Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Vajrayogini (Buddhist Deity) - Queen of Bliss (Dechen Gyalmo)

རྡོ་རྗེ་རྣལ་འབྱོར་མ། སྣང་བརྙན་ཡོངས། 金刚瑜伽佛母(全图)
(item no. 90046)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1800 - 1899
Lineages Nyingma and Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Navin Kumar
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Semi-Peaceful

Gender: Female

Interpretation / Description

Dechen Gyalmo, Vajrayogini.

Dechen Gyalmo is the large central female figure, red in colour, holding a double-sided drum, skullcup and a katvanga staff. She is accompanied by four identical attendants with the colours of red, green, white and blue. At the middle left side is Vajrayogini in her Varahi form with a sow's head protruding from the crown of her head. At the right side is a white lion-faced Simhamukha figure, maroon in colour. Directly below Dechen Gyalmo is Vaishravana Riding a Lion.

At the top center is Samantabhadra Buddha, blue in colour. Directly below is a female figure holding an arrow. To the viewer's left is White Amitayus and an unidentified lay figure wearing what appears to be a religious hat of the Nyingma Payul tradition. On the top[ right side of the composition is red Hayagriva holding a sword and an unidentified religious figure, possibly a monastic.

Descending on the left side half way down the composition is a form of Shri Devi, blue, and riding a mule. Below that is Lhachen, red in colour, with two attendants. Below that are two dancing figures with attributes borrowed from the Bon religion.

Descending on the right side is a seated female figure holding an arrow and a jewelled vase. Below that is Yellow Jambhala and a red Lhachen with a single attendant. Below that are two female dancing figures.

Jeff Watt 3-2020

Secondary Images
Related Items
Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Vajrayogini, Vajravarahi Main Page
Buddhist Deity: Dechen Gyalmo Vajrayogini
Collection of Navin Kumar Gallery: Painting