The wrathful deities of the Guhyagarbha Tantra appear in this thangka of the fifty-eight wrathful deities. These deities belong to the mandala of the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. The forty-two peaceful deities and fifty-eight wrathful deities form the basis for the iconography depicting the subject of the 'Bardo' - The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The different Herukas in the painting are accompanied by the attendant and retinue deities.
The representation of Mahottara Heruka with his consort and five Herukas and their consorts:
In the center of the Thangka is Mahottara Heruka with his consort. At the upper left of the painting is Ratna Heruka, yellow in color. At the upper right is Padma Heruka, red in color. At the lower center is Buddha Heruka, maroon in color. At the lower right is Karma Heruka, green in color. At the lower left is Vajra Heruka, blue in color. Each of them appear with his female consort.
Mahottara Heruka (also known as Chemchok Heruka ཆེ་མཆོག་ཧེ་རུ་ཀ་) and his consort Krodhishvari (also known as Namshyalma གནམ་ཞལ་མ་)
Buddhaheruka and his consort Buddhakrodhishvari:
Vajraheruka and his consort Vajrarodhishvari:
Ratnaheruka and his consort Ratnarodhishvari:
Padmaheruka and his consort Padmakrodhishvari:
Karmaheruka and his consort Karmakrodhishvari:
Visit the Bardo Shitro Thangkas collection
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