Item: Mahakala (Buddhist Protector) - Chaturbhuja (Four-hands)
| Origin Location | Tibet |
|---|---|
| Date Range | 1100 - 1199 |
| Lineages | Buddhist |
| Material | Copper |
| Collection | Private |
| Catalogue # | Tibet Museum, Lhasa |
Classification: Deity
Appearance: Wrathful
Gender: Male
Summary: This form of Mahakala can be either a protector deity (dharmapala) or a meditational deity (ishtadevata).
Chaturbhuja, Mahakala (Tibetan: gon po, chag shi pa. English: the Great Black One with Four Hands). The principal protector of the Chakrasamvara class of Tantras.
Sanskrit: Chaturbhuja
Tibetan: Chag shi pa
"From a red-black mandala of fire, above a lotus, sun, moon and corpse, with one face and four hands, seated in a relaxed posture: homage to the Great Black One." (Nyingma liturgical verse).
As a wrathful form of enlightenment, a wisdom deity and buddha, he appears as a protector for Vajrayana Buddhism. There are many forms of this particular Mahakala in both Nyingma and Sarma traditions. The pandita and mahasiddha Nagarjuna originally popularized the practice. In the Sarma Schools Chaturbhuja is strongly related to the Chakrasamvara cycle of Tantras.
Jeff Watt 9-2000
The Great Black One with Four Arms is the principal protector for the Kagyu (Oral Tradition) of Tibetan Buddhism. He originates from Fifty Chapter Mahakala Tantra and the Chakrasamvara tantric literature of India. Very wrathful with one face and four hands, he is always shown in a seated posture with two hands extended to the sides brandishing a sword and staff (both now missing). The hair, beard and moustache are painted orange to signify his fearsome character. Religious protector deities are meant to look fierce for the same reason soldiers and policemen are expected to look stern and threatening. (Text courtesy of the Rubin Museum of Art, June 2005).
Exhibition: Tibet, Treasures from the Roof of the World
Thematic Sets
Mahakala: Chaturbhuja, Four-hands (Betapala)
Mahakala: Chaturbhuja, Four-hands Main Page
Mahakala - Chaturbhuja (Single Form)
Mahakala - Chaturbhuja (Sculpture Masterworks)