddess Kurukullā, who is eight-armed, red in colour, sits in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude, on the orb of the sun over the lotus with eight petals and resides in the sanctum ; she displays the Trailokyavijayamudrā in her first pair of hands, and shows in the other right hands, aṅkuśa, the arrow drawn up to the ear and the Varada pose. In the remaining left hands she holds the noose, the bow and the Utpala ; she is decked in all kinds of ornaments.

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On the east petal is Prasannatārā, on the south is Niṣpannatārā, on the west Jayatārā, on the north Karṇatārā ; on the north-east petal is Cundā, on the east Aparājitā, on the south-west Pradīpatārā, and on the north-west is Gaurītārā. All these deities have red colour and the five Dhyāni Buddhas on their crowns. They sit in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude and show in the two right hands the boon and the arrow drawn up to the ear, and in the two left hands the Utpala and the bow.

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In the eastern gate is Vajravetālī, who has a protruding belly, distorted face, red complexion, the effigy of Akṣobhya on her crown, and carries in the two right hands the Tarjanī and the goad, and in the two left the Vajraghaṇṭā and the noose.

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In the southern gate is Aparājitā, who is yellow in colour and has the effigy of Ratnasambhava on her crown ; she carries in her two right hands the staff and the goad, and in the two left the bell and the noose.

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In the western gate is Ekajaṭā, who is blue in colour with hair rising upwards over head, and a protruding belly ; she bites her lips with her teeth, bears the image of Amitābha on her crown and carries in her two right hands the Vajra and the goad, and in the two left the bell and the noose.

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In the northern gate is Vajragāndhārī, golden in complexion, who bears the image of Amoghasiddhi on her crown, has a distorted face and protruding belly, and carries in her two right hands the sword and the goad, and in the two left the bell and the noose.

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All these four goddesses stand in the Ālīḍha attitude”

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(V) MĀYĀJĀLAKRAMA KURUKULLĀ Āsana—Vajraparyaṅka Arms—Six Colour—Red

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Another form of Kurukullā is known as Māyājālakrama Kurukullā since the Sādhana describing it is said to have been restored from the now lost Māyājāla Tantra by the Tāntric author Kṛṣṇācārya ¹. This form of Kurukullā is six-armed. In accordance with the Sādhana she sits in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude, on the sun over the red lotus of eight petals. She is red in colour and is clad in red garments. She exhibits the Trailokyavijaya mudrā in the first pair of hands, shows the Abhaya mudrā and the sprout of a white Kunda flower in the second, and the rosary and the Kamaṇḍalu in the third. She bears the images of the five Dhyāni Buddhas on the crown, and sits on the back of the serpent Takṣaka. She has another form with six arms, which is not expressly called the Māyājāla Kurukullā, and is described in another Sādhana. According to that Sādhana, she exhibits the Trailokyavijaya mudrā in the first pair of hands, and carries Aṅkuśa and the red lotus in the second pair, and the full-drawn bow charged with an arrow in the third. Images of Kurukullā are rare.

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¹ Sādhana No. 181, Sādhanamālā p. 372.

Cites (1)

Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit