The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c18.s2: 2. Khadiravanī Tārā
The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c18.s2
- Language
- English
2. Khadiravanī Tārā
c18.s2.1
Colour—Green Mudrā—Varada Symbol—Utpala ∗ Companions—Aśokakāntā and Ekajaṭā.
c18.s2.2
∗ [No footnote text provided in source]
c18.s2.3
Tārā is the common name applied to a large number of feminine deities in the Buddhist pantheon. In the Sādhanamālā, Jāṅgulī, Parṇaśabarī, Mahācīnatārā, Ekajaṭā and many others are called Tārās, including Khadiravaṇī, who is endowed with two hands, showing the Varada mudrā in the right and the Utpala in the left. She can be recognized by the figures of the two attendant deities, Aśokakāntā Māricī and Ekajaṭā. One Sādhana in the Sādhanamālā contains a Dhyāna which describes her form thus:
c18.s2.4
“Haritāṃ Amoghasiddhimakuṭīṃ varadotpaladhāridakṣiṇavāmakarāṃ Aśokakāntā-Māricy-Ekajaṭāvyagradakṣiṇavāmadigbhāgāṃ divyakumārīm...dhyātvā”
c18.s2.5
Khadiravaṇī-Tārā-Sādhanam” Sādhanamālā, p. 176
c18.s2.6
“The worshipper should conceive himself as Khadiravaṇī-Tārā of green colour, who bears the image of Amoghasiddhi on her crown, and shows the Varada mudrā and the Utpala in the right and left hands respectively. To the right and left of her appear Aśokakāntā Māricī and Ekajaṭā, and she appears a celestial virgin....Thus meditating”
c18.s2.7
She is commonly known as Śyāmā-Tārā¹ because of her green colour, and as the Sādhana does not mention any particular Āsana she may be represented in any attitude, either sitting (Fig. 166) or standing (Fig. 167). A beautiful statuette in the Baroda Museum shows the goddess in the Lalita attitude (Fig. 168)
c18.s2.8
¹ IBBS : p. 56, Pl. XXI-XXII.
c18.s2.9
Images of Khadiravaṇī Tārā are found in Tibet² and China³
c18.s2.10
² Getty : GNB, p. 125
c18.s2.11
³ Clark : TLP, II, p. 267.
Linked texts (1)
- Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit