Nepal, Guhyasamaja

Guhyasamaja, which means ‘secret assembly’ or ‘secret union’, is a general term for a yidam (a manifestation of the enlightened mind) with the appearance of a semi-wrathful bodhisattva corresponding to four different entities: Shri Hevajra, Akshobhyavajra, Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja, Lokeshvara Guhyasamaja.

18th century, Nepal, Kapaladhara Hevajra, gilt copper alloy, 13,3 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV, lot 36, 6th October 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

This form of Shri Hevajra, a meditational deity who usually stands on one or various victims, has eight heads with three eyes, sixteen arms holding skull cups, and four legs in a dancing posture, with two of his feet crushing the Hindu gods Brahma and Shiva while Vishnu and Indra are seated behind (or at the front in this case), or treading on four maras (demons). He is always in embrace with his consort, Nairatmya, who has one head with flaming orange hair, two hands, in which she holds a skull cup and a flaying knife, and two legs. Hevajra’s skull cups contain eight animals (including a human), who represent the eight diseases he can eradicate, and eight Hindu deities, whose respective power he embodies (water, fire, air, Earth, the Moon, the Sun, Death, a wealth holder). On this example, his heads are arranged in a row of seven plus one on top.

13th-14th century, Nepal, Guhyasamaja, gilt copper, 11,2 cm, private collection, photo by Polyauction on Lost Arts of Nepal

Akshobhyavajra, ‘The Unshakable’, embodies consciousness and comprises aspects of the five tathagatas. He has three heads with two or three eyes, six arms, and two legs. Always seated in embrace with his consort, he holds a vajra sceptre and a vajra bell (representing Akshobhya) in his main hands crossed over her back, a six or eight-spoke wheel (Vairocana), a nine-facet jewel (Ratnasambhava), an eight-petal lotus (Amitabha), and a sword (Amoghasiddhi) in the remaining hands. Sparsavaja has the same morphology and holds the same attributes.

13th century, Nepal, Manjuvajra, gilt copper (with stone inlay), private collection, photo David Wong on Lost Arts of Nepal

Of major importance in Newar Buddhism, Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja, whose name means ‘melodious speech’, is an esoteric form of Manjushri. He has three heads (NO third eye), six or ten arms, and two legs. Always seated, he usually holds a vajra sceptre and a vajra bell in his main hands crossed over his heart (sometimes two vajra sceptres and no bell), a sword and an arrow in the remaining right hands, a bow and a blue lily topped with a book in the remaining left ones. On paintings he is always depicted with his consort, Sparsavajra.

Nepal, Vajrahumkara

The pre-Buddhist generic term ‘Trailokyavijaya’ originally referred to  Krodha Vighnantaka, who has a wrathful yaksha appearance and is placed North on a mandala. Around the 7th or 8th century there appeared a four-head deity with four to eight arms called Trailokyavijaya, of which Vajrahumkara is a variant. Eventually, Trailokyavijaya as such disappeared and evolved into Samvara. (On Himalayan Art Resources the term is also used for sculptures of a wrathful three-legged deity from the Dali Kingdom).

Circa 11th century, Nepal, Trailokyavijaya, gilt copper, 32,4 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 511 pl. 166C, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 381, Lhasa (Tibet).

Vajrahumkara, whose name first appeared as an epithet of Trailokyavijaya in early esoteric Buddhist texts, has a wrathful or semi-wrathful human appearance, always standing in a fighting pose on one or two victims and making a gesture specific to him (vajrahumkara mudra), which consists in the hands being crossed before his heart with the palms outward, the forefingers pointing upwards and the little fingers entwined. This is a rare one-head and two-arm version. So far we have seen him with one head and four arms or three heads and six arms (plus a Kashmiri example with a lot more arms). We saw another such statue with an effigy of Akshobhya at the front of the crown and the other 4 tathagatas on the sides on HAR.  It is unusual for him to look so peaceful, he normally bites his lower lip with his upper fangs. 

Nepal, Vajrapurusha

Circa 10th century, Nepal, Vajrapurusha, copper with traces of gilding, 22,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 476 pl. 149A Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 293, Lhasa (Tibet).

We have seen him standing by the bodhisattva Vajrapani, but Vajrapurusha was first revered alone in Nepal (see the post devoted to him in ‘CATEGORIES >A few specific topics > characters, top of right-hand toolbar). He is identified by the half-vajra that emerges from his head, and the way he crosses his hands over his chest.

He wears a tiger skin dhoti, a small cape, and is adorned with snakes.

Nepal or Tibet, Bhurkumkuta

16th century, labelled ‘Nepal, Parnashavari, copper’ on Christie’s but ‘Tibet, Bhurkumkuta’HAR 8,5 cm, private collection.

This striking image depicts Bhurkumkuta, rarely seen in sculpture, in his three-head and six-arm form. Also known as Krodha Raja, this tantric meditational deity has a yaksha appearance, with three eyes, bared fangs, flaming hair and moustache, and may have one head with two or six arms, or three heads and six arms as above. He stands with his legs wide apart in a fighting pose (alidha), clad in a tiger skin loin cloth and adorned with snakes, bone jewellery, and crowns. His attributes are a visvajra (main right hand), a vajra sceptre (middle right hand), and other implements with a vajra tip or a vajra handle – in this case a  lasso (main left hand), a stick, an axe, a bell. In most cases one of his left hands makes a pointing gesture, but not on this example.

There is a female version (Krodhini Bhurkumkuta), who holds the same attributes in her six-arm form, or a vase in both hands in her two-arm form.  Their function is to eradicate illness or disease (like Parnashavari, a forest goddess who wears a jewelled skirt and a blouse of leaves, and holds different attributes).

Nepal, Guhyasamaja Manjuvajra

17th century, Nepal, Guhyasamaja Manjuvajra (labelled ‘Manjushrivajra’), gilt bronze with turquoise and coral inlay, 19 cm, inventory nº y647 at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

A rare sculpture of the Manjuvajra aspect of Guhyasamaja, a semi-wrathful deity with a princely appearance. Guhyasamaja Manjuvajra, an esoteric form of Manjushri, is always seated and often in embrace with his consort, Sparsavajra (also known as Adhiprajna), who has three heads and six arms like him. In this instance he wears a helmet, typical of the Malla period, topped with a coral-inlaid jewel finial. His long dhoti is decorated with an incised floral pattern. His main hands are crossed behind her back, the remaining right hands hold a (broken) sword and a (missing) arrow, the left hands hold a lotus and a bow. According to the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia, she holds a sword, a lotus, a jewel, a wheel, her other two hands are around his neck.

Nepal, Kalachakra (3)

Circa 16th century, Nepal, Kalachakra and Visvamata, polychrome wood, 77 cm, Images of Devotion lot 1032, 30th November 2022, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

As on a painting, the use of polychromy shows that Kalachakra, depicted here in his four-head and twenty-four arm form, has a dark blue body, and each of his four faces is a different colour. Traditionally, the attributes in his hands are a flaming arrow, a vajra hook, a wheel, a spear, a bell, a shield, a bow, a vajra lasso, a conch shell, a mirror, a drum, a hammer, a stick, an axe, a ritual staff, a skull cup, a jewel, a lotus, a vajra chain, Brahma’s head. His consort is depicted in her four-head and eight-arm form, with a red body. As usual, they stand on Hindu deities Kamadeva and Rudra, who have four arms and are attended by two figures kneeling on the lotus pedestal. Additionally, this large work also includes a couple of multi-armed wrathful yaksha figures (Bhairava, according to Dora Tan on the above link) standing on each side of the couple. He probably wears a tiger skin loin cloth and is adorned with a garland of severed heads, princely crowns, bone jewellery. Vishvamata wears a garland of skulls, princely crowns, bone jewellery and what looks like a bone apron or belt. They each have a half-vajra finial on their chignon and he has a visvajra and a crescent moon at the front (see close up on above link).

Nepal, Dorje Legpa

17th century, Nepal, Dorje Legpa, gilt bronze with stones and pigment, 28 cm, inventory nº y-1179 at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

Dorje Legpa, with a third eye and a gaping mouth with bared fangs, hold a wrenched heart to his mouth with his left hand and brandishes a (missing) vajra sceptre in the other. Seated on a snow lion, atop a Mongolian-style lotus base, he wears kingly attire and thick felt boots, gold jewellery, including Chinese-style earrings, and an unusual cap that covers most of his red flaming hair and has a skull ornament at the front. According to a Tibetan legend, Dorje Legpa, (a pre-Buddhist deity, possibly of Central Asian origin) is the wandering spirit of an Indian Buddhist monk who had committed many sins and was reborn as a ghost, as a punishment. He and his retinue are oath-bound protectors whose function is to safeguard the Nyingma Terma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He may ride a goat or a camel instead of a lion, and there is a three-head and six-arm form, who holds different attributes.

Nepal, Kalachakra (2)

17th-18th century, Nepal, Kalachakra, copper alloy, 10,5 cm, private collection, photo on Bonhams (Paris).

(Labelled ‘1500-1599, Tibet’ on HAR)

Kalachakra, ‘The Wheel of Time’, is depicted in his four-head and twenty-four arm form, in embrace with his consort, Vishvamata, also known as Kalachakri or Kalichakra, in her four-head and eight-arm form. The couple stands on two Hindu gods attended by two kneeling figures, atop a double lotus base with flat pointed petals topped with thin swollen ones, a design often seen on Late Malla metal sculptures. He wears a tiger skin loin cloth, a garland of severed heads, bone jewellery, skull crowns, and has a visvajra topped with a flaming jewel (instead of a crescent moon) on his chignon. Ancient Nepalese metal sculptures of this meditational deity are rare. The only other example we saw (on Christie’s ) was lavishly gilt – the normal practice during the Malla Period.

Kalachakra’s implements usually are; axe, hammer, flaying knife, stick, drum, trident, spear, hook, sword, wheel, arrow, vajra sceptre, in his right hands, skull cup, lotus, Brahma’s head, ritual staff, jewell, chain, shield, lasso, mirror, bell, bow, conch shell, in his left hands.

Nepal, Kalachakra

15th century, Nepal, Kalachakra and consort, gilt copper alloy, 26,7 cm, private collection, photo on Christie’s(labelled ‘Tibet’ on HAR )

A rare image of Kalachakra, a meditational deity whose name means ‘The Wheel of Time’, standing in embrace with Vishvamata, also known as Kalachakri, both dressed in long dhotis with an incised floral motif, visvajras near the lower hem, and around the waist. He has four heads, whose crowns are decorated with a visvajra on each leaf, plus a visvajra in his chignon (there should also be a crescent moon on the other side, and possibly an effigy of Vajrasattva) and 24 hands, in which he holds wrathful implements. She also has four heads, her crowns are adorned with upright vajras (see close up on the HAR website, which gives a clearer image than Christie’s) and 8 hands, in which she holds various attributes. The missing pedestal would have featured Kamadeva and Rudra under their feet and possibly two kneeling figures.

Nepal, wrathful figures (5)

16th century, Nepal, possibly Yamantaka, stone, private collection, photo by Bonhams, Fine Asian Art 11th July 2005, London.

Standing on a yaksha and flanked by two female deities, this wrathful deity has four hands, in which he holds a sword, a shield, a curved knife, a severed head. More heads a strung around his neck. The stele behind him is decorated with various figures including and the pedestal features musicians and dancers.

14th century, Nepal, Vajrabhairava (labelled ‘Yamantaka Sukhavana Samvara’), copper alloy, photo from the Huntington Archive (nº 50534), at the National Museum in Kathmandu (Nepal).

Vajrabhairava, with  9 heads (including a buffalo head as his main head), 34 hands and 16 legs, in embrace with his consort, Vajravetali, who holds a skull cup and a flaying knife. He holds peaceful and wrathful attributes. His eight right legs are bent and usually tread on four gods and four mammals, his eight left legs are stretched and usually tread on another four gods and four birds (all missing here).

16th century, Nepal, labelled ‘Guhyasamaja’, gilt bronze (copper alloy with cold gold and pigment), private collection, photo by Sotheby’s, 2009.

This figure with a wrathful yaksha appearance has three heads and six hands, in which he holds a sword and an axe, a vajra stick and a vajra bell, a vajra sceptre and a vajra-tipped lasso – a combination we have not seen on any form of Guhyasamaja or any wrathful deity so far. He wears a tiger skin loin cloth, a necklace with pendants, snake jewellery and sacred cord, his flaming hair is tied with a snake, there is an effigy of a buddha at the front.

14th century, Nepal or Tibet, Rakta Yamari, copper alloy, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s

Yamari is an aspect of Yamantaka who always has a human head (or several). Rakta (red) Yamari is a tantric manifestation of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. Heruka rakta Yamari stands in embrace with his consort, on a victim atop a prostrate male buffalo. He has one head with three eyes, two arms, and two legs, and wears a tiger skin loin cloth and naga ornaments. He may hold a flaying knife and a skull cup across her back, or hold a skull cup behind her back and brandish a staff tipped with a severed head, as above.

16th century, Nepal, Rakta Yamari with consort, gilt copper, photo on Fondation Alain Bordier , at the Tibet Museum in Gruyères (Switzerland).

His consort holds a flaying knife and a skull cup, she wears a bone apron and is adorned with a five-skull crown, snakes, a garland of skulls.

18th century, Nepal, Chitipati, painted wood, Richard Harris collection, photo on artwork

The father-mother pair with a frightful skeletal form, shiny eyes, a curled tongue and bared fangs, dressed in a short lower garment and a flowing scarf, adorned with a five-skull crown, standing with a leg in the air. Known as Shri Shma, he stands on a conch shell, wielding a skull-tipped staff and holding a skull cup filled with blood. His partner, Shana Adhipati, stands on a cowrie shell and holds a sheaf of grain and a long-life vase.