| Product Tags | Tibetan Conch Shell, Vajravarahi Hand Carved, Ritual Object, Religious Object, Natural Sea conch shell, Hinduism shankha, Shankha, Buddhisim shankha |
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Tibetan Conch Shell with Vajravarahi Hand Carved
Weight: 1.14 kg
Size: 20 cm
Material: Conch shell
About the Product
Brief Introduction
Iconography
The crown of five skulls symbolises Vajravarahi's power to transform the five negative afflictions Vajravarahi_Buddhist Art Tibetanor troubles [Skt. kleshas] into the Five Wisdoms [Skt. Pancha Jana]. The Sanskrit word kleshaliterally means 'defilement' or 'poison.' Normally obscured by greed hatred delusion jealously & pride often called the five poisons. The five wisdom levels are 1. Tathata Jana - the 'non-conceptualizing awareness' of Sunyata. 2. Adarsa Jana - the 'Mirror-like Awareness' 'devoid of all dualistic thought & in union with its 'images' as a mirror [Skt. Adarsa] is with its reflections'. 3. Samata Jana - Awareness of Sameness which perceives the sameness the commonality of dharmas or phenomena 4. Pratyaveksana Jana - 'Investigative Awareness'. 5. Krtyanusthana Jana - Accomplishing Activities the awareness that spontaneously carries out all that has to be done for the welfare of beings. Each of these Wisdom Energies has a unique association with one of the Five Buddha Groups.
Her threatening Tarjani hand gesture [Skt. Mudra] also known as Karana mudra is made with a raised index & little finger & by folding the other fingers usually around an object represents her energy aimed at clarifying ignorance. In this case she clasps a flaying knife [Skt. Kartika] symbolising her breaking the power of materialism. Theword Kartika comes from the name of Shiva's Son. Her right hand pours self regenerating uterine blood into her mouth from a skullcap [Skt. Kapala] representing her independence from the material world ...including men. Vajravarahi is painted with a magical tantric staff [Skt. khatvanga] leaning against her shoulder & which has impaled three heads. The first blue head is a fresh severed the second red head is in decay and the third a white skull. Vajravarahi stands in satyalida [ardapayanka] position with once leg held aloft & the other trampling on the deity Kalatri representing the ego. She wears a necklace of fifty human heads [Skt. Kapalamala] as a symbol that she vanquishes the fifty negative emotions or 'forms' she has overcome. She is shown in a celestial dance [Skt. Apsara] position upon an orange sun disc associated with the feminine wisdom aspect & on a Lotus Throne representing Great Bliss and her overall figure is surrounded by a circle of flames of immaculate consciousness. The trees in the left foreground are the Ashoka Tree. The word Ashoka means without sorrow & is the tree linked to the Vedic God of love & sexual union Kamadeva. Apparently the tree blossoms when a virtuous lady touches it. She has boar head which shows an ancient link with the Hindu deity Vishnu. Varaha has a boar head & is one of Vishnu's eight incarnated forms [Skt. Avatars] In Hinduism his consort is Bhu Devi. She wears three flayed animal skins which relate to the original three poisons traditionally painted in the centre of the Wheel of Life [Skt. Bhavachakra] sometimes known as the Jivan Chakra. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning 'wheel'. The flayed human skin represents her power over greed the tiger skin represents her power over hatred and the elephant skin represents her immolation of Ignorance.
Commentary
Vajravarahi is an imprtant tantric Dakini. The word Dakini literally means 'sky walking' which refers to the fact that she manifests in the ether in other words the spiritual dimension Her dark yellow hair driven upward by her own intense internal tantric power. The concept of Dakini's is found in the depths of ancient Indian texts. She is said to be 16 years of age which signifies perfection being four times four.
Meditation of Vajravarahi
Sankha: Brief Introduction
An offering vessel; a symbol of Vishnu. In Hindu tradition the conch shell seems to have been extensively used in wars by ancient Indian. The white conch shell whose humming sound proclaims the glory of the saints. It is especially given as a symbol to the gods as the sound vibrated through a shell penetrates far and wide.CONCH SHELL: IconographicThe conch shell this has been used as the original from the past ancient times in ancient history of Nepal and India these horns are used to commence is any rituals or worn. Popularly known as Shanka is a musical instrument blow by the lord Krishna to declare the start of the war of Mahabharata. in all the epic stories of Hinduism shankha has been described being carried by all the heroes of the past.
In Vajrayana Buddhism.This has been recognised as the symbol of fearlessness and proclaimed the truth of dharma. This is the one of the eight symbols of good fortune this stands for the popularity and fame of Buddhist teaching which spread in all direction like the sound of the Conch Trumpet.
In addition to Buddha's throat the conch also appears as an auspicious mark on the soles palms limbs breast or forehead of a divinely endowed being.
The fourfold caste division is also applied as follows:
The smooth white conch represents the Brahmin caste (priests)
The red conch the kshatriyas (warriors)
The yellow conch the vaishyas (merchants)
The grey conch the shudras (labourers)
Additionally there is a fundamental classification of conch shells occurring in nature: those that turn to the left and those which turn to the right. Shells which spiral to the right in a clockwise direction are a rarity and are considered especially sacred. The right-spiralling movement of such a conch is believed to echo the celestial motion of the sun moon planets and stars across the heavens. The hair whorls on Buddha's head spiral to the right as do his fine body hairs the long curl between his eyebrows (urna) and also the conch-like swirl of his navel.
The Left Turning Conch The Right Turning ConchIt is one of the main emblems of Vishnu and his conch bears the name of Panchajanya meaning 'having control over the five classes of beings.'
Arjuna's (hero of the Mahabharata) mighty conch was known as Devadatta whose triumphant blast brought terror to the enemy. As a proclaiming battle horn the conch is akin to the bugle. It is an emblem of power authority and sovereignty whose blast is believed to banish evil spirits avert natural disasters and scare away poisonous creatures.
Today in its greatly tamed avatar the conch is used in Tibetan Buddhism to call together religious assemblies. During the actual practise of rituals it is used both as a musical instrument and as a container for holy water.
Ancient Indian belief classifies the conch into male and female varieties. The thicker-shelled bulbous one is thought to be the male (purusha) and the thin-shelled slender conch to be the female (shankhini).
Buddhist monk blowing conch shell at Mindrolling Monastery
