Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Indian Teacher - Gayadhara

རྒྱ་གར་གྱི་མཁས་པ། མཁན་ཆེན། 印度的祖师
(item no. 90910)
Origin Location Central Tibet
Date Range 1600 - 1699
Lineages Sakya
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Carolyn and Wesley Halpert
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Appearance: Monastic

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Gayadhara, Drogmi Lotsawa, Seton Kunrig and Shangton Chobar of the Sakya Lamdre Lineage.

At the upper left is the Indian Pandita Gayadhara with the hands in the mudra (gesture) of Dharma Teaching grasping the stems of two lotus flowers blossoming over each shoulder supporting a wisdom sword and book. Attired in the yellow and orange robes, his head is adorned with a red pandita hat, seated with the legs in vajra posture atop an elephant supported throne. At the right is Drogmi Lotsawa with the right hand performing the mudra of generosity and the left bestowing blessing. In the lower register are Seton Kunrig and Shangton Chobar.

Between the upper and lower four central figures are the deities blue Akshobhyavajra and orange Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja. The teachers of the lineage of Guhyasamaja are seated at the top and extend down the sides. At the bottom center is the wrathful wisdom protector Panjarnata Mahakala.

Jeff Watt 4-2000

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Subject: Margapala Lineage Paintings (Sakya)
Collection of Caroline & Wesley Halpert
Teacher Portraits: Multiple Main Figures
Subject: Margapala Sets (Four Figures)
Painting Set: Margapala [13] (four figures)
Teacher: Drogmi Lotsawa Shakya Yeshe
Teacher: Seton Kunrig (Lamdre Lineage)
Indian Scholar: Gayadhara Main Page
Teacher: Shangton Chobar (Lamdre Lineage)
Collection: Christie's, Painting (March, 2004; NY)