Simha Mukhi Jogini(Yogini) Dakini – Retinue of Four Deities
Simhamukhi, Dakini (in Tibetan: Seng Ge Dong Chen Kha Dro Ma and in English: Lion Faced Dakini). With a body black in colour, the face is that of a white lion, with three round yellow eyes, blazing fiercely with a gaping mouth, a yellow beard, eyebrows and hair flowing upward. The right hand holds upraised a curved knife which is called Kartika to the sky, left hand holds a skullcup of blood to the heart, carrying a khatvanga staff tipped with a trident in the bend of the elbow supported against the shoulder. Adorned with a tiara of five skulls, red scarf, elephant skin, bone ornaments, a long snake and fifty freshly severed heads as a necklace, she wears a tiger skin skirt. Standing on the left leg with the right drawn up, trampling on a double triangle symbol, corpse, sun and multi-coloured lotus seat, Simhamukha in a mood of great fierceness dwells in the middle of a blazing fire of pristine awareness.
Gestures and Attributes
Simha Mukhi Jogini appears in a form wrathful, feminine and demonic; indeed, her form is said to be actually that of a Matrikia or Mamo, not because her nature is evil or demonic but because her wrathful aspect (khro gzugs) skillfully overcomes and subdues those violent negative energies. Simha Mukhi is a Jnana Dakini or wisdom goddess. According to Jigmed Lingpa (1726-1798), the famous Nyingmapa master and discoverer of hidden treasure texts or Termas, Simha Mukhi represents a Nirmanakaya manifestation, appearing in time and history, whereas her Sambhogakaya aspect is Vajravarahi and her Dharmakaya aspect is Samantabhadri, the Primordial Wisdom herself.
About this Sculpture
Expertly cast from copper alloy with partly Gold Gilding, this sculpture is a profoundly wrathful representation of Simha Mukhi Jogini. This sculpture was individually handcrafted in Patan, Nepal by master artisans of the Shakya clan who are considered among the best in the world. These craftsmen are the modern heirs to a centuries-old tradition of creating sacred art for use in temples and monasteries. The fine metalworking techniques have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times.
