Yamantaka Ekavira

Yamantaka is the wrathful manifestation of bodhisattva Manjushri, the essence of the wisdom of all Buddhas. The term 'Yamantaka' means one who puts an end to Yama. In Buddhist pantheon 'Yama' is the lord of Death and 'antaka' means one who ends. Thus Yamantaka means one who ends death. Yamantaka is the secret terror so that the no one ever betrays the precepts of Shakyamuni Buddha. Yamantaka is the fusion of two aspects – the blessed aspect and the irate aspect – the emanation of the double aspect of Manjushri. He is so fierce as to destroy all forces contrary to Dharma. He is thus a god of redemption, one who fights against evil and triumphs. Manjushri under this form conquered Yama the king of Death who was depopulating Tibet. The Tibetan people then pray to Manjushri to protect them from Yama. Manjushri then assumed the fierce form of Yamantaka and defeated Yama and turned him into a protector of Buddhism in order to save the people.

Yamantaka is also known as Vajrabhairava, 'Adamantine Anger'. It is said that this form of Yamantaka has associations with the Brahmanical deity Mahabhairava, a special form of lord Shiva, who in this form destroys the universe at the end of the eon. The Buddhist Yamantaka tantras combine aspects of both deities (Yama and Shiva) into the cult of Vajrabhairava-Yamantaka, in Tibetan Buddhism.

Iconographically Yamantaka has many forms; the present form of Yamantaka is called Yamantaka Ekavira, Ekavira means, 'solitary hero', in this form Yamantaka does not embrace his consort. Here yellow complexioned Yamantaka Ekavira has nine faces, three on each side of the main head and one above it, each with three eyes. The main head is that of a fierce buffalo with horns. The topmost head is of Manjushri. The eight wrathful heads wear skull crowns, and their hair rises upwards, signifying the deity's enlightenment. Yamantaka wears an elephant-skin cloak, a garland of freshly cut human heads, and bone ornaments. He is naked except for his adornments. He is naked except for his adornments. He is naked except for his adornments. He has thirty-four arms. The two main arms hold a cranium and vajra marked chopper. His remaining hands hold tantra symbols. His each arm with attributes fights for his devotees to evil beings. Yamantaka has sixteen legs, eight on each side. Lying face down under his bent right legs are one human male and six animals that one human male and six animals that are, in turn, stepping on four devas. Under his outstretched left legs, eight birds are also stepping on four devas. There is wisdom fire aureole behind him.

The upper corners are filled with cloud formations. The lower middle ground and foreground depicts rocks, lakes and natural vegetation. The painting is very much suitable for sadhana and practices of Yamantaka Ekavira.

This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma. His Doctorate thesis being: "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D.)".

Click Here to View the Thangka Painting along with its Brocade

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