Two Rare Images of a Buddhist Tantric Deity

This short note presents two rare bronze images of Padmanarttesvara, an esoteric form of Avalokitesvara in Mahayana Buddhism. Padmanarttesvara is an emanation of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha and his consort Pandara; though Avalokitesvara appears in numerous forms, Padmanarttesvara images are extremely scarce, with only one known example published before 1924. The Museum of the Indian Historical Research Institute at St. Xavier’s College, Bombay, acquired two slightly different versions of the eighteen-armed form. The article summarises Dr. Bhattacharyya’s classification: Padmanarttesvara can appear in three forms—two dancing forms with 18 or 8 arms and a seated form with two arms. The first image described measures about 11 inches high and shows the deity dancing on a lotus in the ardhaparyanka pose; eight of the right hands carry small double lotuses and the ninth holds a large lotus, while the left hands mirror this arrangement with the last supporting the folded right leg. The figure is richly adorned with a jewelled crown, earrings, necklaces, the srivatsa mark and flowing garments whose drapery creates wave-like folds. The second bronze, about 10 inches high, shares many features but has notable differences: most of its hands are in abhaya mudra rather than holding lotuses, its legs are positioned slightly differently, and it is encircled by an elaborate prabhavali (floral halo) made of lotus motifs. Both images lack some iconographic elements prescribed in texts, such as a Dhyani Buddha in the crown or attendant yoginis, but their quality and rarity make them valuable contributions to the study of Buddhist iconography.

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