Hail
to Lord Kalachakra
THE
DEITIES OF THE BODY MANDALA
CONTENTS
The
Body Mandala
360
Deities of the Days
Protectors
Offering
Goddesses
Elemental
Deities
Wheel
Deities
THE BODY MANDALA
The
Body Mandala forms the ground-level basis of the 5-storey mandala. In elaborate
visualisations, it comes on the center of a huge lotus which is on top
of Mount Meru, which in turn is placed on a series of huge elemental disks.
Around the mandala is also a very large 'Vajra Tent'.
Unlike
most other mandalas, the Kalachakra mandala is not placed over a large
double vajra.
The
Body Mandala contains a total of 536 deities, of which 108 are located
in the 'cemetery grounds' outside the walls.
360 DEITIES OF
THE DAYS
On
the ledge inside the walls, we find 360 deities located on lotuses covering
twelve animals, symbolising the 360 days of the year fitted into 12 months,
as in the table below.
|
Month
|
Month
Name
|
Animal
in Mandala
|
Location
in Mandala
|
Central
Deity
|
Consort
|
Deities
on Lotus petals (clockwise) |
Corresponding
Western Sign of Zodiac |
|
1
|
Caitra
|
Hungry
Ghost
|
ESE
|
Yaksha
|
Yakshi
|
Nya-Vajri,
Nyi-Vajri etc.
|
Aries
|
|
2
|
Vaishakha
|
Deer
|
SE
|
Vayudeva
|
Prachandi
|
Cha-ajri,
Chi-Vajri etc.
|
Taurus
|
|
3
|
Jyeshtha
|
Sheep
|
SSW
|
Agni
|
Varuni
|
Na-Vajri,
Ni-Vajri etc.
|
Gemini
|
|
4
|
Purvashadha
|
Peacock
|
SW
|
Skandhakumara
|
Shri
|
Ta-Vajri, Ti-Vajri etc.
|
Cancer
|
|
5
|
(Shr)Avana
|
Sea
Monster
|
NNE
|
Varuna
|
Varahi
|
Ma-Vajri,
Mi-Vajri etc.
|
Leo
|
|
6
|
(Purva)Bhadrapada
|
Mouse
|
NE
|
Ganapati
|
Kumari
|
Pa-Vajri, Pi-Vajri etc.
|
Virgo
|
|
7
|
Ashvini
|
Elephant
|
WSW
|
Indra
|
Vayudevi
|
Na-Vajri, Ni-Vajri etc.
|
Libra
|
|
8
|
Kartika
|
Goose
|
NW
|
Brahma
|
Vidyuti
|
Ta-Vajri, Ti-Vajri etc.
|
Scorpio
|
|
9
|
Mrigashira
|
Bull
|
NNW
|
Rudra
|
Gauri
|
Xa-Vajri,
Xi-Vajri etc.
|
Sagittarius
|
|
10
|
Tishya
(Pusha)
|
Elephant
|
WNW
|
Kuvera
|
Lakshmi
(Dhanendira) |
Sa-Vajri,
Si-Vajri etc.
|
Capricorn
|
|
11
|
Magha
|
Garuda
|
ENE
|
Vishnu
|
Shri
|
Nga-Vajri,
Ngi-Vajri etc.
|
Aquarius
|
|
12
|
Phalguna
|
Water
Buffalo
|
SSE
|
Yama
|
Yami
|
Ka-Vajri,
Ki-Vajri etc.
|
Pisces
|
These 360 deities also correspond to the development of the embryo
during the 8th month.
From
the book 'Kalachakra' by Tibet
Domani (image
slightly edited):
'Bull
(eleventh month) to the left of the northern door, on the back of the bull,
is a red twenty-eight-petalled lotus, in the centre of which is seated
white Rudra (Wrathful one) with one face and four arms. In his right hands
he holds a trident and an arrow. In his left hands he hold kathvanga encoiled
by a snake and a bow. He is embraced by red Gauri with one face and four
arms. In her right ands she holds a staff and a sword. In her left hands
she holds a chain and a noose. Standing on the petals are twenty-eight
white female deities, each with one face and four arms. In their right
hands they hold a trident and an arrow. In their left hands they hold a
khatvanga encoiled by a snake and a bow.'
PROTECTORS OF THE
BODY MANDALA
Inside
the entrance gates, located on chariots pulled by seven animals each, are
a total of 4 pairs of Protector deities, and also above and below the mandala
are protectors.
|
Location
|
Protector
|
Consort
|
Chariot
pulled by
|
|
Eastern
Gate
|
Niladanda
|
Prabhavati
|
7
boars
|
|
Southern
Gate
|
Takkiraja
|
Chunda
|
7
horses
|
|
Northern
Gate
|
Achala
|
Bhrikuti
|
7
(snow) lions
|
|
Western
Gate
|
Mahabala
|
Vajrashrinkali
|
7
elephants
|
|
Above
Mandala
|
Ushnishacakravarti
|
Atishnila
|
(7?) garuda(s)
|
|
Below
Mandala
|
Sumbharaja
|
Rohini
|
(7?)
(snow) lion(s)
|
The
total of 32 Protector deities (probably: 8 in entrance gates, 20 in the
cemeteries, 2 above and 2 below) correspond to the 32 channels at the secret
chakra.
OFFERING GODDESSES
On
the white ledge just outside the walls are 36 Detachment (Offering) Goddesses,
usually represented by Sanskrit seed syllables.
The combined Offering Goddesses of the Body, Speech and Mind mandala
correspond to the 10th and last month in the development of an embryo.
ELEMENTAL DEITIES
The
same outer white ledge contains shapes representing the elements (yellow
squares for earth, white circles for water, red triangles for fire, black
crescents for air, green circle for space and blue circle for mind), on
which a total of 20 Elemental Deities are located.
The
White Outer Ledge further holds lamps in the corners behind the gates,
shaped like a white moon crescent and a double vajra on top.
The
cemetery area covers the fire and air ring around the mandala and contains
a total of 88 Sanskrit syllables, which symbolise 88 deities of the main
elemental spirits.
WHEEL DEITIES
The
10 wheels in the cemetery area each contain a deity pair: a fierce female
deity (Prachanda), embraced by a naga-king in the center:
|
Location
|
Name
of cemetery
|
Animal
(often not shown in Mandala) |
Central Deity
|
Consort
|
|
E
|
Shikharavindhya
|
Rhino
|
Svamukhi
|
Takshaka
|
|
SE
|
Avasheshabhogsa
|
Berunda
|
Kakamukhi
|
Mahapadma
|
|
S
|
Vetajvala
|
Bear
|
Shukaramukhi
|
Kulika
|
|
SW
|
Asahayuda
|
Crane
|
Gridhramukhi
|
Ananta
|
|
N
|
Rulbcas
(Tib.)
|
female
yak
|
Vyaghramukhi
|
Vasuki
|
|
NE
|
Balamrtyu
|
Hyena
|
Ulukamukhi
|
Shankhapala
|
|
W
|
Puyagandha
|
Lion
|
Jambukamukhi
|
Karkotaka
|
|
NW
|
Sarpabhoga
|
Rabbit
|
Garudamukhi
|
Padma
|
|
Above
|
|
Garuda Anila
|
Shyamani
|
Vijaya
|
|
Below
|
|
8-Legged
Lion
|
Vajrakshi
|
Jaya
|
The deities in the cemeteries and the wheels refer to the development
in the 9th month of an embryo.
Have a look at the Interactive
Mandala to
see where all deities are located in the mandala.