Dharmapala Thangka CentreIconography


Tibetan Iconography

Hevajra

Hevajra holds a white skull in each of his sixteen hands. Each skullcup contains one of the following objects: [on the right] elephant, horse, ass, ox, camel, man, lion, and cat: [on the left] earth, water, air, fire, moon, sun, Yama and Vaisravana.

The first pair of hands crossed at the heart hold skullcups and embrace his blue "wisdom" consort Vajra Nairatmya, with one face and two hands. She is also a deity of subtle wisdom in her own right, a Tantric form of "Prajnaparamita", Mother of all Buddhas. She holds a chopper in her outstreched right hand.

Each face has three eyes and yellow hair flowing upward like flames. Adorned with crowns of five skulls, bone ornaments and a garland of fifty fresh heads they both stand atop four stacked figures, a sun disc, multi-coloured lotus blossom and a throne seat surrounded by the orange and red flames of pristine awareness fire.

Hevajra is the most important archetype deity od the Sakya Order. The Hevajra Tantra is considered the basic Mother tantra, and its contemplation is particulary excellant in creating the conditions for the blazing of the inner fury-fire [Tib.: tummo] so important to Himalayan yogis, such as Milarepa.

Encountering Hevajra Buddha, one recalls the Shiva Nataraja in Hindu iconography, but in Buddhism there is no question od destroying the living universe - only the world of egoistic suffering should be consumed in the supernova flames.