Painting Set: Indian Adepts (Four Siddha Set)
Vajrasana Mahasiddha SystemSubjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Drugpa Kagyu Tradition
- Lhatog (Khampa Gar) Painting Style
- Gyalwang Drugchen
- Masterworks
- Confusions
- Others...
It has been asserted by some present day Drugpa Kagyu teachers that this set of Eighty-four Mahasiddha paintings, in an Eastern Tibetan Lhatog style, were created by either the 10th Gyalwang Drugpa, Mipham Chökyi Wangpo (1884 - 1930) or the 11th Gyalwang Drugpa, Tendzin Khyenrab Geleg Wangpo (1931 - 1960).
Jeff Watt [updated 5-2019]
Beyond the clear stylistic unity of all these paintings, the firm evidence that they belong to the same set is that all the mahasiddhas in each painting have four lines of verse inscribed near each of them. These are the verses from Vajrasana's Praise to the 84 Mahasiddhas (grub thob brgyad cu rtsa bzhi'i gsol 'debs) in the Tengyur. This also allows clear identification of each mahasiddha when the inscriptions are legible.
With four mahasiddhas in each painting the full set will be 21 paintings, with one additional painting of Vajradhara. Based on the Mahasiddha groupings and the list of names according to the Vajrasana system, we can number the paintings in the correct order.
Nick Dharmadi [updated 8-2026]
