Item: Yamari, Manjushri (Eight Pronouncements)

Yamari Heruka (shinje dregpa jom che) from the lineage of Manjushri Mitra and the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Yamari Heruka has three faces and six hands, black in colour, wrathful in appearance and embracing a consort with one face and two hands. Eight attendant figures accompany the central couple: Dragtung Pema Dragpo, Yamari, Sangwa'i Dagpo, Kutrul Chidag, Tugtrul Tsedag Nagpo, Sungtrul Sogdag, Yaksha Mebal, and Tamdrin.

At the top center is Buddha Vajradhara with Manjushri directly below. On the left side are the teachers Manjushri Mitra, Tsuglag Palge, Vasudhara and Dricho Palchen wearing monastic attire. On the right side of Vajradhara are Dragtung Nagpo, Shanti Garbha, Sanggye Yeshe, Longchenpa along with a Tibetan figure in monastic garb but without a name inscription.

The lower third of the composition depicts various protector deities related to the practice of Yamari Heruka and the Nyingma 'Revealed Treasure' traditions. Each figure is identified by a small Tibetan name inscription written below or to the side of the figure.

Heruka is a Sanskrit word that has a number of different meanings depending on the tantra in which it is used. In the Tibetan language the word heruka is translated as 'drag tung' which means 'blood drinker.' When the term heruka is used in art and iconography it generally has three different meanings as found below.

In the Nyingma (Old) Tradition Heruka generally refers to any male-meditational deity, wrathful in appearance, typically with three faces, six arms, four legs, wings and a consort. There are eight famous Nyingma Heruka deities. Some deities with a semi-peaceful - semi-wrathful appearance, arising from specific Revealed Treasure Traditions, may also be referred to as Heruka.

Jeff Watt 1-2019 (Portions of the above text have been borrowed from other entries on the HAR website).

Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Eight Pronouncement Heruka
Buddhist Deity: Yamari (Kagye)
Subject: Heruka Meaning & Forms