The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c18.s6: 6. Dhanāda-Tārā
The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c18.s6
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6. Dhanāda-Tārā
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Arms—Four
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Colour—Green
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Dhanada-Tārā is one of the four-armed varieties of Tārā. The special features of this goddess are that she rides an animal, and like Vajratārā, is surrounded by eight goddesses, originating from the eight syllables of the famous mantra “Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā”. The symbols that are held in her four hands are also different from all other varieties of four-armed Tārā. The Dhyāna describing her form runs as follow :
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“Tārā-Bhagavatīṃ ātmānaṃ bhāvayet ; candrāsanaprabhāṃ saumyāṃ sattvaparyaṅkasthāṃ, haritaśyāmāṃ ekavadanāṃ dvilocanāṃ caturbhujāṃ akṣasūtravaradotpalapustakadharāṃ vicitravastrālaṅkāravatīṃ...Locanādibhir-devībhir-abhiṣiktāṃ ātmānāṃ Amoghasiddhimukuṭāṃ dhyāyāt.”
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Dhanada-Tārā Sādhanam.” Sādhanamālā, p. 219.
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“The worshipper should conceive himself as goddess Dhanada Tārā, who is seated on and has the radiance of the moon, is benign in appearance, sits on an animal, has green complexion, one face, two eyes, and four arms showing the rosary, the Varada pose, the Utpala and the book. She wears variegated ornaments and garments...The worshipper should further conceive himself as receiving homage from the goddesses, Locanā and others, and as bearing the image of Amoghasiddhi on the crown.”
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Images of Dhanada Tārā are found in Tibet ² and China ³. Fig. 172 illustrates a Nepalese drawing.
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² Getty : GNB, p. 123.
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³ Clark : TLP, II, p. 283
Cites (1)
- Sādhanamālā — Sanskrit