The Sanskrit term Śiromālā can be transliterated into English as Siromala or Shiromala, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Śiromālā (शिरोमाला) refers to a “garland of heads”, according to the Saṃvaramaṇḍala of Abhayākaragupta’s Niṣpannayogāvalī, p. 45 and n. 145; (Cf. Cakrasaṃvaratantra, Gray, David B., 2007).—Accordingly, [while describing the iconography of Cakrasaṃvara]: “In the Saṃvara Maṇḍala atop Mount Sumera within a vajra-canopy there is a variegated lotus, on top of that a palace, in the middle of which is the Blessed Lord, standing in ālīḍhāsana, "archer's pose", [...] possessing a nara-śiromālā-śatārdha, "garland of fifty (fresh) human heads" around the neck, the ṣaṇ-mudrā, "six insignia", bone ornaments, which are the kaṇṭhikā, "necklace", rucaka, "bracelets", kuṇḍala, "ear-rings", mekhalā, "girdle", śiromaṇi, "crest jewel", and bhasmitiḥ, "covered in ashes", a jaṭā-makuṭa, "crest of dreadlocks", kapālamālā, "crown of (five) skulls", topped by an ardhacandra, "crescent moon", and viśvavajra, "world vajra" or "double vajra", a vikṛitānana, "fierce face", and daṃṣṭrotkaṭa, "horrible gigantic fangs".

Note: The garland of fifty fresh human heads (nara-śiromālā-śatārdha) symbolize the fifty sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet.

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Shiras, Maala, Mala.

Ends with: Narashiromala.

Full-text: Ciramalai.

Relevant text

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