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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

Mahāsahastabhuja (महासहस्तभुज) or Mahāsahastabhujalokeśvara refers to number 54 of the 108 forms of Avalokiteśvara found in the Machhandar Vahal (Kathmanu, Nepal). [Machhandar or Machandar is another name for for Matsyendra.].

Accordingly,—

“Regarding Mahāsahastabhuja: In all respects he is identical with [Samantabhadra Lokeśvara], with this difference that here the god wields the sword in his right hand and displays the Varada mudrā with his left.—Samantabhadra Lokeśvara is one-faced and two-armed and sits in the Vajraparyaṅka attitude on a lotus. He exhibits the Varada pose with his right hand, and holds the stem of a lotus against the chest with his left”.

The names of the 108 deities [viz., Mahāsahastabhuja] possbily originate from a Tantra included in the Kagyur which is named “the 108 names of Avalokiteshvara”, however it is not yet certain that this is the source for the Nepali descriptions.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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Starts with: Mahasahastabhujalokeshvara.

Full-text: Mahasahastabhujalokeshvara.

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Search found 1 books and stories containing Mahasahastabhuja, Mahāsahastabhuja; (plurals include: Mahasahastabhujas, Mahāsahastabhujas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Indian Buddhist Iconography (by Benoytosh Bhattachacharyya)

108 forms of Avalokiteśvara (54): Mahāsahastabhuja Lokeśvara

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