Image title: Heruka (or Secret Buddhas)

English text:

In accordance with the development of Tantric Buddhism there appeared deities with terrifying appearance, being decorated with non-mundane things such as a skull filled with blood, ornaments made of human bones, a raw skin of an elephant, or a poisonous snake. This is an advent of Secret Buddhas, or Heruka. The origin of the word Heruka is not clear, but probably it derives from the name for a divinity of the non-Aryans.

In early Buddhism, monks kept a distance from blood, bone, skin, and the like, which were often thought to be impure. On the other hand, in Tantric Buddhism blood, bone, skin, and the like are considered pure and sacred. That is to say, Tantrists tried to give positive symbolic meanings to ‘impure’ things. Herukas may be said to be Buddhas who embody the purification of those ‘impure’ things.

Cakrasamvara is one of the most popular Herukas. He wears a moon crescent ornament in his hair, has three eyes, and holds in his hands a trident, a damaru-drum, a skull-cup filled with blood, a vajra, and a garland of freshly severed human heads. Obviously, Buddhist Tantrists took over a number of iconographic features of Cakrasamvara from Shiva, one of the main Hindu deites.

Nepalese text (not proofread)

हेरुक (वा गुहय बुद्ध)—बौद्धतन्त्रको विकासक्रममा भयंकर रुपका देवी देवताहरूको पनि उदय भयो । ती देवताहरू रगतले एरिएको कपालपात्र, मानव हाडबाट निर्मित गरगहना, हात्तीका काँचो छाला वा विषालु सर्प धारण गरेका हुन्छन् । यो गुह्य बुद्ध अथवा हेरुकको आगमन हो । हेरुक शब्दको उद्भवको बारेमा स्पष्ट छैन । सायद आर्यसमाज भन्दा बाहिर पर्ने ईश्वरको नामबाट आएको हुनसक्छ ।

बुद्धधर्मको प्रारम्भिक कालतिर भिक्षुहरू रगत, हाड, छाला आदि चिजहरूबाट टाढा रहन्थे र यी वस्तुहरू अशुद्ध मान्थे । जबकी बौद्धतन्त्रमा यी रगत, हाड, छाला आदि वस्तुलाई शुद्ध र पवित्र मानिन्थ्यो । अर्थात् बौद्धतान्त्रिकहरू यी अशुद्ध चिजहरूलाई प्रतिकात्मक शुद्धताको अर्थमा लिइन्थ्यो । हेरुकले पनि यस्ता अशुद्ध वस्तुलाई शुद्धतामा परिणत गरी धारण गरेको हुँदा उहाँलाई बुद्ध मानिएको हुन सक्छ ।

बौद्ध समाजमा हेरुकहरू मध्ये चक्रसम्वर सबभन्दा लोकप्रिय छ । त्रिनेत्रधारी चक्रसम्वरले आफ्नो केशमा गहनाको रुपमा अर्धचन्द्र र हातमा त्रिदण्डि, डमरु, रगतले पूर्ण कपालपात्र, वज्र र नरमुण्ड माला धारण गरेको हुन्छ। बौद्धतान्त्रिक देवता चक्रसम्बरले प्रयोग गरेको विभिन्न आभूषणहरूलाई दृष्टिगत गर्दा हिन्दू आराध्य देव शिवको आभूषणसंग केही समानता देखिन्छ ।

Nepalese to English (automated translation)

Heruk (or Cave Buddha)—During the development of Buddhism, gods and goddesses of terrible form also emerged. Those deities wear blood-stained headdresses, jewelry made of human bones, raw elephant skins, or poisonous snakes. This is the coming of Guhya Buddha or Heruk. The origin of the word Heruk is not clear. Maybe it comes from the name of God who is outside of Arya Samaj.

During the early days of Buddhism, monks kept away from things like blood, bones, skin, etc. and considered these things impure. Whereas in Buddhism these things like blood, bones, skin etc. were considered pure and holy. In other words, Buddhist tantrics considered these impure things to be symbolic purity. Because Heruk also changed such impure things into purity and wore them, he may have been considered a Buddha.

Chakrasamvara is the most popular among the Herukas in Buddhist society. The three-eyed Chakrasamvara wears Ardhachandra as an ornament in his hair and Tridandi, Damru, Kapalapatra full of blood, Vajra and Narmunda garland in his hands. Looking at the various ornaments used by the Buddhist Tantric deity Chakrasambar, there is some similarity with the ornaments of the Hindu god Shiva.

Transcription (with diacritics):

Heruka (vā guhaya buddha)—bauddhatantrako vikāsakramamā bhayaṃkara rupakā devī devatāharūko pani udaya bhayo . Tī devatāharū ragatale erieko kapālapātra, mānava hāḍabāṭa nirmita garagahanā, hāttīkā kāṃco chālā vā viṣālu sarpa dhāraṇa garekā hunchan . Yo guhya buddha athavā herukako āgamana ho . Heruka śabdako udbhavako bāremā spaṣṭa chaina . Sāyada āryasamāja bhandā bāhira parne īśvarako nāmabāṭa āeko hunasakcha .

buddhadharmako prārambhika kālatira bhikṣuharū ragata, hāḍa, chālā ādi cijaharūbāṭa ṭāḍhā rahanthe ra yī vastuharū aśuddha mānthe . Jabakī bauddhatantramā yī ragata, hāḍa, chālā ādi vastulāī śuddha ra pavitra māninthyo . Arthāt bauddhatāntrikaharū yī aśuddha cijaharūlāī pratikātmaka śuddhatāko arthamā liinthyo . Herukale pani yastā aśuddha vastulāī śuddhatāmā pariṇata garī dhāraṇa gareko huṃdā uhāṃlāī buddha mānieko huna sakcha .

bauddha samājamā herukaharū madhye cakrasamvara sababhandā lokapriya cha . Trinetradhārī cakrasamvarale āphno keśamā gahanāko rupamā ardhacandra ra hātamā tridaṇḍi, ḍamaru, ragatale pūrṇa kapālapātra, vajra ra naramuṇḍa mālā dhāraṇa gareko huncha. Bauddhatāntrika devatā cakrasambarale prayoga gareko vibhinna ābhūṣaṇaharūlāī dṛṣṭigata gardā hindū ārādhya deva śivako ābhūṣaṇasaṃga kehī samānatā dekhincha .

Transcription (without diacritics):

 heruka (va guhaya buddha)—bauddhatantrako vikasakramama bhayamkara rupaka devi devataharuko pani udaya bhayo . ti devataharu ragatale erieko kapalapatra, manava hadabata nirmita garagahana, hattika kamco chala va vishalu sarpa dharana gareka hunchan . yo guhya buddha athava herukako agamana ho . heruka shabdako udbhavako barema spashta chaina . sayada aryasamaja bhanda bahira parne ishvarako namabata aeko hunasakcha .

buddhadharmako prarambhika kalatira bhikshuharu ragata, hada, chala adi cijaharubata tadha rahanthe ra yi vastuharu ashuddha manthe . jabaki bauddhatantrama yi ragata, hada, chala adi vastulai shuddha ra pavitra maninthyo . arthat bauddhatantrikaharu yi ashuddha cijaharulai pratikatmaka shuddhatako arthama liinthyo . herukale pani yasta ashuddha vastulai shuddhatama parinata gari dharana gareko humda uhamlai buddha manieko huna sakcha .

bauddha samajama herukaharu madhye cakrasamvara sababhanda lokapriya cha . trinetradhari cakrasamvarale aphno keshama gahanako rupama ardhacandra ra hatama tridandi, damaru, ragatale purna kapalapatra, vajra ra naramunda mala dharana gareko huncha. bauddhatantrika devata cakrasambarale prayoga gareko vibhinna abhushanaharulai drishtigata garda hindu aradhya deva shivako abhushanasamga kehi samanata dekhincha .

Gallery information:

The Northern Himalayan region in Nepal offers a wide variety of Buddhist objects such as paintings, scriptures, sculptures, ritualistic objects, etc. Buddhism once entered Tibet from Nepal and has blended in its own way there, resulting in Tibetan Buddhism which is divided into many schools. The items found here are exhibited in the National Museum of Nepal (Rashtriya Museum).