Buddhist Deity: Manjushri, 3 Iconographic Topics (Arapachana)
Three Iconographic Topics | Arapachana (Iconographic Forms)Three Iconographic Topics:
--- Iconographic Details (textual description/iconography)
--- Non-iconographic Details (stylistic interpretation/art history)
--- Symbolic Meanings (religious context)
- Textual Description (below)
Video: Arapachana Introduction
Iconographic Details: (figure & attributes/Text based)
- Male
- One face, two arms
- White, orange, yellow, red colour
- Peaceful appearance
- Gestures & attributes:
--- Teaching gesture, sword & book, 2 utpala flowers
--- Holding a sword, book above an utpala flower
--- Variant gestures with a book, sword, or both
- Peaceful Ornaments
- Seated in vajrasana or royal ease, moon disc, lotus seat
- Best examples
- Masterworks
Non-iconographic Details: (stylistic interpretation/art history)
- Body proportions
- Iconometric measurements
- Design of ornaments
- Design & colour of garments
- Angle of the head
- Sway of the body
- Sword length
- Lotus seat colours
- Outer halo type & colour
- Others...
Symbolic Meanings: (religious context)
- Figure
- Attributes
- Adornments
- Supports
Textual Examples:
"...Arya Manjushri with a body orange in colour, having the colour of fresh saffron, one face and two hands. The right holds aloft the sword of wisdom severing ignorance and in the left the stem of an utpala to the heart, blossoming at the ear with the Prajnaparamita book above. With the feet seated in vajra posture, having jewel ornaments and upper and lower garments of silk, the hair tied to the left in five tufts - [some] loose; having the appearance of a youth of sixteen years. A moon disc with the nature of light supports the back." (Sakya Lotsawa Kunga Sonam (1485-1533), 23rd Throne Holder of Sakya. sGrub Thabs Kun bTus, vol.2, fol.258-261. Translated into English by (c)Jetsun Kusho Chimey Luding and Jeff Watt. May 1984).
Bari Gyatsa:
[3] Arapachana Manjushri. White Lord Manjushri Arapachana, holding in the right [hand] a sword [and in] the left a book, in the same manner as before, with ornaments, garments and seated.
Jeff Watt 7-2023
(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).
