Simhamukha Jogini Dakini – Retinue of four Deities
Simhamukha Jogini Thangka Painting: Simhamukha, Dakini (in Tibetan: Seng Ge Dong Chen Kha Dro Ma and in English: Lion Faced Dakini) and a retinue of four deities.
Simhamukha 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. Simhamukha 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.
Gesture and Attributes
Simhamukha Jogini appears in a form of wrathful, with a body mostly 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 like shown in this Simhamukha Jogini Thangka Painting. The right-hand holds upraised a curved knife which is called Kartika to the sky, left hand holds a skull cup of blood known as Kapala 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.
