Item: Ekajati (Buddhist Deity)

Ekajati, with Twelve Faces and Twenty-four Hands (Tib.: ral chig ma shal chu nyi chag nyi shu tsa shi. Eng.: One Braid). (See detail images of all of the figures).

Video: Universal Deities

"Goddess Ekajati, blue-black in colour, twelve faces, with the main face black. For the five right faces the first is white, second yellow, third green, fourth red, and fifth smoky-coloured. For the five left faces the first is red, second white, third yellow, fourth green, and fifth red-white. The upper face is smoky-coloured. With bared fangs and the brow gathered in a frown each face has three round red eyes. For the twenty-four hands the right hold a sword, vajra, wheel, jeweled throne, hook, arrow, spear, hammer, pestle, curved knife, hand-drum, and prayer beads. In the left are a bow, lasso, wrathful gesture, pennant, stick, trident, alcohol cup, lily, bell, axe, head of Brahma, and a skullcup. The single plait of brownish-yellow hair flows upward; adorned with five dry skulls, a necklace of fifty fresh heads, the six ornaments and snakes, terrifying with a radiant face and flickering tongue, fearsome and ugly, short with a distended belly, large raised breasts, wearing a tiger skin lower garment, the eight great snakes as ornaments, youthful and marvelous. The left leg is extended standing on a corpse seat." (An Ocean of Methods of Accomplishment, Thartse Panchen Namka Chime, 1756-1820).

At the top center is Marichi with three faces and fourteen hands. Descending at the viewers left is Dharmadhatu Ishvari Marichi with six faces and twelve hands, yellow Pichu Marichi with three faces and eight hands, white Chunda with one face and four hands, Ekajati with one face and two hands, and green Janguli with one face and four hands.

Descending at the right side are red Odiyana Krama Marichi with six faces and twelve hands, Marichi with six faces and twelve hands, yellow wrathful Marichi with one face and two hands, yellow peaceful Marichi with one face and two hands, and Ekajati with one face and four hands. At the bottom center is black Ekajati with one face and six hands.

Tibetan Paintings by Hugo E. Kreijger (list of image plates).

Jeff Watt, 6-2006

Thematic Sets
Region: Bhutan, Deities
Exhibition: Big!
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati, Twelve Faces
Tradition: Drugpa Kagyu Main Page
Collection of Jucker (Tibetan Art)
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Masterworks
Region: Bhutan: Painting & Textile Masterworks
Subject: Inscriptions Main Page (Painting)
Subject: Universal Deities (Appearance)
Collection of RMA: Bhutan Masterworks
Details for Ekajati HAR #89181
Subject: Arms of Deities (Numbers)
Iconography: Deities - Physical Features Page
Subject: Ladies with Beards
Subject: Heads in Himalayan Art
Collection of RMA: Iconographically Rare Works
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Art History
Region: Bhutan, Main Page
Subject: Faces of Deities (Numbers)
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati Main Page (One Braid)
Buddhist Deity: Ekajati (Sarma Tradition)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 4
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Bhutan
Painting Set: Sadhanamala (Drugpa Kagyu)