Himalayan Art Resources

Mahakala: Shadbhuja with 75 Lords of Pure Lineage

Shadbhuja (Shangpa) Iconography Page

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- 75 Lords of Pure Lineage Description (below)
- Masterworks
- Confusions: 75 Forms of Mahakala
- Others...

Video: Mahakala Clarification

The Seventy-five Lords of Pure Lineage:
- The Ten Guardians of the Directions, (Tibetan - chog yong chu)
- The Eight Great Gods, (Tib. - lha chenpo gye)
- The Eight Great Nagas, (Tib. - lhu chenpo gye)
- The Eight Great Planets, (Tib. - za chenpo gye)
- The Four Worldly Guardians, (Tib. - jig ten kyong wa shi)
- The Twenty-eight Constellations, (Tib. - gyu kar nyi shu tsa gye)
- The Nine Great Bhairavas, (Tib. - jig je chenpo gu)

The image examples below depict Shadbhuja along with the full complement of 75 retinue figures.

Jeff Watt 6-2013 [updated 6-2017]