The Iconography and Significance of Hevajra and the Eight Dakinis in Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Art
Tantra is an ancient concept that predates Buddhism and carries profound spiritual significance across various traditions, including Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The term "Tantra" itself comes from the Sanskrit word tan, meaning "to stretch" or "to weave," and tra meaning "instrument." In essence, Tantra represents a path of weaving sacred rituals and practices, creating a dynamic framework for spiritual transformation. While the practice of Tantra emerged in India as early as the 8th century CE, it developed its distinct form in Buddhism, through such significant Tantra works as the Guhyasamaja Tantra, Chakrasamvara Tantra, and Hevajra Tantra. These teachings form the backbone of Tantric Buddhism, guiding practitioners toward enlightenment through the incorporation of wisdom and compassion.
Meaningful Transformative Thangka: Hevajra with Nairatmya and the Eight Dakinis
The Hevajra with Nairatmya and the Eight Dakinis Thangka is one of the most sacred depictions of this tantric path. The Thangka shows Hevajra in a yabyum union with his consort, Nairatmya, representing the deep, interdependent relationship between the male and female principles. In Tantric iconography, yabyum refers to the sacred union between a deity and their consort, often used to illustrate the unity of opposites, compassion (Hevajra), and emptiness (Nairatmya). The combined figures of these deities in the Thangka not only portray a combination of wisdom and compassion, but also the combination of the ultimate truth and the practice of enlightenment.
In addition to the central deities, this thangka also features eight powerful Dakinis, each representing essential aspects of the path to liberation. These Dakinis represent the different aspects required in spiritual practice, such as protection and energy, up to wisdom and transformation. Together with Hevajra and Nairatmya, they form a dynamic, interconnected system, mirroring the intricate nature of the mind and the transformative journey toward enlightenment. By reflecting on this spiritual visual of the thangka, practitioners engage in a profound spiritual practice by using it as a tool for reflection, purification, and connection with the deeper aspects of their consciousness.
This Thangka is not just a portrait of deities, but also serves as a mirror to the heart and mind, inviting viewers to explore the union of wisdom and compassion within themselves. Through meditation on the vivid iconography of Hevajra and the Dakinis, practitioners can unlock the transformative power of Tantric teachings, allowing them to weave together the dualities of existence and approach the true nature of reality.
The Central Figure: Hevajra and Nairatmya
At the heart of the thangka is Hevajra with Nairatmya, a complex visual representation of the union between wisdom and compassion. This central pair, depicted in yab-yum, serves as the primary focus for meditational visualization, where the devotee seeks to realize themselves as the originator and producer of this divine system.
Iconography of Hevajra
Hevajra, a semi-wrathful deity belonging to the Heruka class, is a reincarnation of the Jina Buddha Akshobhya. His appearance is meant to be a manifestation of the mirror-like intuition that allows the practitioner to dispel the impolite acts.
- Body and Color: He is typically depicted as dark blue in color. While conceptually his skin is light blue like his Prajna, his body is described as being smeared with funeral ashes, giving him a darker, more darker and gloomier hue. He is surrounded by the vibrant orange and red flames of pristine awareness.
- Heads: Hevajra has eight heads. The face of the central is blue; the face to his right is white, and the face to his left is red. The eighth head is situated centrally above the others and is brown. From each head, vibrant orange hair flows upward like a flame.
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Arms and Attributes: He has sixteen hands, each holding a skullcup (kapala).
- Right Hands: The eight skullcups on his proper right carry eight animals looking inward: a cat, lion, man, camel, ox, donkey, horse, and elephant.
- Left Hands: The eight skullcups on his left carry eight worldly gods or elemental forces looking outward. These represent earth, water, air, fire, moon, sun, Yama (Lord of Death), and Vaishravana (Lord of Wealth).
- Legs and Stance: He has four legs and stands in a dynamic dancing stance. Two legs are planted on the ground, while the other two are drawn up.
- Ornaments: He is adorned with a crown of five skulls, various bone ornaments, and a garland of fifty freshly severed heads.
Iconography of Nairatmya
Nairatmya, whose name means "Non-self," represents the female principle of wisdom (Prajna).
- Body and Color: She is dark blue in color, matching the wrathful intensity of Hevajra.
- Arms and Attributes: She has one face and two arms. In her raised right hand, she wields a curved knife or skull chopper (kartrika). Her left arm is wrapped around the neck of Hevajra in an embrace.
- Legs and Stance: She has two legs; she is supported by her left leg while her right leg is wrapped around Hevajra.
- Ornaments: She is adorned with a tiara of five skulls, a necklace of fifty skulls, and white bone ornaments.
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The Iconography of the Eight Dakinis
In the Hevajra Cycle of Tantras, the eight dakinis are specifically called goddesses (devi) due to origin myths involving the subjugation of indigenous Indian gods and their consorts.
Each goddess represents a cardinal or intermediary direction and possesses a distinct iconographic form, although visual representations in thangkas often contain anomalies compared to the root text, the Hevajra Tantra. Generally, each goddess has one face and two hands, is adorned with bone ornaments and a necklace of fifty skulls, and dances upon a corpse, sun disc, and lotus seat.
Vetali:
She represents the West. She is Yellow in color. Positioned first from the left. She holds a tortoise and a skullcup.
Chandali:
She represents the Southwest. She is blue or black (dark like a cloud) in color. Positioned first from the right. She holds a wheel and a plough.
Dombini:
She represents the Northwest. She is blue or black (dark like a cloud) in color. Positioned second from the left. She holds a vajra and performs a wrathful gesture.
Cauri:
She represents the South. She is Red in color. Positioned second from the right. She holds a damaru drum and a pig.
Ghashmari:
She represents the North. She is Green in color. Positioned third from the right. She holds a snake and a skullcup.
Shavari:
She represents the Southeast. She is moonstone (white) in color. Positioned third from the left. She holds a monk and a fan.
Pukkasi:
She represents the Northeast. She is sapphire (blue) in color. Positioned fourth from the left. She holds a lion and an axe.
Gauri:
She represents the East. She is black in color. Positioned fourth from the right. She holds a kartrika (curved knife) and skullcup.
The Upper Register: Lineage and the Primordial Buddha
The upper portion of the thangka provides the spiritual and historical legitimacy for the practice. At the top center is the primordial Buddha Vajradhara, who is blue in color and holds a vajra and bell crossed at his heart. He is the primary emanator of the entire mandalic system.
Surrounding him are the human masters who transmitted these teachings from India to Tibet:
The Mahasiddhas:
On the proper right is Saroruhavajra and on the left is Virupa, great Indian "achievers" who first received these revealed treasures.
Panjarnata Mahakala: Protector for the Shri Hevajra cycle of Tantras
The most significant deity is Panjarnata Mahakala, the primary protector for the Shri Hevajra cycle.
Panjarnata Mahakala is blue-black, holding a curved knife and a skullcup, with a "gandhi staff" resting horizontally across his forearms. His name, which means "Vajra Pavilion," refers to an egg-shaped protective barrier created from vajra scepters that surrounds a tantric mandala to shield the practitioner from negative influences.
Beside him, one often finds ishtadevatas, "chosen deities" who serve as personal protectors for the patron who commissioned the work. In some instances, a small figure of a monk may be depicted in the extreme corner, shown in the act of perpetually consecrating the mandala.
Conclusion: A Vision for the Public and the Individual
Although these thangkas were created to appeal to high-level practitioners, they were of great popularity to the lay audience in Tibet, China, and Mongolia. The Hevajra gave a malleable philosophy and potent deities that found appeal in both the kings and ordinary people, who got their common denominator in the desire to achieve enlightenment in this world.
The Thangka of the Hevajra with Nairatmya and the Eight Dakinis is still an eloquent evidence of the multifarious character of the human soul. It is not only a painting but an organized display of reality. To the practitioner, the mandala is a gateway: by entering the centre and becoming the two main figures in it, the practitioner is pushed out of the illusion of the self into the achievement of shunyata, the utter emptiness where compassion and wisdom are united.
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