Buddhist Deity: Eight Heruka Iconography

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Eight Pronouncement Heruka

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Eight (9 or 10) Heruka
- Outline Page
- Nyingma Heruka
- Confusions: Guhyagarbha, Bardo Deities, Chemchog, Palchen Dupa
- Others...

Eight Pronouncement Heruka:
1. Yamari (Manjushri Krodha) - body - Manjushrimitra.
2. Hayagriva - speech - Nagarjuna.
3. Shri Vishuddha Heruka - mind - Humkara.
4. Vajramrita - quality - Vimalamitra. (Often substituted with Mahottara)
5. Vajrakila - activity - Padmasambhava. (Typically green in colour)
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6. Mamo Botong (Matarah) - Dhanasamskrita.
7. Jigten Choto (Lokastotrapuja) - Rambuguhya.
8. Mopa Dranag (Vajramantrabhiru) - Shantigarbha.
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[9. Mahottara Heruka is often substituted for Vajramrita]
[10. Lama Rigdzin: representing the teacher, Padmasambhava and the Eight Vidyadhara.

Videos:
- Eight Pronouncement Heruka (Part 1)
- Eight Pronouncement Heruka (Part 2)

Visual Context in a single composition or multiple painting set:
- Individual: Heruka & Mandala
- Combined: Eight Pronouncement Heruka & 725 Deity Mandala
- Revealed Treasure: Primary or Secondary Figures in various compositions

The figures of Chemchog and Yangdag are easily confused and conflated. The appearance and hand attributes are generally the same. The term Chemchog is a translation of Mahottara who appears with several different forms ranging in complexity: 3 Faces, 9 faces and 21 Faces. There are some 'Revealed Treasure' forms of the Eight Pronouncement Heruka as secondary figures where the hand attributes can be different from those described in the earlier texts.

In some systems Vajramrita is substituted with Mahottara to represent qualities. There are later Revealed Treasure systems that depict the secondary figures such as Yamari, Vajrakila and Shri Heruka with one face and two hands. Some late forms of Mahottara can also have a scorpion hand attribute similar to that of Guru Dragpo Heruka.

Database Search: Heruka, Miscellaneous | Mandalas

Jeff Watt [updated 4-2023]

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).