The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Mainly Based on the Sadhanamala and Other Cognate Tantric Texts of Rituals c23.11

c23.11

Another difficulty in identification arises when the letters of the Mantra of the god are deified and appear on the image. This is found in the case of Vajratārā who is surrounded by ten goddesses who originate from the ten syllables of the Mantra “Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā”. It has also been pointed out previously how from the five letters of the name of Arapacana Mañjuśrī originated the five deities Candraprabha, Jālinīprabha, Keśinī, and Upakeśinī, and the principal deity Mañjuśrī. The Dacca image of Khadiravaṇī Tārā (Fig. 249) is a remarkable instance of the deification of the Tārā Mantra. The main figure in accordance with the Sādhana carries the Utpala in the left hand and shows the Varada mudrā in the right, and she is flanked on either side by Aśokakāntā and Ekajaṭā. But on the aureole there are eight female figures identical in appearance with the principal figure. They obviously represent none but the eight syllables of the Tārā Mantra “Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture”, the two others, Uṣṇīṣavijayā and Sumbhā, being omitted.