52.25"x37.75'’ Yamantaka with Consort Thankga Painting

Yamantaka with His Consort – The God of Protection

Yamantaka is a god of protection against enemies. Yamantaka is depicted with Buffalo head and is also regarded as Buddhist Guardian god.  Yamantaka is regarded as the wrathful form of Manjushri in the full expression of his powers. He has seven angry heads and a large buffalo head at the center, topped with another angry head and Manjushri’s, with 9 faces, 34 hands and 16 legs. His red hair stands on end "with scorpion-sting shaped tips." His mouth is open to reveal fangs and a lolling tongue seeking blood and other tastes. The eyes are large and protruding, a third eye located at the center of the forehead. The eyebrows are angrily knitted and raised. At the apex of the crown above the head of a garuda is a peaceful head of the Bodhisattva Manjusri, of whom Yamantaka is the ferocious emanation.

The central main hands hold a chopping-knife and human skull-bowl embracing the consort. The other hands hold pairs of knives and axes, ritual bells, human feet, daggers with handles in the shape of vajras, tiger’s paws, freshly severed fifty heads, menacing pointing fingers he embraces the consort Vajra Vetali who has one face and two hands holding a skull cup in the left. The right legs of Bhairava are bent pressing down on various animals and gods. The left legs are extended straight and press upon various birds and gods; standing above an orange sun disc and multi-colored lotus completely surrounded by the orange and red flames of pristine awareness. In front of the lotus seat is a skull cup filled with various offerings.