Item: Indian Adept (siddha) - Damarupa

Damarupa

This painting could either be Viraya or Damarupa, both Mahasiddhas. However, it is more likely Damarupa because it is part of a set of Lamdre lineage teachers.

The design for Damarupa in this painting is almost identical to the siddha labeled 'Viraya' in another painting HAR 65349.

The design of the large cranes in this painting and in HAR 65349 are also identical in their style and pose. One is flying and looks down, the other crane stands and looks up. The slight difference is that the cranes in this painting have a red spot on their head like the real red-crowned crane.

Minor differences between Damarupa in this painting and the Viraya in HAR 65349: Viraya wears the meditation belt taut across his knee while Damarupa does not, Viraya has a skull crown while Damarupa does not and both have slightly different facial features.

Because both this painting and HAR 65349 are examples of early Khyenri art style and share many stylistic features, it is not clear which painting is earlier, or if one artist copied another, or if both were made by the same atelier.

However, if both works are not by the same artist, it is most probable that the artist of HAR 65349 copied this painting, because Viraya is an obscure mahasiddha that only occurs in the Vajrasana system of mahasiddhas, whereas Damarupa is one of the principal teachers in the Lamdre lineage.

Nick Dharmadi 10-2026