Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Vajrayogini (Buddhist Deity) - Krodha Kali (Wrathful Black Varahi)

རྡོ་རྗེ་རྣལ་འབྱོར་མ། སྣང་བརྙན་ཡོངས། 金刚瑜伽佛母(全图)
(item no. 89797)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1500 - 1599
Lineages Nyingma and Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Semi-Peaceful

Gender: Female

Interpretation / Description

Krodha Kali Vajrayogini (Tibetan: Troma Nagpo. English: the Fierce Black One), a wrathful form of Vajravarahi.

"...Bhagavani [Krodha Kali] with a great radiance at the time of darkness, fierce and raging. The main face is wrathful, the very pure relative truth, and the upper face of a pig is the pure ultimate truth, gazing upward; [both] having three round red eyes. The right hand holds a curved knife upraised and the left a skullcup of blood [held] to the heart. In the bend of the left elbow, as the nature of method, appears a katvanga staff. Wearing an elephant hide as an upper garment and a tiger skin as a lower garment; adorned with snakes and bones. Dark yellow hair bristles upward, the remainder falling loose. With a crown of five dry human skulls, a necklace of fifty fresh. The left leg is extended in a half dance posture pressing on the heart of a human corpse. Appearing youthful and dwelling in the middle of a blazing mass of fire." (Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje (1646-1714) and Min-ling Lochen Dharmashri 1654-1718).

The original practice lineage belongs to the Zhije School of Phadampa Sanggye but has now been adopted by all the Sarma Schools of Tibetan Buddhism to a greater or lesser extent. Troma Nagmo is also found in the Terma (Revealed Treasure) Tradition of the Nyingmapa School.

"From the pure, unborn, dharmadhatu palace; Fierce Vajra Black One, performing the benefit of beings; Entire treasure of all excellent and common attainments; Powerful Mistress, to you I bow." (Nyingma Liturgical verse).

Lineage from India: Vajradhara, Jnana Dakini, Virupa, Brahmin Aryadeva, Pha Dampa Sanggye (11th century), etc.

Jeff Watt 4-98

Secondary Images
Related Items
Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini Subject Outline
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini Religious Context
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini Main Page
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini, Krodha Kali
Collection: Private 1
Painting Set: Ratna Lingpa (& Kagyu) 'Terma' Set
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini (Miscellaneous Masterworks)
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini, Krodha Kali (Masterworks)
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini (Masterworks)
Subject: Dakini (Meditational Deities, Buddhist)
Subject: Dakini (Popular Deities)