Buddhist Deity: Janguli Main Page

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Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Iconography
- Colours: white, green, yellow
- Masterworks: HAR #57260
- Parnashavari - Janguli Comparison
- Confusions: Parnashavari, Manasa
- Others...

Videos:
- Goddess of Serpents: Janguli
- Parnashavari & Janguli Comparison

Study Topics:
- Description & Types (iconography)
- Manasa Comparison (art history & origins)
- Conflation of Identities (religious context)

Iconography:
- White, one face, two hands (below)
- White, one face, four hands
- Green, one face, four hands (below)
- Yellow, three faces, six hands
- Others...

Arya Janguli (Tib.: pag pa dug sel ma) is easily confused in appearance with the female deity Parnashavari. Both figures are yellow in colour and have the same number of faces and arms. The significant differences between the two are that Janguli holds a sword in the right hand and does not have an upper or lower garment of thatched leaves. In a painting of a large central figure is Parnashavari, HAR #65302, in a slightly peaceful/wrathful appearance, directly below is the fearsome goddess Janguli wrathful in appearance with a hood of seven snakes. So far, there are no source texts that describe a wrathful Janguli. There are also no texts that describe an upper garment of leaves for Parnashavari. The thatched leaves are always for the lower garment.

"Goddess Janguli, white in colour with one face and two hands. The main two hands play a lute. The lower right [performs the gesture] of generosity completely removing fear. The lower left holds a white snake. In the hair is a white ribbon. Wearing a white upper garment, adorned with white ornaments and white snakes." (Thartse Panchen Namka Chime, 1756-1820).

"Arya Janguli with a body green in colour, one face and four hands. The right two [hold] a trident and peacock feathers. The left two [hold] a snake and extended in a [gesture] of fearlessness. Seven snake heads hover above; together with snake necklaces, earrings, etc. Seated in sattvasana posture." (Thartse Panchen Namka Chime, 1756-1820).

[50] "Arya Janguli, yellow, with three faces. Having a hood of seven snake heads. [Each face] possessing three eyes and the faces [both] smiling and fierce. The six right hands hold, a vajra, sword and an arrow in a dancing manner. The left, a wrathful [gesture] together with a lasso, a blue poisonous flower and a bow. Adorned with flowers and snakes. Standing in a dancing manner." (Konchog Lhundrub, 1497-1557).

Related Topics:
- Nagas
- Garuda
- Arya Simhanada Lokeshvara
- Nagaraksha Manjushri
- Manasa
- Others...

Jeff Watt 6-2006 [4-2015, 5-2017, 1-2021, 8-2022]

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bod brgyud nang bstan lha tshogs chen mo bzhugs so, 2001. ISBN 7-5420-0816-1. Page 625-626.

Toh 571/990. The Spell of Jāṅgulī. དུག་སེལ་བའི་རིག་སྔགས། · dug sel ba'i rig sngags. jāṅgulīvidyā. (2 pages)