Item: Indian Adept (siddha) - Damarupa

Damarupa and Avadhutipa from a set of Lamdre Lineage paintings belonging to the Ngor Monastery of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The set of paintings was commissioned between 1419 and 1430 by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (1382-1456 [P1132]) as part of the funerary services for his teacher Buddhashri who passed away in 1419.

Directly above the two central figures are three deities, from the (viewers) left is the three faced, six armed Hevajra, Shri Heruka Hevajra, and the three faced, four armed Hevajra.

The twenty-one figures along the top and side registers follow the list of the Eighty-four mahasiddhas according to the Vajrasana system of the 11th century. The next painting in the greater set would contain the remaining mahasiddhas.

In the lower left register is Vairochana-Hevajra, white in colour. Along the bottom are Gauri, Chauri, Vetali, Ghashmari, Pukkashi, Shavari, Chandali and Dombini. The colours of the goddesses vary according to the Buddha Family of the Hevajra figure.

There are three very popular and well documented systems listing the names and biographies of the Eighty-four Great Mahasiddhas of India. They are the Vajrasana, the Abhayakara Gupta, and Shrisena systems. All three were translated into the Tibetan language.

Jeff Watt 11-2024