Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Vaishravana (Buddhist Protector)

རྣམ་ཐོས་སྲས། བྱང་ཕྱོགས་སྐྱོང་། 北方多闻天王
(item no. 19053)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1300 - 1399
Lineages Sakya and Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Interpretation / Description

Vaishravana, Green-Yellow Holding a Staff.

In the appearance of a king, green in colour, Vaishravana has one face and two hands. The right hand holds a jeweled tipped staff at the heart and the left holds a jewel spitting mongoose. Wearing a crown, earrings and lavish attire, he sits in a relaxed posture atop a moon disc, multi-coloured lotus and throne. At the left side is the consort, Padma Chud, red with one face and two hands, holding a jewel and a vase, having a hood of seven snakes and the lower body of a naga serpent.

To the proper right above the central figure is Heruka Chakrasamvara and Krodha Vajrapani. On the left side is Vajrasattva(?) and a red Chaturbhuja Mahakala. In the vertical registers on the right and left sides at eight cows and eight golden vases along with a water pond and tree.

In the top register from the left to right side are Vajradhara, Vajrapani, followed by seven monastic figures from the Zangskar Lotsawa lineage of teachers.

In the bottom register are four forms of Vaishravana along with a Yellow and Black Jambhala. In the proper lower left corner is a donor figure.

Jeff Watt, 2-2024


- Deities of Tibetan Buddhism, The Zurich Paintings of the Icons Worthwhile to See. Tenpai Nyima the 4th [7th] Panchen Lama, 1782-1853. Translated by Martin Willson. Wisdom Publications, 2000. #302. (Based on the Rinchen Trengwa of Taranata Kunga Nyingpo).

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