Buddhist Deity: Yamari, Krishna (Iconography)
Krishna Yamari Main PageSubjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Outline Page
- Iconographic Forms:
--- Heruka [one face, two hands]
--- Three faces, six hands
--- Six faces, six hands
--- Six faces, twelve hands
--- Mandalas
--- Drigung Tradition
--- Nyingma Tradition
- Confusions
- Others...
According to the Sarma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism there are three principal forms of Krishna Yamari. The descriptions for the three found below are composed by Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub (1497-1557) based on the Bari Gyatsa of Bari Lotsawa Rinchen Drag.
[14] "Krishna Yamari, [six faces, six hands].
Yamari has a body black in colour, six faces and six hands. The main face and one above it are black. The right face and one above it are white. The left face and one above it are red. The first two hands hold a vajra and bell crossed at the heart. The middle two hold a skullcup and lasso. The last two hold a sword and staff. Standing with the front two legs in the vajrasana [posture], the middle two have the right bent and the left straight [and] the last two have the left bent and the right straight. The hair, eyebrows and beard are orange and flowing upwards, with a crown of five dry skulls and a necklace of fifty fresh [skulls]. Adorned with snake and jewel ornaments. Having a tiger skin as a lower garment."
[15] "Krishna Yamari, [one face, two hands].
Krishna Yamari has one face and two hands. The right holds aloft a blue stick marked with a vajra and the left, a wrathful [gesture] together with a lasso held to the heart, with the same ornaments and appearance as before. Standing above a red buffalo in a manner with the left leg extended."
[16] "Krishna Yamari, [three faces, six hands].
He is the same as all the other [previous Yamaris], with three faces and six hands, the body and main face are blue, the right white and the left red. With six hands, the three right hold, a wheel, sword and staff, the three left, a body impaled on a strong vetali tree, vajra and noose."
Database Search: All Images | Painting | Sculpture | Mandala
Jeff Watt 4-2007 [updated 1-2013, 5-2017, 1-2019, 2-2020]
(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).
