Item: Vajrayogini (Buddhist Deity) - (Naropa Tradition)

Vajrayogini from the Indian tradition of mahasiddha Naropa according to the Drugpa Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.

At the top are two Tibetan teachers wearing monastic robes and hats in a seated posture. At the right is Chaturbhuja Lokeshvara with four arms. At the far right corner is Padmasambhava.

The three goddesses at the top of the composition belong to the group of sixteen goddesses arranged around the central form of Vajrayogini. These sixteen are divided into three groups.

Vajrayogini stands above an orange sun disc, multi-coloured lotus and a double dharmadayo (dharmakara, tetrahedron), encircled by yellow flames.

The three groups of goddesses begin with the four small Yoginis that have the same appearance as the central Vajrayogini but with a green, blue, white and yellow appearance. The second group of four have the iconographic appearance of the Indrabhuti tradition Vajrayogini with the figure standing on the left leg, holding upraised a curved knife in the right hand and a skullcup to the heart in the left. They each stand next to the first group of four.

The final group of eight are the outer retinue and have four figures with bird and animal faces and four with human-like faces. In the East is blue Kakasya; North, green Ulukasya; West, red Shvanakasya; South, yellow Sukarasya; South-east, blue-yellow Yamadadhi; South-west, yellow-red Yamaduti; North-west, red-green Yamadanshtini; North-east, blue-green Yamamathani; Each of the eight has one face, four [or two] hands; the first two hold a damaru and katvanga; the lower two a curved knife and skullcup.

Jeff Watt 5-2016