Item: Yogambara (Buddhist Deity) - (Three Faces, Six Arms)

Yogambara and Jnana Dakini.

Semi-wrathful in appearance, dark blue in colour, he has three faces, blue, white and red. The main pair of hands holds a vajra and bell in a gesture of embrace. The second right caresses the breast of the consort Jnana Dakini. The third holds aloft an arrow. The second left holds a white skullcup and the third upraised a bow. Seated in vajra posture atop a sun disc, lotus and a white snow lion, he is surrounded by a red-orange nimbus.

"Yogambara, black [in colour], with three faces, black, white and red, and three eyes [each]. With six arms the first two [hands] hold a vajra and bell while embracing the mother. The remaining right [hands] caress the breast of the consort and hold an arrow. The left [hands] hold a skullcup and bowl. A jewel, crescent moon and vishvavajra adorn the black hair as an ornament, with a garland of five skulls and the Five Buddhas as a crown, having the six mudras, wearing a tiger skin [tied] loosely behind. Seated in the sattva posture [sattvasana], in the lap is the mother Jnana Dakini, white, with one face and two hands. The right hand holds a katvanga staff and the left a skullcup - embracing the father. Adorned with the five mudras." (bod brgyud nang bstan lha tshogs chen mo bshugs so, page 387-388).

The deity Yogambara arises from the Chaturpita Tantra and is typically surrounded by a 77 deity mandala. The practice was popularized in Tibet by Marpa the Translator and his student Ngog Lotsawa.

Jeff Watt 2-2014