The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c19.s1.t5: 4. Gandhatārā (North)
The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sādhanamālā and Other Cognate Tāntric Texts of Rituals c19.s1.t5
- Language
- English
4. Gandhatārā (North)
c19.s1.t5.1
"Uttare Gandhatārāṃ tu gandhaśaṅkhakarākulāṃ | Raktavarṇanibhāṃ devīṃ bhāvayet garbhamanḍale" ||
c19.s1.t5.2
"On the north is Gandhatārā, who carries in her hands the conch of scents, and has red complexion"
c19.s1.t5.3
All these (goddesses) should be situated in the inner circle.”
c19.s1.t5.4
The Sādhana further says that the following Guardians of the Gates should also be meditated upon as around the principal goddess, but apparently not in the same circle with the four described above.
c19.s1.t5.5
5. Vajrāṅkuśī (East)
c19.s1.t5.6
“Pūrvadvāre Vajrāṅkuśīṃ ekavaktrāṃ dvibhujāṃ vajrāṅkuśotpalahastāṃ vikṛtavadanāṃ kṛṣṇavarṇām”.
c19.s1.t5.7
“On the eastern gate there is Vajrāṅkuśī who is one-faced and two-armed. She carries in her two hands the goad marked with a Vajra and the night lotus. She has a distorted face and is blue in colour.”
c19.s1.t5.8
6. Vajrapāśī (South)
c19.s1.t5.9
“Dakṣiṇadvāre Vajrapāśīṃ pītavarṇāṃ vikṛtānanāṃ ekavaktrāṃ dvibhujāṃ vajrapāśāhastām”.
c19.s1.t5.10
“On the southern gate there is Vajrapāśī of yellow colour. She has one distorted face. She carries in her two hands the noose marked with a Vajra”.
c19.s1.t5.11
7. Vajrasphoṭī (West)
c19.s1.t5.12
“Paścimadvāre Vajrasphoṭīṃ raktavarṇāṃ ekavaktrāṃ dvibhujāṃ vikṛtavadanāṃ vajrasphoṭahastām”.
c19.s1.t5.13
“On the western gate there is Vajrasphoṭī of red colour. She has one distorted face. In her two hands she carries the chain marked with a Vajra”.
c19.s1.t5.14
8. Vajraghaṇṭā (North)
c19.s1.t5.15
“Uttaradvāre Vajraghaṇṭāṃ śvetavarṇāṃ ekavaktrāṃ dvibhujāṃ vikṛtavadanāṃ vajraghaṇṭāhastām”.
c19.s1.t5.16
“On the northern gate there is Vajraghaṇṭā of white colour. She has one distorted face. In her two hands she carries the bell marked with a Vajra”.
c19.s1.t5.17
9. Uṣṇīṣavijayā (Above)
c19.s1.t5.18
Goddess Uṣṇīṣavijayā occupies the upper regions.
c19.s1.t5.19
10. Sumbhā (Below)
c19.s1.t5.20
Goddess Sumbhā occupies the lower reigons.
c19.s1.t5.21
All these goddesses stand on the orb of the sun in the Ālīḍha attitude with the right leg stretched forward. They are radiant like the Sungod and are surrounded with a fiery halo. They are decked in ornaments of snakes.
c19.s1.t5.22
These goddesses originate from the ten different letters of the mantra of Vajratārā, which is "Oṁ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā", consisting of ten syllables. Each syllable brings forth a goddess, and these goddesses are said to be the embodiments of the ten Pāramitās of the Mahāyāna School.
c19.s1.t5.23
The following are some of the instances in which the mantra of Vajratārā might be applied with success. Let a knot be tied at the end of a cloth over which the mantra has been recited seven times, and its wearer can go even to the most inaccessible regions of the Vindhya mountains without being molested. Tigers, thieves, crocodiles, lions, snakes, elephants, buffaloes, bears, bulls and the like will flee or even be destroyed, at the mere recital of the name of the goddess. If one hundred and eight lotuses are offered into the fire with this mantra, it will be enough to subdue any woman born of man. The feather of a crow over which this mantra has been recited thirty-two times, if kept concealed within the house of an enemy, will destroy it mysteriously in the course of a week. There is no need to multiply instances. It is enough to say that Vajratārā is sure to bring success to her worshipper in anything he may undertake, and that is the reason why she is so popular among the Vajrayānists.
c19.s1.t5.24
Fig. 180 illustrates the Indian Museum image of Vajratārā enclosed within a lotus, surrounded by all the ten deities of the Vajratārā Maṇḍala. Fig. 181 is the Orissa image of Vajratārā illustrated in N.N. Vasu's Mayurbhanj Archaeological Survey. Fig. 182 is the image of Vajratārā discovered at the Sarasvatisthan close to the Svayambhu Temple in Nepal.
c19.s1.t5.25
Fig. 183 illustrates the Peiping statuette of Puṣpatārā, one of the attendants of Vajratārā.