The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c16.t8: (ii) Pītaprajñāpāramitā

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c16.t8

Language: English

(ii) Pītaprajñāpāramitā

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Distinctive Mark—Book on lotus to the left.

The yellow variety of Prajñāpāramitā with the effigy of Akṣobhya is identical in form with the one described above, except with regard to the colour and the mudrā. She is yellow in complexion, bears the image of Akṣobhya on her Jaṭāmukuṭa, wears celestial ornaments, and her two hands display the Vyākhyāna attitude. On a lotus to her left rests the scripture Prajñāpāramitā ¹.

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¹ Sādhana No. 158, Sādhanamālā, p. 321

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The celebrated image of Prajñāpāramitā (Fig. 141) of Java belongs to this variety, and tallies in all details with the description given in the Dhyāna.

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(iii) KANAKAPRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ Colour—Golden Mudrā—Dharmacakra Āsana—Vajraparyaṅka Symbol—Book on lotus on two sides.

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This form of Prajñāpāramitā is identical in all respects with one of the forms described previously. The difference lies in the fact that although she exhibits the Dharmacakra mudrā with her two hands, there are two books on two lotuses rising from under her two arm-pits. She is golden in colour ¹. The Java figure of Prajñāpāramitā illustrated previously has only one lotus bearing the book in her left, but the Indian Museum image (Fig. 142) with two lotuses on either side, each bearing a manuscript, may definitely be identified with this variety of Prajñāpāramitā.

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¹ Sādhana No, 154, Sādhanamālā, pp. 313-314

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7. VAJRACARCIKĀ Āsana—Dancing in Ardhaparyaṅka Arms—Six Colour—Red Distinctive feature—Emaciated body Vāhana—Corpse Appearance—Terrible

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Only one Sādhana in the Sādhanamālā describes the form of Vajracarcikā and the Dhyāna contained therein runs as follows :

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“Vajracarcikāṃ trinetrāṃ ekamukhīṃ ardhaparyaṅkatāṇḍavāṃ mṛtakāsanasthāṃ, kṛśāṅgīṃ daṃṣṭroṭkaṭabhairavāṃ naraśiromālāvibhūṣitakaṇṭhadeśāṃ asthyābharaṇavibhūṣitāṃ pañcamudrādhāriṇīṃ Akṣobhyamukuṭinīṃ vyāghracarmanivasanāṃ muktakeśīṃ ṣaḍbhujāṃ dakṣiṇe vajrakhaḍgacakradhāriṇīṃ vāme kapālāmaṇikamaladharāṃ raktavarṇāṃ karmānurūpataḥ śukladivarṇayuktāñca dhyātvā”
Sādhanamālā, p. 395.

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“The worshipper should conceive himself as Vajracarcikā, who is three-eyed and one-faced, dances in the Ardhaparyaṅka attitude on a corpse, is emaciated in appearance and looks terrible with bare fangs. Her neck is embellished by a garland of human heads, and she is decked in ornaments of bones, is endowed with the five auspicious symbols, bears the image of Akṣobhya on the crown, is clad in garments of tiger-skin and has dishevelled hair. She is six-armed and carries in her three right hands the Vajra, the sword, and the Cakra and in her three left the Kapāla, the jewel and the lotus. She is red in colour but changes to white and other colours in accordance with the different purposes for which she is invoked. Thus meditating...”

Cites (1)

Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit