Manuscript Cover Interior with Mahasiddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Protectors
Not on view
The scene on this vibrant red manuscript cover would only have been visible to monastic practitioners reading the enclosed text. The top row features the fierce protector Mahakala, followed by four mahasiddhas (quasi-mythic tantric masters) and, finally, the goddess Tara, who holds her hand in a gesture of giving (varada mudra). The figures on the bottom are all auspicious and include another version of Tara, Jambala (the god of wealth), and four bodhisattvas. Together, this set of deities empowered and protected the manuscript.
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