Vajrasharada, Vajraśāradā: 1 definition

Introduction:

Vajrasharada means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Vajraśāradā can be transliterated into English as Vajrasarada or Vajrasharada, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

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In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

Vajraśāradā (वज्रशारदा) is one of the forms of Sarasvatī, as mentioned in the 5th-century Sādhanamālā (a collection of sādhana texts that contain detailed instructions for rituals).—Her Symbols are lotus (right) and book (left).

The Dhyāna (meditation instructions) of Vajraśāradā described in the Sādhanamālā as follows:—

[Vajraśāradā rests upon a pure white lotus, and a crescent decorates her crown; she is three-eyed and two-armed and carries the book in the left hand and the lotus in the right. [...] She may, however, be accompanied by the four attendants, Prajñā and others. As the sādhana is silent about the āsana, she may have any attitude. The Nalanda image which has been identified as Koṭiśrī (?) is probably a stone representation of this goddess. Vajraśāradā here sits in Bhadrāsana, as do her companions. All the figures in the group are mutilated, but at least one among them carries the utpala and the book, in the right and left hands respectively.]
Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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.

Discover the meaning of vajrasharada or vajrasarada in the context of Tibetan Buddhism from relevant books on Exotic India

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