Dorje Drollo: wrathful emanation of Guru Rinpoche from the set of Eight Main Manifestations.

Fearsome in form, dark brown in colour (maroon), he has one face, three round staring eyes and curly dark yellow hair with orange moustache, beard and eyebrows. The upper fangs bite down on the lower lip as he gazes downward to the left. The right hand holds upraised a gold vajra - ready to strike. The left hand thrusts with a blue kila (Tibetan: phur ba, English: peg) made of meteorite iron. Adorned with bone earrings and a necklace of freshly severed heads he wears various coloured robes in the style of both a layman and a monk along with ornate felt boots. With the right leg bent and the left extended he stands atop a fierce tigress - emanation of the consort Mandarava, while surrounded by the bright orange and red flames of pristine awareness.

At the top center a seated lama wears monastic robes and holds the right hand in the mudra of blessing at the heart while supporting a Dharma book in the lap. At the left another lama in monastic robes and a pandita hat holds the right hand up in a wrathful gesture and a curved knife extended out to the left; seated in a relaxed posture. At the right a lama wearing a pandita hat performs the mudra of blessing and holds a book in the lap. (The names of the figures are inscribed in gold lettering beneath each).

At the bottom center is a wrathful protector, female, red, with one face and two hands holding a sword and skullcup, standing, surrounded by flames. At the left again is a protector, female and red, holding a hook and eating a heart, riding on a large green snake surrounded by smoke. At the right is the wealth deity Green Jambhala, with one face and two hands, holding a wishing jewel and a brown mongoose, embraced by the consort Vasudhara, blue, holding a gold vase.

"In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in colour, holding a vajra and kila, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drollo." (Nyingma Liturgical verse).

For the purpose of subduing daemons and spirits of Tibet and the surrounding Himalayan regions Padmasambhava, at the thirteen mountain retreats each known as the Tiger's Den, appeared as the wrathful Dorje Trollo. At many of these locations Guru Rinpoche left impressions of his feet in the rocks which is indicated by the black footprints on four of the rock outcroppings surrounding Dorje Drollo. The Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava belong to the tradition of the Revealed Treasures (Tib.: ter ma).

Jeff Watt 1-99