M. Mokotoff 2-98

HAYAGRIVA, SECRET ACCOMPLISHMENT (Tibetan: tam drin sang drup, English: Horse Neck, Secret Accomplishment), wrathful tutelary deity of the Lotus family.

With three faces, red, green and white, the top of the central head is adorned with three green horse heads. The faces are wrathful with large round eyes, gaping mouths with bared fangs, curled tongues and brown hair flowing upward. With six hands, the three on the right hold a sword, trident and vajra. The three left hands hold intestines, a spear and perform a wrathful gesture. The two upper hands also hold the two left legs of a fresh elephant hide. Extremely ferocious, red in colour, adorned with a crown of five skulls, bone and jewel ornaments, he wears a necklace of fifty fresh human heads, a lower garment of tiger skin and a fresh human skin. With the eight legs, the right bent and left extended pressing down on eight slithering snakes, he stands above a sun disc and multi-coloured lotus surrounded by the flames of pristine awareness.

At the top center is the buddha Amitabha, red in colour with the two hands in the mudra (gesture) of meditation. At the right is Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava holding a vajra and skullcup, wearing the three robes. At the right corner is Nyerten Bepo Chenpo'i Naljor and below are Khedrup Shangton Chenpo and a lama without a name inscription. All three wear monastic robes and perform various mudras (gestures). To the left is Lama Tsongkhapa with the two hands held at the heart in the 'Dharma Teaching' mudra and wearing a yellow pandita hat. At the left corner is Benten Kyepa Chenpo and below are Dorje Chang Kunga Gyaltsen and Drogon Choje Tenpa. All three wear monastic robes and perform various mudras.

At the middle left is a form of Hayagriva inscribed as Ta Lha Arya Remanta, with one face, a horse head above and two hands holding a vajra stick and chain. At the middle right is the direction guardian Chog gyi Gonpo in the appearance of a Tibetan warrior, holding an upraised lance and banner in the right hand and a wealth vase in the left, and riding a horse.

At the bottom center is the special protector for the Hayagriva cycle of practice, Baiktse Chen, (Eng.: the 'Great Coat of Mail'). Having the appearance of a red Tibetan warrior covered in leather protective armour, in the right hand he holds a sword and in the left a human heart with a bow and arrow in the bend of the elbow and a lance with a banner against the shoulder. At the lower right riding a wild bear is the consort, Lhamo Dong Marwa - The Goddess with a Red Face, naked, blue, with one face and two hands holding a heart and kila (peg). At the lower left is the son, Lekhan Srog Dag Marpo, riding a wolf, holding a lance and lasso, dressed in the raiment of a warrior. At the upper left is the worldly protector Setrap (also known as Tshangpa), red in colour, holding a wooden club in the upraised right hand and a lasso in the left. Dressed as a warrior, he rides a brown horse. At the right is Damchen Garwa'i Nagpo, blue, holding a vajra hammer in the upraised right hand and a blacksmiths bellows made of tiger skin in the left. Dressed in long flowing garments and wearing a broad hat he rides a brown goat with twisted horns. At the bottom right is a skullcup containing the offering of the five senses.

The painting belongs to the Gelugpa School. The subject, the Secret Accomplishment Hayariva, is a 'Revealed Treasure' teaching (Tib.: terma) of the Nyingmapa School and Baiktse Chen, the protector, was popularized by the early Sakya and Kagyu Schools. All of the figures but one have a name inscription written below each seat.

J.Watt 5-98