The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c19.s1.t11.2

c19.s1.t11.2

Prasannatārā is mentioned twice in the Sādhanamālā, once as a companion of Aṣṭabhujā Kurukullā and once again as a principal deity in the Sādhana. As a companion of Kurukullā she is red, but her independent form shows the yellow colour. Thus in the absence of more definite information, she has to be assigned to the family of the Dhyāni Buddha Ratnasambhava of yellow colour. The Sādhana devoted to her independent form gives the epithets of Amṛtamukhī and Amṛtalocanā and there is no doubt that except for the face on the top all her seven faces are represented as having charmingly sweet expression. But she is not benign and peaceful. She is fearful like Vidyujjvālākarālī, a form of Ekajaṭā. The Dhyāna describes her form in the following terms: