Himalayan Art Resources

Mahakala: Shadbhuja, White (6 Hands, Shangpa)

White Mahakala Masterworks

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Shadbhuja Mahakala Main Page (Shangpa)
- Wealth Deities
- White Mahakala Main Page
- Confusions: Pehar, White Panjarnata, White Chaturmukha
- Others...

Videos:
- Shangpa Kagyu Protectors
- White Mahakala of the Shangpa Tradition

Iconographic Forms:
- Solitary
- Five Dakini Retinue
- With Consort (Khedrub)
- Tangtong Gyalpo Tradition
- Others...

Shadbhuja Sita Mahakala, (Tibetan: gon po kar po chag drug pa. English: the White Lord with Six Hands): emanation of Avalokiteshvara and principal wealth deity of the Shangpa Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

White Mahakala, a wealth deity of the Kriya class of Tantra, satisfies the economic needs of Tantric Buddhists. This is a Gelugpa example of a deity that has become popular within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It should be noted however that the Shangpa Kagyu School, founded by Khedrup Khyungpo Naljor (11th century), is unrelated to the more famous school of the same name founded by Marpa and his principal student Milarepa.

"Homage to Lord Chintamani, Holy Avalokiteshvara, the gathered compassion of all Buddhas of the ten directions and three times; to that emanation, the Six Handed Protector, devotedly with body, speech and mind I bow." (Common liturgical verse).

Lineage: Vajradhara, Jnana Dakini, Shri Shavaripa, Lord Maitripa, Mahasiddha Rahulagupta, Khedrup Khyungpo Naljor, Nyam Med Rinchen Tsondru, Bonton Kyergangpa (famous terton of the Hayagriva cycle of practice), etc.

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Jeff Watt 5-2003 [updated 5-2017, 1-2020]