Item: Ushnishavijaya (Buddhist Deity) - (Nine Deity Configuration)

Ushnishavijaya (Tibetan: tsug tor nam par gyal ma): goddess of long-life, white in colour, with three faces and eight hands. The blessing verses along the bottom were written by the 4th Amdo Shamar Gendun Tendzin Gyatso (1852-1912) [P196]. He was a teacher of the young 13th Dalai Lama. The painting was commissioned by a Mongolian named Lobzang Samdrub.

Video: HAR #64018

"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 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."

"On the right, above a moon is Avalokiteshvara with a body white in colour, the left hand holds a lotus. On the left, above a sun is Vajrapani, blue, the left hand holds an utpala with vajra. Both, for the right wave fly whisks, stand in a peaceful manner, adorned with silks and jewels. To the east is blue Acala brandishing a sword, south blue Takkiraja with a hook, west blue Niladanda with a stick and north, blue Mahabala with a trident. Also, with the left all perform the wrathful gesture at the heart, wearing jewel and snake ornaments, a lower garment of tiger skin, on a lotus and sun seat with the left [leg] extended in a wrathful manner. Above the main [deity] in the two directions are Devaputras holding nectar vases for cleansing the body." (Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, 1820-1892).

Jeff Watt 8-2012