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The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c19.s1.t1: 3. Vajratārā

The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c19.s1.t1

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3. Vajratārā

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Colour—Golden Yellow Faces—Four Arms—Eight

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According to a definite statement ¹ contained in the Vajratārā Maṇḍala of the Niṣpannayogāvalī, the Dhyāni Buddha Ratnasambhava is the spiritual sire of Vajratārā. She is four-faced and eight-armed and her description is as under :

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¹ NSP : p. 38 Vajratārāyāḥ kuleśo Ratneśaḥ

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“Bhagavatī Vajratārā suvarṇavarṇā . hemābha-śubhra-nīla-lohitamū-la-savya-paścimottra-caturvaktrā aṣṭabhujā savyair-vajraṃ pāśaṃ śaraṃ śaṅkhaṃ ca vibhratī vāmaiḥ pītotpalaṃ cāpaṃ aṅkuśaṃ tarjanīṃ ca.”
NSP, p. 38

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“Goddess Vajratārā is of golden yellow colour.. She is four-faced. The principal face is golden in colour, the right is white, the one behind is blue and the left red. She has eight arms. In her four right hands she shows the Vajra, the noose, the arrow and the conch. In the four left she has the yellow night lotus, the bow, the goad, and the raised Tarjanī.”

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Vajratārā is a popular deity in Buddhism and her images are found almost everywhere in India. She is popular also in Nepal. In the Chinese collection of statuettes at Peiping an image of Vajratārā is found under the title of Aṣṭabhujā Vajratārā ².

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² Clark : TLP, II, p. 210

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Here, at least one very peculiar image of Vajratārā may be noted. It is in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. The Indian Museum bronze of Vajratārā is in the form of a lotus, and represents the complete Maṇḍala with all the attendant deities ³. It is so constructed that it can be opened and closed at will. The petals are eight in number, and each bears the image of an attendant deity. The Dhyāna describing her form in the Sādhanamālā and explaining this particular image is as under :

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³ See also Bhattasali : IBBS, pp. 45f. pl. XV, XVI, XVII.

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Mātr̥maṇḍalamadhyasthāṃ Tārādevīṃ vibhāvayet I
Aṣṭabhujāṃ caturvaktrāṃ sarvālaṅkārabhūṣitāṃ II
Kanakavarṇanibhāṃ bhavyāṃ kumārīlakṣaṇojjvalāṃ I
Pañcabuddhamukuṭīṃ vajrasūryābhiṣekajāṃ II
Navayauvanalāvaṇyāṃ calatkanakakuṇḍalāṃ I
Viśvapadmasamāsīnāṃ raktaprabhāvibhūṣitāṃ II
Vajra-pāśa-tathā-śaṅkha-saccharodyatadakṣiṇāṃ I
Vajrāṅkuśotpaladhanustarjanī-vāmadhāriṇīṃ I
Vajraparyṅkayogena sādhayet bhuvanatrayam II
Sādhanamālā, p. 179

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"The worshipper should conceive himself as Vajratārā, who is in the midst of the circle of the Eight Mothers, is eight-armed, four-faced, and decked in all ornaments. Her complexion is like the colour of gold, and she is graceful and resplendent with the auspicious marks of a virgin; she bears the images of the five Dhyāni Buddhas on her crown, and is born of the water of consecration of the Vajra and the sun; she is effulgent in her blooming youth, has swaying earrings, sits on the double lotus, and radiates red-hued light; she carries in her right hands the Vajra, the noose, the conch and the swift arrow, and in the left the Vajrāṅkuśa, the Utpala, the bow and the Tarjanī. Thus conceiving her as sitting in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude (the worshipper) may conquer the three worlds."

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The Sādhana further describes the deities constituting the Maṇḍala. In the four cardinal points there should be four goddesses on the four petals of the lotus on which Vajratārā sits.

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