Dharmapala Thangka CentreIconography


Tibetan Iconography

The lion faced Dakini Simhamukha

= <<The Dakini Simhamukha or Simhavaktra [Tibetan: Senge Dongma སེང་གདོང་མ། ནང་ལྷ། ] is also known as the »Lion Face« Dakini or »Lion-headed« Dakini. She is shown here dancing in the ardhaparyankasana pose, her left foot trampling a prostate human figure. She holds a vajra chopper in her right hand and a skull bowl in her left hand.

She holds a khatvanga staff with her left arm and wears a tiger skin om her hips.

The terrific goddess is surrounded by tongues of flames and is decorated with a long garland of severed human heads.

With her flaming hair and her garland of human skulls, Simhavaktra might seem violent and scary. But here she is a force for good; the dakini’s fierce appearance symbolizes her power to overcome obstacles to enlightenment, such as lust, anger or ignorance.