Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Ushnishavijaya (Buddhist Deity) - (three faces, eight arms)

གཙུག་གཏོར་རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་མ། ཚེ་ལྷ། 尊圣佛母(本尊)
(item no. 1588)
Origin Location Northern India
Date Range 1000 - 1099
Lineages Buddhist
Material Stone
Collection Private
Catalogue # Photo: Rob Linrothe
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Peaceful

Gender: Female

Interpretation / Description

Ushnishavijaya (Tibetan: tsug tor nam par gyal ma): goddess of long-life, white in colour, with three faces and eight hands.

"Ushnishavijaya, the colour of an autumn moon; with three faces, white, yellow and blue and eight hands. Each face has three very large eyes. The first right hand holds a visvavajra, second a white lotus with Amitabha residing, third an arrow and the fourth in supreme generosity. The first left holds a vajra lasso, second a bow, third bestowing protection and fourth in meditative equipoise holding an auspicious nectar vase; complete with silks and jewel ornaments, seated in [vajra] posture. Within the outer circle of the stupa, on the right [side of the chaitya], above a moon is Avalokiteshvara with a body white in colour; the left hand holds a lotus. On the left [of the chaitya], above a sun is Vajrapani, blue; the left hand holds an utpala with vajra; standing in a peaceful manner and adorned with silks and jewels." (Jamyang Kyentse Wangpo, 1820-1892).

Jeff Watt 9-2023


Essay: RELIEF CARVING OF A NINE-DEITY USHNISHAVIJAYA COMPOSITION, NICHE 84 AT FEILAIFENG CLIFF by Rob Linrothe.

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Buddhist Deity: Ushnishavijaya Main Page
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