Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Padmasambhava - 8 Forms: Pema Gyalpo

པད་མ་འབྱུང་གནས། 莲花生大士
(item no. 374)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1900 - 1959
Lineages Nyingma and Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: King

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Pema Gyalpo, Padmasambhav: one of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava.

From the group of eight only two have this King Appearance: Pema Gyalpo and Loden Chogse.

In this appearance as Pema Gyalpo, Padmasambhava takes on the guise of a king with a regal beard, lavish clothing, a crown, and boots. In the right hand he holds a double-sided drum (damaru). In the left hand he holds a mirror.

The blessing on the reverse of the painting was added by Tubten Chowang Nyamnyi Dorje, the 7th Dorje Drag Rigdzin (1886-1932/1935).

Jeff Watt 7-2013

Reverse of Painting
English Translation of Inscription: pad ma'i spyan mchog 'khor 'das kun gyi rgyal/ snang srid zil gnon mgon po thugs rje'i bdag/ khyod mtshan dran pa'i mdo la du sel/ yon tan kun 'byung gang gis thugs rjes gzungs/

Special Features: (Cursive script (Umay), Ranjana script (Ornamental Sanskrit), includes "Om Ah Hum" inscription, includes additional imagery)

Secondary Images
Related Items
Publications
Publication: Worlds of Transformation

Thematic Sets
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 7
Padmasambhava: Pema Gyalpo
Padmasambhava: Eight Forms Main Page
Padmasambhava: Pema Gyalpo Masterworks